Ike Clanton in Apache County Part One

On the night of December 27, 1885, five masked men entered the home of Apache County Deputy Treasurer Francisco Baca in St. Johns. Before the night was over, approximately $11,000 was gone from the county safe. Within days, Ike Clanton, his brother Phin, and three other men were under arrest on suspicion. The first newspaper account, however, admitted that no certain clue identified the robbers.

Five Men at the Door

The robbery began at about ten o’clock on a dark and stormy Sunday night. According to the account published in the Arizona Champion on January 2, 1886, five masked men forced their way into Baca’s house. They entered the room where he was sleeping and began searching for the keys to the treasurer’s office.

At gunpoint, the men ordered Baca out of bed and made him dress. Two remained at the house to prevent anyone inside from raising an alarm. The others took Baca to the Apache County courthouse and forced him to open the treasurer’s room.

The outer doors of the safe were secured by a combination lock. The newspaper did not explain how the robbers handled that obstacle, but it reported that Baca was compelled to open the safe. Once it stood open, the men went through its contents.

What They Took and What They Left

The robbers carried away about $11,000 in cash. Approximately $2,000 of that amount was in gold and silver coin. They left more than $5,000 in checks on the floor. The checks ranged from $100 to $900, but they could be traced and would have been difficult to negotiate without attracting attention.

The operation was finished in less than half an hour. After leaving the treasurer’s room, the men released Baca and disappeared into the night. The alarm was given immediately, but the weather worked in their favor. Rain and darkness prevented searchers from finding a trail.

The Champion considered the robbery carefully planned. The men knew where Baca lived, knew that he possessed the necessary keys, and divided their force between the house and courthouse. They took portable cash and coin but abandoned the paper that presented the greatest risk.

Five Arrests and No Certain Clue

Five men were arrested on suspicion: Phin Clanton, Ike Clanton, Ebin Stanley, and Lee Renfrow of Springerville, along with Buck Henderson of St. Johns. The district attorney reportedly wanted additional information or witnesses before a hearing expected the following Saturday.

That is as far as the January 2 report went. It did not say that Baca recognized the masked men. It described no recovered money, tracks, weapons, disguises, witness identifications, or other evidence connecting any of the five suspects to the courthouse. On the contrary, it stated that no certain clue could be found to establish who the robbers were or where they had gone.

Later retellings say Baca identified the suspects despite their masks. That assertion does not appear in this initial account. Until a contemporary report or court record supplies the missing testimony, it should not be presented as part of the established evidence against Ike Clanton or the other men.

The Trail Goes Cold

The surviving report anticipated a hearing, but the documentation presently in hand does not establish what occurred at that proceeding. By the spring of 1886, Ike was again in Springerville. Another incident soon returned his name to the territorial newspapers.

A Card Game and a Premature Death

Late in May or early in June 1886, a disagreement during a card game ended in gunfire between Ike Clanton and Pablo Romero. A report reaching the Clifton Clarion said that Ike had been shot and killed near the line between Socorro and Apache counties. The Clarion published the report on June 2.

One week later, the newspaper withdrew it. Mr. Montgomery of the Blue had been in Springerville when the shooting occurred. According to the Clarion’s correction, Clanton and a Mexican man exchanged shots after their disagreement over the card game. Both were wounded. Clanton had been struck in the leg, but neither man’s condition was considered critical.

The Arizona Silver Belt supplied the other man’s name when it repeated an account from the St. Johns Herald on June 12. Romero had been shot through the left hip. Clanton’s wound came from a splintered ball that struck one of his legs. Another surviving account reported that Romero was taken to St. Johns, where Dr. Dalby removed the bullet.

For a few days, newspaper readers were told that Ike Clanton was dead. The report was premature. Clanton had been wounded in a Springerville card-game dispute, but he survived. Less than a year later, the next report of his death would not require a correction.

Research Notes and Documentation

These notes separate what the surviving newspapers establish from later claims that still require supporting documentation.

Documented Chronology

Date	Source	Documented information
Dec. 27, 1885	Arizona Champion, Jan. 2, 1886	Five masked men forced Deputy Treasurer Francisco Baca to open the Apache County safe and took about $11,000. Five named men, including Ike Clanton, were arrested on suspicion.
June 2, 1886	Clifton Clarion	A short report incorrectly stated that Ike Clanton had been shot and killed near the Socorro-Apache county line.
June 9, 1886	Clifton Clarion	The newspaper corrected the death report. Ike and a Mexican man had exchanged gunfire after a disagreement over cards; both were wounded but not critical.
June 12, 1886	Arizona Silver Belt, p. 2, quoting St. Johns Herald	Identified the other man as Pablo Romero. Romero was shot through the left hip; Ike suffered a slight leg wound from a splintered ball.

What the January 1886 Article Does Not Establish

• It does not report that Francisco Baca recognized any of the masked men.
• It does not identify physical evidence against Ike Clanton or the other suspects.
• It does not report the recovery of any stolen money.
• It does not provide the result of the anticipated hearing.

Later Development Not Used in the Narrative

The Arizona Champion’s 1887 subject index records that Francisco Baca was arrested in July 1887 for robbing the Apache County treasurer’s safe and was sentenced to ten years on October 1, 1887. This occurred after Ike Clanton’s death and falls outside the chronological ending selected for Part One. Before publishing a definitive statement that Baca staged the original robbery, the complete July and October 1887 articles or the court record should be examined.

Names and Spellings

The January 1886 article spells the names Francisco Baca, Phin Clanton, Ike Clanton, Ebin Stanley, Lee Renfrow, and Buck Henderson. Later sources sometimes use Eben Stanley and Lee Renfro. The post retains the spellings printed in the contemporary article when discussing the arrests.

Source List

• Arizona Champion, January 2, 1886, page 3, ‘Bold Burglars.’
• Clifton Clarion, June 2, 1886, brief report of Ike Clanton’s supposed death.
• Clifton Clarion, June 9, 1886, correction of the death report and account of the Springerville shooting.
• Arizona Silver Belt, June 12, 1886, page 2, quoting the St. Johns Herald.
• Northern Arizona University Cline Library, Subject Index to the Arizona Champion, 1887, entries for July 23 and October 1, 1887.