Barney Riggs – Infamous West Texas Gunfighter

The annals of the American West are filled with figures both celebrated and condemned, individuals whose lives became intertwined with the raw, untamed landscape and the era’s volatile social climate. Among these figures stands Barney Kemp Riggs, an infamous gunfighter whose name resonates with tales of violence, legal battles, and a life marked by both notoriety and a peculiar sense of frontier justice. His story, rooted in the vast expanse of West Texas and extending into Arizona, offers a glimpse into the complexities of a time when the line between lawman and outlaw was often blurred.

Born on December 18, 1856, in Arkansas, Barney Riggs was the second of seven children born to Thomas and Hannah Felton Riggs. Shortly after his birth, the Riggs family embarked on a journey to Texas, a move that would inadvertently set the stage for a multi-generational saga of violence. The Riggs family would become a name synonymous with conflict. Barney Riggs‘ life, along with those of his brothers and their descendants, would become deeply entangled in the turbulent history of the region.

Barney Riggs‘ introduction to a life of violence purportedly began at the young age of 18. In Salado, Texas, he was involved in the accidental shooting of a friend named Hugh Armstrong. Though deemed accidental, this incident cast a shadow over his early life. Five years later, in 1879, when law enforcement sought to question him, Riggs chose to flee, an action that further fueled suspicion and cemented his reputation as someone who operated outside the bounds of the law.

He sought refuge in Cochise County, Arizona, where two of his uncles had already established themselves. He found work as a cowboy on his uncle Jim Riggs’ ranch, embracing the rugged lifestyle of the open range. During this period, he met Vennie Hicklin from Dos Cabezas, and the two were married on February 21, 1882.

Simultaneously, Riggs was reportedly engaged in a series of criminal activities. Horse theft in Arizona and Mexico became his primary means of making money. One particularly gruesome tale alleges that a dispute with his cousin at a watering hole led to the deaths of two Mexican men. Initially, three women accompanying the men were spared. However, fearing their potential identification, Riggs is said to have returned and murdered them as well, a chilling illustration of the ruthless nature attributed to him.

Paradoxically, or perhaps strategically, his reputation for violence landed him a position on the other side of the law. When the corrupt Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan sought to deputize men to pursue the Earp brothers and other gunmen embroiled in their infamous "Vendetta Ride," Barney Riggs was among those chosen. This alliance with Behan, a known adversary of the Earps, further solidified Riggs’ place in the complex web of allegiances and rivalries that defined the era.

The next significant event in the life of Barney Riggs was the murder of Richmond Hudson, the stepson of his Uncle Jim and his boss at the Riggs Ranch. In September 1886, after returning from a cattle-buying trip to Texas, Riggs was confronted with rumors of an affair between Hudson and his wife, Vennie. While Hudson initially denied the allegations, he later reportedly boasted about his supposed conquest. On September 29, 1886, Hudson was shot and killed by an unseen assailant.

Suspicion immediately fell upon Riggs, given his well-known animosity towards Hudson. A $250 reward was offered for his capture, prompting Riggs to seek refuge in the mountains. Fred Dodge, a respected lawman from Tombstone, took on the task of apprehending him. Working alongside Deputy Sheriff Charley Smith, Dodge established surveillance overlooking the Riggs Ranch. After spotting a rider signaling Vennie Riggs from a nearby hill, they successfully captured both individuals and transported them to Tombstone.

Vennie was eventually released, but Barney was held for trial. The first trial, held on November 11, 1886, resulted in a hung jury. Several jurors were sympathetic to the idea that killing a man for making sexual advances towards one’s wife was justified. A mistrial was declared, and a second trial commenced the following month. This time, the jury was less forgiving. On December 31, Riggs was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Arizona Territorial Prison in Yuma.

However, an unexpected turn of events led to Riggs’ release. In October 1887, seven convicts attempted to escape, during which they attacked prison warden Thomas Gates. During the chaotic melee, Riggs bravely intervened, snatching a gun from one of the escapees and killing the convict who was using Gates as a human shield. This act of bravery earned him a pardon, and he was released on December 31, 1887, exactly one year after his conviction.

Following his release, he traveled to California to reunite with his wife, Vennie, and their son, William Earl Riggs. However, the relationship had deteriorated beyond repair, and Riggs soon returned to Texas with his son, leaving Vennie behind. He partnered with his younger brother, Tom, to operate a ranch approximately 30 miles west of Texas.

In the spring of 1889, the Albuquerque Citizen reported his arrest for killing a cowboy. Riggs vehemently denied the allegations, and no official record of his imprisonment exists.

While no record exists of a legal divorce from Vennie, Riggs remarried on September 23, 1891, to Annie Stella Frazer Johnson, the divorced wife of former Pecos County Sheriff James Johnson and the sister of Reeves County Sheriff George A. "Bud" Frazer. The couple would have four children together, but their marriage would be fraught with challenges.

