B.J.'s Tombstone History Discussion Form

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Dodge is a very unreliable source. That is a shame because he had a great career from 1890 to 1918 as a Wells Fargo detective and then as a detective for its successor, American Railway Express, until he retired in 1921. One of the main sources disproving his undercover claim is an 1890 letter from James B. Hume to his wife which makes it clear that Hume had just met Dodge. There is no way Dodge could have worked for Wells Fargo in Tombstone for years without Hume knowing about it. Also, the Wells Fargo office in Tombstone was not opened until six months after Dodge went there, so he plainly was not sent to Tombstone by Wells Fargo.

What does Wells Fargo say?? — Bob Paul, Thu Jul 20 16:31

IIRC, Bob Chandler, Wells Fargo archivist, covered this issue in his 2009 article.
- Fred Dodge — John Boessenecker, Fri Jul 21 17:18
- - Dodge: An interesting point — Randie O'Neal, Sat Jul 29 21:56
    
    This makes one wonder: who were the WF sources in the area at the time? Supposedly JB Ayers in Charleston was one, apart from the Tombstone WF agent, were there others? And how were they compensated?
  - - Fred Dodge — John Boessenecker, Sun Jul 30 11:06
      
      Police informants were (and are) used to infiltrate criminal gangs, not towns or cities. Dodge's claim that he was sent as an undercover man to infiltrate the town of Tombstone is nonsensical. Wells... more
    - - Fred Dodge & Wells Fargo — Peter Brand, Mon Jul 31 21:46
        
        Hi John What’s your view of Dodge’s claim in 1900 that he had worked for Wells Fargo for 20 years? When doing research in the Texas Ranger records, I found an application Dodge had made in 1900 for... more
      - Fred Dodge special ranger — John Boessenecker, Mon Jul 31 22:57
        
        Peter -- I have a copy of that special ranger application that you dug up which is a great find. In 1900, Dodge had worked for Wells Fargo for ten years, not twenty. I think he is counting back to... more
        Posse duty — Peter Brand, Tue Aug 1 16:53
        
        Thanks for your insights John. It begs the question why Fred Dodge would be riding in the posse in the first place though - kinda kills his position as an "under cover man" to be seen riding with the ... more
        Fred Dodge and Posse duty — John Boessenecker, Tue Aug 1 17:12
        
        That is exactly right. Undercover agents associate with criminals, not lawmen. If he really was under cover, this would have blown his cover. Also, if Dodge was already on Wells Fargo's payroll, why... more
      - Re: Fred Dodge — Bob Cash, Mon Jul 31 09:15
        
        John, if my memory serves me correctly, Allie Earp, in the the original Frank Waters manuscript (not his largely fabricated EARP BROTHERS OF TOMBSTONE), is quoted as saying that the brothers were... more
      - Fred Dodge and Frank Waters — John Boessenecker, Mon Jul 31 10:50
        
        I generally take old-timer's recollections with a grain of salt. Here, given that Waters fictionalized, even invented, Allie's recollections in his 1961 book, that raises the question of how accurate ... more
        Thank you, John, for your response. — Bob Cash, Mon Jul 31 20:48
        
        Your point is well taken. I have been told that there is other contemporary (pre-1890) sources that point to Dodge's employment by Wells Fargo. I hope that the one who told me this will share it in... more
        Fred Dodge and Wells Fargo — John Boessenecker, Tue Aug 1 12:03
        
        I think the main pre 1890 source is the Wells Fargo cash book entry which shows the payment to Fred Dodge for posse duty in 1881. I went into this in my reply to Peter Brand's post above.
        Allie's story of the "Wells Fargo secret detective" — Bob Cash, Mon Jul 31 09:30
        
        This is from Allie's Story: Mrs. Virgil Earp and The "Tombstone Travesty" by Gary L. Roberts: "At one point in his narrative, Waters takes a backhanded slap at Lake for suggesting that Wells Fargo... more
        Re: Allie's story of the "Wells Fargo secret detective" — K.t.K., Mon Jul 31 15:38
        
        Bob, as an indefatigable researchers I can attest to the nonsense of a Boessenecker ego-maniac when he dismisses old-timer's recollections with a grain of salt, and then claims that "Waters... more
        Kenny, Anonymous above was me... — Bob Cash, Tue Aug 1 09:34
        
        ...I didn't want you to be blaming Tom Gaumer for my post.
        Fred Dodge — John Boessenecker, Mon Jul 31 22:25
        
        Whoa, Nellie. That's a real mouthful. Does someone have some Xanax for K.T.K.???
  - obviously another Earp informant? (nm) — bfrey, Sun Jul 23 13:10

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