The Strange Death of Johnny Ringo
Mystery on the Western Frontier
Johnny Ringo was a legendary gunslinger and favorite outlaw of Tombstone, Arizona. Of course, he didn’t begin life as a western frontier villain. He was born May 3, 1850, to Martin Ringo and Mary Peters in Green Fork, Indiana. Johnny was the eldest of five children. As a child, Johnny was repeatedly uprooted to begin life in a new town with better prospects. The family lived in Green Fork for a short time before moving to Gallatin, Missouri. Johnny likely learned to use a pistol in Gallatin; Jesse James and Johnny’s 1st cousin Cole Younger also lived in the town during the time. As an adult, Johnny could recite Shakespeare and speak Latin as well as any educated man. However, it is unlikely that Johnny received more than an 8th-grade education since there is no recorded evidence that Johnny went to college or earned a degree.
Martin Ringo was diagnosed with tuberculosis and required a drier climate than Missouri had to offer. The Ringos joined a wagon train and headed to Wyoming. Tragedy struck the Ringo family in Wyoming, when his father Martin inadvertently discharged his weapon, landed a bullet in his head, and died. The family buried Martin Ringo at a trailside grave near Converse, Wyoming on July 30, 1864
