Timesuck with Dan Cummins - Short Suck #5 - The Wild West's Deadliest Hitman: Jim "Killer" Miller

Episode Date: March 8, 2024

Jim Miller. Killin' Jim. Right before stepping off a wooden crate with a noose around his neck, in front of the members of the lynch mob that wanted him dead, Miller claimed to have killed 51 men. I believe him. This guy put the wild... in the wild west.  Hope you enjoy this Short Suck! Have a great weekend!Watch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WMLoTqgsyDUFor Merch and everything else Bad Magic related, head to: https://www.badmagicproductions.com

Welcome to this edition of Time Suck Short Sucks. I'm Dan Cummins and today I will be sharing the story of Wild West Outlaw, Lawman and paid assassin Jim Miller, also known as Killin' Jim, Jim the Killer Miller and Deacon Jim. Jim's story ended in a horse stable outside of Ada, Oklahoma on the night of April 19, 1909. The 47-year-old hard man stood high upon a wooden crate, but knew surround his neck, his predatory eyes

scanning the town folk before him. His well-worn black cowboy hat still rested upon his head, but he was without his signature long, heavy black frock coat, the one he was known to always wear, whether it was freezing cold or hotter than hell. You could hear the creaking of other ropes tied to the rafters above the murmurs and

shouts of the lynch mob that surrounded him. Three freshly hanged dead men. Their bodies still warm, swung quietly and violently. Two and fro all around him. If no one he was about to meet his end in the same way, rattled Jim, Jim certainly did not show it. He never begged, like the other men, to have his life spared. He never cried, never trembled.

Instead, he bellowed out above the noise of the mob, let the record show that I've killed 51 men. And then after coldly scanning the crowd, one last time, he uttered his final words, letter rip, he stepped off the crate and soon hung limp, his neck broken by the drop. The Wild West's deadliest assassin, an especially violent man who lived during especially violent times after over two decades of killing, was finally killed himself. I got one hell of a Wild West tale for you all today.

Diving into Jim's life story, including taking a few short side roads down into the lives of some of his friends and enemies alike, really reminded me just how wild the Wild West actually was. Life was cheap in a lot of little dusty towns west of the Mississippi in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Killing was common, real common. Just about couldn't throw a rock without hitting an outlaw. And Jim Miller may have killed more men than any other outlaw during this era. A friend of his and his wife's cousin, John Wesley Hardin,

was the quick draw who likely killed the most men in gunfights. But no Wild West outlaw likely pulled the trigger on more men in general than Jim Killer Miller. James Brown Miller was his birth name and he was born on October 24th, 1861 in Little Van Buren, Arkansas, town of about a thousand at that time, and the site of the Civil War battle, the Battle of Van Buren, a Union victory the following

year. Love that Jim's legal name became with James Brown, by the way, just like the soul singer born over 70 years later. Picture in James, Papa's got a brand new bag! Brown as a Wild West outlaw makes me very happy. This is the man's world! If you don't know where that quote comes from, do yourself a favor, go to YouTube and search for James Brown, CNN, cocaine. You will not regret the video that you will find. Arguably the greatest news interview of all time, possibly the most entertaining three-minute interview of all time, possibly the most entertaining three minute interview of all time. Impossible

to watch it and not smile. Anyway, old West James Brown, James Brown's parents were Jacob, 60 years old when Jim was born, and Cynthia Bashamiller, who was 40, pretty old set of parents for that time. They'd already been having kids for quite a while before Jim came along. Jim was the couple's eighth child together, and then they'd have another daughter in 1864, and then in 1865, Jacob's tired old balls would fall off when he's outmitted some fence, or maybe Cynthia hit menopause. I'm not entirely sure why they stopped having kids. The year after Jim's birth in 1862, with a civil war raging around him, the family skedaddled down to what would eventually become known as Franklin, small city in East Texas.

Wasn't even a town yet. It wouldn't incorporate as Franklin until 1880, a decade after existing as the dusty little Berg of Morgan. The population only around 300 by the time of incorporation. I imagine it was a good deal less than that when the Miller showed up. Down in Texas where Jim would spend the rest of his life outside of some murder for hire jobs taking him out of the state, Jacob Miller worked as a stone mason, even helped build Austin's first capital building

before dying just a few years after he arrived in Texas. The exact year of his death and how he died, not mentioned in any sources that I can find, not even in genealogy sites. Sparse source material, not uncommon at all when examining the Wild West. Not a time and place known for extensive record keeping. After Jacob's death, Cynthia moved Jim and his siblings

to little Evant, Texas, unincorporated and probably less than 100 people to be closer to her parents. Right in the middle of Texas. The Millers loved a tiny town, apparently, although to be fair, the West didn't have much but tiny towns back then. We don't have many details about Jim's childhood, but we do know that his grandparents were both murdered in their home in 1869. Eight-year-old Jim has been suspected their murders by some, but

this was never proven, and most sources think it's a load of bullshit, because you know, he was eight. He would go on to kill a lot of men but never any family. Doesn't strike me as a granny and papa butcher. By 1880, according to census records, Jim, now 19, was still living in Evant, Texas or nearby with his siblings and his mother. In early 1884, Jim's sister, Georgia, two years younger, invited him to live with her and her new husband, John Thomas Coop, on their farm at Plum Creek near Gatesville, Central Texas, only about 20 miles from Evant. And this invitation, holy hell, would it backfire?

