In the unspoiled setting of the Old West, where lawlessness reigned and legends were born, one name instilled fear in the hearts of both lawmen and outlaws alike: Dave Rudabaugh. But what led this renegade down a lawless path, and what chilling fate awaited him at the end of the trail? Join us on a journey back to the Old West, where the line between right and wrong was often blurred, and Dave Rudabaugh carved his name into the infamous chronicles of frontier history.
Get ready for a ride full of adventure, danger, and a morbid ending that will keep you hooked from the first word to the last.
David Rudabaugh was born in Fulton County, Illinois, in July of 1854. His early life was marked by tragedy when his father was killed in the Civil War while Dave was still a boy. Seeking a new beginning, his family moved to Eureka, Kansas, in 1870.
He later resided in Greenwood County, Kansas, before beginning his journey west along the cattle trail that eventually led him to Colorado. Little is known about his life during this period, a quiet time that would soon be overshadowed by his involvement in criminal activities. Due to his infrequent bathing and a habit of wearing dirty clothes, he earned the nickname “Dirty Dave,” a moniker that stuck with him throughout his notorious career.
In the 1870s, Rudabaugh rose to fame as the leader of a gang of thieves in Texas, a position that expanded his criminal activity far beyond the borders of the Lone Star State. One notable robbery occurred in November 1877, when Rudabaugh and his gang robbed a Santa Fe railroad construction camp in Kansas. As a result of this brazen act, Wyatt Earp received a commission to act as a Deputy Marshal of the United States, tasked with pursuing these outlaws across the states.
In pursuit of Rudabaugh, Wyatt Earp tracked him for an incredible 400 miles to Fort Griffin, Texas. Upon arriving at the Shanssey Saloon, Earp inquired about Rudabaugh from the owner, John Shanssey. Shanssey informed him that Rudabaugh had been there earlier in the week but was unsure of his current whereabouts.
Shanssey then directed Earp to Doc Holliday, who was known to play cards with Rudabaugh.
Earp approached this encounter with skepticism, knowing that Holliday defied the rules and was a man of unpredictable temperament. However, when Earp met Holliday that evening at the saloon, he was surprised by Holliday’s willingness to talk. Holliday revealed to Earp that he believed Rudabaugh had returned to Kansas.
This initial meeting between Earp and Holliday laid the foundation for their lifelong friendship, a bond that would become legendary in the annals of Western history. Earp passed this valuable information on to Bat Masterson, who played a key role in the eventual capture of Rudabaugh. In an attempt to evade Wyatt Earp, Rudabaugh returned to Kansas, but he would hijack a train before being caught.
On January 27th, 1878, Rudabaugh, along with five other men, attempted to intercept a train in Kinsley, Kansas, but failed in their endeavor. However, within days, Sheriff Bat Masterson and his team, including John Joshua Webb, arrested Rudabaugh and his partner Edgar West. When Rudabaugh reached for a gun, Webb intervened and forced him to surrender.
Later, four other accomplices were also arrested.
Rudabaugh later informed his associates that he planned to change his way of life and live an honest life, a promise that proved to be hollow. While his accomplices were incarcerated, Dirty Dave was released soon after and ventured to New Mexico, continuing his life of theft. In 1879, he reconnected with some of his associates, and over the next six months, they ravaged Las Vegas, New Mexico, engaging in train and carriage robberies as part of the notorious Dodge City Gang.
Notably, their exploits included the likes of Mysterious Dave Mather, Carson, Hoodoo Brown, and City Marshal John Joshua Webb, who was Rudabaugh’s rival in Dodge City. On October 14th, 1879, a group of masked men hijacked a train in the vicinity of Las Vegas, obtaining $2,085, three pistols, and all the lanterns on board. Two years later, when Rudabaugh was finally arrested, he admitted he was involved in the robbery.
On January 22nd, 1880, a group consisting of T. J. House, James West, T.
John Dorsey, and William Randall roamed the town, engaging in ridicule, laughter, and troublemaking. As they entered the Close and Patterson Variety Hall, Field Marshal Joe Carson asked them to check their weapons, but they adamantly refused. This refusal led to a fierce gunfight in which Carson was tragically killed, while the mysterious Deputy Dave Mather eliminated Randall and abandoned John Dorsey despite his injuries.
