(John Heath and the Bisbee Massacre) Real-photo postcard of the public lynching of John Heath (5 1/2 x 3 3/8 in.) captioned at top in the negative: “Hanging of John Heath Tombstone Arizona”and dated “1885” in black ink. The Ohio-born Heath moved to Arizona via Texas in the early 1880s where he served for some time as a deputy sheriff in Cochise County. Not finding the occupation lucrative, in December 1883, Heath masterminded a bank robbery that resulted in the shooting deaths of five residents of the town of Bisbee, Arizona. Heath did not personally participate in the robbery or the shootings but was found guilty of second degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery for which he was sentenced to jail. So incensed were the local residents at the leniency of the sentence that a mob of 50 broke into the Tombstone jail and summarily hung Heath on a telegraph pole.

Offered together with a second real photo postcard, 5 1/4 x 3 1/8 in., captioned in the negative: “DOCTOR HUERTA ELLENTE, LEADER OF GANG, HUNG IN MEXICO FOR HOLDUP AND MURDER.”
 
 
 

Mild crazing to emulsion, else fine condition overall. Together, two pieces.

(EXA 4056) $1,950