Now Jim kills for the first time, first in a long, long line of murders. And like most of his murders, this one would be committed, not in some romanticized, six-shooter showdown on Main Street at high noon. Now, most of Jim's killings were sneaky and not part of a fair fight. For reasons unknown, Jim hated his brother-in-law with a passion.

So much so that on July 30th, 1884, he blasted him with a shotgun while the man slept on his porch after the two had gotten into an argument about something earlier that day, guessing it was about something real serious. More entertaining though, if it wasn't, like, what are they arguing about something real petty, real insignificant? Like, what if it was just, you know, Jim, Jim was wanting to put

strawberry jam on his toast in the morning, but his brother-in-law, John, well, he preferred grape jelly. And then when Jim was like, well, why can't, why can't we just keep both in the fridge? And then John acted like there was just no way he could ever fit strawberry jam and grape jelly into the same fridge at the same time. It was impossible. And then he'd like make a big show out of trying to fit both jars side by side on the shelf constantly knocking other things off the shelf, even though it would be very easy

to fit everything in there if he wasn't trying so hard to knock shit off. And finally Jim was just like, fuck this guy. Does he think I'm that stupid? Does he think I just can't tell? He's going way out of his way to knock shit off the shelf to make a point. This is ridiculous. I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch. Yes, I do know that back in 1884 no one had refrigerators in their homes.

Anyway, whatever the reason behind it, the end result was cold blooded murder and Jim was quickly arrested, then convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Shortly thereafter though, his attorney took his case to the Texas Court of Appeals and reversed his conviction.

They reversed it on some technicality, never specified in sources. Jim was released, given a second chance at life and he would quickly dedicate this chance to committing shady and nefarious acts. Miller quickly started running with an outlaw gang in San, uh, San Saba, uh, County, Texas, where 70, uh, some 70 odd miles from where he last lived near Gatesville.

The unnamed gang composed of Jim, a man named Bill White, and three brothers with the last name of Renfro, robbed a few trains and more than a few stagecoaches, and reportedly killed several men in the process. Jim earned a reputation for killing quickly and efficiently, and this period marked the beginning of killing Jim's days as a professional killer. Years later, he'll become a true paid assassin, hired not to rob, but specifically to kill. Miller was arrested by San Sabadeppi the sheriff, D D. Harky within a year of getting out of prison Harky would actually become one of the most famous lawmen of the Old West Definitely one of the most famous lawmen in the Wild West, Texas and Miller was the first man he ever arrested

But they didn't have enough evidence to convict him of any of the thefts. They knew he committed and so he was soon released way harder to convict criminals back in the dayss they knew he committed and so he was soon released. Way harder to convict criminals back in the days before security videos and forensic evidence. Jim now moved on some 40 miles east to McCulloch County where he took work as a hired hand and outlaw on the ranch of Emmanuel Mannan Clements. Clements was the cousin of famed outlaw John Wesley Hardin. John, eight years older than Jim, was already establishing himself as one of the most dangerous outlaws the West would ever see if not THE most dangerous, one hell of a quick draw. He was known for

that quick draw, deadly aim, and not needing much of a reason to shoot a fella. He once shot a guy for snoring. A decade prior to meeting Jim Miller on August 6, 1871, Hardin, his cousin, Gip Clements, and a rancher friend named Charles Cougar, all put up for the night at the American House Hotel in Abilene, Kansas, after an evening of gambling and drinking. Clements and Hardin shared one room with Cougar in the adjacent room, all three pretty sloshed. Sometime in the middle of the night, Hardin was awakened by a loud snoring coming from Cougar's room.

He first shouted several times for the man to roll over, and then irritated by the lack of response, drunkenly fired several bullets through the shared wall. In an apparent effort to awaken him, he did not. Instead, he made sure Cougar would never wake up. One of his bullets hit the guy right in the heart. Hardin will claim to have killed 42 men before he passes, with papers of the day attributing at least 27 murders to him. And he did do a lot of like high noon showdown shit. Besides being a rancher, Hardin's cousin, Mann and Clements, was also known as an outlaw

and a gunfighter. The head of the violent and ruthless Clements family gang. Back in 1871, he'd killed two brothers during a cattle drive because essentially they sassed him man was in charge of the drive told him to do something they didn't do it the way he wanted to shit escalated and he shot and killed them both he was jailed but was reportedly released at his cousin Hardin's request because Hardin was friends with the jailer good old days for outlaws when you could kill two men broad daylight in front of a bunch of witnesses and a petty work disagreement, spend a few days in jail, then have your cousin talk the jailer into just letting you go.

Because your cousin and the jailer, you know, they were cool with each other. Or maybe because your cousin was one of the scariest fucking guys that ever lived and the jailer didn't want to piss him off. Following year, Manna would return the favor and help his cousin Harden escape jail in October of 1872 in Gonzales County, Texas by slipping him a metal file, then pulling the now bent and jagged bars of the window of his cell with the fuck it were pulling him out between these bars, excuse me with the lasso. Wish I had video of how that went down, it sounds utterly ridiculous. Clements and his associates were arrested again in 1877 along with several members of the Sam Bass gang. Earlier that same year, Bass had pulled off what still is the biggest train robbery in US history.

