| Thomas H. Rynning | |
|---|---|
| Arizona Rangers | |
| February 17, 1866 – June 18, 1941 (aged 75) | |
| Place of birth | Beloit, Wisconsin, USA |
| Years of service | 1902 - 1907 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Other work | Prison warden |
Thomas H. Rynning (February 17, 1866-June 18, 1941) was an American law enforcement officer, warden of Yuma Territorial Prison and a captain in the Arizona Rangers, serving as head of the organization from 1902 to 1907.
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Born in Beloit, Wisconsin, Rynning enlisted in the US Army rising to the rank of first sergeant. A veteran of the Spanish-American War, he served as a second lieutenant in Troop B of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders and one of several former Rough Riders to join the Arizona Rangers following the war. Following Burt Mossman's resignation, he was appointed head of the Arizona Rangers on September 1, 1902.
In June 1906, authorities received a telegram from mine owner William D. Greene reporting that American citizens were being attacked by rioting caused by a strike among the workers at the Cananea Consolidated Copper Company in Cananea, Mexico. A volunteer force of 275 armed men was quickly organized and Rynning, with 5 Arizona Rangers and 70 others armed with rifles, boarded a train at Naco, Arizona and entered the U.S.-Mexican border with orders to suppress the rioting and protect American lives and property. Although the Sonora territorial governor Rafael Yzabel was alerted to the possibility of the escalation of the conflict between the Arizona Rangers and the largely unarmed strikers, the governor simply refused to intervene commenting that the men were "on their own". The fighting had long since ended as a truce had been arraigned by the strikers and local officials by the time of Rynning's arrival. Placed between the strikers and the office buildings of the Cananea Company, Rynning's men guarded the property during negotiations until asked to leave by Mexican officials several hours later. [1] [2]
On September 4, Rynning led Arizona Rangers and immigration officers in a raid on an underground cell of the Partido Liberal Mexicano during a meeting in Douglas, Arizona. Discovering dynamite, pistols and banners, seven members were arrested for violation of the Neutrality Law. The group had been gathering weapons and ammunition for a major expedition into Mexico which included capturing custom houses on the border, blowing up railways, cutting telegraph wires and raiding stores for weapons and supplies. The Douglas group had also commissioned Javier Huitemea to negotiate with the Yaqui to support them promising the tribe the return of the land which had been taken from them. Extensive evidence of correspondence with Saint Louis Junta provided U.S. authorities with evidence of other groups operating in Mowry and Patagonia, Arizona. [3] During that period he also worked extensively with Ranger Jeff Kidder, who would later be profiled in the book "Deadly Dozen", by author Robert K. DeArment, with DeArment indicating Kidder was one of the most underrated gunmen of the American Old West.
Resigning his position with the Arizona Rangers in March 1907, he was appointed superintendent of the Yuma Territorial Prison by President Howard Taft [4] and later had the prison moved from Yuma to Florence, Arizona.
| Preceded by Burt Mossman |
Arizona Rangers 1902-1907 |
Succeeded by Harry C. Wheeler |