Frank M. Canton

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Frank M. Canton

Josiah Horner (September 15, 1849 – September 27, 1927), better known as Frank M. Canton, was a famous American Old West lawman, gunslinger, cowboy and at one point in his life, an outlaw.

Biography

Early life

Horner was born on September 15, 1849, in Virginia and drifted into Texas working as a cowboy. In 1871, he started robbing banks and rustling cattle, which at the time was a capital offense. On October 10, 1874, Horner got into a gunfight with some Buffalo Soldiers, killing one and wounding the other. In 1877, he was arrested for robbing a bank in Comanche, Texas. He escaped from Texas Ranger custody and moved to Ogallala, Nebraska and took up a herd of cattle. While in Nebraska, he officially changed his name to Frank M. Canton and vowed to give up his outlaw ways.

Johnson County War

Frank Canton hired on as a stock detective for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. He was also elected sheriff of Johnson County, Wyoming. In 1885, Canton married and had 2 children, one of whom died early in childhood. Canton resigned the sheriff's job and returned to working for the W.S.G.A., and at the same time working as a U.S. Deputy Marshal.

During the Johnson County War, Canton signed on as one of Frank Wolcott's Regulators. On April 9, 1892, Canton led the Regulators to the "KC Ranch", where Nate Champion and Nick Ray were staying. Two other men at the ranch that day were captured as they emerged shortly after the Regulators arrived. Ray was shot and killed in the opening minutes of the ensuing gunbattle. Champion, a one time friend of Canton's, held off the regulators in a gunbattle for most of the day, killing at least four of the Regulators and wounding others. At 5:00 p.m., Canton set the house on fire. Champion soon burst out of the house firing his Winchester rifle and was shot 28 times.

A few days later Champion's friends, led by Sheriff Angus, trapped the Regulators at the "TA Ranch". When the battle was all but over, the U.S. Cavalry came in and saved the Regulators. Canton was released from custody but reportedly regretted the incident with Champion. Also while working for the cattlemens association, Canton was involved with the clashes between the wealthy cattlemens association and Cattle Kate, which eventually resulted in her lynching. He was not involved in her hanging and reportedly felt uncomfortable with that situation. It was following those incidents with both Champion and Cattle Kate that Canton left the cattlemens association.

Oklahoma

Canton traveled to Oklahoma, and became a respected Deputy U.S. Marshal under Judge Isaac Parker, based out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He worked with other famous lawmen such as Heck Thomas, Chris Madsen, and Bill Tilghman during that time. In 1895, Canton joined a posse that tracked down Bill and John Shelley, who had escaped from the Pawnee jail and barricaded themselves in a cabin across the Arkansas River. After 5 hours and more than 800 shots fired, Canton sent a burning wagon into the cabin, and the outlaws surrendered.

On November 6, 1896, Bill Dunn, a man whom Canton had arrested for rustling previously, rode into Pawnee, Oklahoma, intent on killing Canton. Dunn was a brother to Rose Dunn, who had been the girlfriend to outlaw George "Bittercreek" Newcomb of the Doolin-Dalton Gang, and whose older brothers were bounty hunters that had killed Newcomb in 1895. As Canton walked from dinner, Dunn drew his pistol and fired at Canton, missing. Canton drew his own revolver and shot Bill Dunn in the head, killing him instantly. The shooting was ruled self defense.

Later life

In 1897, Canton went to Alaska to follow the gold rush but instead became a Deputy U.S. Marshal. He returned to the states in 1907 and became Adjutant General for the Oklahoma National Guard. At some point during this time, Canton arranged a meeting with the Governor of Texas. He confessed that he was secretly Joe Horner, and the governor took his law enforcement service into consideration and granted him a pardon. He chose to be known as Frank Canton for the remainder of his lifetime. Canton died on September 27, 1927, in Edmond, Oklahoma. [1]

Dramatic representations

  • Canton is played by Sam Waterston in the movie Heaven's Gate (1980), in which he is the principal "heavy". He is portrayed, however, as a senior cattle baron, rather than a detective and lawman.
  • Canton is the basis for Jesse Jacklin in the 2002 television movie Johnson County War.
  • Canton, played by Ed Nelson, is a guest character in the "What Happened at the XST?" episode (1972) of Alias Smith and Jones.

References

  1. ↑ "Horner, Joe (a.k.a. Frank M. Canton)", in The Encyclopedia of Lawmen, Outlaws, and Gunfighters by Leon Claire Metz (Infobase Publishing, 2003) p122

Bibliography

  • Canton, Frank M., (1930). - Frontier Trails: The Autobiography of Frank M. Canton. - Edited by Edward Everett Dale. - Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin. - 191328781.
Reprint: 1966. - Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. - 8206819.

External links

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