He took 60 grand worth of freshly newly minted coin gold from San Francisco off a train in Nebraska. And it's, you know, in today's dollars worth a lot more than 60 grand. Bass would die in a shootout with some Texas Rangers the next year at the age of just 27. When he established the ranch Miller would come work on. Clements was suspected to fill in his ranch with stolen livestock. He had a massive collection of horses and cattle. It sure looked like those animals had been branded at other ranches apparently. Sounds about right.ilia would work with Clements for a couple years, right up until he was killed by Ballinger City Marshal Joe Townsend on March 29, 1887.

Clements tried to draw his gun on the lawman, but was struck down before he could even get a shot off. Then several months later, Marshal Townsend was ambushed by a shotgun-wielding assassin. He'd survived the attack barely, but permanently lose the use of his arm. No one was ever brought to trial for that crime, but most suspected Jim Miller. A shotgun had already become his signature weapon, his preferred weapon of choice. During his time on the ranch, Jim became friends with Clement's son, Emmanuel Manny Clements Jr. and he was also introduced to Clement's daughter, Sarah Francis,

who went by the name Sally. The two would quickly fall in love and would remain in love for the rest of Jim's life. Sally, just 16 years old, 10 years younger than Jim, would marry the outlaw February 15, 1888 and then go on to have three kids together. Miller's wife and children would all outlive him by decades. Sally would live until October 7, 1938, dying at the age of 66 in Carmona, Texas. Their children were Claude Bernard Miller, born in 1892, Edwin Clement Miller, born in 1895, and Mary Wesley Miller Jones, born in 1897. All would spend their entire lives in Texas.

The Millers love Texas! They all stayed there for the rest of their days in Jim. If he would have just turned down work outside the state, probably would have lived a lot longer than he did. After marrying Sally, Miller seemed to try and add the role of respectable family man to his status as an outlaw, at least for a parent's sake, and that earned him the favor of many of the townspeople. According to the website, Legends of America, which is my favorite source of Wild West historical lore, In appearance, Miller was a mild-mannered man, never cursed, didn't drink or smoke, and

was very well-dressed, wearing a white shirt with a stiff collar, a stick-pin on his lapel, a diamond ring, and always wearing his heavy black frock coat, regardless of how hot it might be. Despite his occupation, he was often owned to attend church and read the Bible. He was not a fast-draw gunfighter like many other men in the West, but was quick to use a gun when it suited him. In addition to killing for hire, he was known to have killed several men in saloons when arguments erupted over poker games. Man, the strange lines that people draw. Jim didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't curse, went to church regularly

But also played poker and saloons, stole shit constantly as you'll soon see and would kill just about anybody if the price was right splitting the time between hanging with the family and beating outlaw Compartmentalizing his violence much like the modern serial killer who coaches his kids softball team and his loving husband You know when they're not choking strangers to death and whatnot. Jim earned the nickname Deacon Jim because of his church going T-Totaling ways. Life on the ranch wasn't for Jim, and he didn't stay long after Cort and Sally. For the next three years, he traveled around making some money doing shit I doubt he'd talked to his wife much about, who knows, traveling throughout southwest or southeast

New Mexico and western Texas near the Mexican border and doing shady shit lost to the history books. Not much is known about his activities, but Jim himself was quoted as saying about this time period of his life, lost my notch stick on Mexicans that I killed out on the border. Referring to a stick with a notch carved in it for every man he killed there. Not sure if it was figurative or literal. In 1891, he ended up in Pekas, Texas, where he was hired to be a lawman. Outlaws like Jim, always, uh, or often, not always, often ended up working as lawman as well.

I've always thought that was pretty funny. Right. They'd make money thieving, robbing folks at gunpoint, one town, and then randomly, sometimes just like a few weeks later, take a gig as a deputy or Marshall or a Texas Ranger sheriff in another town And get paid to use their gun for the other side of the law And they often just kept doing you know outlaw stuff while they were a lawman as well Miller was hired by Reeves County Sheriff George Budd Frazier Frazier was 27 and only been sheriff for months few months and decided he needed to deputy by his side

He was desperate for help didn't ask too much about Miller's past, and he would come to, uh, greatly regret ever meeting Jim, let alone hiring him. Miller moved his family and his brother-in-law, Manny Clements, to Pekas to be with him. Pekas was over 250 miles west of McCulloch County. The group joined their local church, uh, became well respected by their neighbors. Also, though, reports of cattle wrestling and horse theft increased exponentially around Pekos, shortly after Jim's arrival. Weird. Jim spent most of his time hunting down these thieves, but gosh dang it, he just never seemed to capture any. Crazy. This raised the suspicions of Barney

Riggs, Sheriff Rhazier's brother-in-law, and Riggs suggested that Jim was the thief and should be fired. Barney Riggs, another Wild West gunfighter, like Jim originally from Arkansas, his violent ways seemed to have begun with killing his best friend when he was just 18. Although he claimed that murder was an accident, Riggs would ride in a posse formed to take down Wyatt Earp, Doc Holl and others, uh, who rode as part of Earp's infamous Vendetta ride in Arizona, following the famous killing of Morgan Earp and Tombstone, Arizona, following the OK Corral shootout.

That posse never caught up with Earp and the rest. Good thing for Riggs. He probably would have ended up shot dead. Uh, Riggs was ruthless though. Uh, once stealing some horses on the Arizona and Mexico border, then killing two Mexican men in some watering hole dispute, and then also killing the three women with those men to eliminate witnesses. Lot of cold-blooded killers cross and pass in this story in Texas.

