William M. Francisco was born March 9, 1875, Blythedale, Harrison County, Missouri.[1]  He was the tenth of eleven children born to George Francisco, and Susan Tipton.[2]  Unfortunately, when William was only four years old, his father passed away from pneumonia on Christmas Day 1879.[3]

            The Francisco’s were farmers, so after George’s death, most of the responsibility of the farm operation fell to the two oldest sons.  Charles was 20, and James who suffered with ‘palsy’ on his left side was 17.[4]  George died without a will which meant his estate had to be settled in Probate Court.  The land went to Susan Francisco, his wife, but the rest of George’s assets went through Probate so half of the value could go to Susan and the other half could be evenly distributed between the surviving nine children.  Obviously, this adversely affected the farms operation since assets had to be converted to cash, so that each child’s share was the same.[5]  This caused running the family farm to be quite a struggle.

            During the Civil War, George had served with Company K, of the 8th Iowa Infantry.  After the war the government passed legislation entitling some ex-soldiers or widows to a pension if they met specifically spelled out criteria.  On October 9, 1889, Susan hired a lawyer to file a Widow’s Claim for Pension.  The Pension Board turned down her initial request stating that she was not without means of support.  As time passed, the children grew up and left home taking their share of the estate, and of course their physical contribution to running the farm.  By 1899 only William and his younger brother Horace remained on the farm with their mother.  William was 23, and Horace was 21.[6]

            On September 21, 1898, William beat up a man named William Harris.  He was arrested and convicted of Assault and Battery.  He was fined $10.00 plus court costs coming to a grand total of $29.48.  He was unable to come up with the money, so eventually he was sentenced to fifteen days in jail, performing labor, being credited $2.00 for each day served.  He was released on January 28, 1899.  Then on March 30, 1899, William was arrested again.  This time for Disturbing the Peace.  William was cursing loudly, swearing, was using indecent and abusive language, as he made his way along the streets of  Andover.  Then he went into Dr. Frank Hedges office and kicked over fixtures, breaking bottles, and continued his tirade.  That same day he was arrested, pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace and was fined $10.00 plus court costs of $6.50.  Again, he was unable to pay, so he requested serving time instead.[7]

            Possibly the court ordered it, or possibly William felt he needed a lifestyle change, but on June 21, 1899, he enlisted in the Army in St. Joseph, Missouri.  Records showed he had been employed as a farmer, he was 5’10 ¼” tall, 156 lbs., with brown eyes and hair, and a dark complexion.  He had a small scar on his left hand between his thumb and forefinger.  William boarded a train at 12:20AM, June 22, 1899, in St. Joseph, Missouri, headed for San Francisco, California.  In San Francisco he boarded a ship crossing the Pacific, arriving in Luzon, Philippine Islands on August 29, 1899.  Upon his arrival and processing he was assigned to Company C, of the 12th Infantry.[8]  The day after William arrived in the Philippines, Susan his mother was awarded her Widow’s Pension, starting at $8.00 a month.[9]

            The Philippines had been in turmoil for years, starting with the Philippine Revolution which started in August of 1896 against the then ruling Spanish government.  That continued until April of 1898, when the Spanish American War started.  Rebels who had been fighting the Spanish unofficially sided with the United States.  In August when the war ended, the Filipino people expected to be given their freedom.  Filipino leaders dealt in good faith with American military leaders in the Philippines, expecting promises and assurances they were given to be honored.  But the United States refused to recognize their independence.  On February 4, 1899, Filipino rebels attacked American forces, in what became known as the Battle of Manila.  After the Spanish surrendered the American military switched from a conventional war footing to a suppression footing.  A vast majority of the Filipino people were not involved in the insurrection.  To keep things under control easier, civilians were interned in ‘zones of protection’, separating them from the guerrilla population.  Unfortunately, these ‘zones’ were poorly run, and organized, resulting in unsanitary conditions which eventually resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, mostly from dysentery.  Around the time William arrived, Filipino forces decided to end all conventional warfare with America and initiated total guerrilla warfare.  Atrocities began to be attributed to both sides.  Since Americans had no entrenched enemies to fight, and it was unclear who and where the guerrillas were at any given time, they instituted a ‘scorched earth’ policy of fighting.  They would go through the countryside in active areas, attacking suspected guerrillas, and burning all buildings, crops, and supplies in sight.  If prisoners were taken, it wasn’t unusual to give them the ‘water cure’ (Waterboarding).  Filipinos regularly tortured and killed any American soldiers they captured.  This involved disemboweling them with machetes, burying them up to their necks in ant hills, and even roasting them alive.  When entering villages while on operations it was a regular occurrence on both sides for young women to be taken, raped, and sometimes brutally murdered afterwards.  This war continued until July 4, 1902, when the United States became a sovereign of the Philippine Islands.  By this time several hundred thousand Filipino’s had died because of disease, and the fighting.  An untold number of rapes, torture, and other atrocities had taken place as well.

