By the time he was hanged in 1903, Augustine Chacón had become the most notorious Mexican outlaw in the Arizona Territory. His alleged crimes had made him a virtual legend, but the facts show that Chacón wasn’t the bloodthirsty fiend he was made out to be. Journalists of the era chased sensationalist stories, pandering to a readership that longed for excitement. Each retelling of Chacón’s exploits added outlandish details, painting the escaped prisoner as a brutal gunman responsible for as many as fifty-two murders. In reality, Augustine Chacón may not even have killed the man he was hanged for shooting. Join author David Grassé as he uncovers the true story of Arizona’s most enduring criminal legend.
David Grassé is a third-generation Arizonian and lives in Payson. He has an undergraduate degree in history and a master’s degree in information resources and library science from the University of Arizona. He is a member of the Arizona Historical Society, the Western Writers of America and the Arizona Library Association. Grassé is the author of two published books and several articles. He remains employed as a reference librarian because writing western history does not pay the bills.