The American Wild West was a crucible of characters, but few were as enigmatic and notorious as Hoodoo Brown. Born Hyman G. Neill, this cunning figure rose to infamy as the de facto leader of the infamous Dodge City Gang, transforming the burgeoning town of Las Vegas, New Mexico, into his personal fiefdom of corruption and crime in the late 1870s and early 1880s.
From Missouri Gentleman to Western Drifter: The Early Life of Hyman G. Neill
Hyman G. Neill, the man who would become known as Hoodoo Brown, originated from a respected, traditional Southern family in Lexington, Missouri. His father, a lawyer who had migrated from Lee County, Virginia, in the 1830s, faced a profound moral dilemma at the outbreak of the Civil War. Despite his Southern roots, Neill Senior could not betray his oath to the United States Constitution, choosing instead to fight for the Union. This decision, coupled with the tragic death of his wife, prompted him to relocate his family to Warrensburg, Missouri, after the war concluded. It was against this backdrop of shifting loyalties and personal loss that young Hyman G. Neill began his journey.
As a teenager, Hyman found employment as a printer’s devil at a local Warrensburg newspaper. This seemingly mundane role offered a glimpse into his restless spirit. Legend has it that one day, tasked with collecting rags essential for the printing process, he impulsively leaped onto a passing freight train, declaring his departure with a characteristic defiance: “to get your durn rags.” This act marked the beginning of his true Western odyssey, a life far removed from the respectable confines of his Missouri upbringing.
By 1872, Neill had embraced the life of a frontiersman, hunting buffalo and hauling lumber between Russell, Kansas, and the legendary Dodge City. Descriptions of him from this period paint a picture of a tall, thin man with light hair, a small mustache, and a distinctly rakish demeanor. He quickly garnered a reputation not just as a worker, but also as a small-time gambler and a confidence man, honing the skills of persuasion and deception that would later serve him well. His wanderlust soon led him to Colorado, where he briefly worked in the demanding silver mines alongside a friend. Yet, the call for adventure proved stronger, pulling him south into Mexico, where, in a surprising turn, he and his companion formed a rather “ragtag opera company,” performing for the amusement and occasional mystification of remote villagers.
The Rise of Hoodoo Brown: Controlling Law and Order in Las Vegas, New Mexico
When Hoodoo Brown arrived in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the town was a burgeoning, chaotic frontier settlement, rapidly acquiring a notorious reputation for lawlessness. It was a magnet for outlaws, con artists, murderers, and thieves, a perfect environment for someone of Neill’s particular talents to thrive. In 1879, capitalizing on the fluid political landscape and perhaps a degree of voter apathy or intimidation, Hoodoo Brown managed to secure his election as Justice of the Peace for East Las Vegas. This was no ordinary position; it effectively made him the town’s coroner and, to some extent, its mayor, consolidating immense power in his hands.
With his newfound authority, Hoodoo Brown wasted no time in establishing his own brand of “justice.” He swiftly recruited a group of former Kansas gunfighters, men whose pasts were as checkered as their leader’s, to form the town’s police force. This notorious ensemble became known as the Dodge City Gang, a name that struck fear into the hearts of honest citizens and served as a clear warning to newly arrived settlers on the railroad. Ironically, these “peace officers” were often more lawless than the very criminals they were ostensibly hired to police. Key members of this gang included notorious figures such as J.J. Webb, who served as town marshal; the enigmatic “Mysterious Dave Mather”; the ruthless Joe Carson; and the infamous “Dirty Dave” Rudebaugh, among others. Together, they forged an iron grip on Las Vegas, transforming the mechanisms of law and order into instruments of their own criminal enterprise.
A Reign of Corruption: Robbery, Murder, and the “Coroner’s Jury”
From late 1879 through 1880, Hoodoo Brown and his Dodge City Gang unleashed a systematic campaign of crime and corruption upon Las Vegas. Their activities spanned a horrifying spectrum, from brazen stagecoach and train robberies to cold-blooded murder, pervasive thievery, and widespread municipal graft. Under Hoodoo’s leadership, the lines between law enforcement and organized crime completely blurred. The gang’s crimes were not random acts but often calculated moves to assert their dominance and enrich themselves.
One of Hoodoo Brown’s most insidious innovations was his control over the “Coroner’s Jury.” In his role as coroner, Hoodoo ensured that members of his own gang were appointed to these juries. This strategic placement transformed a crucial legal safeguard into a convenient tool for covering up their atrocities. Any killing committed by a gang member could easily be ruled as self-defense or justifiable homicide, effectively granting them impunity. This blatant abuse of power allowed the gang to operate with an alarming sense of invincibility, further entrenching their control and terrifying the populace.
