On November 17, 1911, a tragic gunfight at the V Cross T corral in New Mexico resulted in the death of Thomas H. Hall, a 47-year-old deputy from Deming, New Mexico. The events leading to this fatal confrontation began on the evening of November 7, 1911, when a group of outlaws, including John Gates and the Greer brothers escaped from the jail in Deming. During this jailbreak, the outlaws held up Sheriff Dwight B.
Stephens and the jailer, releasing John Gates, who was one of the inmates.
The escapees made their way to the V Cross T ranch, approximately 85 miles northwest of Engle, New Mexico. Sheriff Stephens, along with his posse, which included Deputies Thomas H. Hall and Allen LeRue Smithers, as well as Bill Simpson and Johnnie James, tracked the outlaws to this location. On the afternoon of November 17, the posse approached the V Cross T corral, where they encountered the fugitives.
As the posse, led by Sheriff Stephens, came upon the outlaws from behind a ridge of hills, a fierce gunfight ensued. The outlaws, Gates and the Greer brothers, mounted their horses and rode calmly towards the lawmen, hoping to be mistaken for cowboys returning from work. However, when Deputy Hall called on them to surrender at a distance of about 75 yards, the situation escalated rapidly. The outlaws dismounted, using their horses as shields, and began firing over their saddles at Hall and Smithers. Hall and Smithers returned fire, but the outlaws had sufficient ammunition to keep the posse pinned down until darkness allowed them to escape.
During this intense exchange of gunfire, Deputy Thomas H. Hall was killed by a bullet to the head after emptying his rifle at the fugitives. Deputy Allen LeRue Smithers was also killed instantly by a bullet through his body. One of the outlaws was also killed in the gunfight, but Gates and Reynold Greer managed to escape into the mountains, despite being wounded.
The bodies of the dead officers and the outlaw were transported to Engle by Sheriff Stephens and Bill Simpson, and later sent to Deming by train. Hall's funeral was attended by a large crowd in Deming, where he was buried in Mountain View Cemetery. Hall left behind a wife and five children and was remembered as a prominent cattleman and rancher who had first come to the area in 1884.
In the aftermath of the gunfight, posses continued to hunt for Gates and Reynold Greer throughout the Black Range and surrounding areas but were initially unsuccessful. However, John Gates, whose real name was Frazier, was eventually captured and tried in Socorro, New Mexico, for his role in the deaths of Hall and Smithers. The trial was one of the briefest in New Mexico history, and Frazier was convicted and sentenced to be hanged on April 25, 1913.
The incident marked a significant chapter in the history of law enforcement in New Mexico, highlighting the bravery and sacrifices of men like Thomas H. Hall, who gave their lives in the line of duty. The legacy of this event was further commemorated by the appointment of Bill Simpson, who had been part of the posse, as the successor to Sheriff Stephens, and by the eventual demolition of the old Deming jail, which was seen as a symbol of the tragic events that had unfolded.
