Thomas A. Cullinan
Encyclopedia
Thomas Allen Cullinan also known as Tom Allen, was a law enforcement officer in the U.S.A.
He served as city marshal
of Junction City
, Kansas
from 1871 to 1904.
, Ireland
in 1838 to well-to-do parents. When he was eleven years old, he became a seaman and spent six years exploring the world. He finally settled in the United States
and labored as a seaman on the Great Lakes
for one year. During that time, he survived a shipwreck on Lake Erie
and also became a proficient Mississippi River
pilot. In 1857, he was an employee of the American Fur Company
and traveled to the Rocky Mountains
. He hunted and trapped animals from Yellowstone to the Taos Valley. During the summer of 1858, he spent some time at a ranch in New Mexico
owned by Lucien Maxwell
and Kit Carson
. Both ranchers offered Allen a job as a partner, but Allen refused.
. Moreover, he staked a claim with three other men to land extending 90 acres (364,217.4 m²). There was a dispute to the ownership of the land and the four men (including Allen) reinforced their collective stake by erecting a large log house with firing ports in each wall. The land dispute progressed to the point where a company of 80 armed men were dispatched to remove Allen and his co-claimants. Allen allowed one of the armed men to step forward and revealed the defenses placed on the land. The armed man reported back and everyone in the 80-strong company decided to leave. Oddly enough, the land was eventually sold for a meager amount of money.
Allen was involved in his first major fistfight during his stay in Denver. When he saw a gentleman publicly strike a woman, Allen challenged the assailant to a no-holds-barred confrontation. Afterwards, Allen lectured the attacker for an hour and a half on the evils of domestic violence.
A man known as the “Terror of the Gulch” attempted to steal Tom Allen’s sluice water. As a result, Allen attempted to settle the matter diplomatically. This option ultimately failed and Allen offered to solve the dispute either “according to the rules of the ring” or through “rough-and-tumble.”
The Terror chose the latter, which allowed for the use of fighting techniques such as eye-gouging, biting, stomping, and head butting
. A crowd emerged as Allen demonstrated the dynamics of “rough-and-tumble.” In the end, the “Terror of the Gulch” was beaten and left the area.
Many merchants in Denver employed Allen and two of his land co-claimants to explore the Colorado River
. This expedition took place eight years before the explorations of Major John Wesley Powell
. Unfortunately, Allen and his associates were captured by the Native American
Utes
after only 250 miles (402.3 km) into their expedition. When one of the tribesmen pulled Allen’s ear, Allen punched the Ute and made him fall to the ground. Afterwards, Allen told the chief that the Utes were cowards and that he could defeat the tribe’s best warrior. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation as to whether the chief fulfilled Allen’s request or was merely amused by Allen’s bravado. Overall, Allen and his land co-claimants were set free.
, Allen enlisted in the Union Army
as a scout in the eastern states. In 1863, he was in Leavenworth, Kansas
when the town was occupied by a group of paramilitary units known as the Jayhawkers. Two police officers were shot and the town marshal was forced to leave. Upon the urgent request of the authorities, Allen decided to become chief of police. Allen faced the Jayhawkers using his “rough-and-tumble” techniques. In thirty days, he restored order to Leavenworth and afterwards relinquished his position.
The city’s newspaper, the Junction City Union, reported the following on April 25, 1885:
“We never heard of another single officer who could corral or lock up a gang of six or seven men at once. Tom Allen has done it frequently. One evening a couple of years ago six men came from a hay camp at Riley with the purpose of having a time. The marshal warned them not to attempt it. They started along the street overturning boxes and disturbing everybody. He overtook them and in less time than we can tell it four of them lay on the ground. Another time he took without assistance six soldiers out of a gang of eight, shooting two of them slightly. In all his service he has never killed a man, although suffering at times great aggravation and taking desperate chances.”
Tom Allen had many exploits while he was the city marshal of Junction City. During one of these exploits, a recruit from Fort Riley (along with twelve companions) intended to pull back Allen’s ears. As a result, the recruit was sent back to Fort Riley in an ambulance. In another incident, Allen entered a saloon while it was being vandalized by eight soldiers. Allen defeated each soldier and dragged them to the hoosegow. He arrested seven soldiers, but the eighth one managed to flee. Allen went to Fort Riley the next morning in order to arrest the eighth soldier. When the captain learned that Allen was present, he stated: “Great Scott, that’s the man who licked my sergeant! He can have him.”
