Elfego Baca
Do you know that name?
Probably only if you are either a baby boomer or a fan of the old west.
Let me give you a brief “elevator” talk on this man.
Elfego Baca was born in 1865 in Socorro, New Mexico. In order to provide an education for his children, Baca’s father, Francisco, moved his family east to Topeka, Kansas, where he worked as a contractor. When Elfego’s mother died in 1880, Baca and his brother Abdenago returned to Socorro. Their father rejoined them in New Mexico a year later and became marshal in the town of Belen.
While serving as marshal, Francisco Baca killed two local cowboys; was arrested and jailed in Los Lunas and sentenced to a term in the state penitentiary. Elfego Baca and a friend walked to Los Lunas and proceeded to break his father out of jail. Francisco Baca fled to Texas, where he remained some seven years before safely returning.
Baca, hoping to follow his father into law enforcement, purchased a sheriff’s badge, obtained some guns, and became a self-appointed law officer in Socorro County. Baca claimed he learned to shoot from Western outlaw Billy the Kid. Truth? No-one knows for sure.
Elfego Baca had a mission to become a peace officer and was known to say he wanted the outlaws to hear his steps a block away. He is best known for his involvement in an 1884 shootout in Frisco, New Mexico.
A Legend is Born
Sometimes legends rise out of fiction and sometimes they rise out of fact. The Elfego Baca legend gave way to labeling Baca as “The man who couldn’t be killed!”
The legend is based on an incident known as “The Shootout” that took place that year.
Some of the details are sketchy and some dispute the facts.
As best as what I know, here is the story of “The Shootout!”
In October 1884, in the town of Middle San Francisco Plaza, Elfego Baca arrested a drunk cowboy by the name of Charlie McCarty. McCarty’s fellow cowboys tried to stop Baca, but Baca fought back and in the process accidentally killed John Slaughter‘s foreman. The horse subsequently fell on the foreman and killed him.
Baca also shot another cowboy in the knee.
Now depending upon what you read there are several versions regarding what happened next. Here is what I believe is the true version
Baca arrested McCarty and jailed him but McCarty was granted his release via the Justice of the Peace at that time…Ted White. White wanted to question Baca for the death of the foreman and summoned Bert Hearne, a rancher from Spur Lake Ranch, to bring Baca back to the Justice for questioning relating to what he considered murder. After Baca refused to come out of the adobe jail, Hearne broke down the door and ordered Baca to come out with his hands up. Soon after that, shots volleyed from the jail and hit Hearne in the stomach, mortally wounding him.
Baca fled to a small adobe hut that belonged to the Armijo family. This where we find the gist of “The Shootout” legend. A standoff with the cowboys ensued. How many cowboys? Well that is somewhat vague and disputed. The villagers at the scene reported there were 40 cowboys although Baca claimed there had been at least 80.
Who knows? Suffice to say it was a healthy number probably closer to 40 than 80. I say this because if it was truly 80 then the story would most have likely ended up differently.
Okay, back to the story.
The cowboys are said to have fired more than 4,000 shots into the house (which would mean 50 to 100 bullets per cowboy), until the adobe building was full of holes. However, none of the bullets struck Baca; the floor of the home is said to have been slightly lower than ground level, allowing him to escape injury.
The shootout ended in the afternoon when Deputy Sheriff Frank Rose arrived from Socorro, accompanied by Baca's good friend, Francisquito Naranjo. Francisquito Naranjo persuaded Baca to surrender.
Baca was charged with murder for the death of John Slaughter’s foreman and Bert Hearne, and was jailed awaiting trial. Baca was acquitted of all charges in the shootout and afterward became the official sheriff of the county. He was noted for his tough approach to the law, including sending letters to lawbreakers giving them the choice of turning themselves in or being shot for “resisting arrest.” At times this practice was successful.
After several years as a United States marshal, Baca began to study law. He passed the bar in 1894 and practiced law in Socorro and then in El Paso, Texas. Over the following decade, he served in a number of positions, including county clerk and law clerk, then was mayor of Socorro from 1896 to 1898.
Baca earned a reputation for willingness to defend the needs of the poor during his career which added to his legend.
Why is This in a Disney-Oriented Substack?
Walt Disney was a student of history; especially American History. In 1958 his “Walt Disney Presents” television show presented “The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca” starring Robert Loggia. The first episode brought to the screen the story of “The Shootout.”
As a young boy I recall watching this show and found it to be amazing and I was glued to my 10 inch black and white television at the time.
Recently I watched The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca on YouTube and was brought back to my childhood.
If you catch these episodes on YouTube you may recognize some stars early on in their careers.
It will mostly be the baby boomers who will recognize such actors as:
Alan Hale, Jr. who played the Skipper on Gilligan’s Island
William Schallert who played the father on The Patty Duke Show
Brian Keith from Family Affair who starred in one episode with actress Beverly Garland
James Coburn who played many parts in westerns
DeForrest Kelley who played Dr. “Bones” McCoy on Star Trek
Raymond Bailey who was Mr. Drysdale on the Beverly Hillbillies
There were others whose careers were just starting such as Annette Funicello, Ramon Navaro, James Drury, Jay C. Flippen, Patricia Crowley and others too numerous to list here.
It’s always fun to watch old programs and see these actors and actresses in their younger day.
Elfego Baca is just one of many figures Walt Disney and his crew had dug out of the history books and brought to the screen to entertain us. It’s just another example of Walt Disney the storyteller and historian and how his impact enlightened, entertained, and educated us.
Now if you excuse me I need to look up Texas John Slaughter, Swamp Fox, and others.
See you next time.