Wild West trouble at the Marshal's office

Rico Dolores County Court House, photo by William G. Harber. Date:1910-1920

"Largest procession ever seen in Rico"

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

When I was a kid, I recall an uncomfortable experience of being in the Marshal's office in Rico one Saturday evening, trying to explain why my friend had destroyed some woman's rose bushes, just uphill from the old Rico Court House, (with my car) during a town celebration.

Several of us, had made the trip to the upriver town in my green 1974 Vega, and there probably was liquor, and perhaps young women involved. 

Fortunately, I remained relatively un-inebriated, mostly because of the rather technical 38-mile drive along the Dolores River, on the return trip. But I did have a fair amount of explaining to do, and also had the nagging concern that one of traveling party could not presently be located. 

The good-natured  Marshal at the time, for whatever reason, found it in his heart, the kindness to let us return downhill to Dolores. Late that evening, making a pass back by the Court house, where the other member of our party was last seen, was unsuccessful because of my rather lengthy explanation at the Marshal's office, and our promise to return and correct problems with the troubled roses, the celebration at Court house had ended, the front door up the steps was locked, and our friend was no where to be found. 

We later found out, because of excessive liquor consumption, he had been removed from the celebration and placed in unlocked "holding cell" for his own protection. He woke up from there, found a means of escape from the locked up Court house, tracked down a Rico friend to help him find a ride home to Dolores.

Now, I know this is also a lengthy introduction to another, more-important story about the Rico Marshal's office, but I think it is necessary to set the expectations about how "Wild West" Rico was, even in my time, 100 years later.

Marshal George A. Smith, Town of Rico, was shot in the line of duty while trying to apprehend Tom Wall and Charlie “Trinidad” Cummings for stealing saddles from Schueler and Bang’s store on June 3, 1882,  according to information Valley Rico Cemetery.

"On Saturday, June 3, 1882 at about 11:00 a.m., Marshal Smith was attempting to arrest two subjects, who had been charged with stealing saddles. He had the warrants and was accompanied by Dolores County Sheriff W. H. Dawson. The wanted subjects, Thomas Wall, 18, and Charlie Cummings (alias Trinidad Charlie), 23, were in a house in Rico and had just received word that the Marshal was looking for them," says Colorado Fallen Heroes Biographies, by Colorado State Patrol

"They were preparing to leave when the officers arrived and entered the house without knocking. Cummings did not like the way the officers entered, drew his gun and opened fire. Marshal Smith was shot in the leg, side and head. Wall and Cummings both then ran from Rico with Sheriff Dawson firing 5-6 rounds, all of which hit the dirt in front of the two thieves. Marshal Smith died within minutes from his wounds. Wall and Cummings took two animals from some packers just outside of town then a few minutes later stole a horse from a wagon to make their escape, according to Colorado State Patrol.

"A posse began the pursuit which ultimately led to their capture a week later by La Plata County Sheriff Watson and Deputy Bacon about 120 miles SE of Rico near the San Juan River on the Navajo reservation. The prisoners were transported to Durango by Sheriff Watson who then went to Rico to collect the $1,500 reward offered for Wall and Cummings. 

"Dolores County Undersheriff Misch then traveled to Durango and brought the prisoners back to Rico. On Thursday, June 14th, Wall and Cummings were interviewed by the local newspaper where Trinidad Charlie admitted that he did the shooting and that Wall never had a gun in the house when Marshal Smith was shot. Late that night, or early Friday morning, a group of Rico citizens got past the four guards at the jail and took the prisoners out and hung (lynched) them in the stable behind the jail," says Colorado State Patrol.

Marshal George A. Smith was buried in the Valley Rico Cemetery on June 4, 1882. Newspaper accounts say that about 1000 people attended the funeral and “the largest procession ever seen in Rico” followed him to his final resting place.