August 8, 2025 • 27 mins
The tangled web of myth and reality surrounding Dutch Henry Borne reveals a captivating window into the American frontier experience. Our exploration of this enigmatic outlaw's life continues as we examine the controversial claims and counterclaims about one of the West's most fascinating characters.
Dutch Henry's transformation from military scout to notorious criminal traverses the shifting moral landscape of the frontier. Beginning his Western career in 1867 as a scout for Custer's 7th Cavalry, Borne witnessed the brutality of the Ouachita Massacre in 1868, which seemingly triggered his disillusionment with military service. By 1871, he had staked a claim in Kansas and ventured to Colorado for buffalo hunting. After suffering an attack by Cheyenne warriors and facing accusations of instigating the conflict, Bourne's sense of injustice drove him to steal Army mules and the commandant's horse, vowing revenge and setting him on a path toward outlaw status.
The most fascinating controversy we tackle is whether Dutch Henry was actually present at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls in June 1874. Official records indicate he was incarcerated in Kansas at the time, yet multiple independent sources—including the battle site monument, Olive Dixon's account of her husband Billy Dixon's experiences, and Borne's own later correspondence—place him at this pivotal frontier conflict. This historical mystery highlights the challenges of frontier record-keeping and the complex nature of Western mythology.
Our examination of Dutch Henry's later years reveals his evolution from notorious horse thief to family man, marrying Ida Dillabaugh in 1900 and fathering four children while maintaining his frontier identity. His correspondence with Western writer Charles Seringo demonstrates how aging frontiersmen often sought to cement their places in the narrative of the American West.
What makes Dutch Henry's story so compelling is how it illustrates the blurred lines between lawman and outlaw in a land where personal vendettas and survival often trumped abstract ethics. Was he truly at Adobe Walls? The evidence is compelling but contradictory—much like the man himself. Listen and decide for yourself as we unravel one of the West's most enduring mysteries.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Join us as Mike and I continue our captivating
journey of the life of DutchHenry Bourne, a saga that brings
to life the thrill, intrigueand complexity of the American
frontier.
In this episode, we will offerour listeners an exclusive
opportunity to delve deeper intothe audacious exploits and
lasting impact of one ofhistory's most enigmatic outlaws
(00:26):
.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Brad in part one of the narrative concerning Henry
Bourne.
The story commences in thespring of 1867 when Bourne
assumes the role of scout forthe United States Cavalry,
collaborating with GeneralArmstrong Custer in central
Kansas.
Custer is at the helm of a newForm 7th US Calvary, which is
(00:51):
actively engaged in pursuingNative American tribes in the
wake of Major General Hancock'sPeace Initiative.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
So, during this era, Bourne becomes increasingly
disenchanted with Custer.
During this era, Bourne becomesincreasingly disenchanted with
Custer, particularly afterwitnessing the Ouachita Massacre
on November 27, 1868.
This harrowing incidentculminated in the deaths of
Chief Black Kettle and numerousothers at the hands of Custer's
forces, prompting Bourne toengage in profound reflection
(01:23):
regarding the ramifications oftheir action.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
This brings to a question about this part of the
story.
What about the perspective thatBourne's disillusionment may
have been influenced by personalbiases, rather than a broader
ethical reflection, especiallyafter he decides to quit and
move on from the Seventh Calvary?
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Well, I think the best answer is probably the
simplest one.
Looking at Bourne's life andcareer, I can't single out
anything, any example ofanything in his life that seems
to be influenced by broadethical reflection of any kind.
Everything about him and whathe did.
As is true with most Westernersat the time, these guys were
(02:11):
law unto themselves.
So, of course, yes, theirdecisions were based on personal
bias, who they liked, who theydidn't like, what they wanted to
do, and their own choices.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And our research suggests that Bourne terminated
his military assignment as ascout in 1871 and subsequently
traveled to West Colorado topartake in buffalo hunting
expeditions.
But before his departure hestaked a claim in Kansas, and I
(02:42):
think this becomes importantlater on when we talk about his
story.
He did that through his savingsacquired from military service,
and he also purchased a wagonand a team for his journey to
Colorado.
Rather than returning toMichigan to reunite with his
sweetheart after securing hisland Michigan to reunite with
(03:08):
his sweetheart after securinghis land.
He began collaborating, also atthe time, with a Mr Mark
Bardell.
Bardell was a warehouse managernear Fort Lyon, Colorado.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah.
So during one of those huntingexcursions, bourne and his
assistant were assaulted byCheyenne warriors, who stole
their horses and left theminjured.
Bourne did successfully reachFort Lyon where he reported the
theft.
However, he faced allegationsof instigating the conflict and
(03:37):
was subsequently expelled fromthe post.
This situation incited Bourne'sire, of course, as it would,
leading him to appropriate armymules and the commandant's
esteemed horse, as he vowed tocollect 100 Indian ponies and
one scalp.
