Ruby Murders
Encyclopedia
The Ruby Murders is the popular name for three separate incidents involving the deaths of six American
citizens at or near the town of Ruby
, Arizona
. The first incident occurred in February 1920 when Mexican
bandits, thought to be Villistas, robbed and killed the two owners of the Ruby Mercantile. A second attack happened fourteen months later in April 1921 when again, Mexican outlaw
s killed the store's owners and robbed the place. Two of the bandits were arrested for the crime but they briefly escaped custody in July 1922, after killing another two men, which led to the largest manhunt
in the history of the Southwest.
of Ruby was established in Bear Valley
during the 1870s and was a haven for cattle rustlers and other criminals for most of its Old West
history. A typical town of the era, Ruby was very small and its one general store
was the sole business other than mining. The store, called the Ruby Mercantile, was built sometime in the late 1880s and was also the post office
when it opened in 1912. In 1914 the mercantile was purchased by Philip C. Clarke who later built a larger store a short distance from the original. This second building was an adobe
structure, the remains of which have been preserved. Clarke felt the town was so dangerous that he kept either a pistol or a rifle in each room of his house and the store. Due to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution
in 1910, and the town's close proximity to the international border, Ruby was harassed by bandits and rebels on many occasions. Rebels loyal to Pancho Villa
, a famed border bandit and revolutionary, were active throughout the Mexican territory opposite of the Arizona border. The area was one of the hardest hit during the civil war which fueled the lawlessness. By 1920 the town was declining and still considered quite dangerous, the inhabitants were instructed to be heavily armed at all times.
Finally in January 1920 Clarke sold the mercantile to John and Alexander Frazer before moving his family to the nearby settlement of Oro Blanco. Less than two months after the Clarke family left, on February 27, 1920, the Frazer brothers were found dead in the store. Alexander was found lying on the floor near the cash register
. He had been shot twice, one bullet wound was found in Alexander's head and the second in his back. John was found nearby, he was still alive but unconscious, having been hit in the left eye by one bullet. He died though five hours later without regaining consciousness. An investigation by police found that the bandits had robbed the place and cut the wires for the town's only telephone, which was located in the store. The police discovered two sets of footprints around the store and also learned from the townspeople that two unknown Mexicans had been seen in the area. A local rancher reported that two of his best horses and eight of his cattle had been stolen at or near the same date, making the police assume the incidents were related. The Nogales
newspaper
Weekly Oasis said the "tragedy is nothing new over there. In the wild and rugged region south from the Atascosa Mountains
and the Bear Valley region, there has been always a harbor for a bunch of desperate characters, whose depredations have been felt by American cattlemen and ranchers through many years."
A posse
was sent south along the bandit's trail but they failed to catch up with the suspects, several men were later arrested for the crime but ultimately none of them were charged and the outlaws went unpunished. The second incident occurred in April 1921 following the transfer of the mercantile's ownership to a Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pearson, who lived in the store itself, with their three daughters. Mr. Pearson was warned of the previous killings, and the situation of the Mexican bandits, though he felt that a second attack on the store was unlikely to happen. However, on the morning of April 26, Frank and his wife Myrtle took a horseback ride into the surrounding hills and while doing so they spotted a group of seven Mexicans riding towards the town. The two thought that the Mexicans would likely want to visit the mercantile so they rode back to Ruby to service them. When the bandits entered the store they asked for tobacco
and as soon as Mr. Pearson turned around to get it, the Mexicans drew their pistols and fired into the man's back. Pearson was mortally wounded by two bullets but he grabbed his pistol under the counter and fired three shots wildly before dying.
