William Cruzan made a name for himself as a member of the Wild Bunch. But his criminal beginnings came years before, in 1888, outside an Illinois church. Worship was over, and Cruzan had eyes for a girl in the congregation. But she was walking home with Elijah Ulm. Cruzan—22 at the time—followed the couple, accosting them with threats and foul language. Ulm turned and punched Cruzan, who then pulled a pistol. Ulm reciprocated and both opened fire. Ulm died of two bullets to the chest. Cruzan escaped to Texas.

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows