“The Devil’s Advocate”
by J. Young
Thomas Benton Catron was born on August 6th 1840 in Lexington, Missouri. His parents were John and Mary Catron. Thomas was the third born of 6 children. After grade school, Catron attended the Masonic College in Lexington. When the civil war broke out Catron quickly joined the democrats confederate army and fought in battle at Carthage, Wilson’s Creek, Second Lexington and Pea Ridge. Catron became the first lieutenant of the third Missouri battery and later fought in Tennessee, Alabama and in Mississippi, where he and his squad surrendered at the end of the war.
After the war Catron returned to Missouri and furthered his education in Law at the University of Missouri and graduated with a master of arts degree.
Around 1866 Catron moved to the new U.S. territory at Las Cruces, New Mexico briefly and then south to Mesilla. It was here that Catron first founded New Mexico’s oldest law firm called Catron, Catron and Glasman P.A.(Which still exists today)
When Catron came to NM he brought two wagon loads of flour to sell to support himself for a while. Catron began studying Spanish grammar books and learned the language fluently.
He likely figured his best chances of getting anything done in politics after the Civil War was to become a Republican. Catron was likely amongst America’s first “rhinos” in politics. In 1867 he was admitted to the bar and was elected to the legislature from Doña Ana County. He knew Captain Saturnino Baca of Fort Stanton and that his main interest in the legislature was to create a new county, Catron asked him for help in getting himself seated. He promised in return to use his influence in getting the county bill passed. Baca told Catron to draw up his resolution for membership and that he would introduce it in the legislature. This passed unanimously, the clerk was called and Catron was sworn in immediately as a member. Catron, in return, introduced the Baca Bill creating Lincoln County, which also passed without opposition.
In 1869 Catron was appointed attorney general of New Mexico territory and moved to Santa Fe. Later in 1872 he was appointed as U.S. district attorney for New Mexico territory.
Catron’s Law partner, delegate Stephen B Elkins and Clerk of the Supreme Court; William Breeden paid their dues to New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Joseph G Palen who would become the leader of the Santa Fe Ring.

The Santa Fe Ring was formed and was made up of powerful lawyers, judges, land spectators, senators, politicians and other government officials. The Ring was founded and thrived on corruption.
In 1875 the Maxwell land-grant was sold to members of the Santa Fe Ring. It is a wonder to me why Lucien Maxwell would give up this prime land with clean mountain water and gold discoveries to go live at Fort Sumner with its muddy waters. Perhaps there was more to it than we know…
Most of the Maxwell land grant was in Colfax County and Catron and his cronies began to survey the land and from what was 96,000 acres mysteriously turned into about 2 million after the survey.
The Santa Fe ring then successfully installed their minion Stephen Elkins to Congress who then “officially” declared that the land grant included a full 2 million Acres.
Those not included in the Ring or opposed to the Ring were disbarred from the courts; the courts were then packed with Santa Fe Ring support. The Ring would gain total control over New Mexico. Thousands of lives would be ruined and hundreds dead because this wicked operation existed.

The legislators began to do the Rings bidding and prepared property taxation elements. The settlers already living on the Maxwell land grant became concerned and restless about what was happening to their land. The Invasion sparked thousands of land grant cases of evictions, convictions and settlements. The courts were getting backed up and to make matters even tougher for these poor souls, Santa Fe Ring leader Judge Palen, closed all the courts in Colfax County, forcing the citizens to have to travel to Taos to defend themselves in court.
The citizens signed a petition and sent it to Governor Axtell who, unknown to them, was a part of the Santa Fe Ring.
Instead of comfort Axtell sent in troops to intimidate them.  Roughly a thousand eviction notices were handed out and good people thrown out of their homes and off their land. Those who were to stay had to pay a tax for the first time in order to stay. Most of the tax money went into the pockets of the Santa Fe ring sparing just a little bit for school funding.

When newspaperman Simeon Newman published an article about the corruption of The Santa Fe Ring in his newspaper the Las Vegas Weekly mail, Catron had him indicted on a charge of criminal libel. He was kept in jail for 64 days, just long enough for him to go bankrupt and be forced to sell his newspaper. It sold to a mister Hayes who renamed it the Las Vegas Gazette. Newman was then released on bail and fined $100. 
The Reverend Thomas J Toby, a Methodist preacher of Elizabethtown and Cimarron also opposed the activities of the corrupt politicians and began exposing their abuse of power and big money evil in his preachings during his sermons. The citizens began to get angry and rallied around the preacher. The preacher began accusing judge Joseph G. Palen of crimes and misconduct. The preacher also threatened to go to the press out east where he could be heard. Palen took this seriously, and the poor Preacher did not know that because of his demeanor, he had just signed his own death warrant.

