tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32080600381596136322024-02-08T12:37:37.420-08:00Badges and BadmenEstablished to portray and ponder the old west (as long as it honors the spirit of the true west). The legends, lawmen, and lore, primarily told through the copywrited poetic verse and western poetry of the created alias of "Professor Jer Thom."JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-6483799168007747472013-09-18T20:35:00.003-07:002013-09-18T20:35:36.819-07:00They Hung Him TwiceWilliam Wilson was a gunman,<br />
the lowest kind of all:<br />
A no-account <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ARIZONA-BUSHWACKERS/dp/B00A90AHB8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1379561588&sr=8-6&keywords=westerns+bushwackers">bushwacker,</a><br />
who shot his ex-boss from behind a wall.<br />
They hung him once and cut him down,<br />
he awoke and said, "I survive."<br />
So they<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hang-Em-High-Clint-Eastwood/dp/6304698801/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379561664&sr=8-2&keywords=westerns+hang+him+high"> hung him again</a> and he woke up in Hell<br />
claiming, "Hell, I'm burning alive!"JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-1046102576646669202013-09-17T16:33:00.000-07:002013-09-18T20:30:47.772-07:00Ison Dart: cowboy to cattle rustlerIson Dart was one of the rare<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Cowboy-Horses-Julius-Lester/dp/0803717873/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1379460355&sr=8-22&keywords=westerns+black+cowboy"> black gunmen</a> in the west.<br />
But he had the misfortune<br />
to cross paths with one of the best.<br />
From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-West-Documentary-Pictorial/dp/0684814781/ref=sr_1_62?ie=UTF8&qid=1379460469&sr=8-62&keywords=westerns+black+cowboy">cowboy to cattle rustler</a>,<br />
near a part of Wyoming called Brown's Hole.<br />
But when Dart and the gang stepped out<br />
one morning to checkout what they stole,<br />
Two shots rang out<br />
and tore open Dart's head;<br />
A gruesome sight to see<br />
as he lay there dead.<br />
The gang coward back in the cabin,<br />
and abstained from gun play,<br />
As<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Horn-Killer-Men-Monsters/dp/1460991532/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379460629&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=tom+horn+lawman+bounty+hunter"> Tom Horn</a>, who took the shots,<br />
casually mounted and rode away.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-81765503411188768962013-09-15T20:12:00.000-07:002013-09-15T20:12:05.942-07:00The Two-Fisted Marshal: Thomas "Bear River" SmithAs a cop in New York on a tough Bowery beat,<br />
Thomas "Bear River" Smith learned to never retreat.<br />
He headed out West before<br />
The tragic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/bitComposer-Entertainment-AG-NORTH-SOUTH/dp/B00C9VDX6Q/ref=sr_1_41?ie=UTF8&qid=1379300712&sr=8-41&keywords=westerns+civil+war">Civil War</a>:<br />
At first hauling freight before cleaning the street.<br />
<br />
He took to cleaning when they gave him a star.<br />
It weren't always easy, not easy by far.<br />
In one <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vigilante-Western-Collection-Franco-Nero/dp/B002ID097G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379300782&sr=8-1&keywords=westerns+vigilante">vigilante rattle</a>,<br />
Fourteen died in the battle,<br />
And it caused Smith to carry a deep unseen scar.<br />
<br />
He still carried his pistol, but more often used skin.<br />
He was a bare knuckle brawler with a sure knack to win.<br />
From Bear River to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kit-Carson-Indians-Thomas-Dunlay/dp/0803266421/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1379300912&sr=8-6&keywords=westerns+kit+carson">Kit Carson</a>,<br />
And to Abilene like a parson,<br />
He fought to keep peace when he brought outlaws in.<br />
<br />
A brother lawman asked Smith to bring in two prey.<br />
He took after Andrew McConnell and Moses Miles right away.<br />
But Smith was waylaid,<br />
And ax-chopped with a blade.<br />
A sad tragic end to his legacy that day.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-28488266982987375312013-09-14T14:35:00.000-07:002013-09-14T14:35:00.106-07:00Poker AliceAlice Ivers would become better known as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poker-Alice-VHS-Elizabeth-Taylor/dp/6303077684/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379194053&sr=8-1&keywords=westerns+poker+alice">"Poker Alice."</a><br />
A teen bride whose husband was older and callous.<br />
But he taught her about cards<br />
With tricky sharps and friendly pards,<br />
And it birthed a dream about having her own poker palace.<br />
<br />
She was still a teen when she moved to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadwood-Pete-Dexter/dp/1400079713/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1379194110&sr=8-4&keywords=westerns+deadwood">Deadwood,</a><br />