After that the murderers turned their attention to Myrtle who had five gold teeth. First one bandit shot Myrtle in the neck to stop her from screaming and then he knocked out her gold teeth with a pistol butt. She was then shot a second time in the head and killed. Frank's daughter Elizabeth was also grazed in the arm but other than that the three young girls were left unharmed. The Mexicans ended the affair after they emptied the safe and destroyed the telephone, for a second time. They then rode out of town yelling and firing their guns in the air. When the Mexicans were gone the Pearson girls fled eight miles away to the nearest neighbor. This time when authorities were called for and ambulance
was sent from Nogales which treated Elizabeth's wounds. Meanwhile, a large posse of citizens and lawmen began searching the surrounding desert. A United States Army
biplane
, from the garrison
at Nogales, was also dispatched to participate in the search and it became the first aircraft to be used for a manhunt in the history of Arizona. A $5,000 bounty, dead or alive, was also placed for each of the seven Mexicans, partly due to the fact that the gang was suspected of being responsible for the first robbery. A few months later, authorities heard rumors that two men in a Sonora cantina
had bragged about being responsible for robbing the Ruby Mercantile.
American police investigated the claim but it wasn't until April 1922 that any arrests were made. By chance an Arizona deputy sheriff, at a cantina in Sasabe, Mexico, overheard the conversation between the bartender
and a customer. The bartender was trying to sell five gold teeth he had acquired sometime earlier by an outlaw named Manuel Martinez. When the deputy saw the teeth, he was sure they belonged to Myrtle so he bought them and took them back to the United States. Martinez was known for associating with a Mexican named Placidio Silvas, who lived near Oro Blanco. The two were eventually arrested without incident and put on trial for murder in May 1922, both were found guilty of murder by the court of Santa Cruz County
. Martinez was sentenced to be hung and Silvas received a sentence of life in the state prison at Florence
but on July 13, while the two prisoners were being transported in a police car, they managed to break free from their handcuffs, with a file, and then bludgeoned Sheriff
George White and Deputy L. A. Smith with a wrench. The police car was found later that day, rolled into a ditch near Continental with the bodies of White and Smith nearby. White was killed but Smith was still alive and taken to a hospital where he died of his wounds.
The men who found White and Smith trailed the outlaws across the Santa Rita Mountains
but they lost track of them near Ruby due to the monsoon
. The Arizona public was shocked about this latest double homicide so over 700 volunteers, from the Pima
, Pinal
, Cochise
and Santa Cruz counties formed posses for the largest manhunt in the history of the Southwest. Initially the Martinez and Silvas evaded the search parties but six days after escape search dogs uncovered a blood stained file which put authorities back on the bandit's trail. That same day Martinez and Silvas were found hiding under some brush in the Tumacacori Mountains
, about seventy miles from the site where the two had escaped custody. The two Mexicans were re-tried in court and found guilty again but the Mexican Consul appealed the court's decision and obtained a writ
, which delayed the case, but finally the Supreme Court intervened and the matter was settled. Martinez was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on August 10, 1923. Silvas was put into prison at Florence and he later escaped in 1928, never to be seen again.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens at or near the town of Ruby
Ruby, Arizona
Ruby is a ghost town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. It was founded as a mining town in Bear Valley, originally named Montana Camp, so named because the miners were mining at the foot of Montana Peak.-History:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The first incident occurred in February 1920 when Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
bandits, thought to be Villistas, robbed and killed the two owners of the Ruby Mercantile. A second attack happened fourteen months later in April 1921 when again, Mexican outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
s killed the store's owners and robbed the place. Two of the bandits were arrested for the crime but they briefly escaped custody in July 1922, after killing another two men, which led to the largest manhunt
Manhunt
Manhunt may refer to:In film:* Bloodfist VII: Manhunt, a 1995 action/adventure film starring Don Wilson* Man Hunt , a 1941 film directed by Fritz Lang* Man Hunt , a 1985 Western film directed by Fabrizio De Angelis...
in the history of the Southwest.