T. J. House escaped from the scene.
On February 5th, the Dodge City Gang received information that Dorsey and House were hiding at Juan Antonio Dominguez’s mansion in Buava Vista, 30 miles north of Las Vegas. A group consisting of J. J.
Webb, Dave Rudabaugh, and five other individuals quickly surrounded the house and demanded the surrender of the wanted men. Dorsey and House complied after receiving assurances from the citizens of Las Vegas. This assurance proved meaningless, however, as soon after the men were brought into the Oldtown prison, vigilantes stormed the facility and overpowered the guards.
They were going to hang Dorsey and House in the windmill on the Square. However, before the vigilantes could carry out their plan, Mrs. Carson promptly opened fire on them, helping the men escape the clutches of justice for the murder of her husband.
After this incident, Rudabaugh and the rest of his gang continued their criminal activities, carrying out a series of robberies. However, on March 2nd, 1880, J. J.
Webb was arrested for the murder of Mike Kellerer. A large mob formed, but the Dodge City Gang, led by Dirty Dave, managed to stop them. On April 30th, Rudabaugh, along with John Allen, stormed into the sheriff’s office with the intention of freeing Webb.
However, their escape plan failed, and Rudabaugh fatally shot Jailer Antonio Leno. Webb’s conviction was subsequently appealed, resulting in a reduction to life in prison. Sometime later, Rudabaugh and Dodge City Gang member Tom Pickett sought refuge in Fort Sumner, where they joined forces with the infamous Billy the Kid.
According to various sources, Billy the Kid was only afraid of one man, and that man happened to be Dave Rudabaugh.
On November 30th, 1880, Billy the Kid, along with David Anderson and Rudabaugh, set out on a journey to White Oaks, New Mexico. There, they encountered Deputy Sheriff James Redmond, leading to a confrontation. Redmond sought refuge behind a pub and opened fire, prompting the locals to join the fray and chase the fugitives out of town.
On December 23rd, 1880, a team led by Pat Garrett captured Rudabaugh, Billy the Kid, Billy Wilson, and other members of the crew. They were taken to Las Vegas, but the danger of a lynch mob prompted officers to move them to Santa Fe. In February 1881, while on trial, Rudabaugh pled guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison for several counts of mail robbery.
He was later found guilty of murdering Las Vegas Deputy Leno Valdez and sentenced to death by hanging. He was next taken to the Oldtown Las Vegas jail to await execution, where J. J.
Webb continued to serve his sentence. Meanwhile, Billy the Kid was imprisoned in Lincoln, New Mexico, where he escaped on April 28th, 1881. However, he was quickly tracked down and killed by Pat Garrett on July 14th, 1881.
After a failed escape attempt in which a fellow inmate named Thomas Duffy died, Rudabaugh and Webb came up with another plan. Two months later, Webb, Rudabaugh, and five other men dug a hole large enough to escape through and succeeded in their daring breakout. Rudabaugh then fled to Arizona, where he joined the Clanton faction in their feud with the Earps.
He may have been involved in the murder of Morgan Earp and the plot to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 Virgil Earp, and may have also been present at the Iron Springs gunfight in which Curly Bill Brocius was killed. When the Clanton gang broke up, Rudabaugh traveled to Mexico, where he worked as both a cowboy and a barber, attempting to live a quiet life far from the reach of American lawmen.
On February 18th, 1886, Rudabaugh was involved in a card game in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, when things became tense following allegations of fraud. Rudabaugh quickly pulled out his pistol and killed two men and wounded another. He calmly left the tavern unharmed, but unable to find his horse, he returned a moment later and was shot multiple times from the dark, and died.
Rudabaugh was later beheaded days later, his killers marching through town with his head on a pole as a grim trophy and a warning to others. It was a chilling and brutal end for a man who had spent his entire life sowing violence and terror across the frontier. His story serves as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of the Old West, where even the most feared outlaws could meet a fate far worse than the hangman’s noose.
