Hysterical Journey To Historic Places

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Black Jack Will Christian



Black Jack and his brother, Bob, were arrested over in the Indian Territory for killing Deputy Sheriff Dan Turner in 1895. They quickly shot their way out of jail in Okie City, committed a few robberies and headed west. In Arizona they started up a gang of toughs called the “High Fives” and knocked over a bank in Nogales. Gunplay erupted as they were leaving the bank though, and two of their horses were killed. They dropped their bag of lootin the street during that bit of fun, being forced to flee empty handed. A posse led by Pima County Sheriff Bob Underwood pursued them into Skeleton Canyon where the posse was routed in a sharp gunfight and posse man Frank Robson was killed. The merry band of outlaws then slipped over into New Mexico and robbed the post office and store in Separ. One of the outlaws, Code Young, was killed during a failed attempt to rob a train on October 2, 1896. The “High Fours” thenrobbed a couple of stage coaches near White Oaks and split up to throw off pursuit. Outlaw George Musgrave seized the opportunity on October 19 to murder a ranchman named George Parker in Chaves County. The two men had once been partners until Parker ratted out Musgraves as a horse thief. The killing of Parker set Deputy Sheriffs Fred Higgins and Charlie Ballard onto the trail of Musgraves and the other outlaw, Bob Hays. Pursuit followed further depredation, the “High Fours” had reunited, and the posse had grown to nine. On November 18 Hays was killed in an ambush at the Diamond A horse camp on Deer Creek near Skeleton Canyon. Black Jack’s horse, Barney, was killed and Black Jack narrowly escaped down an arroyo.Up to this point the “High Threes” are credited with robbing a bank, a train, four stagecoaches, and eight stores along with various depredations on stage stations, train stations, post offices, and ranches. On March 22, 1897 Black Jack and Musgraves robbed a store in Cliff Town, AT. On April 3 Black Jack murdered cowman George Smith at the Z-P Ranch. No motive is known in that killing, the cook, Frank Melville was also gunned down but survived. The “High Threes” were finally located and ambushed in Cole Creek Canyon by a posse led by Fred Higgins. Black Jack was mortally wounded and died the next day. His corpse was brought into Cliff Town atop a load of lumber and Musgraves and Bob rode off to further misdeeds. Black Jack’s boots were taken as souvenirs and are reported to be on display at the museum in Silver City.



The photo shows Black Jack’s last hideout, a cave on Cole Creek.

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Photos

Black Jack Will Christian
The cave is located in a canyon about half a mile east of a turnout on the south side of Hwy 78 about 9.5 miles northeast of Threeway Junction. Private property needs to be crossed in order to access the cave. The site is near the New Mexico state line.