William P. Longley

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William Preston Longley (October 6, 1851 - October 11, 1878) also known as Bill Longley was an American Old West outlaw and gunfighter noted for his ruthless nature, speed with a gun, quick temper, and unpredictable demeanor.

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[edit] Early life

Born William Preston Longley in Austin County, Texas, Bill Longley was the sixth of ten children of Campbell and Sarah Longley. He was raised on a farm near Evergreen, Texas, receiving an average education for the time. He was 6 feet (183 cm) tall with a thin build, jet black hair, and was just reaching adulthood when the American Civil War ended in 1865.

By 1867, Texas was under full military control, with Union forces acting in all capacities including law enforcement, because of the Reconstruction Act. This brought on considerable resentment from the local Texas population. Around this time, Longley dropped out of school and began living a life of wild activities, drinking, and running in the company of other wild youths. [1] In mid-1868, three former slaves named Green Evans, Pryer Evans, and the third known only as Ned, rode through Evergreen, intending evidently to visit friends further south for Christmas. Longley, accompanied by a couple of friends, forced the three men at gunpoint into a dry creek bed. Green Evans panicked and spurred his horse to escape. Longley shot him several times, killing him (although it is likely he was not the only one shooting).

They then began going through the dead man's pockets, as the other two men rode away to escape. Later, although given credit for the killing, Longley claimed that he was not the only one shooting, which was actually unusual for him because he was known for his boasting.

[edit] Outlaw

Longley and his brother-in-law, John Wilson, went on a rampage through southern Texas starting in 1869. Together they robbed settlers and in one instance killed another freed slave named Paul Brice in Bastrop County, Texas, after which they stole his horses. They also reportedly killed a freed slave woman in Evergreen.

In March 1870, a reward for their capture was offered by the Union military authority, with a price of $1,000. Longley later claimed that Wilson was killed by outlaws in 1870 in Brazos County, Texas, while other evidence lists him as killed in 1874, in Falls County, Texas. Longley left Texas to avoid the authorities, working on a cattle drive. By May 1870, he had joined a gold hunting party in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The gold mining party traveled into the Black Hills of South Dakota, but a treaty with the Sioux prohibited mining, and the party disbanded when intercepted by a U.S. cavalry unit. On June 22, 1870, Longley enlisted for a five year commitment in the army, joining Company B of the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment}. His unit was stationed at Camp Stambaugh. Unable to adapt to the strict lifestyle, he deserted two weeks later but was captured and court-martialed. He was sentenced to two years hard labor, strapped to a ball and chain, and imprisoned at Camp Stambaugh. He was held for four months and then released to return to his unit. His marksmanship skills were noticed, and he was assigned on the regular hunting parties leaving the post. He deserted again in May 1872.

He was again arrested, two weeks later, as a part of outlaw Frank Eastwood's gang. Longley was extradited to Austin, Texas, on a charge for an earlier murder by Mason County, Texas, Sheriff J. J. Finney. However, when the reward was not forthcoming from the Union military forces, Finney released him.

Following this, Longley staged the escape of two friends, brothers Jim and Dick Sanders, while they were in the custody of a Grayson County, Texas, deputy sheriff. Later, when a Milam County, Texas, deputy sheriff attempted to arrest them, they disarmed him but did not kill him. During this time, at least two other men were believed to have been killed by Longley, both fellow outlaws, over money disputes. By this time, Longley was well known. His reputation as being ruthless spread widely throughout Texas.

On June 6, 1877, Longley was surrounded and arrested without incident by Nacogdoches County, Texas Sheriff Milt Mast and two deputies, while he was residing in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, under the alias of "Bill Jackson". He was taken back to Texas, where following a trial he was sentenced to hang on several charges, ranging from horse theft to murder.

On October 11, 1878, Longley was executed by hanging in Giddings, Texas. He was credited with the killings of at least 32 people, mostly of Hispanic and African American heritage.

Although often referred to as a "gunfighter", most of Longley's confrontations and killings came during his commission of a robbery. He was occasionally involved in gunfights with other outlaws and the like, but details of any incidents of that nature are rare.

[edit] Legend

Years after the execution, Longley's father, Campbell, came forward in a press release stating that his son had not been executed. He claimed that a wealthy relative in California bribed the lawmen with $4,000, prompting them to rig a trick rope. They then staged the hanging and whisked the body away. The family even came up with alleged letters said to have been written by Longley from California. The legend spread, and many believed it for quite some time. It prompted many historians to investigate. Finally, after confirming the gravesite of Longley, an exhumation of the human remains was performed. They were taken to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D. C., where DNA tests were performed, along with a skull reconstruction. In June 2001, it was officially reported that the remains from the gravesite were indeed those of Bill Longley.

[edit] References

  • [2]
  • Bartholomew, Ed Ellsworth. Wild Bill Longley: A Texas Hard-Case, Frontier Press of Texas, Houston, 1953
  • Fuller, Henry Clay. The Adventures of Bill Longley, Galveston Daily News, Nacogdoches (Texas), September 16, 1877
  • Sifakis, Carl. Encyclopedia of American Crime, Facts On File Inc., New York, 1982

[edit] External links

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