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Procopio

Procopio Bustamante (c. 1840 – after 1876), also known as Red Dick or Red-Handed Dick, was a Mexican-American outlaw active in California during the turbulent post-Gold Rush period.^[1] As the nephew of the legendary bandit Joaquin Murrieta, Procopio emulated his relative's criminal path, engaging in cattle rustling, stagecoach robberies, and murders that terrorized rural communities from the 1860s onward.^[1]^[2] In the early 1870s, Procopio aligned with Tiburcio Vásquez's gang, participating in high-profile depredations that heightened fears of banditry among Anglo settlers and contributed to the militarization of law enforcement in the state.^[2] The gang's activities, including assaults on ranches and transportation routes, reflected underlying ethnic conflicts stemming from the American conquest of California, though Procopio's motivations appear rooted in personal gain rather than organized resistance.^[3] Captured in San Francisco in 1872 by detective Harry Morse, he was convicted of cattle theft and imprisoned for five years, escaping capital charges for killings due to evidentiary shortcomings.^[1] His repeated incarcerations and releases underscored the challenges of prosecuting outlaws in a frontier justice system prone to escapes and witness intimidation.^[4] Procopio's notoriety persisted amid legends that conflated him with his uncle's mythic status, yet historical accounts emphasize his role as one of California's most ruthless depredators, implicated in family murders such as the 1863 Golding killings in Calaveras County.^[5] The uncertainty surrounding his ultimate fate—possibly continued outlawry or obscurity post-release—highlights the often fragmentary nature of records for such figures, reliant on contemporary newspapers and posse reports rather than comprehensive trials.^[1]

Early Life and Family Background

Birth and Origins

Procopio, whose full name was Tomás Procopio Bustamante, was born circa 1841 in Sonora, Mexico, likely near Hermosillo, to parents of Mexican heritage.^[6] His early years were marked by familial ties to the region's turbulent borderlands, where Mexican families navigated conflicts with indigenous groups such as the Yaqui. Historical records indicate his father worked as a stage driver and was killed by Yaqui attackers when Procopio was a young child, leaving the family vulnerable in a frontier environment prone to violence and economic instability.^[1] As the nephew of Joaquin Murrieta—a bandit leader active in California during the 1850s—Procopio inherited a legacy steeped in resistance against Anglo-American encroachment following the Mexican-American War. Murrieta, born around 1829 in the same Sonora region, reportedly played a role in supporting or influencing the young Procopio after his father's death, fostering an environment where outlawry was romanticized as defiance.^[1] This kinship positioned Procopio within a network of Mexican-origin figures who viewed banditry as a response to land dispossession and cultural marginalization in post-1848 California, though primary evidence for direct upbringing by Murrieta remains anecdotal and drawn from later 19th-century accounts.^[7] Procopio's origins reflect the broader migration of Sonoran families to Alta California, driven by opportunities in mining and ranching amid the Gold Rush. By his adolescence, he had relocated to California, immersing himself in the Californio subculture of former Mexican citizens adapting to U.S. rule, where grievances over vigilante justice and property losses fueled intergenerational cycles of crime.^[1]

Familial Connections to Outlawry

Procopio Bustamante, born around 1841, maintained a direct familial link to California's early outlaw era through his uncle, Joaquin Murrieta, a bandit whose activities in the early 1850s profoundly influenced him.^[1] Murrieta, operating primarily between 1851 and 1853, commanded a gang that conducted over 300 robberies and at least 19 murders across the southern mines and Central Valley, targeting miners and travelers amid the Gold Rush chaos.^[7] This uncle's exploits, blending personal vendetta claims with opportunistic crime, positioned Murrieta as a folk hero to some Mexican Californios while marking him as a ruthless criminal to authorities, culminating in his reported death at the hands of Captain Harry Love's rangers on July 25, 1853, verified by displaying his severed head in a jar of alcohol across California towns.^[1] The nephew's admiration for Murrieta's defiance against Anglo settlers and law enforcement fostered Procopio's own path into banditry, as contemporaries noted the uncle's legendary status served as a "bandit pedigree" motivating the younger man's emulation of violent independence.^[1] No verified records indicate other immediate relatives engaged in outlawry, though Procopio's mixed Mexican and possibly Native American heritage—speculated in some accounts as Yokuts ties—placed him within communities resentful of post-Mexican War land losses, indirectly shaping familial attitudes toward resistance.^[6] This singular but potent connection underscored how personal lineage intertwined with broader ethnic tensions to propel Procopio toward crime upon reaching adulthood.