In 1891, Riggs’ brother-in-law, Sheriff Bud Frazer, made the fateful decision to hire the notorious gunfighter Jim Miller as his deputy. This appointment coincided with a surge in cattle rustling and horse theft throughout the Pecos Valley. Riggs suspected Miller’s involvement and brought it to Frazer’s attention. However, lacking concrete evidence, Frazer initially retained Miller. Eventually, Miller killed a Mexican prisoner who was allegedly "trying to escape," prompting Frazer to launch an investigation.

Riggs alleged that Miller had murdered the prisoner because the man knew the location of stolen mules hidden by the deputy. Frazer confirmed Riggs’ suspicions, located the stolen mules, and promptly fired Miller. This incident marked the beginning of the deadly Frazer-Miller feud, a conflict that would span several years.

In 1892, Andrew Jackson Royal, a controversial figure, was elected as the Pecos County Sheriff and appointed Riggs as one of his deputies. Royal’s tenure was marked by accusations of abuse of power and intimidation. While it remains unclear whether Riggs actively participated in these alleged abuses, his involvement would not be out of character, given his history of violence.

The 1894 re-election campaign ignited a bitter political feud that required the intervention of the Texas Rangers. In October, Royal and his deputies, including Riggs, Camilio Terrazas, and John P. Meadows, were arrested by the Texas Rangers on charges of conspiring to allow a Mexican prisoner named Victor Ochoa to escape from jail.

Royal lost the election later that month and was assassinated in November.

During his tenure as a deputy in Pecos County, Riggs seemingly avoided arrest. However, this was not the case in neighboring Reeves County, despite his familial connection to the sheriff. He was arrested multiple times for public intoxication, unlawfully carrying a pistol, and assault. In March 1893, he was indicted in Reeves County for assault with intent to murder a man named Augustin Palanco. Palanco claimed that Riggs shot at him and struck him over the head after he went to the Riggs ranch to retrieve a stray burro. However, Riggs was acquitted at trial.

Just four days after the indictment, Riggs was arrested by his brother-in-law, Sheriff Bud Frazer, on a gun-carrying charge and brought before County Judge George M. Frazer, Bud’s father and Barney’s father-in-law. Due to the familial relationship, the case was transferred to another district and later dismissed.

Bud Frazer and Jim Miller engaged in two gunfights, one in April and another in December, but both men survived. Having lost the 1894 re-election, Frazer relocated to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where he operated a livery stable.

In early 1896, two of Miller’s henchmen, John Denson and Bill Earhart, were overheard in Fort Stockton making threats against Barney Riggs. They subsequently left for Pecos, Texas, to confront Riggs. U.S. Deputy Marshal Dee Harkey sent a warning telegram, allowing Riggs to evade them upon their arrival. However, on the morning of March 3, Riggs was filling in as a bartender at R.S. Johnson’s Saloon when Denson and Earhart ambushed him.

Earhart’s shot grazed Riggs, who immediately returned fire, killing Earhart. He then grappled with Denson before Denson managed to flee. Riggs pursued him and shot him in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Riggs surrendered to the authorities. Despite being tried for murder, he was acquitted.

Later that year, Riggs’ brother-in-law, Bud Frazer, was assassinated by Jim Miller on September 14, 1896, while visiting his family in Toyah, Texas.

Over the ensuing years, Riggs continued his pattern of drunken and violent behavior, ultimately leading his wife, Annie, to leave him. She then began managing the Koehler Hotel in Fort Stockton, Texas. During their separation, Riggs engaged in a series of disruptive acts, constantly harassing her while intoxicated. She was granted a divorce in March 1901.

The divorce settlement stipulated periodic child support payments, with Daniel J. "Buck" Chadborn, the 21-year-old husband of Annie’s daughter from a previous marriage, appointed as the trustee. Riggs resented Chadborn’s involvement and frequently berated him publicly. A year later, Chadborn petitioned the court to be relieved of his responsibilities, further enraging Riggs, who assaulted him with a cane in April 1902. The following day, Riggs confronted Chadborn again, brandishing a cane. When Riggs made a threatening advance, Chadborn shot him in the chest. Riggs was taken to the Koehler Hotel, where he died the next day.

Barney Riggs was buried in the old fort cemetery at Fort Stockton, alongside his former partner, A.J. Royal.

Daniel J. "Buck" Chadborn was indicted for second-degree murder and tried in Brewster County in October 1903 but was found not guilty. He subsequently moved to New Mexico, where he pursued a long career in law enforcement, serving as a deputy sheriff and U.S. customs agent.

In 1904, Annie Riggs purchased the hotel where she had been working and renamed it the Riggs Hotel. She operated it successfully for many years before her death in May 1931. Today, the building stands as the Annie Riggs Museum in Fort Stockton.

R.S. Johnson’s Saloon in Pecos, Texas, where Riggs killed Miller’s henchmen William Earheart and John Denson, is now part of the West of the Pecos Museum. A plaque on the floor marks the spot where Denson fell.