▁out la ws ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁wounded . ▁In ▁the ▁end , ▁the ▁Smith ▁Gang ▁escaped ▁the ▁pos se ▁and ▁fled ▁into ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁Arizona ▁R angers ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁and ▁the ▁Battle ground ▁Gun f ight ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁shoot out ▁to ▁involve ▁the ▁new ▁police ▁force . ▁The ▁Smith ▁Gang ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁targets ▁for ▁the ▁r angers . ▁In ▁n ort he astern ▁Graham ▁County , ▁Bill ▁Smith ▁owned ▁a ▁ran ch ▁on ▁the ▁Blue ▁River , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁and ▁his ▁younger ▁brothers ▁and ▁sister s . ▁The ▁ran ch ▁house ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁rust ling ▁cattle ▁from ▁nearby ▁sett lers , ▁such ▁as ▁Henry ▁Bar rett , ▁a ▁former ▁R ough ▁R ider . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁the ▁Smith ▁brothers ▁were ▁arrested ▁for ▁ste aling ▁un brand ed ▁cal ves ▁from ▁Bar rett ▁and ▁Bill ▁Ph el ps . ▁Bill ▁Smith ▁assumed ▁full ▁responsibility ▁so ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁j ail ▁at ▁St . ▁Joh ns . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁Bill ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁developed ▁a ▁grud ge ▁against ▁Henry ▁Bar rett . ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁week ▁of ▁October ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁the ▁Smith ▁Gang ▁was ▁sp otted ▁at ▁Pat ▁Kn oll , ▁near ▁Springer ville , ▁heading ▁south ▁with ▁a ▁her d ▁of ▁fifteen ▁or ▁twenty ▁st olen ▁horses . ▁Police ▁inform ants ▁said ▁the ▁gang ▁was ▁one ▁their ▁way ▁from ▁Ut