Justice served in the harsh frontier tradition: The once-feared ‘Brazen Bill’ Brazelton sits in macabre repose before the Tucson courthouse on August 23, 1878, his lifeless body propped upright for public viewing. This grim spectacle marked the end of the notorious highwayman who had terrorized stagecoach routes across Arizona and New Mexico. Shot dead by Sheriff Charles Shibell’s posse just one day earlier along the Santa Cruz River, Brazelton’s remains were photographed both masked and unmasked—a final unmasking of the man who robbed nine stagecoaches and eluded authorities for sixteen months. His distinctive possessions, including the white mask with red-painted mouth, two pistols, and jewelry stolen from his victims, were displayed alongside him as evidence of his criminal identity and proof of the law’s triumph in the wild Arizona Territory.
The sun beat down mercilessly on the Arizona Territory in the summer of 1878, casting long shadows across the dusty trails that connected the scattered settlements of the Southwest. For travelers along these routes, the journey was arduous enough without the added fear of the territory’s most notorious stage robber—a man known to all as “Brazen Bill” Brazelton.
Early Years Shrouded in Mystery
William Whitney Brazelton was born in 1849 in Linn County, Missouri, though much of his early life remains shrouded in mystery. After his death, legends quickly formed around the infamous outlaw. According to these tales, which grew more sensational with each telling, Brazelton had spent his childhood in San Francisco as an orphan who allegedly lived in an abandoned boiler. These stories claimed he killed his first man at just fifteen years of age and later dispatched an entire seven-man posse near Silver City, New Mexico.
Historian Erik J. Wright, who has extensively researched Brazelton’s life, concludes that many of these stories lack credible evidence. Brazelton’s name doesn’t appear in either the 1860 or 1870 U.S. Census records, making it difficult to verify any details about his youth. His life before emerging in the Southwest territories remains largely a blank page in history.
The Wagon Wheel Scam
Brazelton first came to public attention around 1876 when he arrived in Prescott, Arizona Territory. There, he pulled off an audacious confidence scheme that would give a glimpse of his brazen character. He appeared at the courthouse and announced that as part of a spectacular show, he would eat an entire wagon wheel. After collecting money from the curious crowd, he excused himself, explaining that he needed to gather the rest of his troupe. Naturally, he never returned, leaving the townspeople waiting in vain.
This early con revealed Brazelton’s cunning and boldness—traits that would serve him well in his future criminal endeavors. It also demonstrated his confidence in dealing with the public, a quality that would later be noted even by those who fell victim to his robberies.
A Double Life in Tucson
By 1877, Brazelton had established himself in Tucson, Arizona, where he maintained a seemingly respectable occupation as a freight hauler, delivering hay, grain, and other goods. This legitimate business provided the perfect cover for his increasingly daring criminal activities. Standing over six feet tall and weighing more than 200 pounds, Brazelton was an imposing figure whose size alone intimidated many.
His neighbors and business associates had no idea that the affable freight hauler was leading a double life. At night and on the lonely trails outside of town, Brazelton transformed into the Southwest’s most feared highwayman.
The Highway Robberies Begin
Brazelton’s criminal career as a stage robber likely began on April 28, 1877, when a stagecoach traveling between Socorro and Los Lunas, New Mexico, was robbed of three gold bars and a box of silver. Over the next sixteen months, he would reportedly commit at least nine stage robberies across Arizona and New Mexico territories.
His method was distinctive and effective. Brazelton would wear a mask over his face—initially made of black gauze and later switching to a white mask with cut-out eyeholes and a red-colored mouth—and would carry both a pistol and rifle in one hand. This peculiar way of holding his weapons became one of his trademarks. He would order the driver and passengers to hand over their valuables while maintaining complete control of the situation.
On September 27, 1877, he held up the California and Arizona Stage about 12 miles north of Wickenburg, Arizona. Among the passengers was mine owner Ed G. Peck. The robbery netted Brazelton approximately $1,900 in gold coins and gold dust, along with hundreds of dollars in cash and other valuables.