Entry into Criminal Activity

Association with Early Gangs

Procopio's initial foray into organized banditry occurred in the early 1860s when he joined a gang of robbers operating from a headquarters in the Livermore Valley of Alameda County, California. Influenced by the legacy of his uncle Joaquin Murrieta, whose activities had romanticized outlawry among Californios, Procopio engaged in horse rustling, stagecoach robberies, and nocturnal raids on ranches and settlements in the surrounding countryside.^[1] .pdf) The gang, consisting primarily of local Californio and Mexican desperados, preyed on Anglo-American settlers and travelers amid ongoing ethnic tensions following the Gold Rush era. Procopio rapidly rose to lead the group, leveraging his familial reputation and boldness to coordinate depredations that terrorized the region, including thefts valued in the hundreds of dollars per incident. Contemporary accounts described the outfit as elusive, using the valley's rugged terrain for evasion, though specifics on membership beyond Procopio remain sparse in records..pdf) These associations marked Procopio's transition from petty crimes to structured gang operations, setting the stage for more violent exploits. The Livermore gang's activities drew attention from law enforcement, culminating in heightened pursuits by 1863, though Procopio evaded capture initially through cunning and local sympathies.^[8]

The Raines and Golding Murders

In November 1862, Procopio, whose real name was Tomás Procopio Bustamante, was accused of participating in the murder of John Rains, a prominent rancher and owner of Rancho Cucamonga in what is now San Bernardino County, California.^[5] Rains was ambushed and killed on November 17 while traveling from his ranch toward Los Angeles, in an incident tied to local political rivalries and land disputes during the turbulent post-Gold Rush era. Rumors implicated Procopio alongside Manuel Ceredel (or Cerradel) and possibly Ramon Carrillo, with Ceredel later claiming under interrogation that Carrillo had hired the group for $500 to eliminate Rains; however, only Ceredel was apprehended, while Procopio fled northward to evade capture. ^[9] Contemporary accounts, including later reports in the San Francisco Chronicle, directly attributed the killing to Procopio, marking it as one of his earliest major crimes, though no conviction resulted at the time due to his escape.^[5] Shortly after, in early 1863, Procopio became implicated in the brutal massacre of Aaron Golding and his family in Corral Hollow, near the border of Alameda and San Joaquin Counties (often associated with nearby Calaveras County mining regions).^[5] On February 29, 1863, Golding, a Cherokee-origin cattle dealer known in the area, was slain at his home along with his wife, a Mexican vaquero, and a young Spanish boy, in what historical records describe as a cold-blooded robbery-related attack amid the lawless frontier cattle trade. Procopio's connection stemmed from his recent flight northward following the Rains incident, positioning him in the Sierra Nevada foothills where such banditry was rampant; local law enforcement and eyewitness suspicions linked him to the perpetrators, though direct evidence was circumstantial and he evaded immediate pursuit.^[5] These back-to-back accusations elevated Procopio's notoriety as a violent outlaw, associating him with the pattern of targeted killings against prosperous settlers, but he consistently denied personal involvement in murders during later interrogations, claiming participation only in robberies.^[5] The lack of trials for either case reflects the era's challenges in apprehending mobile bandits in California's vast, under-policed territories.

