Known as the Polish cowboy, Martin Mroz is a cattle rustler and killer. Chased into Mexico, Mroz avoids arrests, but longs to return to his wife Beulah in El Paso.

But Beulah, a former prostitute, has fallen for the attorney she hired to help her husband. The attorney is the famous Wild West gunman, John Wesley Hardin.

Learning of his wife's affair, Mroz decides to return to El Paso. Crossing the bridge by moonlight, he is ambushed by lawmen, refuses arrest, and dies in a hail of bullets.

Soon, Beulah moves in with Hardin. A month later he is shot by the man he supposedly hired to kill Mroz, but apparently failed to pay.

(Information is from Save Texas History Program)
∼Martin Mroz (other variations are spelled Mrose, or Morose) was a Polish immigrant who came to the El Paso / Eddy County New Mexico area by way of the Polish Community of St Hedwig Texas about 1890. He worked around the Eddy County Ranch as a cowboy, cattle buyer and was implicated in some cattle rustling, thievery and altering brands. Some think he was also involved in several murders. In order to evade criminal charges, Martin made it to Ciudad Juarez accompanied by his wife Beulah (Helen). Beulah and Martin were arrested near Magdalena by Mexican authorities for being fugitives and wanted in the United States. Beulah was released the next day. While in a Mexican Jail, Martin hired an attorney from the area named John Wesley Hardin to fight his extradition. Thanks to a bribe, Martin was released from Jail, but could not return to the US due to pending charges. Beulah and John Wesley Hardin became much closer that what would be considered proper for an attorney / client relationship. John Wesley even borrowed money (Martin's) from Beulah to purchase an interest in the Wigwam Saloon in El Paso. US Deputy Marshall George Scarborough went into Juarez several times to meet with Martin and tried to get him to cross back into Texas and turn himself in. Scarborough even delivered several messages to Beulah from Martin asking her to come to Juarez. She refused. Martin's love for Beulah got the better of him on June 29, 1895 when he met with George Scarborough about 11:00 PM, half way across the Mexican Central Railroad Bridge that lead from Juarez to El Paso. At first, Martin did not want to cross back into Texas, but finally said he would go with Scarborough. As Martin was aware of Beulah's relationship with Hardin, some have speculated if the reason for his return was not just to see Beulah, but to get some of his money, or even to "meet" with Hardin and settle the relationship issue between Hardin and Beulah. Waiting for Martin on the El Paso side of the bridge was US Deputy Marshall Jeff Milton and Ranger Frank McMahon who had been called on by Scarborough to help in the arrest of Martin. When Martin and Scarborough got on the El Paso side and off the bridge, the Law Officers attempted to take Martin into custody. Martin pulled a short barreled Colt .45 Single Action, but was shot multiple times by the officers who were carrying .45 pistols and at least one shotgun. Martin's gun showed it was fired once, but no one other than Martin was hit by gunfire. As Martin groaned "boys, you've killed me", Scarborough placed his foot on Martin and said, "Stop trying to get up and we will quit shooting". Dr. Alward White reported that there were seven penetrating wounds in the chest and abdomen caused by pistol balls and buckshot. Two of these bullets passed directly through the heart and was the cause of death. In addition, there were also six or seven shot wounds to his left arm. In Martin's pocket was a letter addressed to "Miss Beulah Mrose, El Paso Texas". The letter was covered with blood and had two bullet holes in it. The letter was later turned over to Beulah. Beulah did not blame the shooting on the Law Officers, and took the news very well. All three law men were indicted for the shooting due to several rumors that had started concerning the shooting, but two years later when it finally came to trial, no one showed up to testify so the three were exonerated. At the funeral of Martin Mroz, the only two mourners present were John Wesley Hardin and Buelah M'Rose. John Wesley Hardin and Beulah continued their personal relationship until John Wesley Hardin was killed by Constable John Selman just six weeks later. Ironically, John Wesley Hardin was buried only three graves south of Martin Mroz in the Concordia Cemetery.

Additional information was provided concerning Martin Mroz:

"Martin was the son of Barbara (Ploch) Mroz. Barbara was the sister of my grandmother, Theodosia Ploch. Barbara and Theodosia grew up with their family in St. Hedwig, Texas. Martin is my first cousin twice removed.
I'm writing this note to let you know that Martin's real name is "Mroz".

David Rackowitz

Bio sources: Robert K. DeArment, George Scarborough, The life and Death of a Lawman on the Closing Frontier, 1992, University of Oklahoma Press.
Richard C. Marohn, The Last Gunfighter, John Wesley Hardin, 1995, Creative Publishing.