April 7, 2025 • 28 mins
Step into the contested territory of frontier legend as we continue our deep dive into the life of Dutch Henry Borne, one of the American West's most enigmatic figures. From cavalry scout to notorious outlaw, Borne’s story straddles the line between documented history and frontier mythology—nowhere more prominently than in the controversy surrounding his presence at the famous Battle of Adobe Walls.
The journey begins with Borne’s early days alongside General Custer, where witnessing the brutal Washita Massacre triggered what appears to be a moral turning point. But was his disillusionment truly ethical, or merely personal? As we follow his path from military scout to buffalo hunter to horse thief, we confront the fundamental question of how much we can trust historical records in reconstructing the lives of frontier figures.
At the heart of our exploration lies the fascinating contradiction about Borne’s whereabouts during the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. Official records place him in jail in Kansas during the battle, yet multiple sources—including a monument at the battle site, Olive Dixon's historical account, and Borne’s own later correspondence—firmly position him among the defenders. This historical mystery showcases how Western narratives are shaped by competing truths, unreliable reporting, and the personal biases of both contemporary observers and later historians.
The episode concludes with Borne’s capture by Sheriff Bat Masterson, his eventual marriage and retirement in Colorado, and a final assessment of the evidence for and against his participation at Adobe Walls. Throughout this narrative, we're reminded that frontier history exists not as clean fact but as contested territory where official records, personal testimonies, and mythmaking collide. Listen now to decide for yourself where truth lies in the remarkable story of Dutch Henry Borne’s, and share your own conclusions about this fascinating frontier enigma.
"Edward Masterson and the Texas Cowboys," penned by Michael King, takes readers on an exhilarating ride through the American West, focusing on the lively and gritty cattle town of Dodge City, Kansas. This thrilling dime novel plunges into the action-packed year of Ed Masterson's life as a lawman, set against the backdrop of the chaotic cattle trade, filled with fierce conflicts, shifting loyalties, and rampant lawlessness. You can order the book on Amazon.
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Episode Transcript
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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.
(02:08):
As is true with most Westernersat the time, these guys were
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 (02:25):
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
(02:46):
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 returningto Michigan to reunite with his
sweetheart.
After securing his land, hebegan collaborating, also at the
(03:10):
time, with a Mr Mark Bardell.
Bardell was a warehouse managernear Fort Lyon, colorado.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
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
(03:40):
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
(04:04):
life of criminality andresulted in a rather damaged
reputation well, this brings upseveral questions, then.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
What might you say to someone who claims that born's
decision to steal army mules andthe commandant's horse was
unjustified and escalated thesituation further?
And have you considered theperspective that Bourne's
actions were driven more by adesire for revenge rather than
(04:40):
self-defense, and how might thisimpact the portrayal of his
character?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
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 (05:12):
And as we follow the timeline, which we tried to do
in this story of his life andthe things that occurred in his
life, we run into a situation inthe story about the narrative
of the five jacks of Hillsworthand the enigmatic figure, dutch
(05:32):
Henry Bourne.
And we go through this wholeseries of the Ellis County
Sheriff and the five jacks ofEllsworth.
But Charles Brown apprehendsDutch Henry Bourne in the story.
(05:57):
The Ellsworth reporterpublished an article regarding
Bourne's arrest and then, ofcourse, nevertheless only one
month later, on July 27, 1874,.
This presents a compellingquestion how could Bourne be
incarcerated whilesimultaneously participating in
(06:19):
an Indian raid?
Defense in the Texas panhandle,defense in the Texas 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
(06:39):
in the reporting?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Well, simply put, I think, if you have to reporting,
well simply put, I think, ifyou have to pinpoint the exact
dates of everything, we simplydon'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
(07:04):
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
(07:29):
Ellsworth, kansas, just downinto the Texas panhandle, now in
Lee.
Their later years.
(07:53):
Many of these frontiersmen claimto have been places and done
things that the historicalrecord simply doesn't account
for, 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
(08:16):
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
(08:37):
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
(08:57):
years after the battle, therewould have been several
individuals and certainly therewere, for the setting of that
marker, many individuals on bothsides who were there present
for the setting of the markerwho 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
(09:20):
Adobe Walls was at Adobe Walls.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
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
Roger Myers.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Yes, myers does indicate that by June 1874, born
was living on his homesteadjust north of Ellsworth, and on
June 15th he was shot threetimes and subsequently
apprehended by US Deputy MarshalAlex Ramsey.
