The Other Olinger John Wallace kept a low profile—and lived much longer than his brother.

One of the lesser-known combatants in the Lincoln County War was John Wallace Olinger, the older brother of Bob Olinger (photo).  Wallace was one of the Seven Rivers Warriors in New Mexico. He became a Lincoln County deputy at the start of the conflict, fighting for the House. But he allowed Regulator Frank Coe to escape custody in May 1878.  It’s not clear why.

A few months after the Battle of Lincoln, Wallace wounded a man in a gunfight. He turned in his deputy badge and later moved to Los Angeles, where he died in 1940.