Rolla Gardner had no plans to chase after some train robbers near Parachute, Colorado in June 1904. A posse was already on the trail. But then Gardner discovered the outlaws had stolen a couple of his horses, and he grabbed a rifle and went after them. The posse caught up with the robbers on June 17. And in an exchange of gunfire, Gardner shot one in the chest. It was probably a fatal wound. But moments later, the injured man—Kid Curry (photo)—finished things by shooting himself in the head.
True West September/October 2024