Now, following his capture, hewas transported to Topeka,
(10:15):
kansas, and then to Leavenworthwhere he spent about 15 months
in incarceration awaiting trialfor the theft of government
mules.
Bourne apparently was acquittedon April 23, 1875.
However, he remained in custodyfor several additional months
(10:36):
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 (10:51):
Again, Brad, this is a compounding of complexities
surrounding the historicalaccount.
You know you said earlier, amarker was installed at the
battle site in a monument formon June 27th 1924.
This marker honors the 28thBuffalo Hunters, including Dutch
(11:14):
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 Walls, Texas
(11:35):
Panhandle.
Adventures of Billy Dixon ofAdobe Walls, Texas 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 he wasn't.
How would you address someonewho argues that the existence of
(11:59):
a marker honoring Dutch Henryat the battle site implies his
involvement, regardless of thehistorical record?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
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.
(12:31):
Who knew each other, crossedeach other's paths more
frequently.
Who knew each other crossedeach other's paths more
frequently.
So well, the same is true withDutch Henry.
We know for a fact there wereat least one or two other Dutch
Henrys running around thecountry.
Now, dutch Henry born, we don'tknow, but just going by the
(12:57):
name Dutch Henry was commonenough that you can maybe excuse
the name popping up here andthere, maybe confusing one for
another.
Hard telling.
It's hard to pinpoint any ofthose other Dutch Henrys in the
same place at the same time aswe have Dutch Henry born, unlike
(13:22):
the thing you have with BuffaloBill Cody.
So there is that you may haveaccounts of one Dutch Henry
being confused for another.
Whether it be an incarcerationat Adobe walls or on a hunting
expedition hard telling.
When it comes to Western history, it does seem that everyone
(13:44):
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.
(14:05):
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.
Historical records just aren'tas 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, and things just got
(14:40):
confusing as information wasn'ttransmitted immediately.
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
information.
Both accounts make great points.
I say believe what you want tobelieve, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
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 (15:29):
That's exactly right.
And when I say historians havean axe to grind, so did the
people 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.
To report that they are.
(15:50):
One name can get crossover fromanother as it transfers from
one reporter to another and, uh,you may have one name attached
to an entirely different storyor telling.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Can we talk a little bit now about part two?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
So yeah, part two of this narrative outlines events
that transpired from the latesummer of 1876, so a couple of
years after Adobe Walls duringwhich Sheriff Beardsley of Ellis
County, in kind of northwestcentral Kansas, received reports
(16:30):
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
(16:53):
apprehends a prominent horsethief, who was later identified
as Big Ike.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
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.
(17:22):
The sheriff instructed hisdeputies, charles Zahn, to
assemble a posse in Hayes Cityand proceed to Buffalo Station.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
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
(18:00):
he encountered Levi Richardson.
Levi was searching for stolenhorses.
Actually, levi was searchingfor 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.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
The officers then transported Big Ike to a nearby
ranch for detention.
Well, and in this part of thestory which I thought was very
fascinating, there is a mentionof Levi Richardson.
And in this situation I wastotally unaware that Levi
Richardson was a part of theapprehension or the pursuit of
(18:49):
the Dutch Henry gang at thattime.
What do we know about LeviRichardson in his later life?
That becomes, maybe, importantto the full story here.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
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 Citian and was killed in
(19:23):
what is known as the Long BranchShootout, when he and gambler
Cock-Eyed Frank Loving sort ofchased each other around the
Long Branch Shootout, when heand gambler cockeyed Frank
Loving sort of chased each otheraround the Long Branch over
issues of a woman, as aren'tthey all and Levi.
Well, I guess Mr Loving got thebetter of Levi Richardson and
(19:46):
that was the end of him.
The better of Levi.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
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.
(20:11):
This is of particular interestin the story because Sheriff
Masterson of Fork 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.
(20:35):
Now, during this time,masterson faced challenges
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
(21:00):
ensure Bourne was taken into hiscustody, and do you think this
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 (21:23):
I'm glad you asked it in that way, Mike.
