Frank M. Canton was born Josiah Horner but changed his name after becoming a fugitive.
Under his alias, he moved to Wyoming and became a deputy U.S. marshal in his second life and would be given much respect for the work he did to keep the peace. His tactics were controversial as he became known as more likely to shoot a criminal to give them due process.
He participated in the Johnson County War, which would make him a marked man. He then left the state to seek different employment.
The famous gunslinger would die from old age at the age of 78.
Birth and Formative Years
Frank was born as Josiah Horner in Indiana. By the time of his teenage years, he had begun to work as a cowboy and eventually made it to Texas. Here, he learned much about animals and began to develop a strong worth ethic along with a propensity for mischief.
This adolescent foolishness eventually developed into criminal behavior. Soon, the young Josiah Horner became involved in a gunfight with some Buffalo soldiers. It resulted in him killing one and wounding another. It would not be long before this young, promising young man was arrested.
However, his resourcefulness aided him in escaping the jail cell and fleeing to Ogallala, Nebraska. Here, Josiah would change his name to Frank Canton, which he would go by for the rest of his life.
Law Enforcement Career
Josiah Horner may have been a criminal, but Frank Canton would become known as a trusted enforcer of the law and eventually a U.S. Marshal.
Frank Canton began his new career as a stock detective for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. He came into this job at a time when tensions were rising between many of those involved in the cattle industry. This included the wealthy cattlemen and ranchers, the growing population of residents that were taking away from the "free-ranging" the cattlemen had enjoyed, and, of course, those that rustled the cattle.
Frank quickly gained influence and was elected as sheriff of Johnson County, Wyoming. He quickly gained a reputation as a strong hand of the cattle barons and had no issue enforcing the law on the rustlers who sought to gain from their theft of property. His notoriety continued to grow and soon caught the attention of the Pinkerton Detective Agency.
However, Canton seemed to never quite allocate justice towards the wealthy. He would end up resigning his position after a foreman of a big ranch escaped his custody. After this event, there were rumors that began to circulate about Frank Canton. The rumors suggested that he was much more of a paid assassin and intimidator than a true detective who felt duty-bound to enforce the law.
The homesteading faction of regular folks who had moved into the area and were encroaching on the "free range" of the ranchers (despite legally owning the homes) began to distrust him. Among this faction, Canton was viewed as corrupt.
A homesteader confronted Canton with evidence about an earlier murder in the area. The evidence that was provided would have indicted Canton's friends. The law-abiding homesteader was shot shortly after. It was viewed as a cover-up by many.
With a mob forming, Canton was arrested, but several big ranchers stood surety for him, and his lawyer got him released, whereupon he left the state. By the time further evidence against him was found, he was in Illinois, and the matter was dropped.
Johnson County War
Frank Canton returned to Johnson County as a local guide for Frank Wolcott's hired guns, who were pursuing a list of rustlers. This list of rustlers was referred to as a death list, and these men were to be hunted.
On April 9, 1892, Canton led the so-called Regulators to the "KC Ranch," where their number one targets, Nate Champion (a witness against some of Canton's friends for murder) and Nick Ray, were staying. Ray was shot and killed in the opening minutes of the ensuing gunfight. Champion killed at least four of the Regulators and wounded others.
At 5:00 p.m., Canton set the house on fire. Champion burst out of the house, firing his Winchester rifle, and was shot 28 times. Two days later, a huge posse, led by Sheriff Angus, surrounded the Regulators at the "TA Ranch," and only the U.S. Cavalry's arrival rescued Canton and his companions from having to surrender.
With the newspapers portraying them in a favorable light due to the influence of powerful ranching interests, Canton, like the other regulators, got off.
After this incident, Frank Canton left Wyoming for good.
Later Years
Frank Canton continued his career in law enforcement, but this time, he settled in Oklahoma and became a deputy U.S. Marshal.
Canton would work alongside other famous lawmen such as Bass Reeves, Heck Thomas, Chris Madsen, and Bill Tighman. These men would do most of their work in Indian Territory.
After his adventures in Oklahoma, Canton would try his hand at gold mining when he travelled to Alaska to take part in the gold rush. However, it was short-lived, and he returned to Oklahoma.
During this time, Frank Canton finally admitted to being Josiah Horner, and the Governor of Texas granted him a pardon.
By 1925, age had visibly overtaken Canton. He had grown bald, his vision was impaired and light-sensitive, and he had almost completely lost his hearing. Unable to perform as a cattleman or a lawman, he was then unemployed. The Texas Cattlemen's Association awarded him a small pension. His unmarried adult daughter, Ruby, helped support Canton, and his wife, Annie, moved into Ruby's home.
On September 1, 1927, he could not get out of bed, so Ruby summoned a doctor. After examining the patient, the doctor announced that he had terminal cancer and would have to remain in bed since he had only a few days to live. On September 15, the family celebrated his seventy-eighth birthday at Ruby's home.
On September 27, Frank Canton died in Edmond, Oklahoma, surrounded by his family.