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Vol 8, No 194

July 13, 1882

Thursday Evening

Johnny Ringo found dead in Arizona

John Peters Ringold
TOMBSTONE AZ (1882)   In November 1876, Johnny Ringo, Scott Cooley, John Baird and George Gladden were major instigators in the Mason County HooDoo Wars of 1875. Gladden was convicted of Murder and pardoned in 1884. Cooley, who died at the age of 21 in a Fredericksburg restaurant, had served several years in jail before his release. John Baird fled to New Mexico where he was killed.
   In Texas, Ringo was acquitted and left for the Arizona territory, where he participated in a famous shootout with the Earp brothers at Tombstone.
   On this date in 1882, John Peters Ringold, also known as "Johnny Ringo" was found dead in Morse's Canyon, Arizona, leaning against a tree with a bullet in his head. Some say Buckskin Frank Leslie killed him, others believe he shot himself as his deeds in Mason County finally took their toll on him.
   The real life of Johnny Ringo bore little resemblance to the Johnny Ringo in the CBS television series from 1959-60. In the TV series, Johnny Ringo, played by Don Durant (1932-2005), gave up gunslinging, and became sheriff of Velardi, Arizona. His gun, a LeMat Special had two barrels, one a .45 caliber six-shooter, the other held a shot gun shell. That's some pretty serious heat for someone who gave up gun slinging.