I'm glad you asked it in thatway, Mike, because yes, I do
think this is another bit ofevidence to show that,
circumstantial though it may be,an evidence that Henry Bourne
was at Adobe Walls, because sowas Bat Masterson.
(21:43):
Now that's not a nail in thecoffin necessarily of the issue,
(22:04):
because that knew a lot ofpeople that covered a great deal
of territory during his, hisyoung life as he went in and out
of Dodge City, Western Kansas,the Texas Panhandle, even into
Arizona and around that was, waseverywhere and knew just about
everybody who was prominent.
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
(22:27):
Henry was, that Batmastersonbelieved that Dutch Henry was.
Justice would be better servedto him out of Dodge than someone
who knew him only by reputationand not personally.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Here's where I'd like to go as we conclude this as
what you said.
As a case closer, because I'mgoing to present here in a
minute what I think are the trueevidences that provide us with
reality that Henry Bourne was atAdobe Walsh, no matter what
(22:59):
historical records may havestated as we close out in
Henry's life, we know that hemarried Ida Dillabaugh from
Michigan in July of 1900 and hadfour children.
During the summer they residednear Trout Lake in San Juan
(23:21):
Mountains, spending theirwinters in town.
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.
(23:42):
In a letter to Seringo hefondly recalled his past
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
(24:03):
, frequently making trips totown, and mention that he is
known as Dutch Henry.
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
(24:25):
references that he was?
Let me go through those withyou.
The references support thepotential camaraderie between
Bat Masterson and Dutch Henry.
We just went through that.
Furthermore, the monument atAdobe Walls bears the name Dutch
(24:47):
Henry.
In her work of 1914, the Lifeand Adventures of Billy Dixon at
Adobe Walls, olive Dixonreferences Dutch Henry.
Additionally, one of HenryBourne's last correspondence
with Charles Seringo indicateshis presence at Adobe Walls.
(25:12):
Now, according to all of thatevidence, how would you conclude
this podcast supporting DutchHenry's presence at Adobe Walls?
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Walls.
Well, I make personally nobones about the fact that I do
believe that Dutch Henry Bournewas one of the defenders at
Adobe Walls, and I think all ofthis evidence is about as good a
proof as you can get to thatregard.
However, I'm going to playdevil's advocate here just a
little bit and admit that by andlarge, you could make the case
(25:53):
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
(26:22):
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
(26:43):
book.
So there is that.
I think that would probably bea valid 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.
(27:08):
As we have them, you've reallygot to look at the context of
history, everything else that'sgoing on, and make your
conclusions from that.
I do believe, as we've gonethrough, that Dutch Henry was at
Adobe Walls.
I get the arguments on theopposite side of that.
(27:29):
But we've gone through thatDutch Henry was at Adobe walls
and and I I get the arguments onthe the opposite side of that.
But I think at the end of theday, you've got to believe what
you want to believe.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Well, we'll have to leave it here in our audience.
I guess they can, uh, write inand, according to the evidence
that you have received from thispodcast, you can tell us
whether or not you believe HenryBourne was 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.
(02:08):
As is true with most Westernersat the time, these guys were
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 (02:25):
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
(02:46):
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 returningto Michigan to reunite with his
sweetheart.
After securing his land, hebegan collaborating, also at the
(03:10):
time, with a Mr Mark Bardell.
Bardell was a warehouse managernear Fort Lyon, colorado.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
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
(03:40):
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
(04:04):
life of criminality andresulted in a rather damaged
reputation well, this brings upseveral questions, then.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
What might you say to someone who claims that born's
decision to steal army mules andthe commandant's horse was
unjustified and escalated thesituation further?
And have you considered theperspective that Bourne's
actions were driven more by adesire for revenge rather than
(04:40):
self-defense, and how might thisimpact the portrayal of his
character?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
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 (05:12):
And as we follow the timeline, which we tried to do
in this story of his life andthe things that occurred in his
life, we run into a situation inthe story about the narrative
of the five jacks of Hillsworthand the enigmatic figure, dutch
(05:32):
Henry Bourne.
And we go through this wholeseries of the Ellis County
Sheriff and the five jacks ofEllsworth.
But Charles Brown apprehendsDutch Henry Bourne in the story.
