All four were no-name cow punchers for the infamous Hash Knife Ranch before they became train robbers in March 1889. Unbeknownst to the cowboys, the Arizona Territorial Legislature made train robbery a capital crime punishable by death just before the Canyon Diablo incident took place. Harvick, Halford and Stiren all pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. They were each sentenced to 25 years in the Yuma prison. Smith escaped in Raton Pass on the way to Prescott. After his recapture in Texas, he was extradited to Arizona and fought the robbery charge. Found guilty by a jury, Smith was sentenced to 30 years, mostly because of his escape. All four were eventually pardoned.
We will eventually add more details about each of the robbers
J.J. Smith
John Halford
Dan Harvick
William Stiren
Source of photos is via:
Hietter, Paul T. “‘NO BETTER THAN MURDERERS’: The 1889 Canyon Diablo Train Robbery and the Death Penalty in Arizona Territory.” The Journal of Arizona History, vol. 47, no. 3, 2006, pp. 273-298. JSTOR,
Hietter, Paul T. “‘NO BETTER THAN MURDERERS’: The 1889 Canyon Diablo Train Robbery and the Death Penalty in Arizona Territory.” The Journal of Arizona History, vol. 47, no. 3, 2006, pp. 273-298. JSTOR,
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