John Kinney Gang
Encyclopedia
The John Kinney Gang, also known as the Rio Grande Posse, was an outlaw
gang of the old West, which operated during the mid-1870s into the mid-1880s.
The gang was organized by outlaw John Kinney
, in Dona Ana County, New Mexico
. From its beginning, the gang primarily committed acts of robbery
and cattle rustling. However, they became best known when they were enlisted by the "Murphy-Dolan Faction" during the Lincoln County War
, to counter Billy the Kid
and his "Regulators". Former gang member Jesse Evans and his gang also were enlisted by "Murphy-Dolan". Lincoln County Sheriff
George Peppin deputized the gang members to make them "official" during this time.
After the war ended, they resumed their previous criminal activities, with some members remaining with the Kinney Gang, while others joined Jesse Evans and his gang, or John Selman's
gang. The Kinney Gang ended when John Kinney was arrested, in 1883, for rustling. He was released from prison in 1886, but by that time all former gang members had either disappeared, were in prison or dead. John Kinney did not return to his former outlaw life, served in the US Army during the Spanish American War, and lived until 1919.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
gang of the old West, which operated during the mid-1870s into the mid-1880s.
The gang was organized by outlaw John Kinney
John Kinney (outlaw)
John Kinney was an outlaw of the Old West, who formed the John Kinney Gang.Kinney was born in Hampshire County, Massachusetts around 1847. His family later moved to Iowa, and in 1865, after the Civil War ended, Kinney enlisted in the US Army. At the rank of sergeant, Kinney was mustered out of the...
, in Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Doña Ana County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.1% White*1.7% Black*1.5% Native American*1.1% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.0% Two or more races*18.5% Other races*65.7% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. From its beginning, the gang primarily committed acts of robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and cattle rustling. However, they became best known when they were enlisted by the "Murphy-Dolan Faction" during the Lincoln County War
Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...
, to counter Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
and his "Regulators". Former gang member Jesse Evans and his gang also were enlisted by "Murphy-Dolan". Lincoln County Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
George Peppin deputized the gang members to make them "official" during this time.
After the war ended, they resumed their previous criminal activities, with some members remaining with the Kinney Gang, while others joined Jesse Evans and his gang, or John Selman's
John Selman
John Selman was an outlaw and sometimes lawman of the Old West. He is best known as the man who shot outlaw John Wesley Hardin in the Acme Saloon in El Paso, Texas on August 19, 1895.-Early life, service with the Confederacy:...
gang. The Kinney Gang ended when John Kinney was arrested, in 1883, for rustling. He was released from prison in 1886, but by that time all former gang members had either disappeared, were in prison or dead. John Kinney did not return to his former outlaw life, served in the US Army during the Spanish American War, and lived until 1919.