Where she was asked if she could deal cards, and she could.<br />
Her husband was soon dead,<br />
She became devoted to gambling instead,<br />
And roamed the West like any good sharp would.<br />
<br />
She smoked big black cigars and downed shots of whiskey.<br />
She played for high stakes and dared to be risky.<br />
She knew when to hold,<br />
And she knew when to fold,<br />
And there were times she did both if she began to feel frisky.<br />
<br />
One thing she despised was a gambler who'd cheat.<br />
And word got around that she always packed heat.<br />
Her purse draw was quick,<br />
And her dress draw quite a trick,<br />
But more often than not the cheat would beat feet.<br />
<br />
Alice was back up in Deadwood one August day,<br />
When she was asked by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Bill-Hickok-The-Myth/dp/0700607730/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379194178&sr=8-2&keywords=westerns+wild+bill+hickok">Wild Bill Hickok</a> if she wished to play.<br />
But she couldn't sit in,<br />
She had a promised game to win,<br />
But she got a funny feeling as she turned to walk away.<br />
<br />
Sometime later she heard a shot then shout.<br />
She rushed to Saloon No. 10 to see what it's about.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-West-Wild-Bill-Hickok/dp/0806126809/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1379194199&sr=8-10&keywords=westerns+wild+bill+hickok">Hickok lay dead.</a><br />
Back-shooter McCall fled.<br />
But they soon found the quivering cowardly lout.<br />
<br />
As time moved on Alice married once more.<br />
But his mediocre ways brought trouble to the door.<br />
But when a man knifed her hubby,<br />
She gut-shot the tubby,<br />
And left him bellerin' and bleeding on the floor.<br />
<br />
With a big win she bought a big spread.<br />
But life threw in some unexpected dread.<br />
The ranch flopped,<br />
Her hubby dropped,<br />
And Alice thought all her dreams were now dead.<br />
<br />
Alice moved to Rapid City, a thriving western hub.<br />
She found herself a new dream, sorta' like an English pub.<br />
Just playing her cards,<br />
And drinking with pards,<br />
She never got her palace, but lived the rest of her life with a poker club.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-7479128748230857132013-09-13T17:36:00.000-07:002013-09-13T17:36:43.575-07:00Killing Gunman Bill DunnBill Dunn was a hunter of men.<br />
Hunting bounties was the trade of he and his kin.<br />
Calvin, George, Dal, and Bee,<br />
Brothers in a bloody family.<br />
They spent most of their time engaged in some sin.<br />
<br />
A road ranch was owned by the Brothers Dunn.<br />
It was sometimes used by men on the run.<br />
The men would salivate<br />
Over teenage Rose, the bait,<br />
Til each of her brothers came with a gun.<br />
<br />
When <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Ride-Dalton-Gang/dp/B0000EMYMI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1379038705&sr=8-4&keywords=westerns+dalton+gang">Charley Pierce and Bitter Creek Newcomb</a> came to spend the night,<br />
They were caught by surprise like a deer in the light.<br />
As a matter of course<br />
Each stabled their horse,<br />
Then were waylaid with an ambush done right.<br />
<br />
When loading the bodies for a trip to town,<br />
Newcomb -- thought dead -- started coming around.<br />
No thought of their sister,<br />
Just "a glass of water, Mister,"<br />
But they sent him to Hell where no water is found.<br />
<br />
Bill Dunn was with the posse that dropped<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doolin-Outlaw-Western-Frontier-Library/dp/0806116528/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379038798&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=westerns+bill+doolin+gang"> Bill Doolin</a> the same way.<br />
But the townsfolk started wondering about their sense of fair play.<br />
Bill tried to shift blame,<br />
Using Frank Canton's name; <br />
But his mouth charged a debt his body would have to pay.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alias-Frank-Canton-Robert-DeArment/dp/080612900X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379038885&sr=8-1&keywords=westerns+frank+canton">Deputy Sheriff Canton</a> faced Dunn on the streets of Pawnee.<br />
And Dunn drew first for all witnesses to see.<br />
But Canton was faster<br />
To trigger his blaster,<br />
And a head shot sent Bill Dunn to Death's mystery.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-78412228317898099782013-09-12T18:54:00.001-07:002013-09-12T18:54:18.972-07:00Hang the Archer GangThe Archer Gang was a set of four brothers,<br />
Who took after <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Western-Classics-Graphic-Volume-Novels/dp/0978791991/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1378953565&sr=8-14&keywords=westerns+reno">the Reno's</a> and a slew of others.<br />
