Big Jim French

Big Jim French was at most of the important actions in the Lincoln County War. Perhaps most notably, he was one of the gunmen—along with Billy the Kid—who assassinated Sheriff William Brady and Deputy George Hindman on April 1, 1878.

French was wounded when he ran into the street to take the lawmen’s guns. Reverend Taylor Ealy gave him first aid, and then a friend hid French under the floor of the Tunstall store (in modern photo) until things cooled off and he was spirited out of town. French lived to fight again.