This course of actionultimately directed him toward a
(04:00):
life of criminality andresulted in a rather damaged
reputation.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, this brings up several questions, then.
What might you say to someonewho claims that Bourne's
decision to steal Army mules andthe commandant's horse was
unjustified and escalated thesituation further?
And have you considered theperspective that Bourne's
(04:31):
actions were driven more by adesire for revenge rather than
self-defense, and how might thisimpact the portrayal of his
character?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Well, I think the question is unjustified.
To who?
To Bourne, it seemed highlyjustified when he is reporting
his stolen property, only to beaccused of causing the theft of
his own stuff.
Yeah, I think he was absolutelymotivated by revenge.
Who wouldn't be?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
by revenge who wouldn't be.
And as we follow the timeline,which we tried to do in this
story of his life and the thingsthat occurred in his life, we
run into a situation in thestory about the narrative of the
five jacks of Hillsworth andthe enigmatic figure, dutch
Henry Bourne, which we explorean unresolved mystery about his
(05:32):
life here.
It was stated that on June 18,1874, newly appointed Sheriff
Charles Brown and we go throughthis whole series of the Ellis
County Sheriff and the fivejacks of Ellsworth, but Charles
Brown apprehends Dutch HenryBourne in the story the
(05:53):
Ellsworth reporter published anarticle regarding Bourne's
arrest and then, of course,nevertheless only one month
later, on July 27, 1874,.
This presents a compellingquestion how could Bourne be
incarcerated whilesimultaneously participating in
(06:13):
an Indian raid defense in theTexas panhandle?
So the major question is howwould you address someone who
argues that the timing of eventsin the historical record may
not provide a reliable accountand could suggest inaccuracies
(06:34):
in the reporting?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Well, simply put, I think if you have to pinpoint
the exact dates of everything,we simply don't have enough
information.
To my knowledge, we don't haveany specific recording or
account of Bourne being releasedfrom incarceration.
Sure, we have the date of hisarrest, but looking at the rest
(06:58):
of Bourne's career, he rarely,if ever, served out a sentence,
even if he actually went to jaileven after he was arrested.
So he does have a history ofbreaking jail, never staying in
for very long at any one timeagain when he's arrested at all,
and one month is certainlyenough time to make it from
(07:21):
Ellsworth, kansas, just downinto the Texas Panhandle.
Now, in these later years,bourne himself claimed to have
abandoned adobe walls.
This is not unusual in regardsto Westerners who lived into
their later years.
(07:42):
Many of these frontiersmenclaim to have been places and
done things that the historicalrecord simply doesn't account
for.
There's several examples I canthink of, just in Wyatt Earp's
career, where he claimed to havedone something that we know for
a fact that he absolutely didnot do and wasn't there for.
So for Henry Bourne to claimthat he was at Adobe Walls, a
(08:06):
famous Indian fight where heabsolutely could have been,
there are very few people whowould have really saw fit to
argue that point.
Because sure, if he said he was, he could very well have been.
Why wouldn't he have been?
We also have other contemporaryaccounts of Bourne having been
(08:26):
at Adobe Walls.
Certainly all of Dixon's volumeof her husband Billy Dixon's
life recorded Bourne as havingbeen there.
The marker that was placed onthe battle site is in
commemoration of the 50thanniversary, lists Henry Bourne
as having been there and Ibelieve at that time, only 50
years after the battle, therewould have been several
(08:48):
individuals and certainly therewere, for the setting of that
marker, many individuals on bothsides who were there present
for the setting of the marker,who could have easily disputed
the fact that Henry Bourne wasthere when they saw his name.
It's always been my feelingthat, yes, dutch Henry was at
Adobe Walls.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Later on in the story we're going to, or in this
podcast, we're going to talk alittle bit more about what
substantiates the fact that hewas at Adobe Walls, and there is
a statement in our first partabout the story of Henry Bourne
that you might want to talkabout, which is the historian
(09:36):
Roger Myers.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Yes, myers does indicate that by June 1874,
bourne was living on hishomestead just north of
Ellsworth and on June 15th hewas shot three times and
subsequently apprehended by USDeputy Marshal Alex Ramsey.
Following his capture, he wastransported to Topeka, kansas,
(10:03):
and then to Leavenworth where hespent about 15 months in
incarceration awaiting trial forthe theft of government mules.
Bourne apparently was acquittedon April 23, 1875.
However, he remained in custodyfor several additional months
(10:24):
due to a jailbreak attempt andthe theft of a shotgun.
Myers emphasizes that Bournecould not have participated in
the Second Battle of Dobie Wallsas he was incarcerated in
Kansas during that period.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Again, brad, this is a compounding of complexities
surrounding the historicalaccount you said earlier.
A marker was installed at thebattle site in a monument form
on June 27, 1924.
This marker honors the 28thBuffalo Hunters, including Dutch
(11:00):
Henry, who engaged in theBattle of Adobe Walls.