First Capture and Incarceration

Arrest and Conviction in 1863

In early 1863, Procopio, along with accomplices, stole a herd of cattle from the ranch of a farmer named Pope in Alameda County, California.^[10]^[11] The thieves drove the animals to Alvarado (now part of Union City), where Procopio sold them to local butcher August Maye.^[8] Constable Wood of San Leandro obtained a warrant and tracked the group, confronting Procopio during the sale in Alvarado. In the ensuing struggle, Procopio shot Wood through the arm and fled by swimming across a nearby slough, temporarily evading capture. A posse pursued, and Procopio was apprehended shortly thereafter after he wounded another constable in the arm during the chase.^[10]^[11] Although contemporary accounts and later reports linked Procopio to earlier violent crimes, including the 1859 murders of John Raines and William Golding on the Cucamonga Ranch, insufficient evidence connected him directly to those killings for prosecution at this time. He was charged solely with the cattle theft. During his trial in San Leandro, Procopio assumed full responsibility for the crime to shield his accomplices, leading to his conviction on the theft charge.^[12]^[10] Procopio was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in San Quentin State Prison.^[8] He served approximately eight years before release in early 1871, having benefited from time served and good behavior credits common in the era.^[8]

Experiences in San Quentin Prison

Procopio was convicted of cattle theft in 1863 and sentenced to nine years' imprisonment at San Quentin State Prison.^[8] He served approximately eight years of this term, accounting for time credited from pretrial detention, before being paroled and released in March 1871.^[8] Historical records provide scant details on his daily activities or personal experiences during incarceration, with no documented involvement in prison revolts, escapes, or notable incidents attributed to him at San Quentin during this period.^[12] The facility, operational since 1852, enforced labor-intensive routines for inmates convicted of similar property crimes, though Procopio's adherence to such regimens remains unrecorded.^[8]

Resumed Outlaw Operations

Post-Release Crimes in 1871–1872

Following his release from San Quentin Prison in early 1871, Procopio promptly returned to outlawry, associating with Tiburcio Vásquez and engaging in highway robberies across central California.^[13] On May 5, 1871, Procopio, Vásquez, and likely Juan Soto halted a Los Angeles-bound stagecoach at Soledad, approximately 45 miles south of San Jose, robbing the passengers and driver.^[2] During the holdup, Vásquez fired upon and wounded a man who failed to comply with orders, though no fatalities occurred at the scene.^[14] Procopio's activities drew intensified scrutiny from law enforcement, particularly after he was implicated in the fatal shooting of Otto Ludovisi, a clerk at a Sunol general merchandise store near Livermore.^[8] The murder prompted Alameda County Sheriff Harry Morse to pursue Procopio relentlessly, viewing it as part of a pattern of violent depredations tied to the bandit's post-incarceration resurgence.^[8] In late 1871, Procopio and Vásquez conducted further depredations, including the robbery of a Visalia stagecoach near Soap Lake, where they seized valuables from passengers and the mail strongbox before fleeing southward.^[15] These operations exemplified the pair's modus operandi of targeting isolated transportation routes for quick gains, evading capture amid California's rugged terrain until Procopio's apprehension the following year.^[2]

Alliance with Tiburcio Vásquez's Gang

Following his release from San Quentin State Prison in March 1871, Procopio Bustamante, also known as Red Dick, relocated to San Juan Bautista in Monterey County and joined the bandit gang led by Tiburcio Vásquez. Vásquez had organized the group the previous year, initially including members such as Juan Soto, and expanded operations across central California involving stagecoach robberies, cattle rustling, and highway depredations. Procopio's familial ties to earlier outlaws like his uncle Joaquín Murrieta facilitated his integration into this network of Californio bandits.^[8]^[1] During 1871–1872, Procopio participated in the gang's activities, which included a late 1871 robbery of a Visalia stagecoach near Soap Lake and additional instances of livestock theft. These operations targeted rural routes and settlements in the San Joaquin Valley, evading capture through familiarity with the terrain and local sympathies among some Hispanic communities displaced by American settlement. Historical accounts attribute the gang's success to Vásquez's leadership and Procopio's reputed ferocity, though direct evidence linking Procopio to specific murders remains scant, with convictions limited to rustling.^[16]^[1] The partnership drew intense pursuit from law enforcement, notably Alameda County Sheriff Harry Morse, who tracked the gang extensively. Procopio's association ended with his arrest in a San Francisco restaurant in 1872, where Morse apprehended him on charges of cattle theft, leading to a five-year sentence. This capture disrupted the gang temporarily but preceded Vásquez's more notorious 1873 exploits, highlighting the challenges of interdicting mobile bandit groups in post-Gold Rush California.^[1]^[8]