Frazier confronted Miller about stealing horses and cattle and such around Pekas, and Jim laughed off the suggestion that he was a suspect. Jim with the support of his church, no real proof against him, continued to serve as a deputy for the local police force. But now things were a bit tense between him and the sheriff. Then Sheriff Frazier was forced to soon investigate Jim a second time when Miller killed a Mexican prisoner who was according to Jim trying to escape. Barney Riggs though, alleged that Jim killed a prisoner because this prisoner knew where

Jim had hidden a pair of stolen mules. And then Frazier learned that his brother-in-law had been right the whole time about Jim. When he discovered those stolen mules, right where his brother-in-law said they would be, and now Miller was fired from his position as deputy. This marked the start of an intense and very violent feud. Very entertaining feud, actually, as well, as you'll see between these two men. Jim Miller and Bud Frazier ran against each other in the next sheriff's election in 1892. Jim lost, but then got appointed as the Pekas City Marshal. Jim then hired his brother-in-law and fellow outlaw, Manny Clements, to act as his deputy and surrounded himself with a bunch of

other gunmen who were also outlaws. Well, Sheriff Frazier was out of town in May of 1893, Jim's outlaw gang basically took over Pekas, running the town, and plotting to kill him upon his return by shooting him at the railroad station platform. They were going to stage a shootout, placing a third man near Frazier so it looked like he was just killed by a stray bullet. But a local man, Conn Gibson, overheard them discussing their plan at a saloon and informed Sheriff Frazier. I love that these guys were just openly planning to murder the town sheriff at a local saloon.

Like no one would ever hear them. And if they did, they just wouldn't say shit. These outlaws were tough, they were ruthless, they didn't hesitate to kill a man, but I don't know that a lot of them were real smart. Frazier called the Texas Rangers for backup before he turned a return to Pekas. When he returned, Jim Miller, Manny Clements, and a third accomplice named Martin Hardin, were arrested and indicted on September 7, 1893 for conspiracy to commit murder. The case went to trial in El Paso, but the main witness, Con Gibson, the guy who overheard

him at the bar, fled to Carlsbad, New Mexico where, wouldn't you know what, he got shot and killed by an unknown assailant. I would bet my life that Jim Killer Miller knew exactly who shot him. Stay was forced to release the prisoners for lack of evidence. Miller no longer a martial now, decided to purchase a hotel in Pekos. Seemed to, uh, some like he was making an effort to earn honest living, but I doubt it. Uh, this guy had never stopped hustling and killing. That's just another way for him to make money. It seemed to some like he was making an effort to earn an honest living, but I doubt it. This guy had never stopped hustling and killing. That's just another way for him to make money.

Not long after taking on his hotel, Gasta spread around town that Sheriff Frazier couldn't control Jim, and thus should not be Sheriff, which further pushed these two men towards a bloody showdown that now seemed inevitable. And then it happened. April 18, 1894, Bud Frazier encountered now 32-year-old Jim on Pekas' main drag and allegedly shouted, Jim, you're a cattle wrestler and murderer! Here's one for Con Gibson! Frazier then shot Miller, hit him in the right shoulder, Jim shot back, the bullet missed Frazier,

instead grazed local storekeeper Joe Krause.asier next emptied his six-shooter into Jim's body, causing him to collapse to the ground. Frasier walked away from the gunfight, assuming his enemy was good and dead after taking six bullets, but Jim was a long ways from dead. He was barely hurt. His friends carried him over to an inn to a hotel where they discovered a metal chest plate, big one hidden inside his signature black coat.

That was why he always wore that coat. And it just saved him from most of the bullets. How cool is that? Dude was walking around wearing the equivalent of a Kevlar bulletproof vest. He just made that shit himself. Uh, Jim, none of the bullets did any serious damage, patched up and just kept living his life. He also made no secret of the fact that he wanted revenge.

He wanted to shoot Frazier's fucking head clean off now. Ten times for Bud Frazier and Jim Miller both in the little town of Pekas. There's less than a thousand people living there this time. The US Census counted 393 in 1890, 639 in 1900. So how many lived there in 1894? What, 400, 450? 500 tops? How awkward for these guys to keep running into one another? Especially the first time after that shootout.

Howdy, bud. Howdy, Jim? What the hell? Are you haunting me now? Speak, spirit! No, but I'm fine. Why would I be dead? You know something I don't, bud?

Q all the color draining from Bud Frazier's face as he backs away and strongly considers devoting his life to the local church? That would have been a fucking crazy moment. How is he still alive? November of 1894 and this feud gets better. November of 1894, Frazier loses a reelection bid for sheriff, now moves to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Start a new life. Open up a livery stable there. Wouldn't be gone long though. He returned to Pekas in late December to settle his affairs. And on December 26, 1894, he encounters

Jim Miller again outside of Blacksmith's shop this time. Frazier had received word about the threats Jim had been making against him. So upon seeing Jim, he just started firing. He fired two shots initially. The first hit Jim's right arm. Second hit him in his left leg. Jim hit the arm by that, you know, that first bullet. Now fires back, but misses because he's shooting with his left hand. Frazier fires two more times,

hits Jim in the chest with both bullets and Jim barely flinches. Still standing. Frazier is astonished that Jim is not only still alive but standing and he flees from the scene. Just runs away like what the fuck is going on. He'll only later learn about Miller's metal chestplate.

