( EITHER WAY HE’S DEAD ) 
William Brocius Born no month available 1845 Died March 24, 1882, A.K.A. Curly Bill Brocius, was a gunman, rustler, and an outlaw of the highest respect. Especially the Cochise County of the Arizona Territory in the 1880s. Some records lead him to another outlaw named William “Curly Bill” Bresnaham, who was convicted of an 1878 attempted robbery and murder in El Paso, Texas. Brocius had a number of conflicts with the Earp family, and he was a suspect in 
Morgan Earp’s assassination. Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp 
shown here in a very early photo. A group of deputies including his brother Warren Earp 
set up a posse to hunt down those responsible for Morgan’s death. The Earp posse unexpectedly crossed paths with Curly Bill and other Cowboys on March 24, 1882, at Iron Springs which is today Mescal Springs. Wyatt killed Curly Bill during the shootout. We’ll get to all this in a moment. October 1881, George Parsons referred to Brocius as “Arizona’s most famous outlaw”. Lets get into this no bullshit gunslinger of the Old West. This story will get your spurs in an uproar. ( A MOBSTER or OUTLAW ) 
Let us not forget the times were talking about. Here’s a photo of a dead outlaw set up outside of a Saloon door. It’s a message to other outlaws too make them think twice about fucking around in this town. Image doing this today! Brocius besides being deemed a rustler, cowboy, fast gun, the real deal with his hands as well as his gun. He also had a racket going with Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan 
He is the Sheriff at the time of the gunfight at the OK Corral, and would later testify against the Earp’s and their role in the famous shoot out. Brocius and Behan had a money making scheme that went like this. They would make rustlers pay taxes on their stolen cattle, it was either pay or hang most paid up, the cash was split among the two. Also a talented gambler and a mean sense of humor when drunk. He was reported that some “practical jokes” was using gunfire to make a preacher “dance” during a sermon and making Mexicans at a town dance take off their clothes and dance naked. All of these incidents were reported by Wells Fargo agent Fred Dodge in his memoirs, and both incidents are confirmed in the newspapers. This dude has got some swag about him, this guy is a stud. ( SKIPPING the ROPE THING ) During a drunken night, some of Curly Bill’s fellow outlaws were shooting their guns into the air on October 28, 1880, between Toughnut and Allen Streets, near where the Birdcage Theater now stands. Tombstone’s Town Marshal Fred White 
attempted to disarm Brocius and grabbed his weapon by the barrel. The gun went off, striking White in the groin. Wyatt Earp had borrowed Fred Dodge’s pistol and he pistol-whipped Brocius. Wyatt testified that he had heard White say: “I am an officer; give me your pistol.” When he got close, he saw Brocius remove his pistol from his holster and White grab it by the barrel. He said he put his arms around Brocius from behind to see if he had any other weapons, and White “gave a quick jerk and the pistol went off.” White fell to the ground, wounded. When the pistol fired, Wyatt buffaloed Brocius and arrested him. Brocius complained, “What have I done? I have not done anything to be arrested for. But he showed some fear. Brocius waived his right to a preliminary hearing, apparently because he feared a lynching, White was very loved as town marshal. Brocius needed to be moved out of town asap. Pima County Deputy Sheriff Earp and George Collins immediately took Brocius to Tucson for trial. He is then found not guilty. ( ONLY SHOOT to KILL ) 
Booze, poker, women, insults, these could lead to your death in less then a heart beat. We could ask Dick Lloyd but he was killed cause of one of these, well he hit more than one. March 8, 1881, Brocius and his close friend Johnny Ringo 
(just a quick sidebar if you seen the movie Tombstone Powers Booth is playing our buddy Brocius.) rode to Maxey, near Camp Thomas, Arizona. got drunk while playing poker in the O’Neil and Franklin’s saloon. After shooting and wounding one man, Lloyd rode his horse into the saloon where Brocius was drinking. Brocius and several other men got really pissed off that this drunk idiot just rode his horse in the saloon., and about 12 of them, including Brocius, shot and killed the knucklehead off his horse. What a freaking sight. I can almost see this go down, Owner O’Neil took the rap and was found not guilty. Jim Wallace and 8 or 9 other cowboys. Wallace insulted Brocius’ friend and ally, Tombstone Deputy Marshal Billy Breakenridge. Breakenridge ignored him, but Brocius took it personaly and called out Wallace to step outside with him and apologize to Breakenridge. Brocius threatened to kill him. Wallace complied, but Brocius keept up the insults toward Wallace, yelling at him , “You damned Lincoln County son of a bitch, I’ll kill you anyhow.” Wallace left the saloon and Curly Bill followed him. Feeling threatened, Wallace shot Curly Bill, shooting him in the cheek and neck.
