Start My Family Tree Welcome to Geni, home of the world's largest family tree.
Join Geni to explore your genealogy and family history in the World's Largest Family Tree.

Outlaws of Northeast California (1880-1900)

Project Tags

view all

Profiles

  • Sheriff Charles Christopher Rachford (1840 - 1908)
    crippled by a bullet to the shoulder ( Fandango massacre )* two-term sheriff* miner*convicted of misuse of funds and sent to prison, probably pardoned almost immediately* photo at findagrave ==Intrigue?==
  • William Beury Love (c.1833 - d.)
    He perjured himself in the case of the outlaw/highwayman Outlaw Abe Jones (1882) and was said to have been sent to prison, probably for a term shorter than a year. He conspired with Abe's brother to pr...
  • Virgil Howard (1861 - d.)
    part of a notorious group of thieves including his brother and Outlaw Abe Jones . Went prison for counterfeiting.Vigil is shown to be in Salem OR prison in two references# A LIST in 1895# a list in 190...
  • Cornelius Howard (1829 - 1908)
  • William Jones of Secret Valley (1861 - 1938)
    Convicted of Perjury==It was said in the coverage of the 3 trials of his brother Abe that William and and accomplice perjured themselves to save Abe from life imprisonment. Although William was eventua...

A compendium of gangs and their accomplices during the last two decades of the 1800s. These outlaws assisted each other and family members were drawn in to try to stop (or help) in their lives of crime.

Quick Snap Shot

The so-called Hough-Lowry gang

and other seedy characters:

The "Harney Boys"

for Harney OR, were a sort of overlapping gang consisting of

  • Abe Jones (and I suppose his brother George)
  • Bill Howard (shot dead evading capture)
  • Jack Rice, who turned States evidence
  • Virgil Howard

Alphabetical List of Criminals

Law Men

Aggrieved Family & friends

~• some of whom were co-conspirators

  • Howard, Cornelius held as an accessory after the fact - watched his son Bill Howard die in his door yard
  • Jones, Harriet wailed for clemency on behalf of son Abe outside the San Francisco courthouse
  • Jones, William perjured for his brother Abe, was caught, got a year, joined Abe In San Quentin
  • Love, William "W.B." assisted William Jones in perjury story

Pertinent Clippings

~• newspapers.com subscription needed to view

~• note: many more clippings are attached to each of the profiles pegged to this project