He must have just about lost his mind after this second gunfight. How? How is he alive? I've shot him ten times! Few months later, another outlaw inserts himself into this blood feud, a real dangerous one, John Wesley Hardin. Hardin had just completed a seven-year prison sentence in 1894. March of 1895, now he arrives in Pekas, and files charges of attempted murder against

Frazier, the former sheriff for a pass-shootout that he was involved in. Luckily for Frazier, Hardin was killed before the case went to trial. August 19th, 1895, Hardin got into a deadly dispute with El Paso Lawman, John Selman Jr. John Selman Jr. arrested his female acquaintance for brandishing a gun in public. Hardin perceived this as an insult and punished the lawman by pistol-whipping the ever-loving shit out of him in public. After this ass-whipping, Selman's father, Constable John Selman Sr., another outlaw himself, fucking all outlaws of this story, got into a heated argument with Hardin. Selman Sr. had once led a gang of cattle rustlers known as Selman Scouts, or simply as the rustlers. This gang was accused not only of stealing cattle, but also of rape and murder in Lincoln County, New Mexico

Someone also once killed a man literally named Bass outlaw in a brothel shootout in El Paso Bass's parents were Meshack Napoleon outlaw and Marianne Elizabeth Smith outlaw Someone took two shots to the lake and that dust up Bass in addition to being outlaw literally named outlaw had worked as both a Texas Ranger and U.S. Marshal, reprimanded at both jobs many times for excessive drinking. He was drunk when he got into his brothel, shoot out with Selman, a shootout where before he Selman killed him, he shot and killed a Texas Ranger named Joe McHidrick. So many characters in this story. Back to Hardin now.

Just before midnight on the day Hardin pistol whipped a sheriff who was Selman's son, Selman's senior walked into a saloon where Hardin was playing dice, shot him in the head from behind. Then as Hardin lay on the floor, Selman fired three more shots into him. Selman was arrested, charged with murder, stood trial, testified that he realized that Hardin noticed him, entered in the mirror, and that Hardin, according to him, went for his gun. So Selman swore he fired in self--defense and then a hung jury resulted in his release Even if he wasn't lying about the mirror were the final three bullets fired in self-defense when Hardin was laying on the saloon floor

Bleeding out of a hole in his head not likely Hardin would get justice for his murder a year later when someone was gunned down himself and a shootout with US Marshal George Scarborough That began with the disagreement over Selman wanting George to help him bust his son out of jail. And this other guy was like, no, I don't want to do this. Uh, they got into a fight that led to a shootout. Everybody gets some shootouts back then.

Back to Miller's nemesis, Bud Frazier. Now, he goes to trial in May, 1896 for shooting the shit out of Jim that second time, but is a quitted of attempted murder. And that pisses Jim off. And he decides it is time to end this blood feud. He not only wanted to kill Frazier, he also wanted to kill Barney Riggs, the outlawed brother-in-law of Bud Frazier, and the man who exposed his livestock stealing while he was a deputy in Pekas.

Riggs was allegedly the only man Jim Miller was ever afraid of. Tough son of a bitch. In early 1896, John Denson and Bill Earhart, two of Jim's associates, were overheard making threats against Riggs in Fort Stockton, Texas. They left for Pekas to find him. But US Deputy Marshal D. Harky, the guy who had arrested Jim in San Sabah, excuse me, in the early 1880s, sent a warning via telegram and Riggs was able to avoid a showdown for a few days. But then on March 3rd, Riggs was alone in the RS Johnson Saloon, working a shift for a friend of his who was the bartender when Denson and Earhart burst in.

Earhart fired a shot that grazed his arm, Riggs fired back and killed Earhart. He then fought with Denson in the bar, two men throwing punches, wrestling. Denton was able to get loose, starts running away, Riggs chases him out of the saloon, shoots him in the street in the back of the head. Son of a bitch killed both of his would-be assassins. Riggs then turned himself in and was later acquitted of the murders. Self-defense. While Riggs survived this attempt on his life and Jim gave up on

killing him, he was not ready to end his feud with Bud Frazier. In September of 18, 1896, Frazier visited some family in the nearby town of Toya, Texas. And on September 14th, he was playing cards with his friend in the saloon. Everyone's fucking playing cards in saloons back then, all the time. When Jim burst in, shot him in the head with a shotgun, obliterated his head, like just blew off most of his head. When Jim burst in, shot him in the head with a shotgun, obliterated his head, like just blew off most of his head. When Frasier's sister then approached Miller with a gun of her own, he threatened, I'll give you what your brother got, I'll shoot you right in the face. And not surprisingly, she laid down her weapon. Jim was charged with murder. I mean, he had

blown a man's head off in the middle of poker game while he's surrounded by friends and, you know, family. His murder case was then transferred to Eastland County, Texas. Jim moved his entire family to Eastland ahead of his trial, started attending church, started building up a good reputation amongst the community, and then was acquitted of murder. Self-defense. Hot damn. People got to argue a lot more effectively for self-defense Hot damn people got to argue a lot more effectively for self-defense back then than people do now a lot of a lot of wiggle room A lot of flexibility when it came to what constituted defending yourself But I mean that guy did try to kill him and that's what Jim argued Jim argued that he had done no worse than Frazier Which did constitute a valid excuse in this particular case since Frazier had twice tried to kill him and actually I like it If someone blatantly tries to kill you,

like they shoot you numerous times and then run off, I do think you should legally be able to track them down and kill them later. I mean, it does feel fair, doesn't it? A trial of a man named Joe Earp made the mistake of testifying against Jim. And for that, he put a big old bullseye in his back. Joe was gunned down by someone weeks after the acquittal. Very likely by Jim Miller. And Joe Earp, if he was related to Wyatt Earp, I don't think there were close relatives. Two men not mentioned as being family from what I can tell or even have known each other. Jim now moved to Memphis, Texas.

