Burt Alvord

Burt Alvord
Burt Alvord
Born	September 11, 1867; Plumas County, California, U.S.
Died	after 1910
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Deputy sheriff, outlaw
Criminal charge	Armed robbery

Albert "Burt" Alvord (September 11, 1867 – after 1910) was an American lawman and later

Old West. Alvord began his career in law enforcement in 1886 as a deputy under Sheriff John Slaughter in Cochise County, Arizona, but turned to train robbery

by the beginning of the 20th century.

Early life

Albert W. Alvord was born to Charles E. Alvord and his wife Lucy on September 11, 1867, in Plumas County, California.^[1] His father, a native of New York, worked as a prospector and mechanic for mining companies, but eventually came to hold public offices such as constable and justice of the peace in several of the places that the family lived.^[2] The family moved frequently throughout Burt's childhood, following the mining business from boomtown to boomtown. In 1879, the family settled in Pima County, Arizona Territory,^[3] but soon moved to Tombstone in Cochise County.^[4]^[5]

Alvord's education was informal, but he likely learned much from his father's cases about local disputes.^[6] He also spent time working at the O.K. Corral where he got to know the townspeople very well.^[7] Claims that Alvord witnessed the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 are unsubstantiated, though the banditry and lawlessness for which Tombstone was famous would certainly have made an impression on the young Alvord.^[8]

Law enforcement career

Despite Alvord's reputation for frequenting

gamblers

and suspected outlaws. When Slaughter reprimanded him, he quit.

Alvord next worked as a lawman in several towns in the 1890s, including Fairbank, Arizona and Pearce, Arizona. In 1896, Alvord moved to Cochise County, where he married Lola Ochoa, bought a ranch, and settled down. Once again he became a sheriff's deputy.^[10] Two years later, his father died.^[11] In late December 1899, Alvord suddenly and inexplicably resigned his post of deputy sheriff.^[12]

Outlawry and last years

Almost immediately after turning in his badge, Alvord left his wife and turned to crime. He formed a gang with outlaws

armed robberies in Cochise County, where he and Stiles were both captured. Somehow, they managed to escape. On February 15, 1900, Dunlop was killed by lawman Jeff Milton during a bungled train robbery

in Fairbank, Arizona, and gang recruit Bravo Juan Yoas was wounded. Later that year, Alvord was again captured and taken to Tombstone. Billy Stiles rode to Tombstone and wounded the deputy on duty, allowing Alvord and 24 other prisoners to escape.

In 1902, Alvord assisted

Solomonville, Alvord decided it was wiser not to surrender after all.^[13]^[14] Alvord and Stiles instead returned to crime, now pursued by the Arizona Rangers. They were captured in December 1903, but again managed to escape. Alvord even made a crude attempt at faking their deaths, using the bodies of two unknown Mexicans

. Alvord sent the bodies to Tombstone, claiming they were himself and Stiles. However, an examination quickly showed the dead men were not the two "gringos."

The irritated Arizona Rangers finally pursued the outlaws across the border into Mexico, trapping them near Naco in February 1904. The outlaws resisted, but surrendered after having both been wounded. Alvord spent two years in the Yuma Territorial Prison. Following his release, he announced his departure by ship to start anew in Central America. He was last seen in 1910 working as a Panama Canal employee. Following this, Alvord's fate is unknown.

In media

In 1955, Alvord and Stiles were portrayed by

television series Stories of the Century, starring Jim Davis.^[15]

Legacy

Alvord Road in Tucson, Arizona is named for the lawman-turned-outlaw.^[16]

References

^ Chaput, pg. 17
^ Chaput, pg. 16–21
^ Chaput, pg. 21
^ U.S. Census, Luttrell, Pima Co., Arizona, 7 June 1880: Chas. E. Alvord, 53, prospector, Lucy, 48, wife, William, 23, son, Chas. E., 16, son, Albert, 14, son, Mady, 9, daughter. Page 3, Enumerator's District 40.
^ Census Enumeration of Cochise County, Arizona Territory - Tombstone: C. E. Alvord, 53, Lucy, 50, W. W., 26, C. E., 19, A. W., 15, M., 9. No page numbers.
^ Chaput, pg. 20, 25
^ Chaput, pg. 29
^ Chaput, pg. 25-6
^ Chaput, pg. 33–4
^ Chaput, pg. 48-9
^ Chaput, pg. 54
^ Chaput, pg. 57
^ Raine, pg. 74–77
^ Wilson, pg. 45
^ "Stories of the Century: "Burt Alvord", January 2, 1955". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
^ Leighton, David (November 7, 2016). "Street Smarts: Alvord Road named for deputy sheriff who became bank robber". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

Books

Burton Alvord, lawman and outlaw
Chaput, Donald (2000). Spawn Gone Wrong – The Odyssey of Burt Alvord: Lawman, Train Robber, Fugitive. Westernlore Press Co.
Wilson, R. Michael (2005). Legal Executions in the Western Territories, 1847–1911: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. McFarland.
ISBN 978-0-7864-4825-8
.

Raine, William MacLeod (1905). Pearson's magazine: Carrying Law into the Mesquite. Pearson Publishing Co.

Sifakis, Carl. Encyclopedia of American Crime, New York, Facts on File Inc., 1982

[1] Chaput, pg. 17

[2] Chaput, pg. 16–21

[3] Chaput, pg. 21

[4] U.S. Census, Luttrell, Pima Co., Arizona, 7 June 1880: Chas. E. Alvord, 53, prospector, Lucy, 48, wife, William, 23, son, Chas. E., 16, son, Albert, 14, son, Mady, 9, daughter. Page 3, Enumerator's District 40.

[5] Census Enumeration of Cochise County, Arizona Territory - Tombstone: C. E. Alvord, 53, Lucy, 50, W. W., 26, C. E., 19, A. W., 15, M., 9. No page numbers.

[6] Chaput, pg. 20, 25

[7] Chaput, pg. 29

[8] Chaput, pg. 25-6

[9] Chaput, pg. 33–4

[10] Chaput, pg. 48-9

[11] Chaput, pg. 54

[12] Chaput, pg. 57

[13] Raine, pg. 74–77

[14] Wilson, pg. 45

[15] "Stories of the Century: "Burt Alvord", January 2, 1955". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 15, 2012.

[16] Leighton, David (November 7, 2016). "Street Smarts: Alvord Road named for deputy sheriff who became bank robber". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

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