Wyatt in Tombstone (Part 2)
Steve Grimm
one point. Casey Tefertiller in his book "Wyatt Earp: The Life behind
the Legend" relies, in part, on the following book to establish proof
for various incidents.
Lake, Carolyn. "Undercover for Wells Fargo: The Unvarnished
Recollections of Fred Dodge." Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1969.
My comments: Lake?....Lake?....Lake?...where have I heard that name
before? Yep, Carolyn Lake was the daughter of Stuart Lake. After
Stuart Lake died Carolyn found an old chest filled with papers, letters
and diaries of Fred Dodge. Why did Stuart Lake have all this
information?
"Fred Dodge found his way briefly into its pages in his role as an
undercover detective for Wells Fargo, but Lake was saving Dodge for
another volume he hoped to write. This was to have been a history of
the Wells Fargo itself, one to which the figure of Dodge would have
added much."
(Source: "Undercover for Wells Fargo: The Unvarnished Recollections of
Fred Dodge" edited by Carolyn Lake, page ix)
My comments: Oh my.....another Stuart Lake book. This time featuring
Fred Dodge.
"4. Fred Dodge presents an unusual problem because no Wells, Fargo
records confirm his work for the company before 1890. However,
newspapers openly identified him as working for Wells, Fargo in 1886,
and he had a long and distinguished career with the company. In Carolyn
Lake's Undercover for Wells, Fargo (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1964)
he says his role was a secret, and it seems it was kept a secret from
company records. Because of his later career, it seems highly unlikely
he would fabricate his role in Tombstone."
(source: "Wyatt Earp: The Life behind the Legend" by Casey Tefertiller,
page 348)
My comments: That is a problem. No records before 1890. I would like
to know which newspaper article of 1886 Tefertiller is referencing.
Here is another problem.
"Twenty seven small diaries, most of them bound in maroon leather, show
the actual whereabouts, day and night of Fred Dodge from 1891 to 1918."
(Source: "Undercover for Wells Fargo: The Unvarnished Recollections of
Fred Dodge" edited by Carolyn Lake, page 222)
My comments: We have detailed accounts from 1891 to 1918 as an employee
of Wells Fargo, but nothing before that.......seems odd, yet it fits the
pattern of company records.
"Dodge Ranch
Boerne, Texas
Oct. 8th, 1928
Mr. Stuart N. Lake
3926 Portola Place
San Diego, Cala
Dear Sir:
I am today answering a letter received from Wyatt Earp,
and I am enclosing to him a letter to you so he can check up
on it and pass to you. He will likely show you my letter to him
from which you can get my connection with Wells Fargo and
Co. I did not come out from Under Cover until after I left
that country which was in 1888, and this letter to him may
suggest other matters, and as stated in that letter I will do all I
can. The loss of my Picture Collection was a serious loss to
me. Billy Pinkerton said that I had the best private collection
in existence.
Yours truly,
Fred Dodge
(signed)"
(Source: "Undercover for Wells Fargo: The Unvarnished Recollections of
Fred Dodge" edited by Carolyn Lake, page 230 & 231)
My comments: Why does Wyatt have to check on Fred's personal
recollections? Fred came out from undercover in 1888 and yet there is a
newspaper article of 1886 saying he worked for Wells Fargo. Could just
be a memory lapse on Fred's part.
"Dodge Ranch
Boeme, Texas
March 24, 1932
Mr. Stuart N. Lake
Wells Fargo Bank & Union Trust Co.
Market and Montgomery,
San Francisco, Cal.
Dear Mr. Lake:
. . . I am glad to learn that the history of Wells Fargo has
at last fallen into your competent hands. I was not greatly
surprised to learn that you had undertaken to write it, as I had
felt from something you said in our conversation, that you
were interested in it, and wish you all success in the undertak-
ing. Mr. Lipman [then President of Wells Fargo] (who I do
not know) will be very helpful to you. I am sorry that the
death of Mr. Andrew Christeson has deprived you of that
great source of information. Am glad you have been in touch
with Mr. LaForrest. He is all gold and thoroughly reliable.
Jim Hume was methodical and dependable in all ways. Per-
haps Thacker will need a little extra checking.
You have four dependable assistants in your sorting, and
ought to get along rapidly with so much good help.
The Boston man was Mr. Cheney [Benjamin P. Chene?, in
1867 a director of Wells Fargo] a very close personal friend of
Mr. Valentine's. He was for many years on the Board of Di-
rectors of the Atcheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Ry. Confiden-
tially, I think it was through this friendship that Mr. Valen-
tine succeeded in getting the contract for Wells Fargo on that
railroad.
I am glad that the old guns are able to do their bit for
Wyatt and for you, and note all that you say concerning their
care and return. I trust that the book is getting the recogni-
tion it so richly deserves.
I also note what you say about Mr. Valentine's daughter
and the material that she has turned over to you. I feared that
much had been lost in the fire, as I knew he had most of it in
San Francisco.
You speak of coming to San Antonio soon and we look for-
ward to that with pleasure. If Mrs. Lake accompanies you,
Fred's horse and saddle and plenty of hill scenery and wide
open country are here for her use. Mrs. Dodge is anxious to
meet her and hopes she will come along with you.
With kindest regards to you both,
Sincerely yours,
Fred Dodge
(signed)"
(Source: "Undercover for Wells Fargo: The Unvarnished Recollections of
Fred Dodge" edited by Carolyn Lake, page 257 & 258)
My comments: Stuart Lake's book was published in 1931 and this letter
was written in 1932.. Could Fred's recollections of those days in
Tombstone have been influenced by Stuart Lake's book? Would Fred
"fabricate" those events to match up with Wyatt's?
In my postings of various Tombstone events, I will post Fred Dodge's
account. The book merely reprints his transcriptions and thus contains
a lot of spelling errors and annoying captilization. A lot like my
posts here :) You have to decide for yourself if this is a reliable
source.
--
Steve Grimm
sgr...@dimensional.com