Always Texas with the Millers. And he opened a saloon there, where he reportedly bragged about the many murders he'd committed to patrons. Also took a side gig as a part-time deputy sheriff. Nice to have a badge when you're doing some extra killing. August of 1898, he was actually briefly made a Texas Ranger, despite his reputation. Following a year in 1899, Miller was prosecuted by an attorney named Stanley for a subordination of perjury, meaning he persuaded another individual to of perjury, meaning you persuaded another

individual to commit perjury. And by persuaded, you know, threatened. The charge was related to his last murder trial where it seems he, you know, intimidated a witness into lying. Conveniently for Miller, Stanley died of food poisoning around this time. So many people dying around this guy. 1900, Jim Miller and his family moved to Fort Worth, finally living in a big, Texas city almost 27,000 folks living there at that time He got involved in the real estate industry became basically a realtor and did well for himself financially

Also made a decent amount of extra cash on the side committing murders for hire And I wondered did even need that extra money or did he just enjoy killing? One group of local cattle ranchers living in the Fort Worth area hired him to kill some rival sheep farmers for $150 ahead. Jim supposedly killed a dozen men. According to an article from Texas Hill Country, Miller's MO was to establish an alibi by being seen in a town far away. Then he'd spend all night riding a horse or series of horses nearly to death, traveling a hundred miles to the home of his target. He'd kill his man with a shotgun or rifle blast from hiding, swinging up to the saddle,

and ride like hell back to the town of his alibi. Miller's clients were ranching syndicates, big businessmen, and fellow career criminals, and his targets were often peaceful farmers, sheepherders or ex-lawmen. If a case came to trial, witnesses would be threatened into refusing to testify or would vanish altogether. The outlaw and lawmen has become a hitman now, a paid assassin. In 1902, now 40 year old Jim Miller was paid to kill 41 year old James Jarrett, a lawyer from Lubbock who represented some farmers going up against some cattle ranchers.

Before we find out how successful or not Jim was, time for today's mid-show sponsor break. And I'm back. If you don't want to hear ads like this, join our Patreon and for five bucks a month as a Space Lizard, you can get the entire catalog ad free and more. Now we return to 1902. When 40-year-old Jim Miller was paid to kill 41-year-old James Jarrett, a lawyer from Lubbock who represented some farmers going up against some cattle ranchers. Jarrett had recruited families to settle in the grasslands west of Lubbock, pursuant to

the Four Sections Act. And those legal settlers angered some area cattlemen who were using that grassland already for some free grazing. One of those cattlemen was Pap Brownfield, patriarch of an influential ranching family. Pap Brownfield. That is the perfect name for a Texas ranch patriarch in 1902. Jared won his lawsuit against the cattlemen and secured his clients right to own their new land in Hockley, Terry and Cochrane counties. Jim Miller got involved in all this because he sold real estate in Terry County where he worked with the Brownfield family in a series of suspicious transactions.

Some land Jim reportedly sold to the Brownfield clan will soon become the city of Brownfield, Texas. James Jarrett, the lawyer pissing off Jim in the Brownfields, was ambushed August 27th, 1902, while riding from Lubbock to his home in Hockley County. The dead body was found in a pond near Ropesville. Miller claimed he was paid $500 for this murder. He said that he was the hardest damn man to kill I ever tackled.

Miller had to shoot him four times with a shotgun to put him down. He never did name the person who hired him quite possibly. It was Pat Brownfield. Brownfield's dark, dirty secret. 1904, Miller killed another man named TD Frank Four, whom he previously did real estate business with in Fort Worth. Four threatened to tell the grand jury that Jim was selling a lot of land that wasn't

really land. It was submerged beneath the water in the Gulf of Mexico. Ford threatened to tell a grand jury that Jim was selling a lot of land that wasn't really land. It was submerged beneath the water in the Gulf of Mexico. A love it. Dude was selling acres of ocean floor. Just ripping people off who once they found out they had been ripped off were probably too scared to confront Jim about it. But not this guy.

March 10th, 1904, Jim paid for a little visit to talk to him about threatening him or maybe to shoot him. He found him in the bathroom of the Delaware Hotel in Fort Worth and shot him to death. Just before other hotel patrons rushed in to see what had happened, Jim fell over for sobbing, shouting, putting on this big act, saying stuff like, I did everything I could to keep him from reaching for his gun. Once again, Miller was acquitted of any charges. You know, it's self-defense. Once again, Miller was acquitted of any charges. You know, it's self-defense. 1906, Miller fucks up. He leaves Texas.

And he'll be dead within three years. Coincidence! Jim headed to Oro, Oklahoma, part of the Chickasaw Nation at that time because he'd again been hired to kill a man. Ben Collins was a deputy U.S. Marshal and police officer in Indian territory. Several years prior, Collins had tried to arrest Port Pruitt, a resident of Emmett, Oklahoma. Pruitt resisted arrest, so Collins shot him, which left him partially paralyzed. Pruitt and his brother Clint now publicly swore they would get their revenge.

