Turner - Notorious Telluride

Broken tracks lead off into the void at the Suffolk Mine above Ophir, Colorado. Photo by Peter D. Turner.

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2010 by Carol Turner

All rights reserved

First published 2010

e-book edition 2012

ISBN 978.1.61423.324.4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Turner, Carol.

Notorius Telluride : wicked tales from San Miguel County / Carol Turner.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

print edition ISBN 978-1-60949-086-7

1. Frontier and pioneer life--Colorado--Telluride--Anecdotes. 2. Frontier and pioneer life--Colorado--San Miguel County--Anecdotes. 3. Outlaws--Colorado--Telluride--Biography--Anecdotes. 4. Outlaws--Colorado--San Miguel County--Biography--Anecdotes. 5. Crime--Colorado--Telluride--History--Anecdotes. 6. Crime--Colorado--San Miguel County--History--Anecdotes. 7. Telluride (Colo.)--History--Anecdotes. 8. San Miguel County (Colo.)--History--Anecdotes. 9. Telluride (Colo.)--Biography--Anecdotes. 10. San Miguel County (Colo.)--Biography--Anecdotes. I. Title.

F784.T44T8 2010

978.823--dc22

2010042767

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For Charlie

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to the folks at the Colorado State Archives, Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection and the Denver Public Library for their assistance. Thanks also to Peter D. Turner, Richard and Joss Turner, John and Lynn Turner and Jolie Gallagher. I offer a grateful and admiring nod to MaryJoy Martin for her exhaustive research on the Telluride mine labor wars at the turn of the last century and her book, The Corpse on Boomerang Road. In the case of the labor troubles, because certain editors were so deeply involved in the action themselves, the local newspapers had become unreliable witnesses.

INTRODUCTION

On the surface, the story of Telluride and San Miguel Countys settlement by the white man is mostly about mining and ranching. Many of these people were courageous, hardworking immigrants; others were rugged native-born Americans. Along with the regular folk came a stream of gamblers, sporting women, thieves, addicts, con artists, killers, obsessives, megalomaniacs, idealists and ghost chasersnot to mention the gullible, desperate and a few pure innocents.

These are the stories of those not-regular folks, primarily as recordedand sometimes embellishedby the newspapers of the day. The events described here took place not just in Telluride but across the entire countyfrom the Disappointment Valley in the west to Norwood, Placerville, Ophir and up among the treacherous cliffs and peaks of the San Juans.

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: JESSE MUNN

Born in 1882, Jesse R. Munn was an ambitious lad from the rugged ranchlands of southwest Colorado. A hardworking and well known miner and prospector, when he came into town he drank a lot and found companionship among Tellurides many sporting women. He also tended to carry a gun, but he had no trouble with the law until what seemed like a minor brush in April 1910. On that fateful occasion, Telluride night marshal Arthur Goeglein arrested Munn and threw him in jail for a night, charging him with carrying a concealed weapon. A few months later, Munns resentment over this incident would lead to a much more serious encounter between the two men.

Munns mother and stepfather, Mr. and Mrs. Sam H. Thompson, were prominent citizens who lived on the Thompson Ranch north of Durango until they sold it in 1906. Sam Thompson had been county commissioner of La Plata County for several years. Munns biological father was said to have been killed in Durango, years ago, in some sort of trouble and his mother later married Thompson. Jesse had a brother, R.D. Munn, also of Durango.

Perhaps using capital from his parents, Munn invested in several mining ventures. Between 1905 and 1908, he worked a lease on the Alta Mine with partners, including Telluride town treasurer V.U. Rodgers. Later, he traveled to New Mexico, Nevada and Texas in search of mine properties. In 1909, Munn and a partner, Joe King, leased the Summit Mine, located on the ridge between Gold King Basin and Ophir. There, Munn worked as a foreman over as many as forty men.

Despite these accomplishments, Munn was headed for big trouble. On Saturday night, July 30, 1910, Munn and a friend, Dick Martin, headed into Telluride from their home near Ophir. They spent the evening at a bordello called the Cosy Corner on Pacific Avenue. About 1:30 in the morning, the two men headed to the Pick and Gad Saloon on Pine Street, accompanied by three Cosy Corner prostitutesElla Morrison, Beatrice Earl and Pearl Elliot. While the group was in the Pick and Gad, Night Marshal Goeglein came in and briefly joined them but soon went on his way without any trouble. A while later, the group returned to the Cosy Corners barroom. Soon, Goeglein entered the place and asked Munn to step outside with him. They headed out the front door, and moments later, five shots rang out.

The others ran outside and found Goeglein on the ground with Munn standing over him. People from the street also converged on the scene. A man named Bill Jenkins was nearby at the time and witnessed Munns last two shots. As Jenkins ran toward the prone figure, he saw Dick Martin come out and urge Munn down Pacific Avenue, telling him, Come on, get out of this.

When he [Jenkins] arrived he placed his arm under Goegleins head and raised him up asking who had shot him. His lips barely moved and his eyes stared. He was practically dead. Just then, Jim Steel, assistant night marshal came up and assisted Jenkins to carry Goeglein to the sidewalk. They asked the girls for a pillow which was brought and placed under Goegleins head. Dr. Hadley than [sic] came and said the man was dead.

Jenkins stated that as they moved Goegleins body, his gun fell out of its holster. They checked and found that all the chambers were full. They concluded that all five shots had been fired by Munn, with three of those going wild. Goeglein had a bullet wound in his right cheek and another in the middle of his left shoulder bladein his back. The doctor said either of the injuries would have been fatal.

An hour later, authorities located Dick Martin in bed at a place called Jim Spellmans. He appeared to be maudlin drunk but the officers believe this was feigned. He was locked up and is in the county jail. The three girls who were in the Cosy Corner at the time were also taken into custody but later released. They will be kept handy for witnesses, however. Jesse Munn was nowhere to be found.

The coroners inquest was held Wednesday, August 3. Another witness, Leon Edwards, testified that hed been standing outside by another bordello called the Big Swedes half a block away when he heard the shots. As he ran down the street, he passed two men hurrying away into the night.