Final Arrest and Judicial Proceedings

Capture in San Francisco

Procopio, sought for multiple stagecoach robberies and suspected involvement in murders during his association with Tiburcio Vásquez's gang, traveled to San Francisco in early 1872 seeking temporary refuge among the city's large Mexican-American community.^[1] Authorities, including Alameda County Sheriff Harry N. Morse—a detective renowned for pursuing bandits across California—received intelligence via telegram that Procopio had arrived in the city, possibly under an alias and posing as a laborer to evade detection.^[8] On February 10, 1872, Morse located Procopio at a restaurant on Morton Street in San Francisco's Barbary Coast district, a notorious area frequented by immigrants and transients.^[17] Accompanied by local officers, Morse entered the establishment and arrested the 31-year-old bandit without resistance; Procopio was unarmed and made no attempt to flee, later claiming ignorance of the full extent of warrants against him.^[7] Contemporary newspaper accounts described him as a stocky man of medium height with a scarred face from prior conflicts, matching descriptions circulated by law enforcement following the 1871 robbing of stages in the Diablo Range.^[8] The capture marked a significant victory for Morse, who had previously killed Procopio's associate Juan Soto in a shootout and was instrumental in dismantling Vásquez-linked operations. Procopio was immediately detained in the San Francisco city jail before transfer to Alameda County for proceedings on charges including cattle rustling and highway robbery, though insufficient evidence linked him directly to specific homicides at that stage.^[1] The arrest disrupted ongoing bandit activities in the region, as Procopio's evasion tactics—relying on familial networks and remote hideouts—proved ineffective against Morse's persistent tracking methods, which involved informants and cross-county coordination.^[8]

Trial and Sentencing

Procopio Bustamante, arrested in San Francisco on February 10, 1872, at a Morton Street lodging house by Santa Clara County Sheriff Harry Morse, U.S. Detective John Throckmorton, and other officers, faced initial suspicions of involvement in multiple murders, stage robberies, and the recent Tres Pinos stagecoach heist tied to Tiburcio Vásquez's gang.^[8] Despite his reputed role in violent crimes—including alleged participation in killings during Vásquez-led raids—prosecutors lacked sufficient evidence to charge him with homicide or robbery, leading instead to an indictment solely for cattle theft, a recurring offense from his prior record.^[4] The trial proceeded in San Francisco, where Procopio was convicted of the theft charge, reflecting evidentiary challenges common in pursuing bandit gang members amid fragmented witness accounts and cross-jurisdictional pursuits.^[8] On review of contemporary reports, the conviction hinged on testimony linking him to stolen livestock, but excluded broader accusations due to unproven alibis or unreliable identifications, underscoring limitations in 19th-century law enforcement's ability to secure convictions for capital crimes against elusive outlaws.^[8] He received a sentence of seven years at hard labor in San Quentin State Prison, a term lighter than potential penalties for murder but consistent with his earlier 1863 cattle theft conviction that had yielded nine years.^[4]^[8] This outcome drew criticism from lawmen like Morse, who viewed Procopio as a key figure in Vásquez's operations, yet highlighted procedural hurdles in attributing gang violence to individuals without direct forensic or eyewitness corroboration.^[8] Procopio entered San Quentin promptly after sentencing, marking his second stint there and forestalling further immediate outlawry, though he would later be paroled after serving approximately five years.^[4]

