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Jerked to Jesus
The lawman-turned-lawbreaker found himself “jerked to Jesus” on an atypical gallows that looks to be the same kind portrayed in this 1887 hanging photographed by R.M. Davis of Denver, Colorado. The...
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True West’s Best of the West 2018
The magazine’s Publisher Emeritus Robert G. McCubbin not only acquired an impressive array of Old West outlaw and lawman historical photographs, but also frontier photographs in general. This cowboy...
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The Size of an Assignment
Tom McLaury (far left) and Frank McLaury (left) look much shorter than the six-foot-tall journalist Ed Finerty in the center. To be clear, unknown provenance has some historians doubting if this is a...
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What is 3-7-77, Associated with the Montana Vigilantes?
What is 3-7-77, associated with the Montana Vigilantes? Dave Quinn Carson City, Nevada This has long been a Western historical puzzle. The Montana Vigilantes never revealed the meaning of 3-7-77,...
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A Last Hurrah for the Reno Gang
Frank Reno The Reno Gang hit the big time on May 22, 1868. They robbed a train near Marshfield, Indiana of about $96,000—more than $1.5 million in today’s dollars—and got clean away, at least for the...
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Condemning the Jail
New Albany, Indiana Jail The New Albany, Indiana Jail was just a few years old when four members of the Reno Gang were moved there in 1868. They were supposed to be jailed in Lexington, Indiana, but...
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A Pinkerton Lie
John Reno The Pinkertons say they lured train robber John Reno to the Seymour, Indiana train depot in 1867. According to the story, as the train was rolling to the platform, agents jumped out, grabbed...
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Hot Air & Kind Words
Press promoter Burke is shown wearing a cowboy hat in London, England, in 1887 with “Buffalo Bill” Cody (seated, far left) and manager Nate Salsbury (third from left). — Burke photo courtesy Heritage...
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Fake News Guru
Oatman, Arizona. — Photo courtesy USGS — In the 1920s, Oatman, Arizona, was a boomtown, and while the discovery of gold and the prosperity of the mines were always tabloid fodder, a bizarre narrative...
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A Respected Lawman
Leander McNelly Leander McNelly had the distinction of serving as a captain of both the Texas State Police and a special force of the Texas Rangers. It was a measure of the respect people had for him....
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The Paris Punk
Illustration by Bob Boze Bell Did a 16-year-old Buffalo Bill wannabe shoot Vincent van Gogh? Believe it, or not, compelling new evidence has surfaced that points towards René Secrétan as the Paris punk...
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Old Mug Shots Get New Lives in Captured and Exposed
Even for the wealthy, having a portrait made in the 1840s was a rare, costly event that called for perfect dress and impeccable grooming. But as technology evolved, pictures became less and less...
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What was Drug Use Like in the Old West?
What was drug use like in the Old West? Shane King-Furgala Irvine, California Drugs were pretty common and were legal—whether for killing pain or recreational use (or as an additive in Coca Cola). The...
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Mystery Man of the West
The Apache Kid. The Apache Kid is one of the most mysterious figures in Old West history. The one-time Indian scout for the army. But things went bad in 1887 when the Kid’s father was killed. In...
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Old Mug Shots Get New Lives in Captured and Exposed
Even for the wealthy, having a portrait made in the 1840s was a rare, costly event that called for perfect dress and impeccable grooming. But as technology evolved, pictures became less and less...
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If the State Won’t Do It
Doctor’s Row at historic Fort Bayard.— Photos Courtesy Sheila Hudman — Rebuild it or demolish it—that’s been the tipping point for many historic facilities in the West that haven’t had all the tender...
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Little by Liddil (Jesse Goes Down)
Wood Hite vs. Dick Liddil December 4, 1881 James Gang member, Dick Liddil, comes down for breakfast at the Bolton home, just east of Richmond, Missouri. He is soon joined by Robert Ford. Widow Martha...
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