Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw
The turbulent era of the American West, particularly during the Gold Rush, birthed numerous figures who skirted the edges of the law, men whose names became synonymous with daring escapades and questionable morals. Among these figures stands Cyrus Skinner, a man whose life was a whirlwind of crime, escape, and fleeting prosperity in the burgeoning goldfields of California, Idaho, and Montana. This is the story of Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw, a man who epitomized the lawless spirit of the West.
Born in the relatively settled lands of Ohio, Cyrus Skinner, along with his younger brother George, sought fortune and adventure in the sprawling territories of Texas. The brothers, however, quickly found themselves on the wrong side of the law, forcing them to flee the Lone Star State under assumed names – Cyrus and George Williamson. This early brush with the law set the stage for a life defined by criminal activity and constant flight.
In 1850, the Skinner brothers resurfaced in the bustling, chaotic landscape of California, a land teeming with prospectors, entrepreneurs, and those seeking to capitalize on the gold fever that gripped the nation. The allure of quick riches, however, proved too tempting for the Skinners, and they soon found themselves embroiled in further trouble. By August 1851, both were apprehended in El Dorado County, facing serious charges of burglary and grand larceny. While George managed to evade capture, Cyrus was convicted and sentenced to a term at the infamous San Quentin Penitentiary, a grim monument to the growing pains of a rapidly developing state.
San Quentin, a stark and unforgiving institution, was a crucible where hardened criminals and petty thieves alike were subjected to harsh conditions and strict discipline. For Cyrus, it was a temporary setback. His brother George was apprehended in November 1852 and joined him behind bars. However, Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw was released in August 1853. Within six months, he was arrested again, this time in Yuba County, California, on similar grand larceny charges. Convicted once more, he began a three-year sentence in June 1854. But the confines of prison could not hold him. On October 24th, he orchestrated a daring escape and vanished into the rugged terrain of Nevada County, California.
With Cyrus once again a fugitive, fate intervened. His brother George eventually gained his freedom as well. The brothers reunited and found themselves drawn into the orbit of another notorious figure of the era: Richard "Rattlesnake Dick" Barter. Barter, a charismatic and ruthless outlaw, had formed a gang that preyed upon the vulnerable mule trains transporting gold from the mines around Nevada City. These trains, often laden with the hard-earned wealth of miners, were tempting targets for organized crime.
In 1856, Barter, acting on information gleaned from a drunken mining engineer, learned of a substantial gold shipment set to travel down Trinity Mountain from the Yreka and Klamath River Mines. Recognizing an opportunity for a significant score, he dispatched George Skinner and three other members of his gang to intercept the mule train. The ambush was executed flawlessly. The bandits, armed and resolute, stopped the mule train just outside Nevada City. Overwhelmed and intimidated, the mule skinners surrendered the valuable cargo without resistance.
George Skinner and his accomplices faced the daunting task of transporting the heavy gold shipment through the treacherous mountain passes to Folsom, where they were to rendezvous with Barter and Cyrus. The sheer weight of the gold made it difficult to travel quickly and discreetly. Realizing the necessity of fresh mules, they decided to divide the shipment, burying half of it in a hidden location within the mountains. They then proceeded towards Auburn with the remaining portion of their ill-gotten gains.
Their luck, however, was about to run out. A Wells Fargo posse, alerted to the robbery, intercepted the thieves before they could reach Auburn. A fierce gunfight erupted, shattering the peace of the mountain landscape. In the ensuing chaos, George Skinner was killed, and his confederates scattered, fleeing for their lives. The lawmen managed to recover $40,600 of the stolen gold. Despite a thorough search, the remaining $40,000, buried somewhere in the mountains, remained elusive.
Meanwhile, Rattlesnake Dick and Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw were absent from the planned rendezvous in Folsom. They had been apprehended and jailed for the relatively minor offense of stealing mules, a testament to their ongoing involvement in petty crime. Upon their release, Barter immediately sought out George Skinner, eager to claim his share of the gold. The news of George’s death and the partial recovery of the stolen loot was a bitter blow. Cyrus and Dick spent the following weeks scouring the mountains in a desperate attempt to locate the buried gold, but their efforts proved fruitless. The lost treasure remains hidden to this day, a tantalizing legend whispered among treasure hunters and local historians.
