John Kinney (c. 1847 – August 25, 1919) was an outlaw of the Old West, who formed the John Kinney Gang. Kinney was born in Hampshire County, Massachusetts around 1847. His family later moved to Iowa, and in 1865, after the Civil War ended, Kinney enlisted in the US Army. At the rank of sergeant, Kinney was mustered out of the army in 1873. He settled in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and for reasons unknown organized a gang, which began committing acts of robbery and cattle rustling. Jesse Evans was one of the early members. On December 31, 1875, Kinney, Evans, Jim McDaniels and Pony Diehl entered a saloon in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where they became involved in a brawl with Cavalry soldiers from Fort Seldon. The outlaws were beaten badly and thrown out of the saloon. They returned shortly t