Francis McNab’s early life is relatively unknown other than common knowledge. It is hypothesized that he was of Scottish descent and born in the early to mid 1850s. Which means his name could be spelled MacNabb in reality. McNab went on to become a cattle detective working with Hunter, Evans, and company. His first assignment with the firm was to locate and recover stolen stock for John Chisum. It was Chisum who primarily oversaw the firm’s operations.
In 1877, McNab, along with fellow cattle detectives Frank Tipton and George Black, were identified as suspects in the robbery and double murder case in The Texas Panhandle. The incident involved the Casner Brothers, William and Daniel, who were carrying their riches from the California gold mines. Unfortunately, they were attacked and killed by an unknown assailant(s) while they were sleeping in their Palo Duro Canyon camp. The suspects ransacked their belongings, leaving no traces behind. Eventually, the brothers’ bodies were found and laid to rest by the herders nearby. Unfortunately, the exact location of their resting place remains a mystery.
After a thorough investigation, Frank McNab and his associates were been cleared of any wrongdoing and had been dismissed as suspects. The attention then shifted toward a known outlaw named Sostenes L’Archeveque, who is of French and Mexican-Indian descent. It has been reported that L’Archeveque has a history of violence, having allegedly killed more than 20 men, and was previously banished from the New Mexico territory.
Sostenes was the brother-in-law to Nicolas Martinez, an employee of Charles Goodnight, whose presence was a concern for Goodnight. Nicolas Martinez assured Goodnight that he would take care of the situation, and subsequently lured Sostenes to an adobe house where he was confronted, shot and killed. This was viewed by the public as a community service rather than a murder. A couple of months later, the Casner brothers, seeking revenge for their deceased siblings John and Lew, arrived at Goodnight’s ranch and ended up mirroring the previous events by shooting Martinez and some others. Although Sostenes was likely the perpetrator, the Casner’s murders remain a cold case due to loose ends.
Upon returning to work, Tipton and McNab pursued some cattle. This led them to a small group of individuals of Mexican nationality. Despite efforts to recover the cattle, the individuals refused to comply and were subsequently shot and killed. The cattle was retrieved.
Hunter, Evans and Company appointed McNab to provide support in the operations of one of the Chisum family ranches. This transpired shortly before the regrettable murder of John Tunstall, a highly-regarded partner of Chisum’s in Lincoln. As a result of this ordeal, Chisum elected to deploy McNab, and potentially other adept workers, to cooperate with Robert Widenmann, an esteemed U.S. Deputy Marshal with an allegiance to the McSween faction, and Dick Brewer, who was captain of the Lincoln County Regulators. The Regulators were a group established from Tunstall’s ranch hands turned gunman under the command and pay of Alex McSween.
In March 1878, the Regulators acted swiftly to track down the Tunstall killers and successfully apprehended two of them, Morton and Baker. The posse effectively secured them as prisoners and unfortunately, two days later the prisoners attempted to escape resulting in their execution. Notably, Regulator McCloskey had previously been personal friends with Morton and made every effort to protect the prisoners from harm.
Once about thirty miles northwest of Roswell at a place known to the Regulators as Dead Man’s hole, cattle detective Frank McNab, was said to have rode his horse up alongside McCloskey and remarked “so you’re the son of a bitch who has to die before them?!” And pulled out his pistol up and shot McCloskey in the head killing him instantly. Morton and Baker kicked their horses in the sides and fled for their lives, but were gunned down, riddled with hot lead and died. The 3 bodies were left and later buried by sheep herders. The graves were not marked and lost forever.
On April 1st 1878 the Regulators struck again. To truly achieve justice, they decided they needed to take out the crooked law enforcement. Sheriff Brady and his deputies would eat their last breakfast on that wet and muddy April fools day. They hid behind a wall in Lincoln and waited for the infamous Sheriff Brady.
When Sheriff Brady and Deputies George Hindman, George Peppin, Billy Matthews and Jack Long walked out in front of the wall, they were gunned down. Sheriff Brady was hit at least a dozen times. Frank McNab had already had a grudge against Hindman for reasons unknown whilst working in the Texas panhandle as a cattle detective. Most likely he was aiming at Hindman who also fell dead.
In early April, the Regulators visited Blazers Mill and encountered Andrew Buckshot Roberts, who was suspected of involvement in Tunstall’s murder. Unfortunately, this encounter turned into a fierce gun battle resulting in the unfortunate loss of life. Regulator George Coe was injured, losing his trigger finger, while Dick Brewer was killed and Buckshot Roberts succumbed to his injuries the following morning. The situation was undeniably tragic and a testament to the dangers faced by The Regulators in their line of duty.
“After the unfortunate passing of Regulator foreman Dick Brewer and revoked arrest powers vested in Robert Widenmann, the role of captain of the Regulators was taken up by cattle detective Frank McNab.”
On April 29th, 1878, an unfortunate incident took place as Frank McNab was traveling in the company of Frank Coe and Ab Saunders. As they approached the Fritz ranch, they were unexpectedly ambushed by a group of warriors from Seven Rivers. What was believed to be premeditated by George Peppin, Lincoln’s new Sheriff, was an act of revenge for the killing of his fellow deputies. In the attack, McNab was gravely wounded and succumbed to his injuries while trying to escape. Ab Saunders was also injured in the attack, but fortunately managed to escape. Coes’ horse was shot and killed, and he was forced to surrender.
One account of the incident at Fritz’s place has McNab crawling onto the top of a gorge where he laid to die. His body remained under the stars and sun, decomposing for more than a month. Finally his bones were gathered up and brought back to the spot he was shot and buried. Others believe that the once captain of The Regulators and cattle detective was brought back to Lincoln and buried next to John Tunstall.