Pete Spence | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Pete Spence in an 1883 prison mugshot. This is the only known photo of Spence. | |
| Born | Elliot Larkin Ferguson c. 1852 Texas |
| Died | 1914 (aged 61–62) |
| Occupation(s) | Texas Ranger, stock raiser, outlaw Cowboy, lawman |
| Criminal status | Pardoned after 18 months |
| Allegiance | Outlaw Cowboys |
| Conviction(s) | Manslaughter |
| Criminal charge | Manslaughter |
| Penalty | 10 years |
| O.K. Corral gunfight |
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| Principal events |
| Lawmen |
| Outlaw Cowboys |
Pete Spence (born Elliot Larkin Ferguson; c. 1852–1914) was a small-time criminal known for his association with outlaw Cowboys Frank and Tom McLaury, and Ike and Billy Clanton, of Tombstone, Arizona Territory. Spence was also a suspect in the assassination of Morgan Earp. His wife Marietta Duarte testified that Spence and several friends had talked about killing Morgan, but the judge ruled her testimony inadmissible. Spence was first suspected of robbery in 1878 in Goliad County, Texas. He was suspected of stealing mules and later a suspect in a stagecoach robbery outside Bisbee, Arizona. While a deputy sheriff, he pistol-whipped and killed a man for which he served 18 months of a five-year term before the governor pardoned him.