Tom Threepersons facts for kids

Tom Threepersons (born July 22, 1889 – died April 2, 1969) was a brave American lawman. He is known as one of the last "gunfighters" of the Old West, even though his career started in the early 1900s. He also invented a special kind of gun holster, which became very famous.

Discovering Tom Threepersons' Early Life

Where and When Was Tom Threepersons Born?

Tom Threepersons was likely born in Vinita, which was then called Indian Territory, on July 22, 1889. There are some different ideas about who his parents were. It's thought that "Threepersons" wasn't his original family name. He might have started using it after a famous rodeo star named Tom Three Persons became well-known.

Growing Up and Schooling

When Tom was a child, his family and his friend Bill White's family are said to have moved near the border of Montana and Alberta, Canada. Tom claimed he went to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, but there are no records to prove this. After school, he reportedly traveled around, competing in rodeos in states like Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

A Story of Justice

Tom Threepersons once told a story about his father and Bill White's father being killed by cattle rustlers in 1907. He claimed he tracked down the suspects and, after a shootout, they were killed. He said he was arrested but later found not guilty. However, there are no official records of this event happening. The story sounds a lot like a famous case involving a ranger named Frank Wheeler from the same time.

Tom Threepersons: A Career in Law and Service

Serving in the Mounted Police

Tom and his friend Bill White reportedly joined the Royal North-West Mounted Police in Canada, working near Calgary. But, like some other stories, there are no official records of him serving there. They were supposedly sent to catch a group of criminals who had murdered a family. Tom and Bill tracked them through heavy snow for five days, even walking on foot when they couldn't use their horses.

They found the criminals and a shootout happened. Sadly, Bill White and one of the outlaws were killed. Tom buried his friend and kept going after the other two criminals. He found them in a small settlement and waited for them at their cabin. Another shootout took place, and both outlaws were killed.

Joining the U.S. Army

Around 1914, Tom moved to Douglas, Arizona, where he worked as a cowboy. In 1916, he joined the U.S. Army. He served under General John J. Pershing in Mexico, helping to chase Pancho Villa. Later, he was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. In 1920, when he left the army, he was working as a blacksmith.

Working as a Police Officer and Agent

After the army, Tom worked for the El Paso Police for two years. He and his partner, Juan Escontrias, were involved in shootouts with smugglers. Four suspects were killed, and Tom was injured in one incident in 1921.

In 1922, Tom became a Federal Prohibition Agent in El Paso. This job lasted only a few months before he left to manage a ranch in Mexico. While at the ranch, he killed two rustlers in a shootout. He was arrested by Mexican authorities but managed to escape and return to the United States.

U.S. Customs and the Famous Holster

In 1923, Tom became a Mounted Inspector for the U.S. Customs Service. That same year, he was hit by a bootlegger's car during an arrest, but his injuries were not serious. From 1925, he worked for both the El Paso County Sheriffs Office and the El Paso Police Department.

Tom was very well known in the area for his adventures. In 1925, a company called S.D. Myres Saddle Co. in El Paso started selling "Tom Threepersons-style holsters." This holster had a special design that showed the pistol's hammer and trigger guard. It became very popular, and many other companies started making similar holsters.

Tom was even offered a job in Hollywood, California, in the film industry, with a high salary. But he turned it down.

Later Life and Lasting Impact

Health and Retirement

By 1929, Tom Threepersons was having bad headaches from an old head injury. He decided to leave law enforcement and start a ranch near Gila, New Mexico. In 1933, he traveled to New York City for surgery to fix his injury. After a successful operation, he moved to Silver City, New Mexico. He spent the rest of his life working as a rancher and a guide for hunters.

Tom Threepersons' Legacy

Tom Threepersons passed away on April 2, 1969, in Safford, Arizona. He is buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Silver City.

It's important not to confuse Lawman Tom Threepersons with the Kainai rodeo star, Tom Three Persons, who was from Canada.

His story even inspired a TV show! An episode of the Kraft Suspense Theatre in 1964 was called Threepersons. It told the story of a Cherokee gunfighter hired to deal with a Mexican bootlegger on the Texas border.

See also

In Spanish: Tom Threepersons para niños