On April 14, 1881, about 75 heavily armed Mexicans rode into El Paso, Texas. They were looking for two men, Juarique and Sanchez, who had been following 30 head of cattle that had been rustled in Mexico.
They asked constable Gus Krempkau to accompany them to the spread of Johnny Hale, a local rancher and known cattle rustler. They found the bodies of the two men along with three dead cattle in an outbuilding on the Hale ranch. The remains of the Mexicans were taken back to town.
An inquest was held that same day with Krempkau, who was fluent in Spanish, acting as interpreter. The determination was that the Mexicans had been murdered by rustlers because they feared that the two men would discover the cattle and return with a larger force.
Two rustlers, Fredericks and Pervey, had been overheard boasting of the killing and they were immediately arrested.
A trial was set for a latter date and the Mexicans left town, taking the bodies of Juarique and Sanchez with them.
After the court adjourned, Krempkau went next door to Keating’s Saloon. There he ran into Hale and Hale’s friend, former marshal George Campbell.
Campbell and Krempkau got into an argument over remarks made by Campbell about the constable’s translations during the inquest and about Gus’s friendship with the Mexicans.
An intoxicated Hale grabbed one of Campbell’s revolvers and yelled, “George, I’ve got you covered!” Hale then shot Krempkau who fell backwards against the saloon door.
Dallas Stoudenmire
Upon hearing the shot, Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire, who was having dinner across the street, drew his guns and ran to the saloon.
Hale took cover behind a post. Stoudenmire, apparently in an attempt to shoot Hale, fired and killed innocent bystander, J. A. Ochoa. When Hale peeked around the post, Stoudenmire fired again and hit Hale between the eyes.
Upon seeing Hale down, Campbell, as he exited the saloon with gun in hand, yelled, “Gentlemen, this is not my fight!”
Krempkau, although down and dying, fired at Cambell, hitting him twice – in the foot and the right wrist, causing him to drop his revolver.
Campbell reached down with his left hand to retrieve the pistol. Stoudenmire whirled and shot Campbell in the stomach three times.
As Campbell lay in the street, he said to Stoudenmire, “You son of a bitch, you murdered me!” The marshal made no reply.
In the space of five seconds, or so, four men died.
Three Texas Rangers witnessed the fight, but took no part. The said that they felt that the marshal had things well in hand.
A few days after the fight, deputy Bill Johnson tried to kill Stoudenmire. Johnson had earlier been humiliated by Stoudenmire, and James Manning, a friend of Hale and Campbell, had talked the deputy into the assassination attempt.
Unfortunately for Johnson, but fortunately for Stoudenmire, the deputy was drunk and fired his shotgun over the marshal’s head. Stoudenmire fired eight or nine rounds at Johnson, supposedly shooting off his testicles. Johnson died of blood loss.
Within a year and a half Stoudenmire was killed by Manning and his brothers. A jury, packed with friends of the killers, acquitted them.
