While going through some old family papers I came upon this document.
Charging document for Thomas and William Halderman, signed by Wm. Momonier April 7, 1899.
It is a court document charging two men, the brothers William and Thomas Halderman, with murder. I did a quick search, and found that these two men were the last hanged in Tombstone and the last buried in "Boot Hill."
The document, dated April 7, 1899 specifies the charges. "...[O]n or about the 6th day of April, 1899 in the County of Cochise, Territory of Arizona, William Halderman and Thomas Halderman willfully and with malice aforethought made an assault on Mr. C.L. Ainsworth with a deadly weapon and did then and there willfully and of this malice aforethought did mortally wound him the said C.L Ainsworth of which said mortal wound he afterwards did die."
Hitch up your skirts and step over the cow pie for more.
My grandmother's second husband was a man named Charles Monmonier, who had grown up in Tombstone. I had heard that his father was a judge there, and this is the evidence of that. The document is signed by Wm. D. Monmonier.
The shootout involving the two brothers was one of the last to take place in the Old West. They had been accused of rustling cattle, and had agreed to surrender peacefully to Constable C.L. Ainsworth and Deputy Teddy Moore. Aisnworth and Moore mounted up and waited for the brothers to exit the house to accompany them. Instead, the brothers opened fire, killing Ainsworth on the spot and mortally wounding Moore.
Charged the next day in the document above, and with a $50 reward on their heads, the brothers lit out for New Mexico, where they were captured five days later. They were tried, found guilty, and hanged in November 1900, the last to be thus executed in Tombstone and the last to be buried on infamous "Boot Hill."
I found several interesting links to the story. Here's Wikipedia. Here is The American Cowboy Chronicles.
Since my family history travels through Tombstone, I should note that Wyatt Earp was and still is held in very low regard there by the locals. He only stayed a year or so, and the famous gunfight at the OK Corral was more like an ambush of hung-over cowboys. Earp was a thug and an opportunist who left Arizona because he had been charged with murder himself. He and his buddy Bat Masterson had the good fortune to live well into the 20th Century, and as the last standing, wrote their own legends without fear of contradiction.
This related document appoints Wm Monmonier as temporary acting District Attorney.
"Know all men by these presents that I have this day appointed W. D. Monmonier Deputy District Attorney to act for me until my return March 25th, 1895.
"Dated at Tombstone, A.T. March 22nd 1895.
George Swain District Attorney
Cochise County Arizona Territory"