Their reign of crime<br />
Spanned decades of time<br />
And they share the blame with moral-less fathers and mothers.<br />
<br />
The Archers robbed stagecoaches, travelers, and trains.<br />
Then they hid among kin like wheat among grains.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shot-All-Hell-Northfield-Greatest/dp/0061989479/ref=sr_1_58?ie=UTF8&qid=1378953439&sr=8-58&keywords=westerns+outlaw+gangs">The Dalton's and James,</a><br />
The Fords and other lames,<br />
Had similar families with outlaw-like brains.<br />
<br />
They played the "good neighbor" until money ran low,<br />
Then they grabbed pistols and shotguns and got up to go.<br />
They roamed far and wide<br />
To fleece others then hide,<br />
But their years of success just darkened each soul.<br />
<br />
After years on the run a mad posse came callin'.<br />
And when their women-folk heard they all started bawlin'.<br />
Tom, John, and Mort,<br />
Vigilantes did abort<br />
With nooses 'round necks that sparked caterwallin'.<br />
<br />
The youngest brother Sam made it to trial,<br />
And was quickly convicted and lost his smug smile.<br />
A noose was soon fetched<br />
And Sam's neck was stretched,<br />
And the townsfolk commenced to party awhile.<br />
<br />
History records the Archer Gang with one of the longest crime waves.<br />
But the end was still the same: it sent them to their graves,<br />
Where <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Western-Comics-Steven-Brower/dp/1576875946/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y">the outlaw soul</a><br />
Has one place to go,<br />
To Hell's deepest hole with the volcanic caves.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-89644833469961740992013-09-11T19:46:00.000-07:002013-09-11T19:46:41.053-07:00The Head and Heart of the "Oklahoma Guardsmen."Some men who wore a star were as bad as those they trailed.<br />
But others had integrity and felt all law breakers should be jailed.<br />
Evett Nix was one<br />
Who used brain before gun,<br />
And wished all outlaws, instead of victims, wailed.<br />
<br />
Nix was Marshal over the Oklahoma Territory.<br />
It was a vast expanse known for gore and glory.<br />
Nix was spread too thin<br />
So he hired more men:<br />
Each of them top lawmen with a better story.<br />
<br />
Frank Canton was associated with the Johnson County War.<br />
And Chris Madsen had fought with Garibaldi on a foreign shore.<br />
But the two known best<br />
For their deeds in the West,<br />
Were Thomas and Tilghman for their blood, guts, and gore.<br />
<br />
Nix was the first marshal to ever deputize <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heck-Thomas-Frontier-Glenn-Shirley/dp/0806116641/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378952672&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=westerns+heck+thomas">Heck Thomas</a>.<br />
'Cause he was good with a gun, had grit, and showed promise.<br />
When settling the West<br />
You go with the best,<br />
'Cause justice works better with a law make, not a law miss.<br />
<br />
When <a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Know-Name-Sam-Elliott/dp/B000EOTUSU/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1378952798&sr=8-15&keywords=westerns+bill+tilghman">Bill Tilghman</a> came from Dodge City he was a gunman feared.<br />
But when he brought in Bill Doolin five thousand townsfolk cheered.<br />
In the badge wearin' game<br />
Tilghman earned fame;<br />
Til shot dead by Wiley Lynn, a drunkin' coward who sneered.<br />
<br />
When Nix' <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oklahombres-Particularly-Wilder-Evett-Dumas/dp/0803283660/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378952522&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=westerns+evett+nix">Oklahoma Guardsmen</a> took control<br />
The territorial crime wave began to slow.<br />
All that was needed<br />
Was for the law to be heeded,<br />
When tough honest men bring their guns to the show.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-40146775592656926782013-09-11T15:17:00.000-07:002013-09-11T15:17:30.088-07:00Colorado Bill and the Hanging JudgeWilliam Elliott, also known as "Colorado Bill;"<br />
He didn't grow up a real man, just one who knew how to kill.<br />
Four dead in four states<br />
While Justice just waits,<br />
And Bill stayed in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Choctaw-Nation-American-Indian-Resurgence/dp/0803224907/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378779817&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=westerns+choctaw+nation">Choctaw Nation</a> for a spell.<br />
<br />
Then Bill killed David Brown and his soul became darker.<br />
But the law ran him down and sent him off to Judge Parker.<br />
Fort Smith's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Blue-Hanging-Judge-Joseph/dp/0451203283/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1378779690&sr=8-4&keywords=westerns+hanging+judge">"Hanging Judge,"</a><br />
