Today in the Old West: July 25, 1853
Petty larcenist, horse and cattle thief, bank robber, rapist, murderer, brother of Zorro or Robin Hood of El Dorado? Such is the mystery surrounding frontier bandit Joaquin Murrieta...in life and death. The truth surrounding history is often elusive with facts becoming distorted dependent upon their source.
Joaquin Murrieta legends are shrouded in mystery where Murrieta has become one of America’s most
interesting examples of myth creation. Today's date in the old West focuses on the killing of Murrieta and the gory exhibition of his severed head.
Early on the morning of this day in 1853, Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Harry Love and his rangers attacked
the outlaw camp where they were told Murrieta was hiding. Caught by surprise and badly outnumbered, eight of the
bandits were killed, including Murrieta and his right hand man, Tres
Dedos (also known as Three Fingered Jack). To prove they had indeed
killed Murrieta and deserved their award, the rangers cut off the head
of the outlaw. They also took the distinctive hand that gave Three
Fingered Jack his nickname. The rangers preserved the gory body parts in
whiskey-filled vats until they could exhibit them to the authorities in
Stockton. Source: History.com
It is questionable to this day whether the severed head was actually that of Joaquin Murrieta. At the time, a party or
gang of robbers guilty of cattle rustling, robbery, and murder were commanded by five different bandits all carrying the name Joaquin. Harry Love and his rangers did claim the reward however. Love further profited from the deal by taking Murrieta's head on a tour
of California mining camps, charging $1 to see it. Eventually, the head
ended up in San Francisco Museum, where it was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1906.
(ca. 1832–ca. 1853)
Such was life in the Old West. Can you imagine an exhibition of punishment for crime being of such gory nature today?
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