            Life in the Philippines was difficult for most American soldiers.  The Tropical climate, sexually transmitted diseases ran rampant, sickness caused by unsanitary conditions, and new viruses and bacteria they had never been exposed to before, put most soldiers in the sick bay on a regular basis.  William’s first sick bay call was due to a ‘social disease’ no doubt acquired while visiting one of the many prostitutes who set up shop near camp.  This same ailment cropped up from time to time throughout his stay in the Philippines, resulting in quick visits to camp doctors.  He also had his fair share of other discomforts.  He had recurring bouts with malaria, dysentery, and diarrhea.  Once a small abrasion on his foot developed an infection.  On another occasion an insect bite on his jaw developed an abscess.  He came down with one particularly bad case of dysentery in January of 1901, which sent him to the hospital, and eventually to the hospital ship USS Relief.  He didn’t make it back to duty until May 7.  He came down with dysentery again on June 20, was sent to the hospital and on July 16 they put him on a ship and sent him back to San Francisco to recover there. He didn’t return to the Philippines until September 27.  After his return they transferred him to the 105th Division Coastal Artillery, on October 5, 1901.  The rest of William’s military service was relatively uneventful.  He was officially discharged at the Presidio in San Francisco, California on June 20, 1902.[10]          

            William spent the years after his discharge until 1906, travelling throughout the west.  He spent time in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and as far north as Alberta, Canada.  Travel at that time wasn’t easy in that part of the country.  Most likely he rode horseback or walked.  On December 10, 1906, William applied for a military pension due to health issues acquired in the army, while stationed in the Philippines.[11]  Around this time William met Flora Pendergraft.  One thing led to another and on July 17, 1908, Olive Mae Francisco was born in Buffalo, Johnson County, Wyoming.[12]  A couple of months later they decided to make things official, and on September 12, 1908, William married Flora.[13]  On April 25, 1909, Lucinda Mae Francisco was born in Centennial Prairie, Lawrence County, South Dakota.  At this time William was working as a farm manager.  A little over a year later September 24, 1910, Mary E. Francisco was born in Butte County, South Dakota.[14]  On February 12, 1912, William packed up and abandoned his family, possibly due to his wife expecting again.  In November of 1912, Edith Geneva Francisco, his fourth daughter was born in Wyoming.[15]  On May 16, 1913, William filed paperwork to homestead 320 acres in Piniele, Carter County, Montana.[16]

            Flora did the best she could to support herself and her family and came to realize that she needed to move on in the best interests of her children.  She decided the best thing would be to move back to Buffalo, Johnson County, Wyoming to be closer to her extended family.  About a year after William left Flora filed for a divorce, and on May 14, 1914, it was granted.[17]  A little over a year later Flora Francisco married Felix Hecht, on July 31, 1915, in Sheridan, Sheridan County, Wyoming.  They set up their new life together in Buffalo, Johnson County, Wyoming.  They would have two children together, John P., and Emil Otto Hecht.[18]

            William continued living in Piniele, Carter, Montana, working on his homestead.  For the next 5 years, the General Land Office looked for a good faith effort by the homesteaders. This meant that the homestead was their primary residence and that they made improvements to the land. After 5 years, the homesteader could file for his patent (or deed of title) by submitting proof of residency and the required improvements to a local land office.  How much improvement, or what they were was kind of ambiguous.  It kind of depended on the General Land Office investigator.  To ensure there would be no problems it was wise to always be working on some type of improvement.  Local land offices forwarded the paperwork to the General Land Office in Washington, DC, along with a final certificate of eligibility. The case file was examined, and valid claims were granted patent to the land free and clear, except for a small registration fee. 

William was still living on his homestead, on September 12, 1918, so he had succeeded in ‘proving up’ his claim.[19]  On December 11, 1920, William got married to Etta May Bayliffe, in Belle Fourche, Butte, South Dakota.[20]  William had continued to pursue a military pension.  He wrote a letter on February 20, 1924, to the pension board explaining that if he didn’t get approved for a pension soon, he would be in danger of losing his ranch.[21]  William must have had some bad years, or borrowed more money than he could repay.  His pension requests were being denied, so he must have been feeling desperate.  That desperation led to some desperate decisions.

On January 17, 1920, the U. S. Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture, importation, transportation, or sale of alcohol in the United States.  Even though it was against the law, those who wished for a drink now and then, still wanted a drink, creating an illegal demand for alcohol.  Those who found a way to satisfy this demand, found themselves on the receiving end of what appeared at first to be ‘easy cash’.  William, seeing an opportunity, and feeling he had exhausted all legal means to raise money, decided to avail himself of some of that ‘easy’ cash. 