Furthermore, as you said before, olive Dixon makes a reference
to the individual named DutchHenry in her 1914 publication,
the Life and Adventures of BellyDixon of Adobe Wallsas,
(11:21):
panhandle.
Again, it's a matter ofquestion here, because, as we go
through this, we really want toestablish whether or not dutch
henry bourne was at the battleof adobe walls and counter
anything that might beestablished that, uh, he wasn't.
How would you address someonewho argues that the existence of
(11:45):
a marker honoring Dutch Henryat the battle site implies his
involvement, regardless of thehistorical record?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Another point that probably bears mentioning is
that, much like Buffalo Bill,usually when we're talking about
Buffalo Bill we're talkingabout William F Cody.
However, there were at leasttwo other well-known Buffalo
Bills running around the West,contemporaries of each other who
(12:16):
knew each other, crossed eachother's paths more frequently.
So well then, same is true withwith Dutch Henry.
We know for a fact over atleast one or two other Dutch
Henrys running around thecountry.
Now, dutch Henry born, we don'tknow, but just going by the
(12:41):
name Dutch Henry was commonenough that you can maybe excuse
the name popping up here andthere, maybe confusing one for
another.
Hard telling.
However, it's hard to pinpointany of those other Dutch Henrys
in the same place at the sametime as we have Dutch Henry born
(13:03):
in the same place at the sametime as we have Dutch Henry born
, unlike the thing you have withBuffalo Bill Cody.
So there is that you may haveaccounts of one Dutch Henry
being confused for another,whether it be an incarceration
at Adobe Walls or on a huntingexpedition Hard telling.
(13:23):
When it comes to Western history, it does seem that everyone
honestly has an ax to grind, andhistorians certainly are no
strangers to that, even thoughmost of them would deny it.
Quite often we have aninterpretation of history and
then we look for the facts toprove it.
Sometimes they do, sometimesthey don't.
(13:44):
Sometimes we have to tweak themto make sure that they do, and
sometimes flat out historicalrecords just aren't as accurate
as we want them to be.
That's just the way it is.
Oftentimes, as things werereported, things were reported
based on assumptions, based onhearsay.
Things were reported, thingswere reported based on
(14:05):
assumptions, based on hearsay,and things just got confusing as
information wasn't transmittedimmediately.
As it is today, in our modernera, it oftentimes took days
before information could getfrom one side of the state to
another.
So again it comes back to wereally just don't have enough
(14:27):
information.
Both accounts make great points.
I say believe what you want tobelieve, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Many times when we're doing our research, brad, we
find inaccuracies in the media,reports similar to today.
You know, our media sometimesare biased, sometimes are
fabricated, and so we have, asyou said, we have to take into
account that some records arejust not accurate.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
That's exactly right, and when I say historians have
an ax to grind, so did thepeople at the time.
A lawman's reputation couldeasily be a rise or fall based
on who they have in custody andhow long they've been able to
keep them there.
So reporting someone being injail might behoove your career
(15:24):
to report that they are.
One name can get crossover fromanother as it transfers from
one reporter to another, and youmay have one name attached to
an entirely different story Hardtelling.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Can we talk a little bit now about part two?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
We talk a little bit now about part two.
So yeah, part two of thisnarrative outlines events that
transpired from the late summerof 1876, so a couple of years
after Adobe Walls during whichSheriff Beardsley of Ellis
County in kind of northwestcentral Kansas, received reports
(16:03):
regarding a series of horsethefts occurring in Ness County.
These thefts were connected toHenry Bourne and his criminal
organization, which seemed to bequite widespread.
James Thompson, the manager ofthe Buffalo Station Depot,
becomes suspicious of certainactivities and subsequently
(16:25):
apprehends a prominent horsethief who was later identified
as.
Big Ike.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
He comes into the station and says that he's a
tramp.
But when he's apprehended, agroup of individuals demanded
the release of the capturedthief.
He communicated this viatelegraph with Sheriff Beasley,
who was located at the time inAbilene, kansas.
(16:55):
The sheriff instructed hisdeputies, charles Zahn, to
assemble a posse in Hayes Cityand proceed to Buffalo Station.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Yeah, and then, under the cover of that night, the
law enforcement teamsuccessfully did apprehend a
group consisting of six men andthree women actually, and
something like 36 stolen horses,near the South Fork of the
Solomon River.
Sheriff Beardsley pursued theremaining fugitives north, where
(17:33):
he encountered Levi Richardson.
Where he encountered LeviRichardson, levi was searching
for stolen horses.
Actually, with Richardson'sassistance, the law enforcement
officers set an ambush for oneof the wanted suspects, big Ike,
who sustained injuries duringthe arrest attempt.
After verifying his identity,the officers then transported
(17:57):
Big Ike to a nearby ranch fordetention.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Well, in this part of the story which I thought was
very fascinating, there was amention of Levi Richardson was a
part of the apprehension or thepursuit of the Dutch Henry gang
(18:22):
at that time.
