The morning times., 1895-11-06
STORY OF 4 ROA) AGENT
His Rise, Career and End by the
Customary Route.
PLAYED THE LONE HAND
Billie Brazzelton, of Tucson, High
waymen and Tough-WtId Career
That Was Wound Up by the Trench-
ely of IA Friend-W hin Ut ouial
Who Helped XIII Him.

Did you ever hear the story of Billie
Brazzelton, the lone highH aymsn of
Arizona? Very few persons in the East
have, but memories oil this man are deeply
written in the minds of old-umers in the
far Southwest. Billie was native Of
san Francisco, and in very early youth
Was, by The death OF his parents, who were
respectable residents Of that green and
suS6y part or Frisco, know n as the Mission.
compelled to hustle for himself.
His naive venIuresonivness SO thrived
in his environment that IL descended into
yiciousness. He was without home and
had only those hopes " Inch are common
more or less to all boys-that is, to be Q
conquering hero at the edge OF knife OF
the muzzle OF gun.
He royed with his gang" over the great
Sand-duiles, where beautiful Golden Gate
Park now blossoms as the rose; over the
green hills TO the South near what is now
Menlo Park; over the wave-lashed lands
TO the northwest, where the Presidio now
is They climbed Twin Peaks then called
The Maidens Breast" and learned every
inch of territory i'll the abrupt chapparel-
grown hills back of where now stands the
village OF SancilitO.
Billie grew into what is locally termed
on the Pacific Slope, hoodIum, which il
the western for tough" At the tender
age IIteeHt bTdZZtllOn kllleU lie Ilrst
man and escaped the penalty. Single
handed, he is known to have been the
author of nine daring stage robberies
in New Mexico and Arizona 1t was by
reason Of his homeland method of operat-
ing that earned for him the sObriquet OF
the Lone Highwayman-''
He had a close call once when hunted by
posse near Silver City, New Mexico.
but by some strategem never explained, he
nj
them in detail as they came up. he was
one of the best shots who ever monkeyed
with a trigger, and could shoot double
banded with accuracy.
In addition to his skill with shooting
irons, be was dead game. He came to the
end of his tet her at last and was killed by
posse led by Charlie Shibell, sheriff Of
Pima county, Arizona, 9 few miles south
of Tucson.
His end came In this manner: It was Q
red-hot day in July, 1878, that q West
bound stage, driven by Joe Converse and
carrying the United States mails and the
Wells, Fargo Co. express box pulled ous
of Tucson and beaded down the Santa Cruz
valley, destined for Florence, Arizona, sew
enty-five miles away in the ella valley.
The trail was part of the Southern overland
route from Ell Paso, Texas, to San Diego,
California.
Although that particular part of the
country had in earlier days been infested
with bandits, the Officers OF the law fels
certain that welldirected slugs and tbs
punctual application of extemporaDeous
rope had discouraged the practice of
holding up the coach No apprehension
was felt, and the stage rolled peacefully
along till IL struck a snaR. Eighteen
miles west OF Tucson is Point OF Rocks,
a rugged, sun-parched elevation. The
road there is heavy, and the horses ploddsd
at a walk.
Suddenly the coach stopped, the driver
and occupants, one of whom was Mr.. John
P Clum, of the inspectors division Of
the POstoffice Department, were covered
with q gaping rifle held by six-foos
bandit OF athletic build. He was masked
and the identity OF his clothes was con.
cealed by pieces of bagging. He wors
two pistols and two cartridge belts aud .
fatal-looking knife.
Throw up your hands," Is what he said.
The occupants threw up their hands, and
their valuables also The mail pouch and
express box were dumped off, and with
a few words of farewell the coach moved
on to Florence. Posses were soeu securing
the country, but without avail.
On the return trip the same coach was
held up by the same man at the same
place and in the same way. The knight of
the road used a black horse, and an unusual
impression was made by one of the shoes.
Soon after this one of the citizens Of
Tucson was seen riding black horse, one
of whose shoes made the same strange
mark. The man was arrested, and to es-
cape lynching told that the name of the
bandit was Billie BraZZelton, and that he
had carried out provisions to him, and was
willing to betray him.
The traitor gave the tip as to whers
he was to meet Brazzelton, and thither
the posse fastened. They hid in the brush.
Brazzelton appeared at the appointed time
and Sheriff Shibell yelled surrender
BraZZleton reached for his guns. the posse
fired, and the lone highwa lyman of Arizona
reeled, and fell dead. The body was
buried at Tucson and the grave of the des
perado is still pointed out to strangers.