407 S. 2nd Street

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 1, 2025

1. 407 S. 2nd Street Marker

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Asa “Ace” Moore, Con Wagner (a.k.a. Con Moore), and an individual known as “Big Ned” or “Big Ed” Bernard were hanged in 1868 for their part in unlawful and violent acts against area ranchers.

Their leader was “Big” Steve Long, a gunfighter who had been elected deputy marshal of Laramie during its early lawless days at a time when even the newly elected mayor and other government officials resigned within six weeks of each

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 1, 2025

2. 407 S. 2nd Street Marker looking from South 1st Street

other in 1868.

Long was a violent man who intimidated, robbed and killed many honest men. He and Moyer and Wagner, owners of the Belle of the West Saloon– forced several ranchers to sign over the deeds to their ranches. Many who protested ended up dead, but with no witnesses to the crime.

Finally, N.K. Boswell, a local rancher and later the first sheriff of Albany County (1869), organized several other ranchers to conspire against the three. Their determination resulted in the hangings of Moyer, Wagner, “Big Ned” and eventually “Big” Steve.

Laramie was so bad, that supervision of the town had to be taken over by the Federal Court. Indeed, in these towns four times as many railroad workers were killed than were killed by accidents on the right-of-way.

The lawless elements were brought under control by the actions of Committees of Vigilence. In Laramie City, N. K. Boswell, first sheriff of Albany County and later deputy United States Marshall and warden of the Territorial Prison, was

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reputedly a member of the Committee. In Laramie City, in addition to Young pictured at the top of the page, at least three other miscreants met their end at the hands of the Committee, including Asa "Ace" Moore, Con Wagner (a.k.a. Con Moore), and an individual known as "Big Ned" or "Big Ed" Bernard.

In the early morning hours of October 28, 1868, members of the Committee of Vigilence proceeded to the Belle of the West, a tent saloon operated by Ace Moore and his half brother Con. The saloon had a reputation for violence and thus was referred to by locals as the "Bucket of Blood." The term bucket of blood was commonly applied to any saloon in the west with a violent reputation. Ace and Con with "Long Steve" Young were self appointed town marshals. The three had been implicated in a number of killings in Laramie City. By October 1868 at least thirteen men had been killed and another seven died under suspicious circumstances which pointed to the three." On October 18, a prospector "Hard Luck" Harrison was killed in a gunfight with an unknown assailant. Most killings in Laramie City, however, were by garrotting. After a fifteen minute gun battle between the vigilantes and the denizens of the saloon, Ace, Big Ned, and Con were captured, taken to an incomplete cabin behind the Frontier Hotel and summarily hanged. In the battle, Charles Barton, a coronet player, was killed and William Willie, a Union Pacific fireman was mortally wounded. Also wounded was William McPherson.

On the way to the unfinished cabin, Big Ned, sometimes referred to as "Big Ed," was silent. At the cabin, he asked if his captors minded if he took off his boots; he did not want to die with his boots on. Note in the above photos, Big Ned is in his stocking feet. In the morning with the bodies of the three turning stiff with rigor mortis, Long Steve was politely told that it was advisable that he leave town. Allegedly, Long Steve's fiancée had reported to N. K. Boswell that Long Steve had admitted to her that he was the one who killed Hard Luck Harrison. Long Steve declined to leave, reportedly saying that he wasn't going to let a bunch of stranglers scare him. That, however, proved to be a mistake. The crime problem in Laramie ended.