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 Robert "Clay" Allison - Pecos, TX Posted by:  linkys
N 31° 25.621 W 103° 29.754
13R E 642954 N 3477906
Well know American wild west gunfighter whose grave has a footstone with the words, "He never killed a man that did not need killing".
Waymark Code: WMA701
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2010
Views: 8
This grave is in downtown Pecos, beside the Pecos Museum, enclosed by an iron fence. The headstone reads: ROBERT C ALLISON CSA CO F 9th TENN CAV SEP 2 1840 JUL 3 1887 GENTLEMAN GUN FIGHTER The footstone reads: "He never killed a man that did not need killing." Allison was more vicious killer than gunfighter and his life has been documented in numerous articles and books over the years. An excellent website that has a good deal of information on his life and exploits can be found here: ( visit link)
Description:
A soldier who got his start under Nathan Bedford Forrest, he got his start in killing during the Civil War. During the 1870 his reputation grew as he was involved in a number of killings in Texas and New Mexico.
To illustrate, here is one particular incident quoted directly from the Wikipedia entry on Allison. "On January 7, 1874, Clay killed a gunman named Chunk Colbert. After the two reportedly raced their horses and had dinner, Colbert had picked a fight with Allison. The two men entered the Clifton House, an inn located in Colfax County, New Mexico, where they sat down for dinner. Colbert had allegedly already killed six men and had quarreled with Allison several years earlier. Some say that nine years earlier, Allison had killed Colbert's uncle in a gunfight. Whether that claim is fact or legend is unknown. What is known is that at some point during dinner Colbert attempted to raise his gun to shoot Allison, but the barrel hit the table as he raised it. Allison fired once, hitting Colbert in the head, killing him. Asked later why he accepted a dinner invitation from a man who would likely try to kill him, Allison replied, "Because I didn't want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach". Over the next few years, Allison's reputation as a gunman grew, and so did his notoriety."
As time went on his list of killings and his notoriety grew, however his end did nor come with the bang of a gun, but rather with the turn of a wheel. Again from the Wikipedia entry: "On July 3, 1887, Allison was hauling a load of supplies when the load shifted and a sack of grain fell from the wagon. Trying to catch it, Allison fell from the wagon, and the wheel rolled over him. He broke his neck and quickly died. He was buried the next day at Pecos Cemetery in Pecos, Texas, and it is said that hundreds attended his funeral." Later his body was moved from the cemetery to spot near the Pecos Museum where it has become a tourist attraction, which may be a fitting end for a vicious killer, being gawked at by camera carrying tourists.
The complete Wikipedia article about him found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Allison
Date of birth: 09/02/1840
Date of death: 07/03/1887
Area of notoriety: Crime
Marker Type: Headstone
Setting: Outdoor
Fee required?: No
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Not listed
Web site: Not listed
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