Pony Diehl
Pony Diehl | |
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Born | Charles Ray Diehl c. 1848 Rock Island, Illinois, U.S. |
Died | c. 1888 (aged 39–40)[1] |
Other names | Pony Deal |
Occupation(s) | Cattle rustler, outlaw |
Known for | Membership in various gangs in U.S. Southwest and suspect in attempted assassination of Virgil Earp |
O.K. Corral gunfight |
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Principal events |
Lawmen |
|
Outlaw Cowboys |
Charles "Pony Diehl" Ray
Early life
Pony Diehl was probably the son of
Outlaw in New Mexico
He first appeared in
In early 1876 he left the Kinney gang to join Jesse Evans, who had also left Kinney to form own gang. The men were actively involved in cattle rustling and armed robbery, and were joined for a while by
Life in Tombstone, Arizona
After the Lincoln County War, Diehl left New Mexico. He joined
Diehl was suspected of being involved in numerous
Ambush of Virgil Earp
On the evening of December 28, 1881, Deputy U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp was returning from the Oriental Saloon to the Cosmopolitan Hotel when he was ambushed. Assailants on the second story of an unfinished building across Allen street from the hotel shot Virgil in the back and left arm. He was hit by three loads of buckshot from double-barreled shotguns from about 60 feet (18 m).[5] Dr. George E. Goodfellow was able to save Virgil's arm, but he carried it in a sling the rest of his life.[6]
On January 30, 1882
Though Ike's hat was found at the scene where the ambushers waited, a number of associates stood up for him, saying that he had been in Contention that night, and the case against Pony Diehl, Ike, and Phin was dismissed for lack of evidence.[8]
In February 1882, Wyatt Earp obtained another warrant for Diehl's arrest for his alleged participation to a January 1882 stagecoach robbery. Diehl dodged the law when Earp could not find him.[4]
Earp Vendetta Ride
After attending a theater show on March 18,
Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp felt he could not rely on the courts for justice and decided to take matters into his own hands.[9] He concluded that the only way to deal with Morgan's assassins was to kill them all.[4] He formed a federal posse and set out in search of those he believed were responsible for attacking his brothers. At Pete Spence's wood camp in the Dragoon Mountains, they found and killed Florentino "Indian Charlie" Cruz. Two days later, near Iron Springs (later Mescal Springs), in the Whetstone Mountains, they were seeking to rendezvous with a messenger for them. They unexpectedly stumbled onto the wood camp of Curly Bill Brocius, including Diehl and other Cowboys. According to reports from both sides, the two sides immediately exchanged gun fire. Wyatt killed Curly Bill and mortally wounded Johnny Barnes. Diehl was unhurt.[10]
Death of Michael O'Rourke
Diehl later claimed he had killed
Later life
Diehl was later arrested for a variety of crimes, including cattle rustling and robbery, and was sentenced to five years in prison at Santa Fe, New Mexico. He escaped in February, 1885, but was recaptured four days later. He was returned to prison and was finally released in March, 1887, where his name disappeared from public records, though there are some accounts he died in a gunfight.[1]
In popular culture
Diehl was portrayed by Fred Coby in the western television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Weiser, Kathy (December 2012). "Pony Deal – Outlaw & Gunfighter of the Southwest". Legends of America. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0806131047.
- ^ ISBN 978-1574412437.
- ^ a b c d "Wyatt Earp's Vendetta Posse". History Network. January 29, 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
- ^ "An Interview With Virgil W. Earp". ARIZONA AFFAIRS. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009.
Originally reported in the San Francisco Examiner on May 27, 1882
- ^ Rose, John. "Wyatt's House". Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ISBN 0-671-70614-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8032-2058-4.
- ^ a b WGBH American Experience: Wyatt Earp, Complete Program Transcript (Television production). 22. Vol. 2. January 25, 2010. Archived from the original on January 30, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
- ^ Weiser, Kathy (2010). "Wyatt Earp Page 6". Legends of America. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
- ^ Coke, Tom S. (2001). "Losing Gambler". Archived from the original on April 12, 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ISBN 9780786402175 – via Google Books.