William Brocius

William Brocius
An unauthenticated photo of Curly Bill Brocius from the Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone.
Bornc. 1845
Crawfordsville, Indiana, U.S. (speculated)
DiedMarch 24, 1882(1882-03-24) (aged 36–37)
Iron Springs, Arizona Territory, U.S.
Cause of deathGunshot wound to the stomach
OccupationsCowboy, outlaw, rustler
Years active1860–1882
Opponents
AllegianceThe Cowboys

William "Curly Bill" Brocius (circa 1845 – March 24, 1882), was an American gunslinger, cattle rustler and member of the Cowboy outlaw gang in the Cochise County area of what was then Arizona Territory during the late 1870s and early 1880s. Brocius' name is likely an alias or nickname, and some evidence links him to another outlaw named William "Curly Bill" Bresnaham, who was convicted of an 1878 attempted robbery and murder in El Paso, Texas.

Brocius had a number of conflicts with the lawmen of the Earp family, and was named as one of the men who participated in Morgan Earp's assassination. Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp and a group of deputies, including his brother Warren, pursued those they believed responsible for Morgan's death. The Earp posse unexpectedly encountered Curly Bill and other Cowboys on March 24, 1882, at Iron Springs (present-day Mescal Springs). Wyatt killed Curly Bill during the shootout. In his journal written in October 1881, George Parsons referred to Brocius as "Arizona's most famous outlaw."

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