Durango may seem to be an innocent Western town with little strife, and visitors may come and go forever believing that, but this place can be deceiving.
Where there is good, there is bad. In true yin-yang spirit, Durango offers a balance of both. And it’s certainly had its share of the bizarre.
During its history, we’ve had gun duels and lynchings. We’ve seen police assaulted with bodily waste. And folks are still scratching their heads trying to figure out why someone would want to steal a dead 100-year-old tree.
Here’s a list of some of the most heinous and newsworthy deaths and crimes of the last century-plus:
He shot the sheriff
Local historian Duane Smith archived several of Durango’s historic occurrences in his book Rocky Mountain Boom Town: A History of Durango, Colorado. After rustling through his notes, he recalled, in a recent interview, a significant event that happened downtown in the early 1900s: an old-fashioned shootout between law-enforcement officers.
On Jan. 9, 1906, Sheriff William Thompson battled Durango’s marshal, Jesse Stansel, in front of what is now El Moro Spirits and Tavern (El Moro Saloon back then) at 945 Main Ave. The battle ended badly when Thompson was mortally wounded by Stansel in their dispute regarding an illegal gambling operation taking place in a local saloon.
Stansel, who was also wounded in the duel, went to trial for the murder of Thompson and was later acquitted. Who fired the first shot? Conflicting accounts left the question forever unanswered.
The Democrat vs. The Herald
According to Smith’s book, this duel between newspaper men was the most infamous shooting of its time in Durango. In April 1922, Democrat editor Rod Day and Herald editor William Wood were involved in a dispute regarding the newspapers and other personal matters. Day shot and killed Wood in broad daylight on Main Avenue. Day was tried for murder and later acquitted. The ordeal was essentially the end of the Democrat and the newspaper family.
It rhymes with ‘spit’
Government employees aren’t exempt from committing crimes, but perhaps you knew that. In February 2011, Paul Kausalik, a Durango Post Office employee, was pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence by Durango police officer Chad Langley. Kausalik was asked to perform a series of roadside maneuvers, which he did not do well, according to police reports.
It wasn’t until Kausalik was taken into the police station that this seemingly standard DUI assessment took an unsettling turn.
Kausalik asked to use the bathroom and was reprimanded for continuously falling asleep (possibly trying to avoid the Breathalyzer test). After finally emerging, he spit his feces at Langley. He later entered an “Alford plea” to felony assault on a police officer and pleaded guilty to drunken driving. An Alford plea is essentially a guilty plea without admitting guilt to certain elements of the charge. He was sentenced to serve 60 days in jail and to complete 80 hours of community service. He also was required to undergo alcohol and mental-health screenings and comply with treatment.
Chinese eatery cat murder
In April 2009, Animal Control was called to investigate allegations of animal cruelty in a downtown Chinese restaurant. Upon routine inspection, firefighters discovered four cats – including one that had been shot to death with a pellet gun and one with serious injuries – and immediately reported their finding to authorities.
The owner of the Chinatown Chinese Restaurant, Quang Din, explained that the dishwashers often shot pellet guns and never intended to hurt any animals. In fact, “those guys love cats,” he said.
It sounded awful, but after thorough inspection the San Juan Basin Health Department confirmed the cats were not a meat source of the restaurant.
Two months later, the business closed. It was purchased by a new owner and renamed Shanghai Pearl Chinese restaurant.
Need exorcism? Call 911
Some residents may not fully understand what a true emergency is and often misuse 911 as a source of information or to vent frustrations.
For instance, on Feb. 15, 2009, a woman called 911 at 5:58 p.m. requesting a priest to perform an exorcism on Florida Road (County Road 240). Such calls are not rare around here. In 2013, a woman called 911 because an AT&T store would not open 10 minutes early.
Local 911 dispatchers get other strange calls and requests.
Police logs often document residents calling 911 or police dispatch to request help with moving their furniture, to complain about unpleasant fast-food experiences and for other nonemergency matters, which can be terribly frustrating for them.
After the complaint regarding AT&T’s store hours, Susanne Meyers, operations supervisor for the Durango-La Plata Emergency Communications Center, said that of the 19,000 calls made in 2012 to 911, at least half were nonemergency calls.
The century-old tree
In December 2013, a group of thieves stole a 100-year-old tree that was intended to help build an outdoor classroom at Durango High School. The 9-R school district was dismayed with the idea that someone would steal from children. The tree also had historical value. The 80-foot ponderosa was estimated to be as old as the town itself, said Ron Stoner, a local arborist. The tree has yet to be returned.
Despite the odd occurrences over the decades, Durango’s beauty remains in the eye of the beholder. Residents have also felt a strong sense of community, and a popular phrase some locals like to use is: “People here are so nice,” but is it true? You be the judge.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
