Overview

In western New Mexico in 1905 there rode a notorious outlaw from the Mexican border named Henry Coleman. With a Colt .45 strapped to his hip, Coleman (alias Street Hudspeth from the well-to-do Texas family) came to be either despised as a deceitful rustler and ruthless murderer or admired as a man of honor and great courage, a popular and charismatic cowman who was fast with a gun. No one seemed indifferent.  In less than a decade, Coleman, who was fluent in Spanish and popular with many of the Hispanics of the area, became as famous in the western part of the state as Billy the Kid was in Lincoln County. Sheriff Elfego Baca of Socorro County, who was careful not to confront Coleman, referred to him as the last of the “bad men of New Mexico.” Especially spellbinding are the recollections of how Coleman came to be associated with several murders. Also intriguing is how he died so violently at the hands of a posse of cattlemen in October 1921.  From her ranch on Largo Creek, not far from where Coleman was said to have committed more than one murder, Eleanor Williams worked hard to interview anyone who had known him or had any knowledge of his daring deeds. Williams first published Coleman’s story in the New Mexico Electric News, a monthly electrical co-op magazine, from 1964 to 1965. Award-winning historian Jerry Thompson edited and annotated it with additional historical context; also included is a short biography of Williams by her daughter, Helen Cress. 

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9781574419337

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Reviews

"""Murder on the Largo is a colorful examination of the crimes and character of Henry Coleman, one of New Mexico's lesser-known but undeniably captivating outlaws."" --James B. Mills, author of Billy the Kid: El Bandido S�mpatico"

""Murder on the Largo is a colorful examination of the crimes and character of Henry Coleman, one of New Mexico's lesser-known but undeniably captivating outlaws."" --James B. Mills, author of Billy the Kid: El Bandido Símpatico

""Thompson likens Coleman's legend to that of Billy the Kid . . . . Like Billy, Henry Coleman was loathed by some and admired by others, but he strove mightily to conceal the nature of his involvement in the cattle business and in criminal acts that occurred within his orbit.""--Southwestern Historical Quarterly ""Williams found Coleman to be a man loved, respected and hated in equal measure by those who had known him. . . . I enjoyed this book, both as a study of a lesser-known New Mexico outlaw, and a yet another reminder that the Old West is not that old.""--English Westerners' Society Tally Sheet ""Murder on the Largo contributes to a field that has very little published academic literature. This will be an important book in the field of western frontier violence. Thompson's annotations are incredibly thorough and well-researched, and the introductory material also places the work within its appropriate historiographic contexts.""--William Kiser, author of Turmoil on the Rio Grande: History of the Mesilla Valley, 1846-1865 and Illusions of Empire: The Civil War and Reconstruction in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands ""Jerry Thompson has done it again. He is a talented scholar and prolific writer. Readers in the field of New Mexico history will welcome this book with great interest. The life of the main character, a psychopath named Coleman, has the greatest coverage I believe that exists in New Mexico histories. Williams writes in a clear, easy-to-follow style.""--James Sullivan, author of A New Mexican Family: Tafoya-Sullivan and the Origins of Sierra County ""Murder on the Largo is a colorful examination of the crimes and character of Henry Coleman, one of New Mexico's lesser-known but undeniably captivating outlaws.""--James B. Mills, author of Billy the Kid: El Bandido Símpatico ""[A] unique and wonderful history. . . . Readers will be intrigued to learn about Henry Coleman's legendary, violent life. . . . After finishing Thompson's well-edited and annotated book, you will be glad you never met Coleman.""--True West

Author Information

Jerry Thompson is Regents and Piper Professor of History at Texas A&M International University in Laredo. He is the author or editor of numerous award-winning books, including Cortina: Defending the Mexican Name in Texas, and Tejano Tiger: Jose de los Santos Benavides and the History of the Texas-Mexico Borderlands, 1823–1891.

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