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"The fifth murder victim, Ed Schieffelin was a strange character, described by one writer as "tall and gangly, wearing a mix-match of buckskin and flannel, and with wild matted hair and beard, such that he appeared almost more a wild animal than a man". An Indian scout as well as a prospector, he was originally from Pennsylvania and had spent some twelve or thirteen years looking for gold and silver thought the southwest. In 1876, Ed worked on an assessment crew at the Brunckow Mine when another guard on the crew was killed by the local Apache. In March and early April, of 1877, he was employed as an Indian scout by the 6th Cavalry at the newly established Camp Huachuca. In April, he left and once again began prospecting around Goose Flat. The soldiers at Camp Huachuca told Ed the only stone he'd find would be his tombstone. And on April 17, 1877 they were proven right. Ed's body was found by soldiers from Camp Huachuca, apparently killed by the local Apache. (1)"


Excerpt from Chapter 7 "Bloodiest Cabin in Arizona - the Murders at Brunckow's Cabin" (2), Ghostly Tales of Arizona and New Mexico, Antonio Garcia, Lone Pine Press, 1987

(1) This is, of course the POD. OTL, Ed Schieffelin found the Tombstone and Graveyard mines, leading to a silver rush the founding of the town of Tombstone. Here, neither occurs (at least not within the time frame of the story).

(2) The Brunckow Cabin, built by mining engineer and prospector Fredrick Brunckow, is actually known as the bloodiest cabin in Arizona. It was the site of (depending on the source) 21 or 22 murders between 1860 and 1890. The first three were Brunckow and two Anglo miners, murdered for unknown reasons by Mexican laborers working the mine. The fourth was a man named Lenox, who worked on the assessment crew.
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