What do we know about LeviRichardson in his later life?
That becomes, maybe, importantto the full story here.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Well, levi is another one of those folks that pop in
and out of several differentstories.
He is most famous for his finalstory, I guess you could say,
when he was known in and aroundDodge City.
He became a fairly prominentDodge Cityan and was killed in
(18:53):
what is known as the Long Branchshootout, when he and gambler
cockeyed Frank Loving sort ofchased each other.
As the Long Branch Shootout,when he and gambler Cock-Eyed
Frank Loving sort of chased eachother around the Long Branch
over issues of a woman, asaren't they all and Levi.
Well, I guess Mr Loving got thebetter of Levi Richardson and
(19:15):
that was the end of him of.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Levi Richardson, and that was the end of him.
Well, and now we're moving onin our story about Dutch Henry
and, of course, by this time inhis life, he's wanted for
various crimes, including horsestealing and murder, and he was
arrested in Trinidad by lawenforcement officers.
This is of particular interestin the story because Sheriff
(19:44):
Masterson of Fort Countytraveled to Trinidad to secure
Henry for charges related togrand larceny.
Henry was bound over to appearin the district court during the
court proceedings in order tobe held in jail pending bail.
Now, during this time,masterson faced challenges
(20:09):
securing Henry's custody due tothe lack of requisition from the
governor of Kansas, butultimately succeeded in bringing
him to Dodge City.
Now, why do you suppose BatMasterson fought so hard to
ensure Bourne was taken into hiscustody, and do you think this
(20:34):
effort had anything to do withthe friendship between them?
Would you also think that ifthey were friends, would that
friendship had developed at theBattle of Adobe Walls?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I'm glad you asked it in that way, mike, because yes,
I do think this is another bitof evidence to show that,
circumstantial though it may be,an evidence that Henry Bourne
was at Adobe walls because sowas Bat Masterson.
Now that's not, that's not anail in the coffin necessarily
(21:12):
of the issue, because Bat knew alot of people.
Bat covered a great deal ofterritory during his his young
life as he went in and out ofdodge city, western kansas, the
texas panhandle, even intoarizona and around that was, was
everywhere and knew just abouteverybody who was prominent.
(21:34):
So so that's again, that's notnecessarily a case closer but it
absolutely does kind of cementa relationship between the two,
if not a friendship.
And I do think that BatMasterson believed that Dutch
Henry was justice would bebetter served to him out of
(21:56):
Dodge than someone who knew himonly by reputation and not
personally.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Here's where I'd like to go as we conclude this, as
what you said is a case closer,because I'm going to present
here in a minute what I thinkare the true evidences that
provide us with reality thatHenry Bourne was at Adobe Walsh,
no matter what historicalrecords may have stated.
(22:26):
As we close out in Henry's life, we know that he married Ida
Dillabaugh from Michigan in Julyof 1900 and had four children.
During the summer they residednear Trout Lake in San Juan
Mountains, spending theirwinters in town.
(22:48):
In 1920, bourne received a booktitled A Lone Star Cowboy by
Charles Seringo from his friendDavid Hirsch.
Enchanted by the book, bourneinvited Seringo to join him in
Colorado for fishing.
In a letter to Seringo, hefondly recalled his past
(23:12):
experiences as a buffalo hunter,his participation in the Battle
of Adobe Walls and hisinvolvement in the Lincoln
County War.
Bourne also noted hisrecognition within the community
, frequently making trips totown, and mentioned that he is
known as Dutch Henry.
(23:35):
What would you say to someonewho questions whether Bourne's
participation at Adobe Walls maybe false, especially when we
have evidence of threereferences or actually four
references that he was?
Let me go through those withyou.
With you, the referencessupport the potential
(24:11):
camaraderie between BatMasterson and Dutch Henry.
We just went through thatAdventures of Billy Dixon at
Adobe Walls.
Olive Dixon references DutchHenry.
Additionally, one of HenryBourne's last correspondence
with Charles Seringo indicateshis presence at Adobe Walls.
(24:36):
Indicates his presence at adobewalls.
Now, according to all of thatevidence, how would you conclude
?
Are this podcast supportingdutch henry's presence at adobe
walls?
Speaker 1 (24:50):
well, I I make personally no bones about the
fact that I do believe thatDutch Henry Bourne was one of
the defenders at Adobe Walls,and I think all of this evidence
is about as good a proof as youcan get to that regard.
However, I'm going to playdevil's advocate here just a
little bit and admit that by andlarge, you could make the case
(25:16):
that it's all circumstantialevidence, all second and third
person.
Now Dutch Henry in regards tohis letter to Charles Seringo, I
think this could possibly be agood example of an aging
Westerner making contact withanother prominent Westerner and
(25:44):
puffing himself up a bit, sayingyou know, seringo is writing
books now about the history andhis involvement in great deeds
of the American West.
