Queho
Queho (born around 1880;[3] his name was also spelled Quehoe on his grave[4] or Quejo in other sources) was a Native American outlaw and renegade[5] whose exploits became part of Nevada legend.[3] Many deaths were blamed on Queho and so he earned the title of being the first mass murderer in the state of Nevada[6] and "The Mad Indian".[7]
Queho | |
---|---|
Born | c. 1880 |
Died | c. 1930s[1] |
Body discovered | 1940 |
Details | |
Victims | 13 confirmed, 23 alleged [2] |
State(s) | Nevada |
Biography
Queho was an outcast,[8] being called a "half-breed"[9] in the days when being half Native American[10] was not accepted. Queho's mother was from the Cocopah tribe. Queho was speculated to be partially Mexican, his mother died shortly after birth.
Queho took odd jobs around Eldorado Canyon. He is said to have killed his half-brother and a 100-year-old blind Indian known to Queho as Canyon Charlie.[6] Queho had a club foot,[11] which left a distinctive impression[8] when he was being trailed. He is alleged to have eluded posses[12] and killed for food and supplies. Some say the fugitive Queho was not responsible for all of the murders that took place around the time period he lived.[13] Others say he was a cold-blooded killer who would do anything to stay alive and survive. Queho was blamed for the death of Maude ("Daisy") J. Douglas[12] after a search outside the cabin at the Techatticup Mine in Nelson, Nevada. Settlers said Queho cursed the land. They called it "The Curse of Queho."[14] In March 1919, the reward for capturing Queho "dead or alive" increased from an initial bounty of $1,000 to $3,000.[1] In 1921, Queho was reported to have been sighted near the Colorado River.[15]
In 1940, prospectors working near the Colorado River discovered a cave containing the mummified remains[1] of the Nevada desperado. His body was discovered with blasting caps and dynamite that only could have come from the building of Boulder Dam, indicating he was alive at least until the early 1930s.[1] His remains were buried only after being purchased by Queho's old nemesis, Frank Wait, a law officer, before being given to the Las Vegas Elks Club, who exhibited the remains at Helldorado Days. District attorney Roland Wiley secured the remains and gave Queho a proper burial[16] at Cathedral Canyon, Nevada.[17][18]
Media portrayals
Queho was portrayed by actor Buddy Noonan in Bill Burrud's Treasure in Part 1[19] and Part 2[20] of the episodes on "Queho's Secret Hideout," which aired in 1958. Queho's life was the subject of a song by Las Vegas singer-songwriter Russell Christian. [21]
References
- "Dezert Magazine: July 16, 2011, Volume 1, Issue 3" (PDF). pp. 18–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016.
- Andress, Donna. "Queho". Eldorado Canyon and Nelson, Nevada Historical Documents, Reminiscences, Commentary (7 ed.). pp. 78–79.
- "Dezert Magazine: July 16, 2011, Volume 1, Issue 3" (PDF). pp. 16–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 18, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- "Quiz #273 Results". forensicgenealogy.info. Retrieved May 11, 2022. Includes comments by Maud Douglas' grandson.
- "Queho". Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 7, 1999. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- "Queho, Renegade Indian Outlaw". legendsofamerica.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- Oesterle, Joe; Cridland, Tim (2007). "Death Trip: Queho's Quorpse". Weird Las Vegas and Nevada: Your Alternative Travel Guide to Sin City and the Silver State. Sterling Publishing Company. ISBN 9781402739408. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- "Queho: An Indian Outcast". HistoryNet. 12 June 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- "Speculation on Queho's lineage". southwestbackcountry.net. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- "Serial killer came to end of the trail in Pahrump". Pahrump Valley Times. September 1, 2006. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- "Queho Who?". quehoposse.org. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015.
- "In Search of Queho: The Renegade Indian". 8 News NOW. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
- "Queho's cave". waymarking.com. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- Perrow, Angeli (December 2012). The Ghost Miner's Key. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1480248410.
- "Queho, Indian Murderer, Running Wild On Colorado River". Mojave County Miner. February 18, 1921. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- "Cathedral Canyon, Nevada". Paranormal & Ghost Society. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cathedral Canyon
- "Cathedral Canyon". Center for Land Use Interpretation. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- Burrud, Bill. Queho's Secret Hideout, Part 1,. Bill Burrud's Treasure. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via youtube.
- Burrud, Bill. Queho's Secret Hideout, Part 2,. Bill Burrud's Treasure. Retrieved May 12, 2022 – via youtube.
- Hawley, Tom (2021-08-25). "VIDEO VAULT | Finding the truth in the legend of Nevada outlaw Queho". KSNV. Retrieved 2023-06-20.