The Shootout that Shaped Salida: How a Pocket Watch Saved Marshal Stingley in 1883

The Salida Museum has thousands of items on display but probably the most frequently sought exhibit is a pocket watch which saved the life of Marshal Baxter Stingley in  a gunfight in downtown Salida on Decoration Day. May 30, 1883.

               The May 31, 1883 issue of the local newspaper reported – Within a few minutes of six o’clock yesterday evening, there enacted in Salida a tragedy that will serve as one of the dates to reckon from in writing the town’s history.  It will long be remembered as one of the most terrible events that have transpired in the Arkansas Valley,

               Thomas Neimeyer, a charcoal worker currently working in Browns Canon, came to Salida with his father, his brother, Boon, Bill O’Brien and Tom Evans. Neimeyer was reportedly upset because he has been robbed by a prostitute and town officials would not compel the woman to return the money. There was no proof so officials could do nothing and Neimeyer swore vengeance.

The shooting happened in Marm Benders Hotel and Saloon at 129 W. First Street where the four men got drunk and became abusive to customers and staff. Marshal Stingley (sometimes referred to as Salida’s Chief of Police) and deputy Marshal Jim “Buster” Bathhurst were called to take care of the disturbance.

Neimeyer drew a gun and Evans went after Stingley with a knife. As Evans attacked Stingley, Evans was shot and killed. A blacksmith for the railroad was having his dinner and he was also shot and killed. Bathhurst was shot in the chest and died. One of the shots fired by Neimeyer at Stingley struck his watch which was in his left vest pocket and “knocked it to smitherines” saving his life.

The gun battle continued on up First Street where another man was shot and killed by accident. By then 50 armed men were after Neimeyer. He was captured and there was talk of lynching him but  he was taken to Buena Vista to the county jail. He later escaped and was never apprehended. However Marshal Stingley’s luck did not hold out. Within a month he was back on the job and on October28, 1883 in an attempt to arrest Frank Reed, an accused cattle rustler, Stingley was shot and killed in the line of duty. He was 38 years old at the time, had been in the United States for 18 years and was marshal for just two years.