NEW MEXICO’S OLD TIMES & OLD TIMERS by Don Bullis, New Mexico Author DonBullis.biz
Lincoln County Deputy Killed in Gunfight with Bank Robbers, 1933
L
incoln County Sheriff A. S. McCamant got word on Friday, July 14, 1933, that two wanted Texas bank robbers and killers, Ed “Pearchmouth” Stanton, 45, and Glenn Hunsucker, 21, were hiding out on a dry-land homestead near Ramon in the northern part of the county. The sheriff, along with deputies Tom Jones, Jack Davidson and Hubert Reynolds, set out at once in search of the outlaws. On Saturday they visited the farm in question—it was believed to have been owned by Stanton’s brother—and found that the suspects were not present. They returned the following day and found tire tracks near the barn that had not been present the day before; an indication that the outlaws had visited the place during the night. The posse, by then augmented by Sgt. Barney Leonard and deputy Sam McCue of Chaves County Sheriff’s Department, followed the trail left by Stanton and Hunsucker. They kept up the pursuit for most of Sunday across the rugged country between the villages of Ramon and Corona. After Leonard and McCue left the group, the posse came upon their quarry late Sunday afternoon east of Corona on the Nalda Ranch. The two outlaws concealed themselves in a wooded area that surrounded a broad dell. As the deputies approached, the criminals opened fire without warning. Deputy Tom Jones was killed almost instantly by a bullet to the head. Hunsucker then advanced on the remaining lawmen, firing as he approached, only to be shot down. He died about an hour later of eight bullet wounds. Stanton got away on foot. Word of Deputy Jones’ killing spread rapidly around Lincoln County and southeastern New Mexico and by Monday morning the sheriff had help from Capitan and Hondo, as well as from other neighboring jurisdictions. His posse grew to more than twenty men. They soon resumed the
search for Stanton. At about 3:00 Monday Lincoln County jail was carefully guarded afternoon, the killer was spotted in the until Wednesday when Stanton appeared Ramon area. He managed to evade the before a local magistrate and waived extraposse for a time, but soon enough Stanton dition back to Texas. Deputy Hubert realized that he was cornered. He meekly Reynolds accompanied the four Texas offisurrendered and officers took him to jail in cers in taking Stanton first to Roswell, where Carrizozo. two other officers joined them for the trip Officers from Tulia and Silverton in the to Clovis and then to Amarillo where Texas Texas Panhandle arrived in Lincoln County took custody of the killer. No one attempted on Tuesday morning. They positively iden- to interfere with the officers. tified Glenn Hunsucker and Pearchmouth O n S e p te mb e r 28 , 193 4, Ed Stanton as the two bandits who robbed a “Pearchmouth” Stanton was executed by gasoline filling station at Tulia, Texas, and electrocution at the Texas State Prison at killed Swisher County Sheriff John C. Mosely Huntsville. By way of last words, he was on January 23, 1933. Stanton, described as quoted as having said that he regretted that “a small Texan with a large gun” and Hun- he would miss the Huntsville prison rodeo sucker were also accused of killing deputy for that year. sheriff Joe Brown at Rhome, Wise County, All New Mexico charges against him Texas, also in January 1933. Hunsucker was were dropped on March 7, 1935. believed to have participated in a bank As a sidelight to this story, after the robbery at Olton, Texas, and to have taken killing of Deputy Jones, some Lincoln part in a gun battle with law officers at County citizens determined that the sheriff Bluitt, New Mexico, fifty miles south of Por- needed more firepower so they purchased tales, in 1932. Hale County, Texas, Deputy a .45 caliber Colt model 1921 Thompson Sheriff Harve Bolin was shot and killed in submachine gun for the department. The that fight and Roosevelt County Deputy department owned it for many years. Sheriff R. L. Hollis was badly wounded. Deputy Jones’ widow, Ola, served as Because officers feared that Stanton’s superintendent of the Lincoln County friends would attempt to rescue him, the Schools.
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