Arizona, the Youngest State
McClintock, 1913, page 488
The organization of the Arizona Rangers was on the recommendation
of Governor Murphy to the Legislature of 1901. As the first
Captain was appointed Burton C. Mossman, a Northern Arizona
cattleman, who preceded with an organization of a company that
at first consisted of only twelve men, with Dayton Graham of
Cochise County as first lieutenant. Mossman made his
organization wholly non-political and men were sought for
enlistment on account of their records as efficient officers,
good shots and good frontiersmen, well acquainted with the
country. In some cases, men were enlisted whose previous
records would not have entitled them to distinguished
consideration in a Sunday school, but who had reputation
for courage and endurance. Such men usually gave a very
good account of themselves. According to Mossman: "I have
never known a body of men to take a more intense interest in
their work. They were very proud of the organization, proud
of the record that they were making, and there was great
emulation among the men to make good." Every section of the
territory had its representatives so that wherever the
command might be called there would be some ranger familiar
with the country, water holes, trails, etc. During the
first twelve months after organization, 125 arrests were
made of actual criminals, who were sent to the penitentiary
or back to other states to answer for crime. The deterrent
effect of these many captures was great, serving to drive
from the territory a large percentage of its criminal
Organized in August, the rangers proved effective from the
first. In November two of its members, Carlos Tafolla and
Dean Hamblin, reinforced by four Saint Johns cattlemen, chased
the Jack Smith band of outlaws into the Black River country
south of Springerville. The outlaws were headed for Mexico
with a band of stolen horses and were surprised while in camp.
After apparent surrender, they dodged behind trees and
opened fire. Tafolla and a cattleman named Maxwell were
killed and two of the outlaws wounded. The latter escaped
in darkness, on foot, leaving their camp outfit and horses
behind. Captain Mossman, with three more rangers soon was
on the trail but the gang stealing fresh horses managed to
escape in the snows of the New Mexican mountains. Tafolla's
widow was pensioned by the Legislature.
Captain Mossman early established amicable relations with the
Mexican authorities and an agreement was entered into with Lt.
Col. Kosterlitsky of the Mexican Rurales that either should
have the privilege of chasing outlaws across the border and
they should work in unison wit the definite object of ridding
the Southwest of the "rustler" element.
In 1903 the force embraced twenty six officers. Six years
after organization report was made that the rangers in that
time had made 4000 arrests of which 25% had been for serious
felonies. The best work was against horse and cattle thieves.
Especial value was found in the fact that the Rangers were
independent of politics and were not controlled by
considerations that often tied the hands of local peace
officers. This very feature, however, led to occasional
trouble with disagreeing sheriffs.
After Governor Brodie assumed office a change was made in the
leadership of the Arizona Rangers, to the position being
appointed T.H Rynning, who had been a lieutenant of Rough
Riders. Under him the organization did splendid work,
especially in the labor troubles in Bisbee and Morenci.
At the latter point, one episode most worthy of mention was
when a band of several hundred rioters, coming over the
divide from Chase Creek, encountered a few rangers, commanded
by Sergeant Jack Foster. Foster was hailed and a demand was
made upon him for his guns. The sergeant, remembering his
experience in the Rough Riders, deployed his men along the
crest of a ridge and laconically answered:" If you want the
guns, come and get them." The rioters concluded to move on
and Foster saved both his rifles and his self-respect.
The history of the rangers under whatever leadership was
one of devotion and of rare courage, well worthy of a
separate volume. Some of it is told in this work but
much is left unchronicled. There is the story how Ranger
Frank Wheeler, with Deputy Sheriff John Cameron, killed
Herrick and Bentley, former convicts wanted for horse
stealing, in the course of a battle in the rocks, after
the fugitives had been tracked for five days. There might
be mentioned, as typical, the encounter in Benson of
Captain Harry Wheeler with a desperado named Tracy wherein
the latter died with four bullet holes in his body and
Wheeler received wounds that disabled him for months.
There was the case of Willis Wood, an outlaw of the worst
type, who was taken by Rynning from a roomful of the
Rynning resigned to become superintendent of the territorial
prison during the period of its reconstruction at Florence
and March 21, 1907 was succeeded by his lieutenant, Harry
Wheeler, later sheriff of Cochise County. Wheeler notably
was successful in handling difficult border conditions.
But politics finally caused the disbandment of the rangers.
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