The Dodge City Gang

Lawmen are supposed to be the keepers of the law and the protectors of the people, but that is not always the case, in the Old West or even today. One such group was the Dodge City Gang, comprised of a group of notorious Kansas gunfighters and gamblers who dominated the political and economic life of Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. Their leader was Hyman G Neill, better known as Hoodoo Brown, had managed to secure the position of justice of the peace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brown quickly put together a gang of unlikely lawmen, including fighters from the recent Railroad Wars of Raton, New Mexico and Royal Gorge, Colorado. These included John Joshua Webb, “Dirty” Dave Rudabaugh, and Mysterious Dave Mather. Doc Holliday was in town at that time, and he was friendly with gang members, though he is not generally listed as a member of the loose-knit association. At the time, Las Vegas was booming and was thought to be the future metropolis of New Mexico. As with many a boomtown, it attracted a number of opportunists and outlaws, making the need for lawmen very important, and that meant they weren’t always chosen for their lack of criminal record.

Along with known gunfighters, the gang also managed to get their friends into local law enforcement positions too. The idea of the Dodge City Gang was, for the most part, that their actions were to control the gambling establishments and rake in huge profits. However, some of the members, notably Dave Rudabaugh, seemed unsatisfied with that, and felt like they should have special privileges. They were suspected of several stagecoach robberies and other criminal acts. I guess the good thing about hiring criminals is that they don’t mind committing crimes for you, provided they get a cut!!

Due to the town’s rough reputation, there was always a criminal element there. Men like, Billy the Kid passed through in 1879, as did Jesse James, although neither was ever a known part of the gang. Still, a local legend has the two famous outlaws meeting for dinner in the Old Adobe Hotel in nearby Hot Springs, New Mexico. Supposedly, at that meeting, Jesse invited Billy to come to Missouri and join his gang, but the Kid declined, but there is no real proof of that claim.

Sooner or later, people get tired of corruption in law enforcement, and in 1880 the tide of public opinion turned against the gang. Webb was arrested for his involvement in a shooting that might have actually been self-defense. Nevertheless, his association with the gang backfired on him, and he received a jail sentence for the shooting. Rudabaugh was also jailed due to his involvement in criminal acts. Both men eventually escaped. Jails weren’t as difficult to escape from back then. In the face of the negative public opinion, many other members of the organization left town. The power of the gang had lasted only a matter of months. In the end, the gang was doomed by the greed and excesses of its members, as well as their inability to disguise their acts. Oddly, this wasn’t the only “Dodge City Gang” because the name could also be associated with the informal group who dominated Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870s. At one time or another that group included Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, and Luke Short. When you think about it, calling the La Vegas, New Mexico gang the “Dodge City Gang” really made no sense at all. Nevertheless, that was the name given.