Murders
The mining townMining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry for the extraction or smeltering of ore.-United States:...
of Ruby was established in Bear Valley
Bear Valley
Bear Valley may refer to:United States* Bear Valley, San Bernardino County, California, USA* Bear Valley, Arizona a valley in Santa Cruz County, Arizona* Bear Valley, Alpine County, California, USA...
during the 1870s and was a haven for cattle rustlers and other criminals for most of its Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
history. A typical town of the era, Ruby was very small and its one general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
was the sole business other than mining. The store, called the Ruby Mercantile, was built sometime in the late 1880s and was also the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
when it opened in 1912. In 1914 the mercantile was purchased by Philip C. Clarke who later built a larger store a short distance from the original. This second building was an adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
structure, the remains of which have been preserved. Clarke felt the town was so dangerous that he kept either a pistol or a rifle in each room of his house and the store. Due to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
in 1910, and the town's close proximity to the international border, Ruby was harassed by bandits and rebels on many occasions. Rebels loyal to Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
, a famed border bandit and revolutionary, were active throughout the Mexican territory opposite of the Arizona border. The area was one of the hardest hit during the civil war which fueled the lawlessness. By 1920 the town was declining and still considered quite dangerous, the inhabitants were instructed to be heavily armed at all times.
Finally in January 1920 Clarke sold the mercantile to John and Alexander Frazer before moving his family to the nearby settlement of Oro Blanco. Less than two months after the Clarke family left, on February 27, 1920, the Frazer brothers were found dead in the store. Alexander was found lying on the floor near the cash register
Cash register
A cash register or till is a mechanical or electronic device for calculating and recording sales transactions, and an attached cash drawer for storing cash...
. He had been shot twice, one bullet wound was found in Alexander's head and the second in his back. John was found nearby, he was still alive but unconscious, having been hit in the left eye by one bullet. He died though five hours later without regaining consciousness. An investigation by police found that the bandits had robbed the place and cut the wires for the town's only telephone, which was located in the store. The police discovered two sets of footprints around the store and also learned from the townspeople that two unknown Mexicans had been seen in the area. A local rancher reported that two of his best horses and eight of his cattle had been stolen at or near the same date, making the police assume the incidents were related. The Nogales
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
Weekly Oasis said the "tragedy is nothing new over there. In the wild and rugged region south from the Atascosa Mountains
Atascosa Mountains
The Atascosa Mountains are a small mountain range of western Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It is sandwiched between the larger Tumacacori Mountains to the north, and a small east-west border range to the south, the Pajarito Mountains; the Pajaritos are on the U.S.-Mexico border and abut the Sierra La...
and the Bear Valley region, there has been always a harbor for a bunch of desperate characters, whose depredations have been felt by American cattlemen and ranchers through many years."
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
was sent south along the bandit's trail but they failed to catch up with the suspects, several men were later arrested for the crime but ultimately none of them were charged and the outlaws went unpunished. The second incident occurred in April 1921 following the transfer of the mercantile's ownership to a Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pearson, who lived in the store itself, with their three daughters. Mr. Pearson was warned of the previous killings, and the situation of the Mexican bandits, though he felt that a second attack on the store was unlikely to happen. However, on the morning of April 26, Frank and his wife Myrtle took a horseback ride into the surrounding hills and while doing so they spotted a group of seven Mexicans riding towards the town. The two thought that the Mexicans would likely want to visit the mercantile so they rode back to Ruby to service them. When the bandits entered the store they asked for tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and as soon as Mr. Pearson turned around to get it, the Mexicans drew their pistols and fired into the man's back. Pearson was mortally wounded by two bullets but he grabbed his pistol under the counter and fired three shots wildly before dying.
After that the murderers turned their attention to Myrtle who had five gold teeth. First one bandit shot Myrtle in the neck to stop her from screaming and then he knocked out her gold teeth with a pistol butt. She was then shot a second time in the head and killed. Frank's daughter Elizabeth was also grazed in the arm but other than that the three young girls were left unharmed. The Mexicans ended the affair after they emptied the safe and destroyed the telephone, for a second time. They then rode out of town yelling and firing their guns in the air. When the Mexicans were gone the Pearson girls fled eight miles away to the nearest neighbor. This time when authorities were called for and ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
was sent from Nogales which treated Elizabeth's wounds. Meanwhile, a large posse of citizens and lawmen began searching the surrounding desert. A United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
, from the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
at Nogales, was also dispatched to participate in the search and it became the first aircraft to be used for a manhunt in the history of Arizona. A $5,000 bounty, dead or alive, was also placed for each of the seven Mexicans, partly due to the fact that the gang was suspected of being responsible for the first robbery. A few months later, authorities heard rumors that two men in a Sonora cantina
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
had bragged about being responsible for robbing the Ruby Mercantile.