Marshal Breakenridge arrested Wallace, but the court ruled he acted in self-defense. If you want more shot in the face stuff check out BAD BLOOD OATH it’s a great read. July 1881, Bill Leonard and Harry Head attempted to rob William and Isaac Haslett’s general store in Hachita, New Mexico. The Haslett brothers killed Leonard and Head during the robbery.It was recorded by modern researchers that Brocius and Johnny Ringo rode to New Mexico to seek revenge of their friends’ deaths.They hunted them down and killed both Haslett brothers.
In July, reports show that Brocius ambushed a Mexican trail herd in what became known as the Skeleton Canyon Massacre. 6 vaqueros were killed and the remainder captured, then tortured and murdered. Curly Bill sold the stolen Mexican beef to Newman Haynes Clanton ( he is the father of Ike Clanton of OK Corral fame) the next month. When Old Man Clanton was herding the beef on the trail to Tombstone, he and 4 others were ambushed in the Guadalupe Canyon Massacre and murdered by Mexicans. Lets not forget Brocius is still recovering from the gun shot too the face only 6 weeks earlier. Tough son of a bitch for sure. I think thats what makes the lore of the outlaw so romantic the bitter toughness they have installed in their souls. ( A BLAZE of GLORY ) It all has to end sometime, but it depends on how you go out that will make you or break you. In other words it’s how you die that will give you fame, or just another name. Brocius is not that guy he made his name in life and in his death. 
The romance of the Old West, it’s the best time for history and hero’s, famous and infamous. The real Outlaw of the West not that Hollywood cowboy who’s hat never falls off, or the one punch knock out. No the real bad man of the Old West made the West most brutal. Killing without remorse of even thought, these men were harden like steel. Too fear no man or Indian or the even the elements of the outdoors. According to Wyatt Earp and a report to The Tombstone Epitaph he was in the lead of the posse when they suddenly came upon the Outlaw camp at the springs from less than 30 feet behind an embankment. The Outlaws open fire just as Earp dismounted his horse, and thought they had shot him, the shot hit his saddle horn instead. Texas Jack Vermillion, whose horse was killed, remained cool under fire and stuck close to Wyatt during the shoot out. Doc, Johnson, and McMasters open fired their weapons and looked for cover. Warren Earp was out of town this day. Brocius fired at Earp with his shotgun from about 50 feet, but missed. Earp returned fire over his horse using a 22-inch, 10-gauge shotgun. He hits and kills Brocius with a load of buckshot to the stomach, nearly cutting him in half. BAM!! Brocius fell into the water at the edge of the spring deader then dead. You don’t see shit like this in a hollywood movie, just think about this scene for a moment. Take in the moment, you kind of look at this time in our history like we need to know more about it. I will do my best to bring you more stories like this one, even take a look at the ladies of the time, and some of the good guys as well. Earp biographer John Flood wrote that The Cowboys buried Brocius’ body on the nearby ranch of Frank Patterson near the Babocomari River. This is close to the original McLaury ranch site about 5 miles west of Fairbank, Az. Brocius’s grave site has never been identified. 
Hope you enjoyed that tale of the Old West Outlaw, stayed tuned in here for more. In the mean time The 3rd Floor Podcast is available everywhere. CHECK OUT THE LINKS PAGE Top right hand hard too see SITE PAGES, can’t do much about that folks, iTunes listeners please leave a 5 -Star review and a comment thanks. Until next time we’ll be up here ” JUST HANGIN OUT IN TIME AND SPACE” 
“Keep it moving, there’s no Bullshit here either”.