(05:57):
The Ellsworth reporterpublished an article regarding
Bourne's arrest and then, ofcourse, nevertheless only one
month later, on July 27, 1874,.
This presents a compellingquestion how could Bourne be
incarcerated whilesimultaneously participating in
(06:19):
an Indian raid?
Defense in the Texas panhandle,defense in the Texas 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
(06:39):
in the reporting?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Well, simply put, I think, if you have to reporting,
well simply put, I think, ifyou have to pinpoint the exact
dates of everything, we simplydon'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
(07:04):
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
(07:29):
Ellsworth, kansas, just downinto the Texas panhandle, now in
Lee.
Their later years.
(07:53):
Many of these frontiersmen claimto have been places and done
things that the historicalrecord simply doesn't account
for, 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
(08:16):
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
(08:37):
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
(08:57):
years after the battle, therewould have been several
individuals and certainly therewere, for the setting of that
marker, many individuals on bothsides who were there present
for the setting of the markerwho 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
(09:20):
Adobe Walls was at Adobe Walls.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
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
Roger Myers.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Yes, myers does indicate that by June 1874, born
was living on his homesteadjust north of Ellsworth, and on
June 15th he was shot threetimes and subsequently
apprehended by US Deputy MarshalAlex Ramsey.
Now, following his capture, hewas transported to Topeka,
(10:15):
kansas, and then to Leavenworthwhere he spent about 15 months
in incarceration awaiting trialfor the theft of government
mules.
Bourne apparently was acquittedon April 23, 1875.
However, he remained in custodyfor several additional months
(10:36):
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 (10:51):
Again, Brad, this is a compounding of complexities
surrounding the historicalaccount.
You know you said earlier, amarker was installed at the
battle site in a monument formon June 27th 1924.
This marker honors the 28thBuffalo Hunters, including Dutch
(11:14):
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 Walls, Texas
(11:35):
Panhandle.
Adventures of Billy Dixon ofAdobe Walls, Texas 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 he wasn't.
How would you address someonewho argues that the existence of
(11:59):
a marker honoring Dutch Henryat the battle site implies his
involvement, regardless of thehistorical record?
Speaker 1 (12:09):
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.
(12:31):
Who knew each other, crossedeach other's paths more
frequently.
Who knew each other crossedeach other's paths more
frequently.
So well, the same is true withDutch Henry.
We know for a fact there wereat least one or two other Dutch
Henrys running around thecountry.
Now, dutch Henry born, we don'tknow, but just going by the
(12:57):
name Dutch Henry was commonenough that you can maybe excuse
the name popping up here andthere, maybe confusing one for
another.
Hard telling.
It's hard to pinpoint any ofthose other Dutch Henrys in the
same place at the same time aswe have Dutch Henry born, unlike
(13:22):
the thing you have with BuffaloBill Cody.
So there is that you may haveaccounts of one Dutch Henry
being confused for another.
Whether it be an incarcerationat Adobe walls or on a hunting
expedition hard telling.
When it comes to Western history, it does seem that everyone
(13:44):
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.
(14:05):
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.
Historical records just aren'tas 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, and things just got
(14:40):
confusing as information wasn'ttransmitted immediately.
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
information.
Both accounts make great points.
I say believe what you want tobelieve, I suppose.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
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 (15:29):
That's exactly right.
And when I say historians havean axe to grind, so did the
people 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.
To report that they are.
(15:50):
One name can get crossover fromanother as it transfers from
one reporter to another and, uh,you may have one name attached
to an entirely different storyor telling.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Can we talk a little bit now about part two?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
So yeah, part two of this narrative outlines events
that transpired from the latesummer of 1876, so a couple of
years after Adobe Walls duringwhich Sheriff Beardsley of Ellis
County, in kind of northwestcentral Kansas, received reports
(16:30):
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
(16:53):
apprehends a prominent horsethief, who was later identified
as Big Ike.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
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.
(17:22):
The sheriff instructed hisdeputies, charles Zahn, to
assemble a posse in Hayes Cityand proceed to Buffalo Station.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
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
(18:00):
he encountered Levi Richardson.
Levi was searching for stolenhorses.
Actually, levi was searchingfor 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.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
The officers then transported Big Ike to a nearby
ranch for detention.
