The Killing of Chester Bartell – An intriguing slice of Southwestern History
by Norman K. (Ken) Hunt

In Southwestern New Mexico, not far from the Arizona and Mexico borders, an intriguing slice of little-known history unfolded almost 100 years ago. The events, researched and compiled by the son of one of the shooters, have revealed an interesting tale, definitely stranger than fiction.

Read about the events leading up to the 1917 range war slaying, the investigation and the trials that followed.

Find the answers to the questions that arise:

How many shots were originally fired?
Was the killing justified?
Were the ensuing trials properly conducted?
What was the final outcome?

Follow the twists and turns of the events that preceded and followed the shooting, the trials and appeals. Read articles that appeared in the newspapers of the day. Learn the startling facts about the lives of those involved after the trials.

A fascinating book guaranteed to grab your attention from start to finish as a history of a range war in Southwestern New Mexico and Southeastern Arizona unfolds.

INTRODUCTION

"On September 13, 1917, three Hunt brothers, Jack, Sam and Joe, began driving a small herd of cattle across their ranch at the western edge of New Mexico's Animas Valley. The Hunts had become involved in a dispute with some of their neighbors, and their adversaries had recently begun harassing them. On several recent occasions, one or more of their hostile neighbors had come on to the Hunt ranch and, from concealed positions, had directed rifle fire at or near the Hunts. As Jack, Sam and Joe rode along that morning, they were angry and wary—and armed with pistols and rifles.

"As they neared the top of a ridge, Jack briefly left the trail to retrieve some cows that had strayed. Sam and Joe continued along the trail to where it forked around a dense clump of brush. Skulking behind the brush on his horse was one Chester Bartell. As Sam and Joe rode around either side of the scrub brush, they spotted Bartell reaching for his rifle. Sam and Joe drew their pistols, opened fire on Bartell and killed him instantly. And so began, for Sam and Joe, a gut-wrenching series of encounters with the criminal justice system--an ordeal that would continue for seven agonizing years.