RARE c1930 photo postcard HANGING OF JOHN HEATH IN 1884, FRASHER'S

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RARE c1930 photo postcard HANGING OF JOHN HEATH IN 1884, FRASHER'S ~ Guaranteed 100% Authentic ~ This is an unused, real photo postcard, published by Frasher's Inc. c. 1930. It shows the hanging of John Heath - aftermath of the famous Bisbee Massacre. Crowds stand under the telegraph pole from which Heath's body is hung, looking towards the camera. It is a glossy photo, with the title at the top: "Hanging of John Heath, Tombstone, Arizona". The date "1885" is shown at the top of the photo, though the lynching actually took place in 1884. Approximate Dimensions: 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" A historic photograph of the Old West! Condition: There are some surface marks, light warping to the photo, but it is otherwise in good condition. Ple ase see the pho tos for additional details and the mos t accurate description of its conditi on. John Wesley Heath Born: September 1843 (Miami County, Ohio) Died: February 22, 1884 (Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona) - Lynched Interred: Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona Occupation: Outlaw The Bisbee Massacre , also known as the Bisbee Murders, or the Bisbee Raid, occurred on December 8, 1883, when a gang of bandits robbed a general store in Bisbee, Arizona, and killed four people. Five men were later executed for the crime and they became the first criminals to be legally hanged in Tombstone. A sixth man, John Heath , was sentenced to life in prison, but he was killed by a lynch mob on February 22, 1884. Today, the graves of the bandits are a popular tourist attraction at the Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone. The Bisbee Massacre was committed by a group of outlaw Cowboys named Daniel "Big Dan" Dowd, Comer W. "Red" Sample, Daniel "York" Kelly, William E. "Billy" Delaney, and James "Tex" Howard. However, in the aftermath of the event, it was revealed that a saloon owner named John Wesley Heath was also involved, though he did not participate in the actual shooting. Heath was a Texas cattle rustler in his youth, but he later settled in Arizona and served as a deputy sheriff of Cochise County. The county paid little though so Heath opened a saloon and turned to banditry when the opportunity presented itself. The massacre took place at the Goldwater & Castaneda Mercantile, which was the largest in town. Heath learned that a $7,000 payroll for the Copper Queen Mine was being held there so he recruited some of his friends to steal it on the morning of December 8, 1883. When they arrived in town, three of the bandits remained outside of the store with the horses while two others went inside for the money. They were disappointed though when they found that b Another wounded a man named John A. Nolly as he stood outside the door of his office. One final bullet hit a bystander in the leg as he was running from the scene. In less than five minutes, four people were dead, including the woman and her child, and two others were wounded. The bandits then left town "at a leisurely pace," stopping to rob people along the way. At a place called Soldier's Hole, east of Bisbee, they divided the money and went their separate ways. Posse captures suspects The people of Bisbee quickly informed Sheriff Jerome L. Ward and he organized two posses. The first he led and the second was under the command of Deputy William Daniels. Daniels went to Bisbee to begin investigating and one of the men he questioned was John Heath , who hid in his saloon during the shooting. Heath told Deputy Daniels that he knew the wanted men and offered his help. However, Daniels knew that Heath had an "unsavory reputation" and later accused him of leading the posse on a false trail. All of the bandits were eventually caught though. Daniel Dowd and William E. Delaney were captured by Deputy Daniels across the international border in Sonora, Mexico in January 1884. Kelly was caught in Deming, New Mexico and the final two were arrested in Clifton. During interrogation, the bandits indicated that John Heath had prior knowledge of the robbery so he was arrested accordin... read more

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