Well, and in this part of thestory which I thought was very
fascinating, there is a mentionof Levi Richardson.
And in this situation I wastotally unaware that Levi
Richardson was a part of theapprehension or the pursuit of
(18:49):
the Dutch Henry gang at thattime.
What do we know about LeviRichardson in his later life?
That becomes, maybe, importantto the full story here.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
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 Citian and was killed in
(19:23):
what is known as the Long BranchShootout, when he and gambler
Cock-Eyed Frank Loving sort ofchased each other around the
Long Branch Shootout, when heand gambler cockeyed Frank
Loving sort of chased each otheraround the Long Branch over
issues of a woman, as aren'tthey all and Levi.
Well, I guess Mr Loving got thebetter of Levi Richardson and
(19:46):
that was the end of him.
The better of Levi.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
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.
(20:11):
This is of particular interestin the story because Sheriff
Masterson of Fork 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.
(20:35):
Now, during this time,masterson faced challenges
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
(21:00):
ensure Bourne was taken into hiscustody, and do you think this
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 (21:23):
I'm glad you asked it in that way, Mike.
I'm glad you asked it in thatway, Mike, because yes, I do
think this is another bit ofevidence to show that,
circumstantial though it may be,an evidence that Henry Bourne
was at Adobe Walls, because sowas Bat Masterson.
(21:43):
Now that's not a nail in thecoffin necessarily of the issue,
(22:04):
because that knew a lot ofpeople that covered a great deal
of territory during his, hisyoung life as he went in and out
of Dodge City, Western Kansas,the Texas Panhandle, even into
Arizona and around that was, waseverywhere and knew just about
everybody who was prominent.
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
(22:27):
Henry was, that Batmastersonbelieved that Dutch Henry was.
Justice would be better servedto him out of Dodge than someone
who knew him only by reputationand not personally.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Here's where I'd like to go as we conclude this as
what you said.
As a case closer, because I'mgoing to present here in a
minute what I think are the trueevidences that provide us with
reality that Henry Bourne was atAdobe Walsh, no matter what
(22:59):
historical records may havestated as we close out in
Henry's life, we know that hemarried Ida Dillabaugh from
Michigan in July of 1900 and hadfour children.
During the summer they residednear Trout Lake in San Juan
(23:21):
Mountains, spending theirwinters in town.
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.
(23:42):
In a letter to Seringo hefondly recalled his past
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
(24:03):
, frequently making trips totown, and mention that he is
known as Dutch Henry.
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
(24:25):
references that he was?
Let me go through those withyou.
The references support thepotential camaraderie between
Bat Masterson and Dutch Henry.
We just went through that.
Furthermore, the monument atAdobe Walls bears the name Dutch
(24:47):
Henry.
In her work of 1914, the Lifeand Adventures of Billy Dixon at
Adobe Walls, olive Dixonreferences Dutch Henry.
Additionally, one of HenryBourne's last correspondence
with Charles Seringo indicateshis presence at Adobe Walls.
(25:12):
Now, according to all of thatevidence, how would you conclude
this podcast supporting DutchHenry's presence at Adobe Walls?
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Walls.
Well, I make personally nobones about the fact that I do
believe that Dutch Henry Bournewas one of the defenders at
Adobe Walls, and I think all ofthis evidence is about as good a
proof as you can get to thatregard.
However, I'm going to playdevil's advocate here just a
little bit and admit that by andlarge, you could make the case
(25:53):
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
(26:22):
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
(26:43):
book.
So there is that.
I think that would probably bea valid 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.
(27:08):
As we have them, you've reallygot to look at the context of
history, everything else that'sgoing on, and make your
conclusions from that.
I do believe, as we've gonethrough, that Dutch Henry was at
Adobe Walls.
I get the arguments on theopposite side of that.
(27:29):
But we've gone through thatDutch Henry was at Adobe walls
and and I I get the arguments onthe the opposite side of that.
But I think at the end of theday, you've got to believe what
you want to believe.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Well, we'll have to leave it here in our audience.
I guess they can, uh, write inand, according to the evidence
that you have received from thispodcast, you can tell us
whether or not you believe HenryBourne was at Adobe Walls.
Thank you,
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