Well, dutch Henry sees this andthinks you know what?
I'm a part of great deeds ofthe American West.
Maybe I can impress this guyand he'll put me in his next
book.
So there is that.
(26:08):
I think that would probably be avalid argument as well.
I don't think that's any moresignificant than any of the
other evidence that we have thathe was there.
Again, historical records arenot always 100% true.
(26:28):
As we have them, you've reallygot to look at the context of
history, everything else that'sgoing on, and and make your
conclusions from that.
I do believe, as we've we'vegone through, that dutch henry
was at adobe walls and and I Iget the arguments on the the
(26:50):
opposite side of that, but Ithink at the end of the day,
you've got to believe what youwant to believe.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Well, we'll have to leave it here.
And our audience?
I guess they can write in and,according to the evidence that
you have received from thispodcast, you can tell us whether
or not you believe in rebornwas at Adobe walls.
Thank you,
Join us as Mike and I continue our captivating
journey of the life of DutchHenry Bourne, a saga that brings
to life the thrill, intrigueand complexity of the American
frontier.
In this episode, we will offerour listeners an exclusive
opportunity to delve deeper intothe audacious exploits and
lasting impact of one ofhistory's most enigmatic outlaws
(00:26):
.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Brad in part one of the narrative concerning Henry
Bourne.
The story commences in thespring of 1867 when Bourne
assumes the role of scout forthe United States Cavalry,
collaborating with GeneralArmstrong Custer in central
Kansas.
Custer is at the helm of a newForm 7th US Calvary, which is
(00:51):
actively engaged in pursuingNative American tribes in the
wake of Major General Hancock'sPeace Initiative.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
So, during this era, Bourne becomes increasingly
disenchanted with Custer.
During this era, Bourne becomesincreasingly disenchanted with
Custer, particularly afterwitnessing the Ouachita Massacre
on November 27, 1868.
This harrowing incidentculminated in the deaths of
Chief Black Kettle and numerousothers at the hands of Custer's
forces, prompting Bourne toengage in profound reflection
(01:23):
regarding the ramifications oftheir action.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
This brings to a question about this part of the
story.
What about the perspective thatBourne's disillusionment may
have been influenced by personalbiases, rather than a broader
ethical reflection, especiallyafter he decides to quit and
move on from the Seventh Calvary?
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Well, I think the best answer is probably the
simplest one.
Looking at Bourne's life andcareer, I can't single out
anything, any example ofanything in his life that seems
to be influenced by broadethical reflection of any kind.
Everything about him and whathe did.
As is true with most Westernersat the time, these guys were
(02:11):
law unto themselves.
So, of course, yes, theirdecisions were based on personal
bias, who they liked, who theydidn't like, what they wanted to
do, and their own choices.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And our research suggests that Bourne terminated
his military assignment as ascout in 1871 and subsequently
traveled to West Colorado topartake in buffalo hunting
expeditions.
But before his departure hestaked a claim in Kansas, and I
(02:42):
think this becomes importantlater on when we talk about his
story.
He did that through his savingsacquired from military service,
and he also purchased a wagonand a team for his journey to
Colorado.
Rather than returning toMichigan to reunite with his
sweetheart after securing hisland Michigan to reunite with
(03:08):
his sweetheart after securinghis land.
He began collaborating, also atthe time, with a Mr Mark
Bardell.
Bardell was a warehouse managernear Fort Lyon, Colorado.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah.
So during one of those huntingexcursions, bourne and his
assistant were assaulted byCheyenne warriors, who stole
their horses and left theminjured.
Bourne did successfully reachFort Lyon where he reported the
theft.
However, he faced allegationsof instigating the conflict and
(03:37):
was subsequently expelled fromthe post.
This situation incited Bourne'sire, of course, as it would,
leading him to appropriate armymules and the commandant's
esteemed horse, as he vowed tocollect 100 Indian ponies and
one scalp.
This course of actionultimately directed him toward a
(04:00):
life of criminality andresulted in a rather damaged
reputation.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, this brings up several questions, then.
What might you say to someonewho claims that Bourne's
decision to steal Army mules andthe commandant's horse was
unjustified and escalated thesituation further?
And have you considered theperspective that Bourne's
(04:31):
actions were driven more by adesire for revenge rather than
self-defense, and how might thisimpact the portrayal of his
character?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Well, I think the question is unjustified.
To who?
To Bourne, it seemed highlyjustified when he is reporting
his stolen property, only to beaccused of causing the theft of
his own stuff.
Yeah, I think he was absolutelymotivated by revenge.
Who wouldn't be?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
by revenge who wouldn't be.
And as we follow the timeline,which we tried to do in this
story of his life and the thingsthat occurred in his life, we
run into a situation in thestory about the narrative of the
five jacks of Hillsworth andthe enigmatic figure, dutch
Henry Bourne, which we explorean unresolved mystery about his
(05:32):
life here.