They paid Jim Miller $1,800 to put Collins underground. A lot of money back then. And on August 1, 1906, Miller ambushed Collins as he was riding home to his farm. Around a buck shot knocked him off his horse. Collins fired four shots at Jim, missing every time before Jim blew his face off with another shotgun blast. Jim Miller and accomplice named Wash Mood were soon implicated in the murder. Interesting name. Miller was arrested but released on bail and And then in an incredible series of coincidences, every single person who was going to testify against Jim, we end up getting shot and killed. Ha! What are the odds? With no witnesses, the case went cold. Miller walked free and returned home to Texas. He survived Oklahoma this time,

should have never went back. Few years later, Miller was suspected of killing Pat Garrett in New Mexico, the famous lawman who had killed Billy the Kid in 1881. Garrett was killed over a land dispute, and it was alleged that Miller, by now known as the premier assassin of the Wild West, had been hired to take him out. Then on December 29, 1908, Jim's longtime buddy and his wife's brother, Immanuel Manny Clements Jr., killed in a saloon shootout's brother, Emmanuel Manny Clements, Jr. killed in a saloon shootout. No pass though. Saloons, man.

Dangerous places, Texas at this time. Miller swore to avenge his death and he very likely would have. Had he not been offered $1,700 to kill a former U.S. Marshal named Allen Augustus Bobbit back in Oklahoma. There he goes for more blood money. Gus Bobbit lived on Ocattle Ranch between Roth and Ada, 15 miles apart. A former U.S. Marshal, like I said, Gus was outspoken about corruption, particularly financial crimes against indigenous people. It was a common scheme in the area at the time for white settlers to get indigenous people drunk, then pay him as little as 50 bucks for there's 160 acre government a lot of I'll back up for their

160 acre government allocated plot of land Bobbit called for new elections to end bullshit like this and those who are profiting off the scams unsurprisingly, you know one of them dead and gone Enter Jim killer Miller Jesse West and Joe Allen used middleman used a middleman. Excuse me, Barry B. Burl, it's quite the name, Triple B. Former bank cashier and liestock trader to hire Miller to kill Gus. Jesse West had a long history of violence himself. He had once shot a man dead for throwing a firecracker under the horse he was riding. He would have killed Gus on his own, but because of history between them, he knew he would be a prime suspect and wanted to put a little distance between him and Gus's death. When they first met, Gus Bobbitt, Marshall at the because of history between them, he knew he would be a prime suspect and wanted to put a little distance

between him and Gus's death. When they first met, Gus Bobbitt, Marshall at the time, had no problems with Jesse West and Joe Allen. The two men were initially in the saloon business, seemed to abide by the law, but soon West and Allen started to use violence to intimidate rival saloon owners. Some hostile takeovers, for example,

they completely destroyed a man's saloon when he refused to sell it to him. In 1903, after more shit like that, Gus, Bobbitt and other locals ran the two men out of the area. It made it clear they were never welcome back. Bobbitt worried that they would come back from him at some point. Made a will that established a thousand dollar reward for their capture if he was ever killed. Weston Allen moved to the little town of Canadian, Texas, near the Oklahoma border,

but wanted to return to the Ada area and thus needed Bobbitt to be eliminated. In 1908, West mentioned the idea of moving back to Ada in a letter to Tom Hope, president of the Ada National Bank. Hope replied on August 8 and said that he missed him, called West one of the best friends we ever had, and encouraged him to return to Oklahoma because of the farms and business opportunities. This letter likely was the final incentive West needed to hire Jim Miller to kill Gus Bobbitt. Jesse West and Joe Allen recruited their accomplice, Barry Burl, to watch Bobbitt inform Jim Miller that the time was right to make his move. On February 27, 1909, Gus Bobbitt came to aid it to buy two wagon loads of cotton seed meal for his livestock

He hired his neighbor Bob Ferguson to help him drive the second wagon The two men traveled along the Ada Roth Road and passed a rider wearing a tie and riding cap They didn't recognize him as the infamous outlaw and assassin Jim Kilder Miller The sundown they reached the lane leading back to Bobbitt's ranch once they were half mile from the house They passed a large oak tree where Jim Miller was lying in wait. Miller fired twice. Bobbitt was hit in the leg and hit by 26 shotgun pellets. He shouted, oh god, as he fell from the wagon.

Miller popped out from his hiding spot to see if Bobbitt was dead. And then uncharacteristically, didn't shoot him again to make sure. Didn't shoot Bob Ferguson either. Instead he escaped on his horse, later throwing his shotgun into a stream. Well both Bobbitt and Ferguson got a good look at his face and were able to give a thorough description. Ferguson rode his horse to the house

to tell Bobbitt's wife what had happened, to call the doctor, the police, or for them, you know they didn't have phones. Bobbitt's wife, a woman named Tennessee, heard the gunshots from the house and was already run into her husband. He told her his old enemies West and Allen were likely responsible for the shooting. And then he died less than two hours later.

Ferguson's descriptions soon led authorities to Jim Miller. Ferguson told the police that they passed Jim on their journey to Bobbitt's property. He was riding a brown mare with unique markings. That mare was traced to Jim's nephew, John Williamson. Williamson lived in Francis, just a few miles northeast of Ada. When Williamson told the police, yes, he had loaned the mare to his uncle Jim. And then Jim admitted to the murder, and that Jim had admitted to him that he murdered Gus, also threatened to kill him if he talked. Barry Burl was then arrested in Fort Worth, March 23rd. Jim was arrested March 31st.