In another one of his exploits, Allen was summoned to confront a drifter that according to newspaper accounts executed “a beastly offense to a little girl.” Allen faced the six-foot man and decided to punish him with physical force instead of having him go to court. In another incident, a drunk which Allen imprisoned multiple times started a quarrel in a local pub and according to the Junction City Union, “stood out in the street with a rock in each hand when Tom arrived. ‘Looking for a fight, are you? Remarked the peace officer as he gave him a wipe on the jaw, knocking him down and punishing him severely. This individual has never drank a drop since, and has thanked Tom repeatedly for that thrashing.”
A tall redheaded stranger was disturbing the peace when he entered Junction City in 1884. The man was holding a Colt
revolver while causing panic in a general store. Allen advised the man that the next train was leaving in a half-hour and that he should leave. The man ignored Allen and during evening hours, he started a commotion at a hotel. Allen again told the redheaded man to leave town. The next day, the man was causing an uproar at a cheap, dingy drinking establishment. Allen finally intervened and said, “Now I will take you in.” On his way to prison, the redheaded man stated to Allen, “You’re not man enough to take me in” and slapped him. As a result, Allen was irate, thrashed the man in a bloody fight, disarmed his Colt, and threw him in a prison cell. Afterwards, Allen threw the blood-encrusted man into the next train. Mayor George Martin stated, “I think this was his last experience with amateur prize-fighters who came to test his mettle.” For thirty-three years, Tom Allen served as city marshal in Junction City. During his many confrontations, he was not responsible for a single death and was never injured. He eventually died in his bed on June 18, 1904.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
He served as city marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
of Junction City
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
from 1871 to 1904.
Early life
Tom Allen was born in KilrushKilrush
Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1838 to well-to-do parents. When he was eleven years old, he became a seaman and spent six years exploring the world. He finally settled in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and labored as a seaman on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
for one year. During that time, he survived a shipwreck on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and also became a proficient Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
pilot. In 1857, he was an employee of the American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
and traveled to the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. He hunted and trapped animals from Yellowstone to the Taos Valley. During the summer of 1858, he spent some time at a ranch in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
owned by Lucien Maxwell
Lucien Maxwell
Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell was a rancher and entrepreneur who at one point owned more than . Along with Thomas Catron and Ted Turner, Maxwell was one of the largest private landowners in United States history....
and Kit Carson
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
. Both ranchers offered Allen a job as a partner, but Allen refused.
Experiences in Denver
Tom Allen eventually traveled to the Denver region and became a minerMiner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
. Moreover, he staked a claim with three other men to land extending 90 acres (364,217.4 m²). There was a dispute to the ownership of the land and the four men (including Allen) reinforced their collective stake by erecting a large log house with firing ports in each wall. The land dispute progressed to the point where a company of 80 armed men were dispatched to remove Allen and his co-claimants. Allen allowed one of the armed men to step forward and revealed the defenses placed on the land. The armed man reported back and everyone in the 80-strong company decided to leave. Oddly enough, the land was eventually sold for a meager amount of money.
Allen was involved in his first major fistfight during his stay in Denver. When he saw a gentleman publicly strike a woman, Allen challenged the assailant to a no-holds-barred confrontation. Afterwards, Allen lectured the attacker for an hour and a half on the evils of domestic violence.
A man known as the “Terror of the Gulch” attempted to steal Tom Allen’s sluice water. As a result, Allen attempted to settle the matter diplomatically. This option ultimately failed and Allen offered to solve the dispute either “according to the rules of the ring” or through “rough-and-tumble.”
Gouging (fighting style)
Gouging was a form of fighting in the back-country United States, primarily in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also known as rough-and-tumble fighting, it was often characterized by the objective of gouging out an opponent's eye, and typically took place in order to settle disputes...
The Terror chose the latter, which allowed for the use of fighting techniques such as eye-gouging, biting, stomping, and head butting
Gouging (fighting style)
Gouging was a form of fighting in the back-country United States, primarily in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also known as rough-and-tumble fighting, it was often characterized by the objective of gouging out an opponent's eye, and typically took place in order to settle disputes...
. A crowd emerged as Allen demonstrated the dynamics of “rough-and-tumble.” In the end, the “Terror of the Gulch” was beaten and left the area.