It was stated that on June 18,1874, newly appointed Sheriff
Charles Brown and we go throughthis whole series of the Ellis
County Sheriff and the fivejacks of Ellsworth, but Charles
Brown apprehends Dutch HenryBourne in the story the
(05:53):
Ellsworth reporter published anarticle regarding Bourne's
arrest and then, of course,nevertheless only one month
later, on July 27, 1874,.
This presents a compellingquestion how could Bourne be
incarcerated whilesimultaneously participating in
(06:13):
an Indian raid defense in theTexas panhandle?
So the major question is howwould you address someone who
argues that the timing of eventsin the historical record may
not provide a reliable accountand could suggest inaccuracies
(06:34):
in the reporting?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Well, simply put, I think if you have to pinpoint
the exact dates of everything,we simply don't have enough
information.
To my knowledge, we don't haveany specific recording or
account of Bourne being releasedfrom incarceration.
Sure, we have the date of hisarrest, but looking at the rest
(06:58):
of Bourne's career, he rarely,if ever, served out a sentence,
even if he actually went to jaileven after he was arrested.
So he does have a history ofbreaking jail, never staying in
for very long at any one timeagain when he's arrested at all,
and one month is certainlyenough time to make it from
(07:21):
Ellsworth, kansas, just downinto the Texas Panhandle.
Now, in these later years,bourne himself claimed to have
abandoned adobe walls.
This is not unusual in regardsto Westerners who lived into
their later years.
(07:42):
Many of these frontiersmenclaim to have been places and
done things that the historicalrecord simply doesn't account
for.
There's several examples I canthink of, just in Wyatt Earp's
career, where he claimed to havedone something that we know for
a fact that he absolutely didnot do and wasn't there for.
So for Henry Bourne to claimthat he was at Adobe Walls, a
(08:06):
famous Indian fight where heabsolutely could have been,
there are very few people whowould have really saw fit to
argue that point.
Because sure, if he said he was, he could very well have been.
Why wouldn't he have been?
We also have other contemporaryaccounts of Bourne having been
(08:26):
at Adobe Walls.
Certainly all of Dixon's volumeof her husband Billy Dixon's
life recorded Bourne as havingbeen there.
The marker that was placed onthe battle site is in
commemoration of the 50thanniversary, lists Henry Bourne
as having been there and Ibelieve at that time, only 50
years after the battle, therewould have been several
(08:48):
individuals and certainly therewere, for the setting of that
marker, many individuals on bothsides who were there present
for the setting of the marker,who could have easily disputed
the fact that Henry Bourne wasthere when they saw his name.
It's always been my feelingthat, yes, dutch Henry was at
Adobe Walls.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Later on in the story we're going to, or in this
podcast, we're going to talk alittle bit more about what
substantiates the fact that hewas at Adobe Walls, and there is
a statement in our first partabout the story of Henry Bourne
that you might want to talkabout, which is the historian
(09:36):
Roger Myers.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Yes, myers does indicate that by June 1874,
bourne was living on hishomestead just north of
Ellsworth and on June 15th hewas shot three times and
subsequently apprehended by USDeputy Marshal Alex Ramsey.
Following his capture, he wastransported to Topeka, kansas,
(10:03):
and then to Leavenworth where hespent about 15 months in
incarceration awaiting trial forthe theft of government mules.
Bourne apparently was acquittedon April 23, 1875.
However, he remained in custodyfor several additional months
(10:24):
due to a jailbreak attempt andthe theft of a shotgun.
Myers emphasizes that Bournecould not have participated in
the Second Battle of Dobie Wallsas he was incarcerated in
Kansas during that period.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Again, brad, this is a compounding of complexities
surrounding the historicalaccount you said earlier.
A marker was installed at thebattle site in a monument form
on June 27, 1924.
This marker honors the 28thBuffalo Hunters, including Dutch
(11:00):
Henry, who engaged in theBattle of Adobe Walls.
Furthermore, as you said before, olive Dixon makes a reference
to the individual named DutchHenry in her 1914 publication,
the Life and Adventures of BellyDixon of Adobe Wallsas,
(11:21):
panhandle.
Again, it's a matter ofquestion here, because, as we go
through this, we really want toestablish whether or not dutch
henry bourne was at the battleof adobe walls and counter
anything that might beestablished that, uh, he wasn't.
How would you address someonewho argues that the existence of
(11:45):
a marker honoring Dutch Henryat the battle site implies his
involvement, regardless of thehistorical record?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Another point that probably bears mentioning is
that, much like Buffalo Bill,usually when we're talking about
Buffalo Bill we're talkingabout William F Cody.
However, there were at leasttwo other well-known Buffalo
Bills running around the West,contemporaries of each other who
(12:16):
knew each other, crossed eachother's paths more frequently.
So well then, same is true withwith Dutch Henry.