A team named Oscar Peeler also arrested around that time because he rented a house for Miller and claimed that Jesse West sent him checks to cover the rental after the murder. Jesse West knew that he and Joe Allen would soon be charged. Around the first April, Weston Allen met the attorney, Mormon,

yeah, Mormon, Mo Man, Pruitt. a lot of interesting names in this episode in Oklahoma City. He was the best criminal defense attorney in Oklahoma and agreed to represent them. And Jim Miller, West and Allen were arrested at a train depot in Oklahoma City, April six, 1909. West admitted his involvement to a detective saying per the daily Oklahoma. I would have killed him on site. Referring to Bob. I didn't kill him, but that was the only reason.

I didn't get the chance, but they will kill us if you take us back to Ada. Everyone knew that Jim Miller and the conspirators were responsible for Gus Bobbitt's murder, but the residents of Ada still worried they would be acquitted. You know, worried about the history of Miller, worried that a lot of witnesses would end up dead.

So to make sure none of that happened, they took justice into their own hands. A mob of 30 to 40 people formed outside the jail the night of April 18th, demanding they release four prisoners, Barry Burl, Jim Miller, Jesse West and Joe Allen. County Attorney Robert Wimbish confronted the mob, tried to convince them to go back home, but they wouldn't have it. And in the early hours of April 19th, the mob forced their way inside and overpowered the jailers. Deputy Sheriff and Jailer Walter Goyne told the Aida Evening News that they forced him to open the door and bound his hands. The vigilantes also beat a part-time deputy sheriff over the head and tied him up. The vigilantes asked Jesse West what he knew about the murder and refused to say anything about it.

He did say that if he had a pistol on him, he'd shoot him dead. Maybe not the best choice of words, not a situation. Four men were then bound and taken to an abandoned library stable behind the jail. And now we're back to the beginning of this episode. Ropes were tied around their necks and bound to the rafters. The first three men were hanged in quick succession. Jesse West, Joe Allen, Barry Burl begged for their lives. But now a 47-year-old Miller, he was stoic. He never seemed rattled, seemed to have accepted his fate. I'm guessing, doing what he did, he knew on some level, I would imagine his violent life would likely lead to his

own violent end. He made just three requests. He wanted his diamond wedding ring to be taken to his wife's Sally. He wanted to wear his black hat while he was hanged. And he wanted to jerk off in front of everyone and to try and time his orgasm with stepping off the crate and, you know, choking himself out and they allowed it. And it was perfect.

He timed it so well. There wasn't a dry eye and that stable. Some of the eyes were wet with tears because it was so beautiful. Otherwise, you know, they were wet because, you know, they were, they were standing too close to Jim. And, uh, I mean, you know, you know, uh, if you didn't immediately recognize me lying about all that, you were not paying attention to when this episode started. No, Jim's third request, as I said earlier, was that he wanted to wear

his signature black coats. The mob only granted the first two requests. When this episode started. No, Jim's third request, as I said earlier, was that he wanted to wear his signature black coat. The mob only granted the first two requests. Maybe they were worried about his coat in addition to being able to stop bullets, you know, could somehow prevent him from being hanged as well. So I'm going to magic jacket before being hanged last. Miller told the members of the mob as they got his rope ready. If you're going to hang me, do it quick.

Miller was promised freedom if he would talk and he reportedly did confess to who had hired him, why they hired him, and what he did. But then the mob refused to let him go. I'd say that was the right choice. Right before dying, Miller uttered his now infamous quote, let the record show that I've killed 51 men. And then Miller shouted his final words as he stepped off the box, letter rip! Yeah, yeah, yeah! That is quite the ending. A grand jury would meet in Ada to investigate these four murders, but nobody was willing to identify anyone involved that night. Poetic justice. How many times had Jim made sure that no one would testify against him? The grand jury reached the following conclusion, we deplore that this affair took place in our country

and believe that in this matter, the law should have taken its course. And we further believe that the occurrence was largely due to the tardy administration of justice by the court. I love it. Had the state done their rightly duty and hang those varmints quick and fair of the good people of this country,

wouldn't have had to done their damn job for them. That is the story of Jim Killer Miller, Deacon Jim, Killin' Jim, one of the wildest, most violent men of the incredibly wild and violent Wild West. I would not have enjoyed seeing that guy wearing his black cowboy hat, heavy black frock coat on a hot Texas summer day, holding his shotgun ahead of me on some trail. I would not have wanted to see him anywhere. For a lot of people, that was the last sight they saw. He reportedly killed a dozen men in gunfights and by his own account, 51 overall. Thanks for listening to this edition of Time Suck Short Sucks.

If you enjoyed this little story, check out the rest of the Bad Magic catalog. Beefier episodes of Time Suck every Monday at noon Pacific time, new episodes of the now long-running paranormal podcast Scared to Death every Tuesday at midnight, on some Fridays, the new fictional horror series within the Scared to Death podcast feed Nightmare Fuel. Thank you to Olivia Lee for the initial research today and thanks to Logan Keith, recording and uploading today's episode. Please go to BadMagicProductions.com for all your Bad Magic needs, including our store, and have yourself a wonderful weekend. Add magic productions.