On April 15, 1905, tragedy began when the McDaniel brothers, Otis and Herbert, went to the home of 77-year-old James Westfall near Lewis.
He invited them in out of a storm. They rewarded him by tying him up and gagging him, then taking $20, a shotgun, a pistol and an axe, and leaving him in his cabin. Trying to wriggle free, he managed to wedge himself between his bed and the wall, and he slowly died of thirst and exhaustion.
Westfall was found by law enforcement officers who suspected the McDaniels brothers. They were arrested and jailed. The county jail was deemed inadequate, and they were taken to Glenwood Springs.
On July 15, Sheriff Wes Dunlap and Deputy Lem Duncan were transporting the brothers from Glenwood Springs to Cortez for trial. They stopped below Placerville because of a car wreck. Dunlap got out of the car to check it out. Duncan stayed inside and watched Dunlap. Otis lunged over the front seat and grabbed Dunlap's gun from the glove box, and shoved Duncan out of the car and fatally shot him twice.
The keys were still in the ignition, so the brothers drove the car about a mile before heading away on foot. They disappeared into the mountains, sparking a manhunt with hundreds of searchers. They were found in August after a rancher recognized them.
The brothers were tried in Durango for the Westfall murder and sentenced to life in prison. District Attorney James Noland later had them tried in Telluride for Dunlap's death. Both men were convicted, and on Feb. 14, 1936, Otis died in the gas chamber. Herbert stayed in prison the rest of his life.
The case of Jim Stevens
It was a Friday evening on Oct. 9, 1939, and Mancos was already partying. Franklin Dean had eaten his mother's cooking at the Mancos Hotel about an hour earlier. He had pinned his police badge on and chatted with some of the revelers. Then he saw the 72-year-old Jim Stevens yelling and cursing at people. It was obvious he was very drunk.
Franklin convinced Jim he should spend the night in the jail. Another police officer watched as Franklin half carried Stevens toward the jail. When Franklin and Stevens arrived at the jail, the other officer turned away and started walking back to Grand and Main. He heard the jail door open and the crack of a pistol shot. He turned and saw Stevens walking north and apprehended him. As he brought Stevens back to the jail, he saw blood on Franklin's chest.
Franklin was dead at age 26. He left behind a large sorrowful family that included his wife and two young children.
Stevens pleaded innocent at the trial, but it became obvious that he was too drunk that night to remember anything that went on. He stayed in the state penitentiary for a little over a year before being put to death in the gas chamber.
Darrel Ellis is a historian of the Mancos Valley. Email him at dnrls@q.com.