The Outlaw Connection

Wild Bill Longley

Our cousin, the outlaw William Preston "Wild Bill" Longley (1851-1878), mentioned in above historical marker, was the son of Campbell Longley and his wife Sarah Henry, a highly respected family. He was said by some of his family to be a victim of the times -- the post-Civil War era, in which his outlaw career began. The first of the famous Texas gunmen, he was featured in a Louis L'Amour western, The First Fast Draw (Bantam Books, 1959). Bill was finally tried and executed by hanging in Giddings, Texas, 11 Oct 1878, at age 27. He has been the subject of numerous articles and book chapters, and a television series.

For Photo and more information, see the accompanying Bill Longley page. Included is the transcript of copy of a handwritten letter he wrote to an old friend, whose grandson gave me a copy. While incarcerated in Nacogdoches, he wrote many letters that were published in a Galveston newspaper.

Bill's brother Jim was as fast a draw and was plagued by people who wanted to say they killed the brother of Bill Longley.

Oliver Dee Longley (son of Posey)

was not an outlaw, but

as a young man, he was approached by

Frank James

 in St. Louis at a horse show. Jesse asked Oliver if he was kin to Bill Longley, and said Bill rode with him during a train robbery; they parted at a fork in the road. Oliver worked for Pat Garret as a kid.

 

John Wesley Hardin

Elizabeth Victoria Green (1842-1936, daughter of William Green and Hannah King) "told about the terrible hardships suffered by everyone during the Civil War and the years following. She also told of the time that their friend John Wesley Hardin spent at least two nights in their household and saved her and Mrs. Tip Davis from death."

Gonzales Co., TX History

Martin Mrose

 Helen Eugenia WILLIAMS, born 1 Nov 1872 at Berrys Creek, Williamson Co., TX, daughter of William Crawford Williams, who was the son of Aaron Williams, Jr. (II) and Elizabeth Green. She was also known as "Helen Beulah," or Helen E. ROSE. She married 1st Stephen Kearney JENNINGS on 21 Mar 1889 at Mason Co., TX. She married 2nd Martin MROSE circa 1895 at Phenix, Eddy Co., NM. She became a consort of John Wesley Hardin, suspected of having Mrose killed at Santa Fe Dump, El Paso, TX, 29 Jun 1895.

Andrew J. Williams

 Andrew J. WILLIAMS was born in Texas 1847, a son of Curtis Williams and grandson of Aaron, Sr. He was killed in a gun "fight" by Sheriff George Scarborough on 7 Oct 1887 at the Road to Ruin Saloon, Haskell Co., TX.

Edmond Wade Williams

Edmond Wade WILLIAMS was born at Caldwell Co., TX, 1855, son of Aaron Williams, Jr., and Elizabeth Green. He was convicted 24 Sep 1884 in Caldwell Co. TX of breaking and entering, theft of pantaloons, and sentenced to two years imprisonment. His time may have overlapped with John Wesley Hardin's by about one year. Adella Barnes said Edmond Wade and some of his boys were pretty wild and picked fights every Saturday night.

Sam Bass

 Francis Adella Bailey (1860-1947, who married Edmond Wade Williams), lived with her father William Franklin Bailey in a house at 8 Chisholm Trail in Round Rock who ran some sort of store in the outbuilding left of the house. When Francis Adella was a young girl she stood on the 2nd-floor balcony as Sam Bass rode by after being fatally wounded in the shoot-out in town on 19 July 1878. She called out to him "Hang, on Sam." He died two days later.

Amos Williams

 Amos Williams (born ca 1823, son of William Williams and grandson of Allen Williams), apparently dropped dead at the Clinton Co., OH Court house while there to post bond for his son who was on trial for seduction. In his actual obituary the only mention of family is that he had a wife and 10 children. It tells about where he was and why he was there when he died and goes on to tell what sentence they gave his son.