Jesse West Rollins

According to Jesse West Rollins 1906 enlistment papers for the Arizona Rangers, his occupation was that of a carpenter, tracker, prison guard and Arizona State Ranger. Family sources say he was with Teddy Roosevelt, and Thomas Harbo Rynning in Cuba with the 'Rough Riders'. His enlistment papers show that he signed on to the Rangers on June 27, 1906, for the period of one year. At the time he completed his enlistment papers, they were drawn up in the city of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona. Jesse states that he was born in Iron County, Utah, was 34 years and 2 months old, and was working as a carpenter. The person who signed Jesse's enlistment papers was Thomas Harbo Rynning, Captain, Arizona Rangers, and the document was approved by W.F. Nichols, Acting Governor of Arizona on June 29, 1906.

A television program series called "Twenty Six Men" showcased the Arizona State Rangers. Jesse Rollins was one of those 26 men who became 'Rangers' and started the law enforcement program in the territory of Arizona. Captain Tom Rynning, the head Ranger, was married to Jesse Rollins' sister, Margaret Eve Rollins. There is an old, out-of-print book written by Captain Thomas Harbo Rynning as told to Al Cohn and Joe Chisholm, called 'Gun Notches-The Life Story of a Cowboy-Soldier,' published by Frederick A. Stokes Company in New York.

Gun Notches is probably the basis for the TV program. Jesse Rollins is mentioned once in this book on page 260 wherein he is identified as a good trailer (tracker). Rollins and Rynning were also together with Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba in his famous charge up San Juan hill, except as history doesn't always record everything accurately, the horses which were on another ship, never arrived. So Roosevelt's 'Rough Riders', as they were called, charged up the hill on foot.

Jesse was born in 1872 in Minersville, Beaver County, Utah, to parents John Henry Rollins, Sr., (1841-1887), and Nancy Malinda West Rollins (1844-1917). In about 1879 or 1880, the Rollins family moved to Snowflake, Apache, Arizona, and Jesse was listed in the U.S. census there in 1880 at age 8. His father, John Henry Rollins, Sr., 38, his mother, Nancy Malinda West Rollins, 36, and their children were: Ephraim E., 18, Nancy M., 17, John Henry Rollins, Jr., 14, Samuel W., 12, Guy W. 10, Jesse, 8, Iles M., 5, Moses P., 2, and also in the home was his grandmother, Margaret Cooper West, 75, who was listed as a "doctoress" in the census record. Her husband, Samuel Walker West (1803-1873) passed away in Utah, so Margaret came south with her daughter, Nancy and family. In this census record, Jesse's father was working as a farmer, and his older brothers, Ephraim and John Henry, Jr., were working as laborers.

Jesse married Ruth Smith on February 14, 1909, in Florence, Pinal, Arizona Territory. In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, they were living in a rented home located at 335 Madison Street in Phoenix, and Jesse was working as a carpenter doing odd jobs. They had been married one year. Jesse was 38 and Ruth was 28. Jesse was a guard at Arizona Territorial Prison in 1911. In later years he was a carpenter and lived in Payson.

Jesse and Ruth's son, Thomas James Rollins, (later adopted by Fred Lyall, Ruth's second husband) was born January 13, 1911, in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona. He was named for his father's friend and brother-in-law, Thomas Harbo Rynning, who was famous in Arizona history as a Rough Rider with Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba, head of the Arizona Rangers, and warden of the Arizona Territorial Prison in Florence. Jesse Rollins was with Rynning on many of these adventures. Rynning married Jesse's sister, Margaret Eve Rollins. Thomas Harbo Rynning and Margaret Eve Rollins Rynning moved to San Diego, California, in about 1910.

In a 1915 and 1916 U.S. City Directory for Phoenix, Arizona, Ruth Rollins was listed as the widow of Jesse W. Rollins, and was living at a home she rented there located at 802 S. 3rd Avenue. Obviously, Jesse was not dead at this time, but by that time Jesse and Ruth may have already been divorced. Ruth married Fred Lyall, April 15, 1916. Ruth and Fred Lyall must have immediately started adoption proceedings because by the July 7, 1916, the final papers were ready to sign.

By the 1920 census, Jesse, 47, was living alone in a home located at 155 Rocalla Avenue, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, which Jesse owned free from a mortgage. Jesse was listed as being single and working as a mining prospector. Katherine Morford Lyall Finkler (Tomas James Rollins' first wife) says Tom told her that when he was young Jesse came to school for a visit at least twice. Jesse and his son had to visit through the fence because the school authorities had been warned not to permit contact between them.

Jesse passed away on November 4, 1930, at the age of 58 and was buried in the Safford City Cemetery, Safford, Graham County, Arizona. Following is an obituary which appeared in a local Tucson, Arizona, newspaper on November 15, 1930: "Jesse West Rollins was born in Utah and died at Saint Mary's hospital in Tucson, November 4th aged 58 years. The services were held from Riley's Funeral Home, and was in charge of Rev. Rasmessen, of the Mormon Church of Southern California, of which Mr. Rollins was a member. Rev. Rasmessen was assisted by Rev. Dewey of the Tucson Church. A beautiful solo was sung by Mrs. Daisy Follett, also of Tucson. Mr. Rollins is survived b a son, Thomas J., who was not able to be located; William Rollins, a brother, of this place; a brother in Los Angeles, and two sisters. The burial was in Safford, Arizona, beside his father, mother, and three brothers."

Tom Lyall always wanted to know his real father but his mother wouldn't permit it. Finally, Tom persuaded Ruth's brother, Jack Smith, to take him to see his father when he turned 18 years old. They arrived the day of Jesse's funeral. This greatly upset the assembled relatives because they thought this young man was Jesse returned from the grave because he looked so much like his father.

In court for the divorce Ruth made a good case that she and her child had been abandoned. Jack testified for her but told me many years later he always wondered what really happened between those two. Jesse sent his family home to live with her mother, who was living with Jack. And Jesse told Jack that he would provide a home and a good living for them if only she would wait for him. She didn't and was furious with Jesse.

The following information was found on Ancestry.com, and comes from a newspaper article in the Bisbee Daily Review, dated July 19, 1906: "Scouring the country around Douglas on Tuesday night, Ranger Jesse Rollins came across the trail of the murderer. He notified Lieut. Harry Wheeler of the rangers, and the two took up the trail. Rollins followed the trail into Bisbee and spent the day in and around the town looking for his man. Rollins expected Wheeler to arrive in the city last night, but the Lieutenant was delayed.

The rangers gave the local police a description of the man, so if he is in the city it will be very hard for him to escape arrest. If caught the murderer will be taken back to Douglas and turned over to the Mexican authorities at the boundary. The razor with which the cutting was done was afterwards found in a clump of brush near the house. The name of the dead man was Marcellino Uriba, and he was fifty-six years of age.

About 9 o'clock last evening Rollins was walking up Brewery Gulch, and when he got opposite to the Edelweiss Cafe he saw a man answering to the description of the murderer. He accosted the man and asked him if his name was Quijada. The Mexican said that was not his name, and gave another. The Mexican also said that he had just come through from Phoenix today and that he had not had anything....."(The article which was not complete, was cut off here.)