They were the bad boys of the Wild West and found themselves in prison in Yuma after getting caught for their crimes. Here are just some of those naughty men:
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| Pete Spence |
He
was born Elliot Larkin Ferguson in 1851 in the state of Louisiana. During his
notorious robbing and murderous days he went under the alias, Pete Spence. Not
much was told of his early life, parents, or whether he had any siblings. It
wasn’t until June 29, 1874 when he enlisted in the Frontier Company of Texas
Rangers and served under Captain Warren Wallace when any record of his
existence became known. His rank was second lieutenant and he was known to have
a bit of a temper. While serving, he shot a man inflicting a flesh wound.
Luckily, the man survived, but Spence disappeared shortly afterwards and left
the Rangers. His name reappeared in 1878 when he committed a robbery and was
running from the law. His journey took him to the Arizona Territory where he
decided to hang his hat in Tombstone. It was there when he changed his name to
Peter M. Spencer and lived in a small house across from the Earp’s home. He
struck up a friendship with the Clanton family and became business partners
with Frank Stilwell. After Morgan Earp was shot and killed in 1882, many
pointed their fingers at Spence as the murderer. It was never proven and
shortly afterwards he left Arizona, but only for a brief time.
Stories
circulated throughout the west that Spence killed at least four men. It was the
murder of Rodney O’Hara, which he got convicted of and resulting in him being
sentenced to prison. In a fit of anger Spence pistol-whipped O’Hara to death.
He was sentenced to five years in the Yuma Arizona Territorial Prison which
began on June 10, 1893.
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