Imprisonment and Demise

Later Years in Confinement, 1872–1877

Following his arrest in San Francisco on February 23, 1872, by detective Harry Morse, Procopio was tried and convicted of cattle rustling rather than the more serious charges of murder and robbery due to insufficient evidence linking him directly to those acts.^[1] He received a sentence of seven years at San Quentin State Prison, where he was incarcerated beginning in early 1872.^[18] San Quentin during this era operated under a penal system emphasizing hard labor, with inmates like Procopio assigned to tasks such as stone quarrying, brick-making, and jute milling to support prison self-sufficiency and state revenue. Disciplinary practices included flogging with the cat-o'-nine-tails for infractions, though records do not indicate Procopio faced notable punishments or participated in the prison riots and escapes led by contemporaries like Tiburcio Vásquez. No documented escapes or internal conflicts involving Procopio mark this period, suggesting a relatively uneventful confinement compared to his prior term from 1863 to 1871.^[19] Procopio served approximately five years before being granted parole in June 1877, an early release possibly influenced by good behavior credits under California's indeterminate sentencing practices of the time, though exact criteria remain unrecorded for his case.^[18] ^[1] Upon release, he briefly returned to criminal activity in the San Joaquin Valley before fading from reliable historical accounts, with later claims of his involvement in border raids or death in the early 1880s unverified by primary evidence.^[6]

Circumstances and Disputes Over Death

Procopio served a second term in San Quentin State Prison following his 1872 conviction for assault to murder, with sentencing records indicating a seven-year term, though he was reportedly paroled after approximately five years, around 1877.^[6] Historical accounts diverge sharply on the events following his release, with no surviving prison or vital records providing conclusive evidence of his fate. Some narratives assert he remained incarcerated until his death from unspecified causes in San Quentin circa 1882, aligning with estimates of his lifespan ending in the early 1880s while confined.^[20] Alternative reports, drawn from contemporaneous outlaw lore and later compilations, claim Procopio evaded further detection after parole, resuming activities across the border in Mexico under aliases such as Tomaso Rodendo. These suggest he perished violently in a dispute over shares of plundered goods purportedly inherited from his uncle, Joaquin Murrieta, either in Sonora, Mexico, or Tucson, Arizona, around 1882–1890.^[6] ^[12] The variance stems from the era's incomplete documentation, reliance on anecdotal deputy and informant testimonies prone to embellishment, and Procopio's own elusiveness, which fueled mythic retellings over empirical verification. No autopsy, coroner's inquest, or official death certificate has been located to resolve the ambiguity, underscoring challenges in authenticating frontier criminal biographies against sensationalized press and oral traditions.^[8]

Criminal Impact and Societal Response

Modus Operandi and Notable Robberies

Procopio operated primarily as a rustler and robber, employing methods typical of mid-19th-century California bandits, including the theft of cattle and horses, highway holdups, stagecoach robberies, and burglaries of stores and residences. He and his associates typically worked in small bands, leveraging remote mountain hideouts such as Palomar Mountain for resting stolen livestock before fleeing across the border to Mexico or Arizona to evade capture.^[4]^[1] In 1871, Procopio joined Tiburcio Vásquez's gang, participating in a series of stagecoach robberies across central California, after which the pair reportedly retreated south to Mexico to spend their proceeds in a period of debauchery.^[1] Following his release from San Quentin around 1877, where he had served time for cattle theft, Procopio resumed operations; in August 1878, he was linked to the theft of 31 horses from D. Geary in San Diego County, abandoning some after a hasty camp break and fleeing with the rest toward Lower California, where 28 were recovered in September.^[4] He was convicted twice for cattle theft but never for the murders attributed to him, despite suspicions arising from his violent reputation inherited from his uncle, Joaquin Murrieta.^[1]^[4]