We know for a fact over atleast one or two other Dutch
Henrys running around thecountry.
Now, dutch Henry born, we don'tknow, but just going by the
(12:41):
name Dutch Henry was commonenough that you can maybe excuse
the name popping up here andthere, maybe confusing one for
another.
Hard telling.
However, it's hard to pinpointany of those other Dutch Henrys
in the same place at the sametime as we have Dutch Henry born
(13:03):
in the same place at the sametime as we have Dutch Henry born
, unlike the thing you have withBuffalo Bill Cody.
So there is that you may haveaccounts of one Dutch Henry
being confused for another,whether it be an incarceration
at Adobe Walls or on a huntingexpedition Hard telling.
(13:23):
When it comes to Western history, it does seem that everyone
honestly has an ax to grind, andhistorians certainly are no
strangers to that, even thoughmost of them would deny it.
Quite often we have aninterpretation of history and
then we look for the facts toprove it.
Sometimes they do, sometimesthey don't.
(13:44):
Sometimes we have to tweak themto make sure that they do, and
sometimes flat out historicalrecords just aren't as accurate
as we want them to be.
That's just the way it is.
Oftentimes, as things werereported, things were reported
based on assumptions, based onhearsay.
Things were reported, thingswere reported based on
(14:05):
assumptions, based on hearsay,and things just got confusing as
information wasn't transmittedimmediately.
As it is today, in our modernera, it oftentimes took days
before information could getfrom one side of the state to
another.
So again it comes back to wereally just don't have enough
(14:27):
information.
Both accounts make great points.
I say believe what you want tobelieve, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Many times when we're doing our research, brad, we
find inaccuracies in the media,reports similar to today.
You know, our media sometimesare biased, sometimes are
fabricated, and so we have, asyou said, we have to take into
account that some records arejust not accurate.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
That's exactly right, and when I say historians have
an ax to grind, so did thepeople at the time.
A lawman's reputation couldeasily be a rise or fall based
on who they have in custody andhow long they've been able to
keep them there.
So reporting someone being injail might behoove your career
(15:24):
to report that they are.
One name can get crossover fromanother as it transfers from
one reporter to another, and youmay have one name attached to
an entirely different story Hardtelling.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Can we talk a little bit now about part two?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
We talk a little bit now about part two.
So yeah, part two of thisnarrative outlines events that
transpired from the late summerof 1876, so a couple of years
after Adobe Walls during whichSheriff Beardsley of Ellis
County in kind of northwestcentral Kansas, received reports
(16:03):
regarding a series of horsethefts occurring in Ness County.
These thefts were connected toHenry Bourne and his criminal
organization, which seemed to bequite widespread.
James Thompson, the manager ofthe Buffalo Station Depot,
becomes suspicious of certainactivities and subsequently
(16:25):
apprehends a prominent horsethief who was later identified
as.
Big Ike.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
He comes into the station and says that he's a
tramp.
But when he's apprehended, agroup of individuals demanded
the release of the capturedthief.
He communicated this viatelegraph with Sheriff Beasley,
who was located at the time inAbilene, kansas.
(16:55):
The sheriff instructed hisdeputies, charles Zahn, to
assemble a posse in Hayes Cityand proceed to Buffalo Station.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Yeah, and then, under the cover of that night, the
law enforcement teamsuccessfully did apprehend a
group consisting of six men andthree women actually, and
something like 36 stolen horses,near the South Fork of the
Solomon River.
Sheriff Beardsley pursued theremaining fugitives north, where
(17:33):
he encountered Levi Richardson.
Where he encountered LeviRichardson, levi was searching
for stolen horses.
Actually, with Richardson'sassistance, the law enforcement
officers set an ambush for oneof the wanted suspects, big Ike,
who sustained injuries duringthe arrest attempt.
After verifying his identity,the officers then transported
(17:57):
Big Ike to a nearby ranch fordetention.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Well, in this part of the story which I thought was
very fascinating, there was amention of Levi Richardson was a
part of the apprehension or thepursuit of the Dutch Henry gang
(18:22):
at that time.
What do we know about LeviRichardson in his later life?
That becomes, maybe, importantto the full story here.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Well, levi is another one of those folks that pop in
and out of several differentstories.
He is most famous for his finalstory, I guess you could say,
when he was known in and aroundDodge City.
He became a fairly prominentDodge Cityan and was killed in
(18:53):
what is known as the Long Branchshootout, when he and gambler
cockeyed Frank Loving sort ofchased each other.
As the Long Branch Shootout,when he and gambler Cock-Eyed
Frank Loving sort of chased eachother around the Long Branch
over issues of a woman, asaren't they all and Levi.
Well, I guess Mr Loving got thebetter of Levi Richardson and
(19:15):
that was the end of him of.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Levi Richardson, and that was the end of him.
Well, and now we're moving onin our story about Dutch Henry
and, of course, by this time inhis life, he's wanted for
various crimes, including horsestealing and murder, and he was
arrested in Trinidad by lawenforcement officers.
