| Johnny Ringo |
| Johnny was born on May 3, 1850 to Martin and Mary(Peters) Ringo in Washington Indiana. Much has been written about Ringo over the years, most being untrue tales. Johnny's family left Indiana around 1856 and moved to Gallatin Missouri where Johnny attended school. Some people say that Johnny had a college education but I've never found any records of it. In 1864 Martin decides to sell out and loads up his family and heads for San Jose, California where His oldest daughter is living. Durning the trip Martin somehow manages to trip while holding a loaded shotgun, shooting himself in the head, killing him instantly. This was a terrible blow to Johnny who is only 14 years old and wittnessed his father's death. After a roadside burial the family continued there journey west with Johnny as the man of the family. Early in November they finally arrive at Coleman Younger's ranch in California whom Augusta there daughter is married to. After living on the ranch for a year Mary moves her family into town.. |
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| Johnny Ringo |
| The Trouble Begins |
| 1870 Johnny leaves San Jose and travels back to Missouri for awhile then wander's around no one really knows where he was for about 3 years, but around 1874 he makes it to Texas, where in Lano County he made friends with a Texas cattleman Moses Baird. and George Gladden. About this time the Mason County War is in full swing and Moses Baird is killed in a confrontation with Daniel Horrester at Hedwig's Hill. This brings Ringo into the fight. He teams up with Scott Cooley a former Texas Ranger turned revenge killer over the killing of his foster father who was arrested by John Wohrle a Mason County Deputy and killed while being taken to jail. In August Wohrle was shot in the back of the head then scalped by whom some say were Ringo and Cooley. Septemper 25, 1875 Ringo and Bill Williams ride into the town of Mason along with Scott Cooley and go to James Chaney's house and promply send him to the promise land thinking he was the ring leader in the killing of Baird. Ringo and Williams went around town bragging about the killing but were not arrested. A Texas Ranger wrote a report about the incident and asked the local lawman why Ringo was not arrested ,the reply was "No one filed a complaint against him." On December 6, 1875 He was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, and on December 27, 1875 He and Cooley are arrested on charges of threatening the lives of the Burnett County Sheriff and his Deputy. In March 1876 Ringo and Cooley were convicted of the charges and were being held in jail waiting for an appeal, when friends of the two broke them out. The news of the escape spread rapidly and the papers reported numerous articles concerning Ringo that helped to establish his reputation as a gunfighter. On July 14, 1876 it was reported that Ringo had ambushed two Burnet County Deputy's trying to free some prisoner's that were being taken to jail but the ambush failed. Begining October thing's were not getting any better so Sheriff Strickland asked the Governor for help. With the aid of the Texas Rangers on Oct. 31, 1876 Ringo and Gladden were arrested by the Sheriff of Llano and taken to Austin where they were held in the Travis County jail where Ringo was indicted in Nov. 1876 by the Mason County Grand Jury for the Killing of James Chaney. Warrents were issued for there arrest and Nov. 1, 1877 and they were taken back to Mason County to stand trial for murder. In December 1877 Ringo's attorney was able to get him released on 2500.00 bond and the outlaw was loose again. Febuary 15, 1878 Ringo is arrested in Junction City by the Texas Rangers for disturbing the peace and later released on bond. On April 18, 1878 Ringo appeared in Mason County where he filed a sworn affidavit that he need the testimony of several witnesses in his upcomming case. On May 15, 1878 the district attorney for Mason County asked that the charges of murder be dismissed against Ringo. Seem's that he could not get any wtinesses to come foward and testify. After the charges were dropped, Ringo settled down and even ran for Constable at one time, but left Texas in 1879 winding up in Arizona. |
| Ringo In Tombstone |
| 1879 finds Ringo is in Tombstone where on December 9, He offers Louis Hancock a drink of whiskey in the Stafford Saloon, Hancock dosen't want whiskey but takes a beer instead. Ringo promply pulls his gun and shoots Hancock in the neck and ear. Johnny is arrested but there is no record of anything ever being done about the shooting. Ringo was arrested in Galeyville Tx. on August 18, 1881 for robbing a poker game that he was involved in, the charges were later dropped no one showed up in court to testify against him. Seemed that this happened quite often. In January rumors had it that Ringo was involved in a stage coach hold up, Ringo thinking that Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday had started the rumors confronted them and if not for a constable would have shot it out with them. Ringo and Doc. both were arrested and both fined 25.00 for carrying weapons in town. October 26, 1881 was a day that will be talked about forever The Gunfight at the OK Coral, but Jonny Ringo was not there or even in Tombstone at the time. Ringo had aparently left Tombstone and disassociated himself from the Clantons at the time. Rumor had it that he did kill Morgan Earp after the OK Coral but it was just speculation and nothing more. May 6, 1882 Ringo came back to Tombstone where charges are once again brought up on the shooting of Louis Hancock and once again on one showed up to testify against him, and the charges are dropped. |
| The Death of Johnny Ringo |
| July 2, 1882 Ringo is still in Tombstone where he is drinking heavy. Some people say his drinking was due to the fact that he was present at his father's death and he could never forget it. On July 8, Ringo would leave Tombstone for the last time On July 14, 1882 teamster John Youst found Johnny Ringo leaning against an old oak tree, dead with a bullet wound to the head and still clutching the .45 Colt in his hand. Ringo was buried not 5 yards from the spot where he was found and the offical cause of death is listed as suicide, but many people dispute the coroner's ruling saying there are to many descrepeces. Some of the facts He was found with his boots off and strips of his undershirt were wrapped around his feet. One of his cartridge belts was on upside down. There was a cut on his forehead with part of his hair missing, it was written that it appeared to have been made with a knife. His horse was not at the scene but was found day's later still saddled with his belongings intact. Whether Ringo killed himself or not no one will ever know, but his death being so much like the rest of the stories concerning the old west will always be remembered........... |
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| Indiania |
| Mississippi Back By Poplar Demand |
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| July 14, 1882 Tucson Star Newspaper read: John Ringgold, <sic> one of the best known men in southeastern Arizona, was found dead in Morse�s Canyon, in Chiricahua mountains, last Friday. He evidently committed suicide. He was known in this section as "King of the Cowboys," and was fearless in the extreme. He had many stanch friends and bitter enemies. The pistol, with one chamber emptied, was found in his clenched fist. (He) shot himself in the head, (the) bullet entering the right side, between eye and ear, and coming out on the top of the head. Some members of his family reside at San Jose, California. |