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Lawmen and OutlawsFor approximately fifty years from about 1850 until after the turn of the century, outlaws--- working alone or in bands--- dotted the country from every border. They rustled horses, cattle and mules, herded them into secluded canyon retreats, drove them by night to other sections of the country, and sold them to establish fences. At gunpoint they robbed stagecoaches, trains, general stores and individuals traveling the deserted dirt roads of the frontier. Their motive? Gold. Their excuse? Revenge....
Most desperadoes of this era were raised on farms, some were fathered by ministers and had been brought up to respect the law and the rights of others. For one reason or another, they turned to crime. Whatever their excuses, they were some of the most prolific, out-of-control thieves and killers this country has ever known, and fitting their cruel way of life, most of the died either in prison or shot by the lawmen who pursued them.... Library shelves bulge with the legends of the lawless west. And as one ponders the musty pages of the past, it is sometimes difficult to sift truth from tall tales. So, the challenge for all of us is to peel away any facade of glamour or heroism left behind by these outlaws and remember them as the cruel and treacherous men they were and for the travesty of justice each of them represented during a very important era in the development of this great nation. Paperback, c1997, 33 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. $6.95 |
