Gunfighters were as indigenous to the Old West as cattle. The more famous of the breed ended up becoming household names: John Wesley Hardin, Wild Bill Hickock, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, to name but a few. Dallas Stoudenmire was a shooter and a Freemason from the town of El Paso, Texas, where, one week in April 1881, he blasted his way into history. This was his brief and violent moment of fame.
    Masonry had been established in Texas since the formation of its Grand Lodge in 1837. El Paso’s first lodge was founded in 1854; by 1881 a good number of the citizens were members of this, El Paso Lodge, No 130. The lodge still works today.
    When 1881 dawned Solomon Schutz, Worshipful Master of Lodge No. 130, was desperately trying to bring law and order to El Paso - a succession of town Marshalls had failed. When a man named Stan Cummings moved into town and joined the Lodge, he quickly sent for his Brother-in-Law, Dallas Stoudenmire, who was immediately appointed Marshall by the Town Council.
    Stoudenmire was every inch a gunfighter: over six feet tall with a long black coat, string tie and long drooping moustache. He had fought in the Civil War for the Confederates, for Emperor Maximilian in Mexico and had served as a Texas Ranger in Comanche Country; he had twenty-seven bullet scars on his body.
    A disgruntled former Marshall of El Paso, George Campbell, arrived back in town boasting to all who would listen that he was going to 'take' the new Marshall. He proceeded to drink heavily and when he saw a Court Constable, Gus Krempkau, about to mount his mule, he approached and began to berate him loudly for consorting with Mexicans. At this point a local thug, John Hale, slipped up behind George Campbell and, drawing his gun, fired a shot under the latter’s arm at Gus Krempkau.
    Krempkau fell, mortally wounded, but he still managed to fire at both Hale and Campbell. At this point the town Marshall, Dallas Stoudenmire, heard the gunfire and came running with his gun drawn. Campbell then made a tragic mistake: he drew his gun while shouting that he had played no part in the fight. Stoudenmire snapped off a shot at Hale but a young Mexican ran into the line of fire and fell dead. Stoudenmire’s second shot struck Hale in the middle of his forehead. Then Stoudenmire turned to Campbell, who had already been wounded by the dying Krempkau, and put his next round into Campbell’s stomach. Within seconds Hale and the Mexican lay dead in the street; Campbell and Krempkau lay dying. Stoudenmire returned his smoking gun to his holster confident that his authority was firmly stamped on the town.
    Irked by this apparently easy victory, two cattle thieves, the Manning brothers, urged a gang member, Bill Johnson, to take revenge on Stoudenmire. On 17th April 1881, Johnson prepared by filling himself with liquor and then hiding in wait for Stoudenmire on a large pile of bricks which had been amassed for the building of a new bank. At nightfall, while Stoudenmire and his Brother-in-Law walked the east side of the street, Johnson, no doubt still drunk, aimed at Stoudenmire but fingered his shotgun nervously causing it to fire early. The shot flew harmlessly over the Marshall's head. In the twinkling of an eye both Stoudenmire’s and his brother-in-law’s guns roared out into the night and Johnson fell. Eight bullets had perforated his body.
    Peace then came to El Paso and five months later, in the autumn of 1881, Dallas Stoudenmire petitioned El Paso Lodge No 130 for membership. He was accepted and on 15th October was initiated. He was passed on November 19th and raised to the Third Degree, January 7th 1882.
    Following a bout of influenza Stoudenmire was convalescing in Columbus, a town on the Colorado river, about fifty miles west of Houston. While there he also got married. In his absence, his Brother-in-Law declared war on the Manning brothers. Unfortunately so, because he was soon killed in a gunfight with Jim Manning. Stoudenmire took the news silently on his return to El Paso but began to drink heavily. His behaviour to the citizens finally caused the town council to replace him. This angered Stoudenmire, who insisted that he remained Marshall. During one bout of drunkenness he burst into a council meeting and launched a blistering attack on his fellow masons who were also serving as councillors.
    However, he finally resigned as Marshall on May 29th 1882, left El Paso and later obtained the position of a Deputy U.S. Marshall. But he still wanted revenge on the Manning brothers. He returned to El Paso on the pretext of serving a warrant, and on 18th September 1882, after drinking all day, he finally confronted George Manning.
    Both men drew their guns and a bystander, who hoped to stop the fight, pushed between them. Stoudenmire, who favoured the cross draw, was prevented from firing by this intrusion and that allowed Manning to get off the first shot. This hit Stoudenmire in the chest and threw him into the street. Reacting quickly, he drew his gun and wounded Manning who, in a fit of rage and pain, threw himself on Stoudenmire and at point blank range put a bullet in his skull.
    Stoudenmire’s new wife was left penniless and the El Paso Lodge was called upon to extend the full measure of charity. His body lay in state in the Lodge room until it was transported east to Columbus where a service was conducted by Caledonia Lodge No 68 (still working); but the El Paso Lodge paid for everything.
    The minutes of the El Paso Lodge, 19 September 1882, report:

Lodge was opened in the M.M. Degree for the purpose of paying the last tribute to our deceased brother Dallas Stoudenmire. To afford his numerous friends an opportunity of seeing his remains for the last time, the Lodge room remained open to the public until 6 P.M. At 11 P.M. the members again met to carry his body to the RR depot for final interment in his former home, Columbia, Tex. Lodge was then closed peace & harmony prevailing.

One bright side to this entire episode was the outstanding charity of the Marshall’s Masonic Lodge in spite of the shabby treatment he had meted out to some of its members.

This story of Dallas Stoudenmire was adapted by Bill Neve from the article by J. E. Bennet in The Scottish Rite Journal of the Supreme Council, 33º, Southern Jurisdiction, United States, May 1997. Bill Neve would also like to thank Bro. Lorenzo J. Sosa, historian to El Paso Lodge, No. 130, for providing copies of the Lodge minutes.

Bill Neve is a retired IBM engineer, Past Master and Secretary of Saint Edmund Lodge No. 6539, Norfolk. He is also in Chapter and Knights Templar and is President of the High 12 clubs which operate in the Officers’ mess on the USAF bases at RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall.