Outlaw William Coe & His Missing Loot

The American West, a landscape etched with both breathtaking beauty and brutal realities, is fertile ground for legends. Among the tales of daring train robberies, gunfights at high noon, and fortunes won and lost, the story of William "Captain" Coe and his elusive loot stands as a captivating enigma. This article delves into the life of Coe, his infamous "Robber’s Roost," and the enduring rumors of hidden treasure that continue to tantalize treasure hunters to this day.

Cyrus Coe, later known as "Captain" Bill Coe, was born in 1842 to a Baptist preacher in Pennsylvania. His early life offered little indication of the path he would eventually tread. He worked as a carpenter and stonemason, skills that would later prove useful in constructing his stronghold. He even served as a First Lieutenant in the Union Army. However, after his time in the military, Coe’s life took a dramatic turn. Around 1864, he arrived in the Oklahoma Panhandle, a region then known as "No Man’s Land."

This strip of land, a geographical anomaly measuring approximately 35 miles wide and 168 miles long, existed outside the jurisdiction of any state or territory. Consequently, it lacked any formal law enforcement. This legal vacuum made it an irresistible haven for outlaws, renegades, and those seeking to escape the reach of the law. Outlaw William Coe recognized the potential of this ungoverned space and quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the region’s burgeoning criminal underworld.

Strategically positioning himself near the town of Kenton, Oklahoma, Outlaw William Coe chose a long, high ridge jutting southwest from a large mesa as the location for his headquarters. Here, he constructed a formidable "fortress," a testament to his skills as a stonemason and a symbol of his power. This stronghold, christened "Robber’s Roost," served as both a residence and a defensive bastion for Coe and his gang, which numbered between 30 and 50 members.

The fortress was a marvel of rudimentary engineering, featuring thick rock walls approximately three feet in width. Instead of windows, the walls were punctuated with portholes, providing strategic vantage points for defense. Inside, Robber’s Roost was more than just a military installation; it was a self-contained community. A fully stocked bar offered respite and entertainment for the gang members. Living quarters provided them with a place to rest and recuperate. Adding to the allure of the Roost were a number of "soiled doves," who provided companionship and entertainment. Robber’s Roost became a symbol of Coe’s audacious defiance of the law and a testament to his ability to create a thriving enterprise outside the bounds of conventional society.

Coe’s gang primarily engaged in rustling, stealing cattle, horses, sheep, and mules from ranches and military installations across a vast territory. Their operations stretched from Fort Union and Taos, New Mexico, in the south and west, to as far north as Denver, Colorado. They also preyed on freight caravans traversing the Santa Fe Trail, a vital artery of commerce in the region. These brazen acts of theft and violence established Outlaw William Coe as a force to be reckoned with.

The stolen livestock was driven to a secluded canyon located approximately five miles northwest of Robber’s Roost. Here, the rustlers had established a fully equipped blacksmith shop, complete with all the tools necessary for maintaining the herds and altering their brands. This meticulous process ensured that all traces of the original owners were eradicated. Once the livestock was rebranded and effectively laundered, the desperado cowboys drove the herds to markets in Missouri or Kansas, where they were sold for profit. This sophisticated operation allowed Coe and his gang to sustain their lavish lifestyle and perpetuate their criminal activities.

For several years, Coe and his gang enjoyed considerable success, operating with impunity in the lawless expanse of No Man’s Land. However, their luck began to wane in 1867 when they made a critical error. The gang raided a large sheep ranch in Las Vegas, New Mexico, killing two men in the process. This act of violence elevated Coe and his men from mere rustlers to wanted murderers, significantly increasing the pressure on law enforcement to bring them to justice. The U.S. Army from Fort Lyon, Colorado, was soon dispatched to pursue them.

The army’s pursuit culminated in an attack on Robber’s Roost. Using a cannon, the soldiers bombarded the fortress, crumbling its walls and inflicting heavy casualties on the outlaws. While Coe and some of his men managed to escape, several outlaws who were not killed in the battle were summarily hanged on the spot. Others were arrested and transported back to Colorado for trial. The attack on Robber’s Roost marked a turning point in the story of Outlaw William Coe, signaling the beginning of the end for his reign of terror.

Despite the destruction of his fortress and the capture of many of his men, Coe remained at large for approximately a year, hiding out in a small, now-defunct settlement called Madison, New Mexico, near Folsom. However, his freedom was short-lived. While he was sleeping in a woman’s bunkhouse, her 14-year-old son bravely rode from the ranch and alerted nearby soldiers. The soldiers quickly returned and arrested Coe. As he was being transported to Pueblo, Colorado, to await trial, Coe reportedly quipped, "I never figured to be outgeneraled by a woman, a pony, and a boy."

However, Coe never made it to trial. On the evening of July 20, 1868, vigilantes forcibly removed him from the jail. They loaded him into a wagon and transported him to a cottonwood tree on the bank of Fountain Creek. There, they lynched him while he was still handcuffed and shackled. The next day, his body was discovered and buried beneath the tree from which he had been hanged. Years later, during the construction of a new road in the vicinity of Fourth Street in Pueblo, workers unearthed skeletal remains believed to be those of Coe.

The story doesn’t end with his death. According to author Carl Robert Coe, members of the Coe Gang were brought to trial in Pueblo on April 27, 1868. Laura Young, a former gang member, served as the principal witness against her former comrades. Edward J. Hubbard, an attorney who was to have defended Coe, alleged a conspiracy between the army and local vigilantes in Coe’s lynching. To support his claim, Hubbard stated that his fee for defending Coe was to have been the captain’s gold watch, which was seen dangling from the waist of an army surgeon the day after Coe’s death.

The Coe Gang trial lasted for six days. While some gang members were released for lack of evidence, six were found guilty and transported to Denver. Without Coe’s leadership, the remaining members of his gang scattered, disappearing into the annals of history.

But the legend of Outlaw William Coe continues because of rumors of hidden treasure. After his death, rumors began to circulate that much of his illegally obtained riches remained hidden in the vicinity of his old hideout near Kenton, Oklahoma. One account suggests that Coe told his executors that he had buried enough gold to make them all rich. Another report tells of an Indian who rode with Coe and his gang, claiming on his deathbed that the outlaws had stumbled upon a rich pack train that had been attacked by Indians. In addition to the scattered debris, the outlaws allegedly found some $750,000 in gold and Spanish coins, which they buried in a place called Flag Springs Arroyo.

While Coe’s hideout was located in Oklahoma, it was also situated just miles from New Mexico and Colorado, leaving the location of Flag Springs Arroyo uncertain. Despite the passage of time, and the likelihood that other outlaws might have returned for the stash, the legend of Coe’s lost treasure persists, fueling the imaginations of treasure hunters and historians alike.

To this day, none of Coe’s gold has been reportedly found, and most searches focus on the areas of Robber’s Roost, Black Mesa, Carrizozo Creek Valley, and Blacksmith Canyon. However, this is a vast and rugged area, making the prospect of finding the treasure a daunting task. It should also be noted that Robber’s Roost is located on private property. Only the foundation of the rock fortress that once overlooked the Cimarron and Carrizo Valleys remains, with most of the stones having been repurposed for farm buildings after the cavalry bombardment. The tale of Outlaw William Coe and his missing loot serves as a reminder of the enduring allure of the American West, where legends are born and the pursuit of fortune continues to captivate generations.