American police investigated the claim but it wasn't until April 1922 that any arrests were made. By chance an Arizona deputy sheriff, at a cantina in Sasabe, Mexico, overheard the conversation between the bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
and a customer. The bartender was trying to sell five gold teeth he had acquired sometime earlier by an outlaw named Manuel Martinez. When the deputy saw the teeth, he was sure they belonged to Myrtle so he bought them and took them back to the United States. Martinez was known for associating with a Mexican named Placidio Silvas, who lived near Oro Blanco. The two were eventually arrested without incident and put on trial for murder in May 1922, both were found guilty of murder by the court of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.5% White*0.4% Black*0.7% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*22.9% Other races*82.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Martinez was sentenced to be hung and Silvas received a sentence of life in the state prison at Florence
Florence, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,054 people, 2,226 households, and 1,540 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,056.2 people per square mile . There were 3,216 housing units at an average density of 387.7 per square mile...
but on July 13, while the two prisoners were being transported in a police car, they managed to break free from their handcuffs, with a file, and then bludgeoned Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
George White and Deputy L. A. Smith with a wrench. The police car was found later that day, rolled into a ditch near Continental with the bodies of White and Smith nearby. White was killed but Smith was still alive and taken to a hospital where he died of his wounds.
The men who found White and Smith trailed the outlaws across the Santa Rita Mountains
Santa Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
but they lost track of them near Ruby due to the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
. The Arizona public was shocked about this latest double homicide so over 700 volunteers, from the Pima
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Pinal
Pinal County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.4% White*4.6% Black*5.6% Native American*1.7% Asian*0.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.8% Two or more races*11.5% Other races*28.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Cochise
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and Santa Cruz counties formed posses for the largest manhunt in the history of the Southwest. Initially the Martinez and Silvas evaded the search parties but six days after escape search dogs uncovered a blood stained file which put authorities back on the bandit's trail. That same day Martinez and Silvas were found hiding under some brush in the Tumacacori Mountains
Tumacacori National Forest
Tumacacori National Forest was established as the Tumacacori Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona on November 7, 1906 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 the entire forest was combined with Baboquivari National Forest and Huachuca National Forest to...
, about seventy miles from the site where the two had escaped custody. The two Mexicans were re-tried in court and found guilty again but the Mexican Consul appealed the court's decision and obtained a writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
, which delayed the case, but finally the Supreme Court intervened and the matter was settled. Martinez was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on August 10, 1923. Silvas was put into prison at Florence and he later escaped in 1928, never to be seen again.
See also
- Bandit WarBandit WarThe Bandit War, or Bandit Wars, refers to a series of raids in Texas between 1910 and 1918 that were carried out by Mexican rebels from the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua. Before 1914, the Carrancista faction was responsible for most of the attacks but in January of 1915 rebels known...
- Garza RevolutionGarza RevolutionThe Garza Revolution, or the Garza War, was a armed conflict fought in the Mexican state of Coahuila and the American state of Texas between 1891 and 1893. It began when the revolutionary Catarino Garza launched a campaign into Mexico from Texas to start an uprising against the dictator Porfirio Diaz...
- Mowry MassacresMowry MassacresThe Mowry Massacres, also known as the Mowry Murders, were a series of Apache attacks in and around the mining town of Mowry, Arizona between 1863 and 1865. At least sixteen American settlers were killed during the period.-Massacres:...
- Cerro Colorado, ArizonaCerro Colorado, ArizonaCerro Colorado is a ghost town in southern Pima County, Arizona. It is located off Arivaca Road, near Arivaca, Arizona. The town is best known for the massacre of mining employees by Mexican outlaws and buried treasure.-History:...
- Border War (1910-1918)