John Selman – Wicked Lawman and Vicious Outlaw
The annals of the Old West are replete with figures whose lives straddled the line between order and chaos, justice and criminality. Among these complex characters, few embody the duality as vividly as John Henry Selman. Variously known as "Old John" or "Uncle John," Selman’s life was a turbulent tapestry woven with threads of soldiering, law enforcement, vigilantism, and outright outlawry. His story offers a compelling glimpse into the brutal realities and moral ambiguities that defined the frontier era.
Born in Madison County, Arkansas, on November 16, 1839, John Selman‘s early life offered little hint of the notoriety he would later achieve. In 1858, his family relocated to Grayson County, Texas, a move that would place him squarely within the burgeoning landscape of the American West. The death of his father on December 16, 1861, marked a turning point. Shortly thereafter, the young John Selman enlisted in the 22nd Texas Cavalry, joining the Confederate cause as a private in the Civil War.
However, Selman’s commitment to the Confederacy proved short-lived. In April 1863, after serving for only 15 months, he deserted from Fort Washita, Oklahoma. The reasons for his desertion remain shrouded in speculation. Whether driven by disillusionment with the war, a desire to protect his family, or simply a restless spirit, his departure marked the beginning of a pattern of shifting allegiances and questionable choices that would characterize the rest of his life.
Following his desertion, John Selman resurfaced in Stephens County, Texas, where he seemingly attempted to rehabilitate his image by enlisting in the Texas State Militia in 1864. This time, his service appears to have been more commendable, as he was promoted to lieutenant in April 1865. This brief period of apparent stability coincided with the end of the Civil War, ushering in a period of Reconstruction and widespread social upheaval across the South.
On August 17, 1865, Selman married Edna Degrafenreid, and the couple soon began a family. Over the years, they would have four children. The responsibilities of family life seemed to briefly temper Selman’s wanderlust. He moved his family to Colfax County, New Mexico, before ultimately returning to Texas and settling in the rough-and-tumble town of Fort Griffin.
Fort Griffin, a bustling hub of commerce and vice on the Texas frontier, provided the backdrop for John Selman‘s entry into law enforcement. He took a position as a deputy sheriff under Shackelford County Sheriff John M. Larn. The town, known as the "Babylon on the Brazos," was a magnet for colorful characters, including Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Big Nose Kate, Dave Rudabaugh, Lottie Deno, Pat Garrett, and John Wesley Hardin. This melting pot of personalities would inevitably influence Selman’s own trajectory.
However, Sheriff Larn was not the upright lawman he appeared to be. He had entered into a clandestine agreement with the local territorial garrison to provide three steers of cattle per day. Rather than acquiring these cattle legally, Larn, with the help of his deputy Selman, resorted to rustling from neighboring ranchers. The pair quickly transformed from upholders of the law into its violators, controlling the local vigilantes, escalating the cattle rustling operations, and generally terrorizing the county.
The ranchers of Shackelford County soon grew suspicious, noticing that their herds were dwindling while Larn’s remained untouched. Larn resigned as sheriff on March 7, 1877, and was replaced by his deputy, William Cruger. This change in leadership did little to curb the criminal activities of Larn and Selman, who continued their cattle rustling operations with increasing audacity. They engaged in acts of violence, driving off cattle, shooting horses, and even firing shots at the homes of terrified citizens.
The brazenness of their actions eventually led to a warrant being issued for Larn’s arrest in June 1878. William Cruger, now the sheriff, was tasked with bringing his former boss to justice. On June 22, Larn was apprehended and taken to the Fort Griffin jail, where Cruger had him shackled to the cell floor to prevent any escape attempts by Larn’s supporters. However, the following night, a mob known as the Tin Hat Brigade stormed the jail with the intention of lynching Larn. When they found him shackled and unable to be hanged, they shot him dead in his cell.
Sensing the impending consequences of his association with Larn, John Selman wisely fled the scene. He reappeared in the equally lawless Lincoln County, New Mexico, where he formed a gang of outlaws known as Selman’s Scouts. During September and October 1878, the Scouts engaged in a reign of terror, rustling horses and cattle, murdering innocent men and boys, and pillaging businesses and homes. Their depredations were only brought to a halt when Governor Lew Wallace issued a proclamation threatening martial law.
Following the dissolution of Selman’s Scouts, Selman returned to Texas. Tragedy struck in 1879 when his wife, Edna, passed away. In 1880, he was apprehended by Texas Rangers and taken back to Shackelford County to face trial for his past crimes. However, he managed to escape custody and fled to Chihuahua, Mexico, where he remained until 1888, when the charges against him were finally dropped.
In 1888, Selman relocated to El Paso, Texas, where he remarried and attempted to establish a more legitimate life, primarily earning his living as a gambler and occasionally serving as a City Constable. However, his violent past continued to haunt him.
On April 5, 1894, John Selman encountered Texas Ranger Bass (Baz) Outlaw. Outlaw, who was heavily intoxicated, had made his way to Tillie Howard’s brothel, and Selman followed. As Selman sat in the parlor, Outlaw went to the back. A short time later, Bass dropped his gun, and it accidentally discharged. Pandemonium erupted. Selman and Texas Ranger Joe McKidrict, who happened to be nearby, rushed to investigate the commotion.
As they attempted to calm the drunken Outlaw, he turned his gun on McKidrict and shot him in the head and back, killing him instantly. Outlaw then fired at Selman, narrowly missing his face and causing deep powder burns. Selman returned fire, hitting Outlaw just above the heart. As Outlaw staggered backward, he fired two more shots, hitting Selman above the right knee and in the thigh. Outlaw then stumbled into the street, where he surrendered to Texas Ranger Frank McMahon. He died four hours later. John Selman was put on trial for killing Outlaw, but the judge instructed the jury to find him not guilty, citing self-defense.
The following year, on August 19, 1895, Selman arrested John Wesley Hardin’s prostitute girlfriend. Hardin, enraged by this action, confronted Selman, and the two men engaged in a heated argument. Hardin then went to the Acme Saloon, where he began playing dice. Shortly thereafter, Selman followed him into the saloon and, without warning, shot Hardin three times from behind, killing him instantly.
While out on bond for Hardin’s murder, Selman encountered U.S. Deputy Marshal George Scarborough, who had been a close friend of a man Selman had previously killed. The encounter quickly escalated into a dispute, which then erupted into a gunfight. In the end, Scarborough shot Selman four times. John Selman died on April 6, 1896, and Scarborough was acquitted of murder.
Selman was buried in El Paso’s Concordia Cemetery in the Catholic section, but his grave was left unmarked, and all subsequent attempts to locate it have been unsuccessful.
Scarborough, in a twist of fate, was mortally wounded in a gunfight with two robbers and died on April 5, 1900, four years after he shot John Selman. The life of John Selman serves as a stark reminder of the volatile nature of the Old West, where the lines between law and lawlessness were often blurred, and where a man’s reputation could be as fleeting as a desert mirage.