The extent of their lawlessness eventually began to draw national attention. In March 1880, the prestigious Chicago Times published a scathing article, describing Brown as “one of the worst class of low gamblers.” This public condemnation highlighted the growing awareness of the dire situation in Las Vegas, a town where the very individuals sworn to uphold the law were its most egregious violators.
The Tide Turns: Vigilante Justice and Hoodoo Brown’s Retreat
The rampant crime and corruption perpetrated by Hoodoo Brown and the Dodge City Gang eventually pushed the citizens of Las Vegas, New Mexico, to their breaking point. By the summer of 1880, the community had endured enough. A powerful wave of popular resistance began to form, culminating in the assembly of a formidable party of vigilantes. These determined citizens, unwilling to tolerate the breakdown of law and order any longer, took matters into their own hands. Their relentless pressure and organized efforts proved effective, slowly but surely dismantling the gang’s hold and ultimately driving Hoodoo Brown and the remnants of his cohorts from the state. The era of unchecked impunity in Las Vegas was over.
As the vigilantes closed in, Hoodoo Brown made a hasty escape, reportedly stealing money from a dead man before fleeing to Houston, Texas. However, his freedom was short-lived. Soon after his arrival in Houston, he was apprehended and jailed. It was during his incarceration that a peculiar incident unfolded: he received a visit from the widow of a former Las Vegas deputy, a man who had been killed just two months prior. The circumstances of this meeting were deemed highly unusual, sparking whispers and speculation.
Newspaper reports from the time sensationalized the encounter. The Parsons Sun, for instance, reported that “The meeting between the pair is said to have been affecting in the extreme, and rather more affectionate than would be expected under the circumstances.” The Parsons Eclipse went even further, implying a deeper scandal: “The offense committed at Las Vegas, as near as we can gather the facts relating to it, was murder and robbery, and the circumstances connected with the arrest here would indicate that the lesser crime of seduction and adultery was connected with it.” Despite the scandalous implications and the serious accusations from Las Vegas, Hoodoo Brown, ever the cunning operator, managed to secure his release. He hired two local attorneys, and due to the Texas authorities’ inability to establish concrete charges against him for crimes committed out of state, he walked free.
His post-release activities continued to fuel public interest. The Chicago Times, which had previously denounced him, reported that Brown and the mysterious widow were “skylarking through some of the interior towns of Kansas ever since.” This further cemented his image as a rogue and a scoundrel, constantly skirting the edges of the law and societal norms.
The Elusive End: Hoodoo Brown’s Final Chapter and Lingering Mysteries
The exact circumstances surrounding Hoodoo Brown’s death remain shrouded in a degree of mystery, befitting his enigmatic life. According to reports from a descendant, Hyman G. Neill eventually made his way to Torreon, Mexico. There, he reportedly left behind a common-law wife and a son. In a testament to familial ties despite his outlaw reputation, two of his brothers journeyed to Mexico to retrieve Hoodoo’s remains, as did his son, who had been raised in Lexington, Missouri. Ultimately, Hyman G. Neill was laid to rest in the family plot in Lexington, Missouri, under the name Henry G. Neill, a final, understated return to his origins.
However, the legend of Hoodoo Brown did not simply fade with his reported burial. Years later, records surfaced of a “Mrs. Hoodoo Brown” living in Leadville, Colorado. Described as Elizabeth Brown, she was known to be a heavy drinker and a practitioner of the black arts, adding another layer of intrigue to the Brown legacy. She claimed to have been married to a gambler named Hoodoo Brown, who was reportedly shot and killed in a gambling dispute. This raises a tantalizing question: was this Elizabeth the common-law wife from Torreon, or was there another “Hoodoo Brown” entirely? The answer remains elusive, further cementing the mysterious aura surrounding the man.
As Harold Thatcher, Director Curator of the Rough Rider Museum in Las Vegas, New Mexico, eloquently summarized, “The baddest cowboy of them all was Hoodoo Brown.” This powerful statement encapsulates the formidable and often terrifying impact of Hyman G. Neill on the untamed American frontier.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of an Outlaw Justice
The story of Hyman G. Neill, better known as Hoodoo Brown, is a captivating chapter in the annals of the American Wild West. From his respectable roots in Missouri to his notorious reign as the “Justice of the Peace” and leader of the Dodge City Gang in lawless Las Vegas, New Mexico, Hoodoo Brown navigated a world where the lines between law and crime were often blurred. His cunning, ruthlessness, and ability to manipulate the very systems of justice to his own advantage made him a truly unique and feared figure. While his ultimate demise in Mexico provided a quiet end to a tumultuous life, the legends of his exploits and the lingering questions about his identity and relationships continue to fascinate. Hoodoo Brown remains a potent symbol of the untamed frontier, a man who, for a brief, turbulent period, held a town in his thrall, leaving behind a legacy of both infamy and intrigue.
