Not So Secret Dallas Stoudenmire Society

It's the 18th of September. On this date in 1882, Jim Manning put a bullet in the back of Dallas Stoudenmire's head, thus ending a 18 month feud that terrorized El Paso. Just who was Dallas Stoudenmire? Funny you should ask. He was born in Alabama to a farmer father. He enlisted and fought with the Confederate States Army during the "War of Northern Aggression". By the accounts he was a fearless fighter, and wounded severely several times. There are rumors that after the war. like so many other Confederate veterans, he sold his services to Maximilian in Mexico. in 1874, Stoudenmire was a Texas Ranger, in Co A Frontier Battalion. It was Co A under Capt Waller that chased through 5 counties in Texas, after one John Wesley Hardin. Stoudenmire was probably in the thick of it. We do know that by 1881 he was a deputy in Socorro, New Mexico.

Early El Paso didn't have much luck with their City Marshals. Between July 1880 and April 1881 the city had gone through five men, including the town drunk, in their search for a man that could curb the rising tide as the rail road approached. Stanley "Doc" Cummings ran several restaurants in town, and he along with Capt Baylor of the Rangers submitted Stoudenmire's name in for consideration. April 11th, 1881 he was appointed City Marshal.

A rising power block in El Paso at the time was headed by the Manning brothers. Also of Alabama breeding, they also fought in the COnfederate side, and hired out to Maximilien. By 1879, Frank Manning was here in El paso as a Texas Ranger. By 1880, he was running a saloon at the head of the Southern Pacific tracks, relocating to the Dowell Saloon after Ben Dowell passed away in November, 1880. Along with brothers James and John, the Manning owned a ranch out near present day Canutillo. This ranch served as a clearing house and Head Quarters for the local rustlers and thives working out of the Ft Fillmore Bosque. James would run for mayor in 1881, and come in dead last.

At the very beginning, Stoudenmire clashed with the Mannings. April 14th, the was a gun battle in the middle of El Paso Street, which history calls the "4 Dead in 5 Seconds", Stoudenmire had removed most the brains in the Mannings' rustling operation. They sent Bill Johnson, town drunk and ex-City Marshal to assassinate Stoudenmire on the 17th. Johnson ended up dead instead of Stoudenmire. There were several other attempts, and Stoudenmire never passed by an excuse to harass the Mannings in return. Because of the tension, Stoudenmire began drinking heavilly, and was almost as much a terror to the town and the rustlers and outlaws. He stepped down as Marshal in May 1882, and was appointed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal soon afterwards.

Very early the morning of September 18th, 1882 Dallas Stoudenmire arrived from Deming. He had a packet of papers to serve. And one man was known to hang out at the Manning Saloon, so Stoudenmire stops long enough to take a look inside the saloon, then leaves to have a drink at the Acme Saloon. In true typical El Paso fashion, the story was spread and distorted to the point that by the time Frank Manning heard about it when he arrived at 10:00, it sounded as if Stoudenmire had been there to gunn down the brothers. Emmissaries went back and forth between the two parties all day, trying to sooth things over. Finally about 5:30 that evening, a truce was agreed upon, and all that was needed was to seal the deal with drinks.

About 6:00 Stoudenmire arrived at the Manning Saloon with Walt Jones, former Ranger, and part owner of the Acme. As Frank went to get Jim Manning, Doc Manning and Dallas got into an arguem,ent, guns were pulled. Jones tried to separate the men, and threw Stoudenmire off. Doc Manning got the first shot off, wounding Stoudenmire in the arm. Manning's secdond shot wounded him in the chest. Stoudenmire managed to get one shot off, shattering Doc Mannings arm. Doc, realizing that he was a dead man, grappled Stoudenmire with his good arm, pinning the larger man's gun to his side. The two crashed through the doors and out onto the board walk. As Doc and Dallas struggled in a macabre dance of death, Jim Manning came out and fired a shot, splintering a barber pole. Stepping closer, Jim Manning fired again, killing the big Deputy Marshal.

Doc Manning was tried for "Assault with Intent to Murder" and was acquitted in less than 5 minutes. Jim manning was tried for Murder, and acquitted in even less time. Stoudenmire was dressed out and sent to Columbus, Texas for burial by Masonic Lodge #3.

The Not So Secret Dallas Stoudenmire Society will be holding an informal meeting at the El Paso street side of the Camino Real Hotel this evening at 6:00. Bring your own beverage as we toast the man and his times.