Law Enforcement Pursuit and Challenges

![Procopio, California bandit](./assets/Procopio_bandit Law enforcement agencies in central California mounted repeated posses and investigations targeting Procopio following his post-release crimes, including stagecoach robberies and murders in 1871–1872. These efforts were hampered by the expansive, rugged terrain of the region, such as the Sierra Nevada foothills and coastal ranges, which allowed bandits like Procopio to disappear into remote hideouts after strikes. Local sheriffs relied on ad hoc posses comprising volunteers and deputies, but coordination across counties was limited, and false leads often dissipated resources.^[1] Procopio's evasion tactics, informed by his family's outlaw legacy, included swift retreats on horseback and leveraging knowledge of backcountry trails, making prolonged pursuits difficult. Sympathy among some Mexican-American communities, viewing figures like Procopio as resistors to Anglo land encroachments, occasionally provided shelter or intelligence warnings, further complicating captures. One notable incident involved a posse tracking him to a cabin, where he feigned sleep before unleashing fire from dual pistols, escaping the ambush.^[21] The breakthrough came through the dogged work of Alameda County Sheriff Harry Morse, known as the "Bloodhound of the Far West" for his tracking prowess. Acting on tips, including a telegram from San Francisco police chief Crowley reporting Procopio's sighting, Morse coordinated a raid on February 10, 1872, arresting the bandit in a Morton Street brothel without significant resistance. This urban capture succeeded where rural manhunts had failed, as Procopio had ventured into the city seeking temporary anonymity. However, evidentiary challenges persisted; while suspected in murders like that of Sol Gladden, insufficient proof led to conviction only on cattle theft charges, resulting in a five-year sentence.^[1]^[8]^[10]

Historical Legacy and Mythologization

Factual Assessment of Crimes and Motivations

Procopio's documented criminal convictions were limited to cattle rustling. He served two separate terms in San Quentin State Prison for these offenses, first in the early 1860s and again following a later conviction, reflecting a pattern of livestock theft that was common among California outlaws during the post-Gold Rush era.^[4] ^[1] No court found sufficient evidence to convict him of robbery, murder, or other violent crimes, despite contemporary identifications and suspicions, such as a Mexican cattle-herder's claim linking him to specific killings.^[7] Allegations of involvement in stagecoach holdups and gang activities, particularly his reported collaboration with Tiburcio Vásquez during a 1871 spree in central California, remain unproven in judicial proceedings, though newspaper accounts and law enforcement pursuits attributed such depredations to him based on circumstantial associations.^[1] The absence of convictions for capital offenses underscores a factual distinction between Procopio's verifiable thefts and the broader mythic narrative of bloodshed tied to his name. Historical records indicate his operations focused on portable wealth—horses, cattle, and occasional burglary proceeds—rather than indiscriminate violence, with gang affiliations providing opportunities for escalated robbery but lacking forensic or eyewitness corroboration sufficient for trial.^[4] This pattern aligns with the economic incentives of frontier banditry, where livestock theft offered low-risk gains amid lax enforcement in rural counties, contrasting with the more sensational but unsubstantiated claims of murder that fueled posse hunts and media sensationalism. Procopio's entry into crime stemmed from familial influences, as he was the nephew of the notorious Joaquin Murrieta and reportedly idolized his uncle's outlaw legacy from youth, absorbing skills in theft and evasion within a milieu of Mexican-Californio resistance to Anglo dominance post-1848 conquest.^[1] Ethnic resentments, including land dispossession and vigilante violence against Hispanics during the Gold Rush, provided contextual grievances, yet no primary evidence supports ideological motivations like organized separatism or revenge as primary drivers; instead, his sustained career suggests pragmatic pursuit of profit in a lawless environment where sympathizers among Spanish-speaking communities occasionally sheltered bandits.^[7] Later attributions of "Robin Hood"-like redistribution lack substantiation, as recovered loot consistently pointed to personal enrichment over communal aid, distinguishing factual opportunism from romanticized folklore.^[1]