This is of particular interestin the story because Sheriff
(19:44):
Masterson of Fort Countytraveled to Trinidad to secure
Henry for charges related togrand larceny.
Henry was bound over to appearin the district court during the
court proceedings in order tobe held in jail pending bail.
Now, during this time,masterson faced challenges
(20:09):
securing Henry's custody due tothe lack of requisition from the
governor of Kansas, butultimately succeeded in bringing
him to Dodge City.
Now, why do you suppose BatMasterson fought so hard to
ensure Bourne was taken into hiscustody, and do you think this
(20:34):
effort had anything to do withthe friendship between them?
Would you also think that ifthey were friends, would that
friendship had developed at theBattle of Adobe Walls?
Speaker 1 (20:51):
I'm glad you asked it in that way, mike, because yes,
I do think this is another bitof evidence to show that,
circumstantial though it may be,an evidence that Henry Bourne
was at Adobe walls because sowas Bat Masterson.
Now that's not, that's not anail in the coffin necessarily
(21:12):
of the issue, because Bat knew alot of people.
Bat covered a great deal ofterritory during his his young
life as he went in and out ofdodge city, western kansas, the
texas panhandle, even intoarizona and around that was, was
everywhere and knew just abouteverybody who was prominent.
(21:34):
So so that's again, that's notnecessarily a case closer but it
absolutely does kind of cementa relationship between the two,
if not a friendship.
And I do think that BatMasterson believed that Dutch
Henry was justice would bebetter served to him out of
(21:56):
Dodge than someone who knew himonly by reputation and not
personally.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Here's where I'd like to go as we conclude this, as
what you said is a case closer,because I'm going to present
here in a minute what I thinkare the true evidences that
provide us with reality thatHenry Bourne was at Adobe Walsh,
no matter what historicalrecords may have stated.
(22:26):
As we close out in Henry's life, we know that he married Ida
Dillabaugh from Michigan in Julyof 1900 and had four children.
During the summer they residednear Trout Lake in San Juan
Mountains, spending theirwinters in town.
(22:48):
In 1920, bourne received a booktitled A Lone Star Cowboy by
Charles Seringo from his friendDavid Hirsch.
Enchanted by the book, bourneinvited Seringo to join him in
Colorado for fishing.
In a letter to Seringo, hefondly recalled his past
(23:12):
experiences as a buffalo hunter,his participation in the Battle
of Adobe Walls and hisinvolvement in the Lincoln
County War.
Bourne also noted hisrecognition within the community
, frequently making trips totown, and mentioned that he is
known as Dutch Henry.
(23:35):
What would you say to someonewho questions whether Bourne's
participation at Adobe Walls maybe false, especially when we
have evidence of threereferences or actually four
references that he was?
Let me go through those withyou.
With you, the referencessupport the potential
(24:11):
camaraderie between BatMasterson and Dutch Henry.
We just went through thatAdventures of Billy Dixon at
Adobe Walls.
Olive Dixon references DutchHenry.
Additionally, one of HenryBourne's last correspondence
with Charles Seringo indicateshis presence at Adobe Walls.
(24:36):
Indicates his presence at adobewalls.
Now, according to all of thatevidence, how would you conclude
?
Are this podcast supportingdutch henry's presence at adobe
walls?
Speaker 1 (24:50):
well, I I make personally no bones about the
fact that I do believe thatDutch Henry Bourne was one of
the defenders at Adobe Walls,and I think all of this evidence
is about as good a proof as youcan get to that regard.
However, I'm going to playdevil's advocate here just a
little bit and admit that by andlarge, you could make the case
(25:16):
that it's all circumstantialevidence, all second and third
person.
Now Dutch Henry in regards tohis letter to Charles Seringo, I
think this could possibly be agood example of an aging
Westerner making contact withanother prominent Westerner and
(25:44):
puffing himself up a bit, sayingyou know, seringo is writing
books now about the history andhis involvement in great deeds
of the American West.
Well, dutch Henry sees this andthinks you know what?
I'm a part of great deeds ofthe American West.
Maybe I can impress this guyand he'll put me in his next
book.
So there is that.
(26:08):
I think that would probably be avalid argument as well.
I don't think that's any moresignificant than any of the
other evidence that we have thathe was there.
Again, historical records arenot always 100% true.
(26:28):
As we have them, you've reallygot to look at the context of
history, everything else that'sgoing on, and and make your
conclusions from that.
I do believe, as we've we'vegone through, that dutch henry
was at adobe walls and and I Iget the arguments on the the
(26:50):
opposite side of that, but Ithink at the end of the day,
you've got to believe what youwant to believe.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Well, we'll have to leave it here.
And our audience?
I guess they can write in and,according to the evidence that
you have received from thispodcast, you can tell us whether
or not you believe in rebornwas at Adobe walls.
Thank you,
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