William Brocius
Known as “Curly Bill,” William Brocius was born sometime around 1841. His exact birth date and place of birth are a mystery. Brocius ended up in Arizona in the late 1870s and immediately became known as one of the most feared killers in the territory. He had a short temper and was the type of outlaw most men go out of their way to avoid. Brocius was a member of an outlaw group known as the Cochise County Cowboys.
Brocius became involved in a rivalry with the most well-known lawman in the Old West; Wyatt Earp. In 1880, a drunken Curly Bill was accosted by the Town Marshal of Tombstone, Arizona, Fred White. During a struggle over Brocius’ gun, White was shot in the groin. Wyatt Earp was on the scene, and he pistol-whipped Brocius and arrested him. Fred White died of his injury two days later, but Brocius was ultimately acquitted of the murder. This would not be the last time Brocius had a run-in with a member of the Earp family.
Like many of his Old West contemporaries, Brocius had a tendency to shoot men while drinking and playing cards. This behavior led to Curly Bill shooting several men during the 1880s. He also shot men during robberies. In March 1882, Brocius ambushed and murdered Morgan Earp, Wyatt’s brother, while Earp played billiards.
Only six days after Morgan Earp’s death, Wyatt Earp and a posse happened upon Brocius and some of his criminal partners near Iron Springs, Arizona. A shootout ensued and Wyatt Earp killed Brocius with a shotgun blast.