Folklore, Romanticization, and Critical Reappraisals

Procopio's folklore emerged largely through his familial connection to Joaquin Murrieta, the archetypal California bandit mythologized as a defender of Mexican Californios against Anglo encroachment.^[1] As Murrieta's nephew, Procopio was depicted in popular narratives as inheriting his uncle's mantle of resistance, with tales emphasizing daring escapes and stagecoach holdups that portrayed him as a shadowy figure evading lawmen across California's rugged terrain.^[22] These stories, circulated in 19th-century dime novels and oral traditions among Hispanic communities, amplified his exploits, such as alleged participation in the 1873 Tres Pinos robbery alongside Tiburcio Vásquez, framing banditry as a form of folk justice amid post-Mexican War land dispossessions.^[22] Romanticization of Procopio intensified in contemporary press accounts, which occasionally likened him to Robin Hood for targeting wealthy travelers while sparing the poor, though such portrayals often conflated him with broader bandido archetypes rather than documenting specific redistributive acts.^[23] This idealization drew from the social bandit theory, positing outlaws like Procopio as primitive rebels against capitalist and racial oppression, a view popularized by Eric Hobsbawm but applied retroactively to California figures.^[24] Supporters among displaced Californios viewed his crimes—estimated at over 20 stage robberies and involvement in murders—as symptomatic of systemic grievances, including vigilante violence against Mexicans during the Gold Rush era, fostering a heroic aura in ballads and legends that persisted into the 20th century.^[1] Critical reappraisals by historians have dismantled much of this mythology, emphasizing empirical evidence of Procopio's brutality over noble intent. Records show no verified instances of wealth redistribution; instead, his gang's operations, including cattle rustling and the 1866 murder of a sheriff's deputy, aligned with personal enrichment and violence, as evidenced by his 1872 conviction for theft despite acquittals on murder due to weak testimony.^[1] Scholars argue the social bandit label, influenced by Marxist interpretations, overlooks the sociopathic elements of California bandidos, who preyed indiscriminately on victims regardless of ethnicity and whose "resistance" lacked organized political aims.^[24] ^[23] Contemporary sources like San Francisco newspapers described him as a "notorious murderer" rather than a folk hero, highlighting how modern academic tendencies to romanticize may stem from ideological biases favoring narratives of minority victimhood over documented criminality.^[1]