            William and a neighbor, Veil Chaussee, teamed up to drive a load of whiskey from Ekalaka, Carter County, Montana, east through Belle Fourche, Butte County, South Dakota.  Unbeknownst to them, someone tipped off the Sheriff in Belle Fourche, Art LeFors.  Early Sunday morning, October 26, 1924, the sheriff was told that a large car loaded with liquor, driven by two men would be coming through his town.  Sheriff LeFors, Deputy Sheriff Craig, and Chief of Police Hi Hantz proceeded to the Wyoming state line to await the arrival of the bootleggers.  A witness said William and Chaussee were in Alzada, Carter County, Montana, when they stopped to get oil and gas for their car.  The witness stated that they were unruly and using profane language.  After they got back on the road they didn’t arrive at the Wyoming/South Dakota state line until almost 7:00PM.  Oblivious to the presence of three lawmen, William and Veil drove past them in their Paige automobile towards Belle Fourche. 

            William stated that he and Veil had almost passed through town heading east, when without warning they were showered with bullets from behind.  Out of eleven shots two of the bullets struck the car, one eventually struck Veil in the back below his right lung, the other was found lying in the front seat, its force being spent passing through the back seat.  Veil was killed almost instantly.  William was driving and Veil fell over against him saying, “My God, I’m shot!”  The law enforcement officials stated they yelled for Francisco and Chausse to stop five or six times, and only after Francisco sped up, did they fire into the car.[22]  When Chausse was hit, he slumped onto William.  Veil took his last breath leaning on Francisco.  His speed increased and he lost control taking the sharp curve onto the Redwater Bridge.  Francisco crashed into a telephone pole, partially overturned by the bridge piling, and was thrown from the vehicle along with Veil’s dead body.  The officers stopped their car about 25 yards away from the wrecked Paige.  Sheriff LeFors said he saw something tossed into the river which he surmised was a revolver.  As they cautiously approached the bootlegger’s car, the officers told them to put up their hands and come out.  Francisco picked up a hammer and started breaking gallon jugs of whiskey.  Hearing breaking glass and swearing, the officers again told him to put up his hands and step away from the car.  This time Francisco stood up, and with an oath turned towards them with the hammer still in his hand.  The Sheriff, perceiving this as a threat, raised his rifle and shot Francisco.  Struck in the lower right leg, William dropped the hammer and crumpled to the ground.  The shot shattered the bone and created a large, jagged wound.[23]

            Francisco was arrested and immediately taken to the nearby hospital for treatment.  At first his injury seemed to be healing well, but later in the week an infection began to set in, threatening Francisco’s life.  The doctor, having exhausted his options, amputated William’s lower right leg on Saturday afternoon.  His condition was monitored closely, but the infection had gone too far.  The infection plus the trauma of the surgery proved too much for Francisco.   He died that same evening on, November 1, 1924.  William had recently divorced his second wife, Etta, and authorities were unable to locate any other next of kin.  It was decided his body would be taken to Spearfish, South Dakota for a pauper’s burial.  He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Spearfish, in an unmarked grave.[24]

            The incident with William Francisco and Veil Chausee, marked the third time in one year that Sheriff Art LeFors was involved in a shooting.  Three men died and one survived his wound.  Coroner’s juries cleared LeFors in the three incidents, even though some claimed he was a little too eager to use his guns.  On February 21, 1925, an article calling LeFors “the two-gun man” reported that he had not run in the last election for Sheriff and had since been hired to work for the Federal Prohibition Enforcement Department.  Two of the three shootings had involved bootleggers.  Obviously, word of his actions had reached the ears of those who felt he would be a good fit in his new position.  This position moved him from a small local Sheriff into statewide law enforcement.  LeFors went on to have a long-respected career.[25]

          

   

             

 

[1] William M. Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[2] 1870 and 1880 United States Federal Census

[3] George Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[4] 1880 United States Federal Census

[5] George Francisco’s Probate Records

[6] George Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[7] William Francisco’s  Circuit Court Records

[8] William M. Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[9] Susan Francisco’s Widow’s Pension Records

[10] William Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[11] William Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[12] William Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[13] Marriage License

[14] Birth Certificate

[15] Divorce Decree

[16] Land Patent Certificate

[17] Divorce Decree

[18] 1920 and 1930 United States Federal Census

[19] World War I Registration Card

[20] Marriage License

[21] William Francisco’s Military and Pension Records

[22] Newspaper

[23] Newspaper

[24] Death certificate

[25] Newspaper

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