It was on this date in 1894 that Jeff Milton was appointed as Chief of Police here in El Paso, Texas. Liquor wholesaler Robt Johnson had been elected as Mayor on a Reform ticket. Determined to keep his campaign promises, Mayor Johnson needed a lawman that couldn't be bought to enforce the anti-gambling ordinances. That man was Jefferson Davis Milton.
The son of the Confederate Governor of Florida, Jeff Milton came to Texas as soon as he could. By the mid 1870's, he had reached the Ft Griffin area. Here he worked cows with George Scarborough, had a nodding acquaintance with John Selman, and possibly may have seen a young Wes Hardin before he left for Florida.
Lying about his age, Milton signed on as a Texas Ranger in 1880. He soon developed a solid record as a sturdy, dependable lawman. as J. Everrets Haley would put it, Jeff Milton was: "A good man with a gun." He'd give a man every opportunity to surrender himself peaceably. But if he made the mistake of firing a shot, all bets were off, Milton would finish the fight for good.
This is the reputation Milton brought to the job as Chief of Police. Matter of fact, John Selman had had his eye on the job, and promised to shove Milton's gun where the sun didn't shine, and :'Kick the handles off." When Milton braced the Constable about it, Selman passed it off as a joke rather than face the wiry lawman. When Wes Hardin, Jim Miller and company arrived in El Paso in march, 1895, Milton was one of two men most folks figured would kill the famous gunman. George Scarborough was the other.
After his removal from office in May 1895, Milton was appointed as a Deputy U.S. Marshall under Dick Ware. During his stay in El Paso, jeff Milton was involved in only one shooting, and it was a controversial one at that. Buut that's another story for another time.
Keep your Powder dry
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