In the early morning hours of November 21, 1913, in the mining town of Bingham, a quick tempered, quick fisted sharpshooter named Rafael Lopez becam embroiled in an argument with a fellow miner.  The disagreement was over the affections of a dance hall girl.  The dispute ended abruptly when Lopez pulled out his pistol and shot his competition dead.  Lopez was many things, but stupid was not one of them.  Quickly, Lopez left town.  Travelling on foot, Lopez made his way southward toward Utah Lake.  Lawmen were notified and gave chase.  Near Saratoga Springs, officers caught up with Lopez, but Lopez hid in an irrigation ditch, steadied his rifle and waited.

    Two of Lopez's pursuers rode their horses into the field where Lopez was hiding.  Immediately, shots rang out.  Chief of Police Billy Grant was killed instantly and Deputy Nephi Stannard Jensen was mortally wounded.  Deputies Otto Witbeck and Julius Sorenson heard the shots and hurried to help their fallen friends.  Lopez fired again, hitting Deputy Witbeck and barely missing Sorenson, who half fell and half jumped from his horse.  Deputy Witbeck died later that same day.  Sorenson was attempting to keep Witbeck and Jensen alive while Lopez used this opportunity to escape into the mountains.

    Lawmen from several counties converged on the area in an effort to capture Lopez.  However, Lopez was as crafty as a fox.  Instead of getting as far away from the area as possible, Lopez doubled back and took refuge in one of the mines of Bingham.  Deputy Sheriff Douglas Hulsey, who was reputed as one of the area's best trackers, followed Lopez back to Bingham and discovered in which mine the killer was hiding.  The mine was surrounded by lawmen and a decision was made to smoke Lopez out of the mine.  On the morning of November 29th, Deputies J. Douglas Hulsey and Thomas Manderich were assisting in hauling bales of hay into the mine to set on fire, when Lopez again opened fire.  Both Manderich and Hulsey were killed.

    Five good lawmen died attempting to capture Rafael Lopez.  The final indignation to this saddest episode in Utah law enforcement is that Lopez somehow escaped from the mine, left Bingham, and was never captured.

"In the Line of Fire"
by Paul Fleming

Note: Bingham Chief of Police and Town Marshall, Billy Grant, is honored along with the deputy sheriffs he worked with, and with whom he died.  Three books have been written about Lopez and his exploits.  Special thanks to author Lynn R. Bailey for his most valuable contributions.