Synopses & Reviews
Not every Wild West disagreement was settled with guns on a dusty street. Great Murder Trials of the Old West recreates and analyzes some of the wildest murder trials on the American frontier. Among the Trials of the 19th Century (and early 1900s) are the trial of Frank James, Jesse's big brother, and the trial of Jack McCall for the killing of legendary gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok. The highly publicized trials of killers Tom Horn and Billy the Kid are also covered, as well as the often-overlooked 1871 case in Jacksboro, Texas, against Kiowa Indians Satanta and Big Tree, the first time Indians were ever tried under white civilian law.
Synopsis
Recreate and analyze some of the wildest murder trials on the American frontier.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-269) and index.
Synopsis
Not every Wild West disagreement was settled with guns on a dusty street. Even on the frontier, accused criminals were entitled to a fair trial. Author Johnny Boggs recreates and analyzes some of the wildest murder trials of these times.
Table of Contents
"I am ready to die" : military trial of the Modoc Indians : Fort Klamath, Oregon, 1873 -- "A cowardly, treacherous desperado" : trial of Jack McCall : Yankton, Dakota Territory, 1876-77 -- "I am that d----d desperado, John Wesley Hardin" : trial of John Wesley Hardin : Comanche, Texas, 1877 -- "Hanging is my favorite way of dying" : trial of Bill Longley : Giddings, Texas, 1877 -- "Live at peace with the white men" : court-martial of the Apache scouts : Fort Grant, Arizona Territory, 1881 -- "Human jerked beef" : trial of Alfred Packer : Lake City, Colorado, 1883 -- "You will never reach home alive" : trial of Oliver Lee and James Gililland : Hillsboro, New Mexico Territory, 1899 -- "Don't, Uncle Bill, this is Lynn" : trial of Wiley Lynn : Wewoka, Oklahoma, 1925.