The following year, on May 28, 1878, Brazelton robbed a stage from Silver City at Cook’s Canyon in New Mexico. Among the passengers were U.S. Army Paymaster Colonel Willard and his clerk, Lieutenant Frank West of the 6th Cavalry Regiment. Although he managed to secure only about $26 in registered mail, an old silver watch, and $13 from the driver and passengers, the robbery of military personnel increased his notoriety and brought more attention from law enforcement.
The Final Robberies
As summer progressed in 1878, Brazelton grew even more audacious. On July 31, he stopped the stage at Point Mountain, about 18 miles from Tucson. One of the passengers was newspaper editor John Clum, who would later provide detailed accounts of the robbery. Though the express box was empty and the mail bags contained nothing of value, Brazelton made off with $37 and a pair of distinctive earrings from the passengers.
Just two weeks later, on August 15, he returned to the same location and robbed another stage, this time securing $234 from its passengers. This would prove to be his last successful robbery.
The Hunt for Brazen Bill
Pima County Sheriff Charles A. Shibell had been tracking Brazelton’s activities with increasing determination. Following the August 15th robbery, the sheriff assembled a posse to hunt down the elusive bandit once and for all.
The break in the case came when a horse used by Brazelton in his last robbery threw a shoe, leaving a distinctive print. Juan Elias, a seasoned tracker working with the posse, noticed the horse had an unusual twist in its step. This unique track led investigators to a corral owned by David Nemitz, a young rancher who lived about four miles south of Tucson.
When confronted, Nemitz was arrested as an accessory to the robberies. Fearing the dangerous outlaw, he agreed to cooperate with authorities in exchange for protection. Nemitz revealed that Brazelton was planning another robbery and warned Sheriff Shibell that the bandit “would not be taken alive unless by artful strategy.”
The Final Confrontation
Armed with this intelligence, Sheriff Shibell led a five-man posse in search of Brazelton. On August 22, 1878, they tracked him to a mesquite bosque along the Santa Cruz River, approximately three miles south of Tucson (at what is now the southeast corner of Mission and Ajo in modern Tucson).
True to Nemitz’s prediction, Brazelton refused to surrender. In the ensuing confrontation, the notorious highway robber was shot and killed by the posse.
When they searched his body, they found two cartridge belts, two pistols, a Remington Rolling Block rifle, his mask, the distinctive earrings from the Point Mountain robbery, and a gold watch and chain. These items confirmed that they had indeed brought down the territory’s most wanted outlaw.
A Macabre Display
Brazelton’s body was transported back to Tucson, where it became the subject of a ghoulish display that was common practice in that era. The corpse was photographed twice—first wearing his infamous mask and then unmasked. Propped upright in a chair in front of the courthouse, Brazelton’s body was exhibited to the public until his burial the following day.
A telegram was sent to Governor John Hoyt announcing: “Sheriff Shibell and posse killed William Brazzleton last night in an attempt to arrest him. Brazzleton it seems, is the desperate character who single-handedly has been taking in the United States Mail in different places in the territory.”
Legacy of a Highwayman
William “Brazen Bill” Brazelton’s criminal career was relatively brief but left a lasting impression on the Arizona Territory. Newspaper articles of the time described him as a “great, big, good-natured fellow, and except when on business, as harmless as any man could be.” This curious description suggests that despite his criminal activities, Brazelton maintained a certain charisma and charm that impressed even those who pursued him.
For many years after his death, local legends claimed that the native population around Tucson avoided the spot where Brazelton met his end, especially when traveling at night. Some would reportedly go a mile out of their way to avoid the location. Old-timers told tales of seeing a phantom highwayman, nicknamed “El Tejano,” standing in the road where Brazelton had fallen.
While Brazelton’s life was cut short at around 29 years of age, his brief but brazen criminal career secured him a permanent place in the colorful history of the American Southwest. In a region and era that produced numerous notorious outlaws, “Brazen Bill” Brazelton stands out as one of the most audacious and mysterious figures of the Wild West—a highwayman whose story continues to captivate our imagination nearly 150 years after his death.