Undeterred by their failure to recover the buried gold, both men returned to their preferred occupation: robbing stagecoaches. Their criminal partnership, however, was destined to be short-lived. On July 11, 1859, the pair found themselves trapped in a mountain pass by Sheriff J. Boggs. A confrontation ensued, resulting in the death of Rattlesnake Dick, who was killed instantly by Boggs’s gunfire. Cyrus Skinner was wounded but survived, only to be returned to the familiar confines of San Quentin.
It was during this second stint at San Quentin that Cyrus Skinner encountered another figure who would play a significant role in his life: Henry Plummer. Plummer, serving time for second-degree murder, struck up a friendship with Skinner. This connection would prove fateful, as the two men would later cross paths in the gold camps of Idaho.
Plummer’s case had garnered significant public sympathy, with many believing he had acted in self-defense. Petitions were filed with the governor, and in August 1859, Plummer was granted his release. Skinner, however, was sentenced to a lengthy 15-year prison term. But Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw wasn’t designed to live life in the pen. In May 1860, he once again escaped from San Quentin and fled north towards the promising goldfields of Idaho.
In January 1862, Skinner encountered Plummer in Lewiston, Idaho. The reunion marked a turning point in their lives. According to some accounts, the pair formed a gang of road agents, recruiting men such as "Clubfoot" George Lane and Bill Bunton. This band of outlaws allegedly preyed upon travelers, robbing them of their possessions, and targeting stage and freight companies transporting gold shipments. As suspicion grew among the citizens of Idaho, Skinner and Plummer decided to relocate to the goldfields of Montana, seeking new opportunities and a fresh start.
In Montana, Skinner established a saloon in Bannack and another in Virginia City, two boomtowns that had sprung up in response to the gold rush. Investing his profits in mining claims, he soon amassed a considerable fortune and became a "wealthy man." He also met and married a woman named Nellie, although some whispered that she was motivated by his newfound wealth. Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw appeared to be succeeding.
Meanwhile, Henry Plummer had risen to the position of sheriff in Bannack, despite rumors of his criminal past. However, by December 1863, the citizens of Bannack and Virginia City had grown weary of the rampant lawlessness in the region. Secret meetings were held, and men from both towns formed the Montana Vigilantes, a clandestine organization dedicated to restoring order through swift and often brutal justice.
The Montana Vigilantes, operating outside the bounds of the official legal system, began to target suspected outlaws. Masked men visited homes in the dead of night, issuing warnings and leaving behind ominous symbols, such as skull-and-crossbones or the "mystic" numbers "3-7-77." The vigilantes dispensed rough justice by hanging those they deemed guilty, executing an estimated 24 men before their reign of terror came to an end.
Despite his apparent success as a businessman, Skinner was well aware of the growing unease in the region and the activities of the Montana Vigilantes. Nervous and fearing for his safety, he sold his businesses, packed up his belongings, and fled with Nellie to the small town of Hellgate, Montana, where he established another saloon.
Hell Gate, however, proved to be no sanctuary. On the afternoon of January 24, 1864, the Montana Vigilantes tracked him down. Skinner was apprehended and subjected to a hasty "mock trial." Before the night was over, Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw and a man named Alex Carter were hanged, their bodies left as a stark warning to others who might consider a life of crime.
Back in Bannack, the Montana Vigilantes had captured Erastus "Red" Yager. Facing imminent execution, Yager pointed a finger at Henry Plummer, accusing him of being the leader of the outlaw gang that had terrorized the region. The news spread like wildfire, dividing the residents of Bannack. Some staunchly defended Plummer, while others believed the accusations. However, one night, fueled by alcohol and suspicion, the vigilantes decided that Plummer was guilty. On January 10, 1864, Plummer and two of his deputies were hanged from the same gallows that Plummer himself had built less than a year earlier, a grim symbol of the swift and unforgiving justice of the Montana Vigilantes.
The story of Cyrus Skinner is a microcosm of the turbulent and often brutal history of the American West. It is a tale of ambition, greed, and the consequences of choosing a life outside the law. Cyrus Skinner – Gold Field Outlaw‘s life, marked by crime, escape, and fleeting moments of prosperity, serves as a reminder of the challenges and dangers faced by those who sought fortune in the wild and untamed territories of the Gold Rush era.