But on July 13th 1875 Mr. Simeon Newman, wrote back east, to the New York sun criticizing Catron, Palen & Elkins for their crimes. The letter was published in the NY Sun newspaper. Newman’s letter told of all the filthy political corruption and after it was published on August 16th 1875 a copy was sent to West Las Animas, Colorado where Newman was living and it was published there also on September 10th. Only one New Mexico newspaper picked up the article and republished it in the Las Cruces Borderer. But the Santa Fe ring soon after had banned the sale or distribution of the article in NM Territory. The paper would have had to be reprinted. It was a real disgusting display of power.
On September 2nd 1875 Reverend Tolby, was found dead on the road. He had been shot through the heart. The murder was blamed on two New Mexicans, known as Vega and Cardenas. The two became frightened and claimed they were hired by Ring Rats; Griego, Donahoe, Longwill, and Mills to kill Priest Tolby. But it was not good enough for the brain-washed citizens who were angry at the fact a priest was killed rather than at the source of the murder. Or perhaps they were powerless against the powerful, well organized mob and settled for the satisfaction of hand delivering karma and stringing the murderers up. Vega was then taken and hanged by a mob. The other man, Griego, was also killed but at the hands of Clay Allison, who later became an avenger and enemy of The Ring….. Longwill and Mills were arrested by a mob. Mills was discharged with no evidence, Longwill and Cardenas were held in jail. Cardenas was visited in jail by “strange” friends of Longwill and changed his testimony, and then knew nothing of the killing.
Longwill was shot that night while going back into the jail from the privy.

The corrupt legislators of the Ring then enacted the Omnibus law. This code basically gave the ring the power to declare anyone a criminal. Several publishers afterwards were imprisoned and fined for simply publishing facts against the ring. The Ring now had complete control of the Press and with that could influence those who lacked knowledge of actual facts.

On one occasion Thomas Catron tried to bribe August Kirchner, but failed. Kirchner recalls what Catron said, “Look here Kirchner you must help us, you know a legislator has passed a bill to remove our judge Palen. The Governor is to veto the bill anyway, but we wanted to make sure that the legislator does not have a 2/3 vote over the governor’s veto. You are the only man who can fix this. You can pay them $250 each and I can give you it now”.
When Kirchner refused, Catron got extremely upset and left. The next day Kirchner got a letter from Elkins, it was a request to come to his office. Kirchner knew if he did he would not be home that night or ever again. He decided to testify against Catron but was immediately ridiculed by the ring and its media tools and was called a liar and had his name stained by false news, and the ignorant ate it up.

On April 28th 1877 Catron married Julia Anna Walz. The couple had 5 children John Walton 1878-1944, Charles C. 1879-1951, Thomas Jr. 1888-1973, Fletcher Arthur Catron 1890-1964 and James Walz Catron 1898-1944.
LG Murphy and  Fritz, two officers stationed at Fort Stanton worksheet figures of the ring in the Lincoln County area. they made up. Needs to land and be sold or leased to unsuspecting individuals who often got caught in their net of schemes, and were kept in debt.  Murphy Also operated the largest store in the area and was a master at price gouging techniques. But when Murphy died, store clerk James Dolan took over the operation. This branch of the Santa Fe ring would go to war and be exposed and eventually lose everything. Dolan had no choice but to mortgage everything they had including store and stock to the inkwells and pens, the hirer ups, Thomas Catron and The Santa Fe Ring.
The Dolan outfit became involved in a bloody range war against John Chisum and The Regulators, over land, stores, banks, beef contracts and money. Dolan lost the last straw when Billy the Kid and The Regulators scattered the last of Dolan’s herd causing a contract with the army to go bad.  Thomas Catron sent off plenty of letters to Governor Axtell complaining of the lack of law enforcement in Lincoln County and demanded steps be taken to end The Regulators. Catron also successfully had Regulator pal, Sheriff John Copeland removed, replacing him with a friend of Dolan’s. That little war ended when The Military was again used by The Ring to overwhelm the Regulators at their last stand in Lincoln when their boss and lawyer Alex Mcsween was killed.
Due to being a bad businessman, Dolan was forced to give up his store and stock to Thomas Catron, on January 19, 1878. Dolan and John Riley owed about 20,000 to Catron from a loan. Mr. Walsh (Waltz) , a brother in law to Catron, was sent to Lincoln to handle the business.
In 1884 Catron was elected as New Mexico territorial Council and again in 1888 and from March 1895 to 1897 and again in 1899 and 1905.
From 1895 to 1896 Catron served as the president of the New Mexico Bar Association.
Catron served as the Santa Fe mayor from 1906 to 1908.
In 1909 Mrs. Catron died leaving Thomas a widower.
In 1920 the University of Missouri presented Katrin with an honorary LL.D.-( A doctor of laws)
Thomas Catron passed away on May 15th 1921 he was 81 years old. He is buried at Fairview Cemetery at Santa Fe.