Sandy King

Sandy King, (1852? - November 9th, 1881) was an outlaw of the Old West, and a member of the loosely knit "Cow-boys" faction of the Clanton clan, famous for their clash with the Earp faction in Tombstone, Arizona, and their participation in the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Outlaw life

King is believed to have been born in either Texas or Arkansas, but there is little to support exactly where he came from originally. He became associated with the Clanton's in Arizona Territory, as well as other outlaws of the day around 1877, and took part in acts of armed robbery and cattle rustling during that period. Around 1879 King became close friends with "Russian Bill" Tattenbaum, a colorful charactor and fellow member of the "Cow-boys".

In early 1881, around the time when tensions between the Earp's and the Clanton's was reaching it's boiling point, King departed Tombstone. Tattenbaum followed him, and the two committed several acts of cattle rustling around the area of Shakespeare, New Mexico. Now a ghost town, at the time Shakespeare was bustling. The town formed a "Vigilence Committee" to combat rustlers and other outlaws, and in early November, 1881, King was arrested after shooting and wounding a storekeeper after a dispute. He was arrested by well known lawman "Dangerous Dan" Tucker.

A short matter of days later, on November 9th, 1881, Tucker also captured "Russian Bill" Tattenbaum, on the charge of cattle rustling. The "Vigilence Committee" held a mock trial in the "Grant Hotel", and found both outlaws guilty on the charges for which they were arrested, as well as for being a "general nuisance", and sentenced them both to hang that same day. "Russian Bill" begged for his life to be spared, and King argued that there were many who had committed the same crimes who did not hang for it. However, the "Vigilence Committee" was less than sympathetic, and the two were lynched together, and their bodies left hanging for days as a warning to other outlaws that lawlessness would not be tolerated. Just prior to the hanging, King asked for a glass of water, stating "My throat is sore after talking so much to save my life".

External links

* [http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-OutlawList-K.html Sandy King, Outlaw]
* [http://www.thewrightcollection.com/?page=shop/browse&category_id=33 Sandy King, Arrested by "Dangerous Dan"]
* [http://www.oldwestcountry.com/tmpl1.php?CID=XRJS4 Shakespeare, Ghost Town History]
* [http://www.clearlightbooks.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=0944383521 "Dangerous Dan" Tucker]