John Ringo, King of the Cowboys: His Life and Times from the Hoo Doo War to Tombstone, Second Edition

Chapter 11. “State of Texas vs. John Ringo”

98 11 C H A P T E R “State of Texas vs. John Ringo” WHILE RINGO DODGED TEXAS LAW, in California his family was living comfortably, at least financially. Mary was working as a dressmaker, and Fanny found employment as a milliner.1 Mary’s health was deteriorating , however, as tuberculosis racked her body. As the disease entered its final phases, Mary anticipated her death. On July 5, 1876, she finalized her will, bequeathing everything to her children. “I do hereby bequeath to my daughters Fanny F. Ringo, Mary E. Ringo & Mattie B. Ringo the homestead, together with the furniture to share & share alike, but with the understanding that the same shall not be sold, until Mattie B. Ringo my younger daughter shall have attained the age of twenty one years. My son John Ringo having been here to fore provided for I bequeath him the sum of one dollar.”2 That Mary could leave an estate does not indicate poverty as some authors suggest. Mary, supplemented by funds from John, was independent. Less than two weeks later, Mary Peters Ringo died, on July 16, 1876. The Liberty Tribune published a brief obituary: “Died at her residence in San Jose, California, July 16th of consumption, Mrs. Mary Ringo, widow of the late Martin Ringo and daughter of the late John R. Peters of Clay Co., in her 50th yr. In 1848 she was married to Martin “State of Texas vs. John Ringo” 99 Ringo, moved to Indiana, then back to Missouri. And settled in Gallatin , and in 1864 the family went to California, Mr. Ringo accidentally killing himself on the route.”3 John remained unaware of his mother’s death, perhaps for weeks, while his problems continued to mount. On June 24, 1876, he was indicted for “Aiding a prisoner to escape from the Custody of a lawful Officer.”4 The charge may have stemmed from an attempt by Ringo to liberate Bill Redding. Redding was captured in Llano County. The Burnet Bulletin reported: Deputy [Joseph] Leverett, of Llano county, who has just returned from carrying Reddin to Austin for safe keeping, reports that thirteen of Reddin’s friends were seen ambushed in the cedar brake this side of Austin waiting for them to pass, so as to liberate the prisoners and kill the guard. Leverett and Sheriff [John J.] Strickland went by Round Rock, and thereby avoiding an attack. It is reported that some one of the waylaying party remarked that they would never get as good an opportunity to kill Strickland and Leverett. The notorious Ringo, who seems to have been the leader, is certainly a very desperate and daring man. All but three of the party finally dispersed, leaving them to waylay Leverett on his return. But the news reached him, and, with the aid of the Sheriff of Travis county [Dennis Corwin] and about thirty men, he made a search for but failed to find them. Leverett says that he was assured of the co-operation of the citizens of Williamson and Travis counties in pursuing and hunting down such characters, who are ready to release prisoners and murder county officers while attempting to do their duty. Who informed the Bulletin of the comments of the ambushers is unrecorded , and probably existed only in the editor’s mind. What was recorded, adjacent to the article, was a thinly veiled threat that reads in part, “There are still among us those who are ever ready to notify these thieves of any move that might be made by the sheriff to arrest them. But the eyes of the people are upon them, and a continuance of harboring and shielding such characters will bring them into trouble.”5 100 JOHN RINGO, KING OF THE COWBOYS Ironically, Redding was arrested due to confusion over his identity with Bill Reddin, one of those involved in a bank robbery at Comanche , Texas.6 The robbers were identified as Joe and George Horner and Bill Reddin.7 Ringo made news again in August. On the seventeenth, a telegram from Fredericksburg to the Galveston News reported that “John Ringo and Bill Randall” had driven off cattle “from Gooch, Hogan, Neighbors and others.”8 Posses swarmed in pursuit. E. F. Cullen, of Walter Tine & Co. informed the Burnet Bulletin that on August 21 the sheriff of Mason County and twenty-five men had entered Kimble County to capture cattle thieves. “Ringo...