References

[1]
In the Blood Family ties took Procopio to the outlaw trail.
Jan 22, 2021 · Procopio Bustamante had a bandit pedigree. His uncle was famed outlaw Joaquin Murrieta, who became a hero to the young man.Missing: California 1876
[2]
Juan Soto: The Human Wildcat - HistoryNet
Mar 22, 2017 · ... Procopio Bustamante, by then the most notorious living bandidos on the Pacific Coast. Procopio boasted prime outlaw lineage, as one of his ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[3]
https://digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=580
[4]
[PDF] Outlaws and Fugitives on Palomar Mountain - Peter Brueggeman
Procopio, a notorious bandit in California, was twice convicted of cattle ... Constable Hubbert, Who Killed Bandit Renterias, Heads the Posse in the Chase.Missing: executed | Show results with:executed
[5]
[PDF] John Rains Murder in Mud Springs
Procopio was implicated in the 1863 murder of the Aaron Golding family in Calaveras County, of teaming up with notorious outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez, and of ...
[6]
Procopio | American West - Stronghold Nation
Born in Mexico perhaps in 1841. Little of His early life is known, save He was a blood relative of another well known California Bandit, Joaquin Murrieta. As ...Missing: Jose 1876
[7]
PROCOPIO, THE BANDIT.; Particulars of the Capture of a Notorious ...
PROCOPIO, THE BANDIT.; Particulars of the Capture of a Notorious Mexican Murderer, a Nephew of Jonquin Murieta, in San Francisco His Record of Crimes.Missing: executed Jose 1876
[8]
Harry Morse: “Bloodhound of the Far West” - geriwalton.com
May 16, 2022 · Boles as the infamous American outlaw Black Bart, who was noted for his poetic messages and considered a gentleman bandit because of his ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[9]
[PDF] John Rains Murder in Mud Springs
Procopio was implicated in the 1863 murder of the. Aaron Golding family in Calaveras County, of teaming up with notorious outlaw Tiburcio. Vasquez, and of ...
[10]
A brief account of a desperado's crimes | GhostCowboy.com
Apr 18, 2007 · He organized a gang of bandits, whose residence was in Livermore ... In 1863 Procopio and others ran off a drove of cattle from the ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[11]
The daily constitutionalist. (Augusta, Ga.) 185?-1875, March 08 ...
In 1860 a number of good ... Procopio, the Bandit. Particular* of tlie Capture ... Last April he returned to the old stamp ing ground at Livermore Valley ...
[12]
Bring Me The Head of Joaquin Murrieta Part X: So The Story Ends ...
Aug 1, 2023 · Procopio, an alleged idolator of California's original Mexican bandit, clung desperately to a life that was at risk of being swept away by the ...
[13]
[PDF] Circle C Milestones Study Guide 2016 - Kregel
Procopio took full blame, served nine years in San Quentin, and was released in 1871. ... Instead of a life sentence for murder, Procopio was back at San Quentin ...
[14]
Procopio moved through 19th-century California like a shadow of ...
Oct 11, 2025 · In 1870, Vásquez organized a bandit gang, which included the notorious Juan Soto and, later, Procopio Bustamante. After numerous bandit raids, ...California outlaw legacy in 19th century - Facebook"The Robin Hood of El Dorado"; Joaquin Murrieta - FacebookMore results from www.facebook.com
[15]
Untitled
Apr 29, 2016 · This time there would be no escape for the daring bandit. Tiburico Vasquez was captured on May 14, 1874 and placed in the Los Angeles jail. He ...
[16]
The surprises and legends of Old Tulare Lake - Lemoore Leader
Apr 29, 2016 · All 3 bandits, Murrieta, Procopio, and Vasquez, had a common purpose to return California to Mexican control and mixed it with their dislike ...
[17]
Maiden Lane and the Pot-holes of History - FoundSF
... bandit Joaquin Murietta, was arrested in a Morton Street restaurant in 1872. ... Robbery,” Daily Alta California, February 3, 1883, 1. 161. See the ...
[18]
The Surprises and Legends of Old Tulare Lake
Procopio, also known as “Red-Handed Dick” and with other aliases, was twice convicted of cattle theft and remanded to San Quentin both times. ... Paroled in June ...
[19]
Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez - Google Books
Two terms in San Quentin failed to tame Vasquez, and he instigated four bloody prison breaks that left twenty convicts dead. After his final release from ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[20]
Procopio - FamousFix characters
" He was twice convicted of cattle theft and twice served time in San Quentin prison, but was never convicted of any of the murders he was alleged to have ...
[21]
Refusing to forget | Local News | hanfordsentinel.com
May 30, 2014 · But Huckabay's search revealed that Gladden had been killed during a shoot-out with Procopio, a vicious bandit and nephew of another well-known ...
[22]
Resistance in California - Digital History
The most widely known California bandits were Tiburcio Vásquez and Joaquín Murieta. Born in Monterey, California, to a highly respectable family in 1835 ...
[23]
California Bandidos: Social Bandits or Sociopaths?
One more California bandido has been designated by some historians as a social bandit. Juan Flores broke out of San Quentin in 1856 and embarked on what ...
[24]
California Bandidos: Social Bandits or Sociopaths? - jstor
rieta was a social bandit or a revolutionary. Though Salomon Pico's career ... McKanna, "Banditry in California, 1850-1880: Myth and Reality," in Brand ...