[Johnson County War] Five Legal Documents with Frank Canton Manuscript and Signature 1883-1914 plus Charles Burritt Signature

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[Johnson County War] Five Legal Documents with Frank Canton Manuscript and Signature 1883-1914 plus Charles Burritt Signature

Each document is sleeved and in very good condition.

Frank Canton signed documents from his time as Johnson County, Wyoming Sheriff and later Oklahoma National Guard Adjutant General.

It would take a book to tell the story of Frank Canton, one of the west's wildest outlaws turn sheriff. University of Oklahoma published "Alias Frank Canton" by Robert K. DeArment in 1996. In brief, Frank Canton, born Josiah Horner was a notorious Texas outlaw accused of bank robbery, cattle rustling and murder. Escaping the Texas Rangers, Horner fled to Nebraska where he changed his name to Frank Canton and began a new life ranching. By the mid 1880's Canton had drifted north to Wyoming where he was elected sheriff of Johnson County, Wyoming in 1882. See also "Frontier Trails, The Autobiography of Frank Canton" published in 1930.

Johnson County was the epicenter of tensions between rich cattle barons and the flood of homesteaders flooding into Wyoming, eventually flaring into what we know as the Johnson County War. 

First document, from 1883, is signed by Canton as sheriff, in which he served a subpoena on one Daniel Brian. Next two documents are much more interesting historically. 

Frank Canton signed Johnson County Wyoming Territory Criminal Warrant for Frank Lamb for stealing a gun from Thomas L. Coble on October 13, 1885, also signed by Charles H. Burritt (1854-1927) as Justice of the Peace, October 19, 1885. Burritt was the Mayor of Buffalo Wyoming during the Johnson County War, was a friend of the invaders and was a lawyer for them at their subsequent trial in Cheyenne. He was also involved in the investigation of the murder of George Wellman. DeArment states in Alias Frank Canton that Frank Lamb was a member of Teton Jackson's gang and was arrested at the same time gang member "Big George Stevens" alias "Red Cloud" was killed by Deputy Sheriff Chris Gross on December 1, 1885. However, in this warrant Frank Canton writes that he arrested Lamb on December 4, 1885 at 1 25 PM.

Frank Canton signed Johnson County Wyoming Territory Criminal Warrant for William Jackson (d. 1893) for stealing 16 horses in Idaho on April 30, 1885, also signed by D.A. Savage as Justice of the Peace, October 19, 1885. Canton wrote that he "served the warrant on October 19th 1885 at the hour of 5 20 PM by arresting the within named Wm Jackson & taking him into court". DeArment states in Alias Frank Canton that Canton arrested Jackson on October 11, 1885. Jackson who was known as "Teton" Jackson (real name Harvey Gleason) was a scout for General Crook on the Yellowstone and Big Horn Expedition, then led an outlaw gang, was captured by Canton in the Big Horn Basin in October 19, 1885 (not 1887 as reported by Thrapp in his entry for Jackson in his Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography) and was sentenced in Idaho to 14 years in prison. He knifed a guard and escaped and was subsequently killed.

Last two documents are proforma documents which Canton signed in his role as Oklahoma National Guard Adjutant General ,1914 and 1915.