Many merchants in Denver employed Allen and two of his land co-claimants to explore the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
. This expedition took place eight years before the explorations of Major John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell was a U.S. soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions...
. Unfortunately, Allen and his associates were captured by the Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
Utes
Utes
Utes may refer to:*The fictional island in ARMA 2*Ute tribe, indigenous people of North America*Students of the University of Utah*Utah Utes, athletics team of the University of Utah, named after the Ute tribe...
after only 250 miles (402.3 km) into their expedition. When one of the tribesmen pulled Allen’s ear, Allen punched the Ute and made him fall to the ground. Afterwards, Allen told the chief that the Utes were cowards and that he could defeat the tribe’s best warrior. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation as to whether the chief fulfilled Allen’s request or was merely amused by Allen’s bravado. Overall, Allen and his land co-claimants were set free.
Civil War
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Allen enlisted in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
as a scout in the eastern states. In 1863, he was in Leavenworth, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
when the town was occupied by a group of paramilitary units known as the Jayhawkers. Two police officers were shot and the town marshal was forced to leave. Upon the urgent request of the authorities, Allen decided to become chief of police. Allen faced the Jayhawkers using his “rough-and-tumble” techniques. In thirty days, he restored order to Leavenworth and afterwards relinquished his position.
Junction City
In 1865, Allen was married and in 1871 became the city marshal of Junction City. The mayor, George Martin, stated that “The post was not a sinecure.” Various brothels and saloons elicited rabble rousing troops from Fort Riley, as well as travelers coming from intersecting railway lines.The city’s newspaper, the Junction City Union, reported the following on April 25, 1885:
“We never heard of another single officer who could corral or lock up a gang of six or seven men at once. Tom Allen has done it frequently. One evening a couple of years ago six men came from a hay camp at Riley with the purpose of having a time. The marshal warned them not to attempt it. They started along the street overturning boxes and disturbing everybody. He overtook them and in less time than we can tell it four of them lay on the ground. Another time he took without assistance six soldiers out of a gang of eight, shooting two of them slightly. In all his service he has never killed a man, although suffering at times great aggravation and taking desperate chances.”
Tom Allen had many exploits while he was the city marshal of Junction City. During one of these exploits, a recruit from Fort Riley (along with twelve companions) intended to pull back Allen’s ears. As a result, the recruit was sent back to Fort Riley in an ambulance. In another incident, Allen entered a saloon while it was being vandalized by eight soldiers. Allen defeated each soldier and dragged them to the hoosegow. He arrested seven soldiers, but the eighth one managed to flee. Allen went to Fort Riley the next morning in order to arrest the eighth soldier. When the captain learned that Allen was present, he stated: “Great Scott, that’s the man who licked my sergeant! He can have him.”
In another one of his exploits, Allen was summoned to confront a drifter that according to newspaper accounts executed “a beastly offense to a little girl.” Allen faced the six-foot man and decided to punish him with physical force instead of having him go to court. In another incident, a drunk which Allen imprisoned multiple times started a quarrel in a local pub and according to the Junction City Union, “stood out in the street with a rock in each hand when Tom arrived. ‘Looking for a fight, are you? Remarked the peace officer as he gave him a wipe on the jaw, knocking him down and punishing him severely. This individual has never drank a drop since, and has thanked Tom repeatedly for that thrashing.”
A tall redheaded stranger was disturbing the peace when he entered Junction City in 1884. The man was holding a Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
revolver while causing panic in a general store. Allen advised the man that the next train was leaving in a half-hour and that he should leave. The man ignored Allen and during evening hours, he started a commotion at a hotel. Allen again told the redheaded man to leave town. The next day, the man was causing an uproar at a cheap, dingy drinking establishment. Allen finally intervened and said, “Now I will take you in.” On his way to prison, the redheaded man stated to Allen, “You’re not man enough to take me in” and slapped him. As a result, Allen was irate, thrashed the man in a bloody fight, disarmed his Colt, and threw him in a prison cell. Afterwards, Allen threw the blood-encrusted man into the next train. Mayor George Martin stated, “I think this was his last experience with amateur prize-fighters who came to test his mettle.” For thirty-three years, Tom Allen served as city marshal in Junction City. During his many confrontations, he was not responsible for a single death and was never injured. He eventually died in his bed on June 18, 1904.
Source
- Kirchner, Paul. The Deadliest Men: The World’s Deadliest Combatants throughout the Ages. Colorado: Paladin Press, 2001.