On the law he wouldn't budge,<br />
So Bill was hung and buried with a two-bit marker.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-72806833799789095222013-09-09T19:26:00.000-07:002013-09-09T19:26:57.485-07:00Sent to his Maker by a Preacher's SonCassius "Cash" Hollister -- once a mayor, but often<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lawman-Western-Negative-Photograph-Russell/dp/B00EQF1FPY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1378779142&sr=8-7&keywords=westerns+lawman"> a lawman</a> --<br />
Had a raucous temperament, more fitting to an outlaw clan.<br />
But outlaws were bust,<br />
Cash earned the town's trust<br />
In the kill or be killed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Appaloosa-Ed-Harris/dp/B001LRJH0U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1378779272&sr=8-2&keywords=westerns+killed+a+lawman">peace officer</a> plan.<br />
<br />
Cash was once fined for assaulting Frank Hunt.<br />
With temper in check, lawbreakers took the brunt.<br />
Then came a surprise,<br />
To hear of Cash's demise,<br />
Shot twice by the gun of a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Preachers-Fire-First-Mountain-Man/dp/0786021276/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378779410&sr=8-1&keywords=westerns+preacher">preacher's </a>naughty runt.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-21173168502161455512013-09-07T20:56:00.000-07:002013-09-07T20:56:08.040-07:00Dynamite Dick Dead in the DirtDaniel Clifton, also known as "Dynamite Dick,"<br />
Cattle rustling and bank jobs were his chosen shtick.<br />
With his criminal resume,'<br />
He joined <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doolin-Outlaw-Western-Frontier-Library/dp/0806116528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378612216&sr=8-1&keywords=westerns+%22Bill+Doolin%22">Bill Doolin's "Oklahombres</a>,"<br />
With pistols and black powder his favorite tricks.<br />
<br />
But an outlaw career can be boom or bust.<br />
It ain't no position to instill some trust.<br />
Yer' pals are all varmints<br />
Who wear blood-stained garments,<br />
And when you retire it's face down in the dust.<br />
<br />
While <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ballad-Doolin-Composer-Edward-Barnes/dp/B003A12FR2/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378612281&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=westerns+%22Bill+Doolin%22">the Doolin Gang</a> took the bank in Southwest City,<br />
They killed J.C. Seaborn, and it wasn't pretty.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Doolins-Oklahoma-Randolph-Scott/dp/B000294FIC/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1378612343&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=westerns+%22Bill+Doolin%22">Doolin and Clifton</a> were jailed;<br />
Bribed a guard: the system failed,<br />
But the posse that followed had sand and were gritty.<br />
<br />
"Every man for himself" is the fugitive code.<br />
Find a place to hole up and drop all yer' load.<br />
Clifton was found on a farm,<br />
Tried to escape without harm,<br />
But he was shot on the run and lay dead on the road.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-28278449249193674072013-09-06T20:19:00.003-07:002013-09-06T20:19:45.923-07:00Lawmen and Liquor Don't Mix<div align="center">
George Flatt was a lawman in Kansas,</div>
<div align="center">
who also co-owned a saloon.</div>
<div align="center">
They said he had grit,</div>
<div align="center">
was as tough as they get,</div>
<div align="center">
and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Gun-Movies-films-package/dp/B00EI2CTPK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1378523799&sr=8-2&keywords=westerns+six-guns">his six-gun</a> could carry a tune.</div>
<div align="center">
On July the seventh,</div>
<div align="center">
in eighteen-seventy-and-nine,</div>
<div align="center">
Jake Adams and George Wood</div>
<div align="center">
were up to no good,</div>
<div align="center">
just drinkin' and shootin'</div>
<div align="center">
and thinkin' it's fine.</div>
<div align="center">
Now Constable Kelly and Deputy Wilson</div>
<div align="center">
with Flatt and Kiser by their side,</div>
<div align="center">
came in for a gander</div>
<div align="center">
and up went their dander</div>
<div align="center">
as bullets whizzed by close and wide.</div>
<div align="center">
Wilson was wrist-shot,</div>
<div align="center">
and Kiser was head-shot.</div>
<div align="center">
Thank God it was only a graze.</div>
<div align="center">
And Flatt <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Western-Gunslingers-Fact-Film-Hollywoods/dp/0786403969/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1378523258&sr=8-11&keywords=westerns+lawmen">killed both outlaws</a>:</div>
<div align="center">
Adams and Wood.</div>
<div align="center">
I think he just earned him a raise.</div>
<div align="center">
Flatt became marshall and upheld the peace,</div>
<div align="center">
but he had him a habit to drink.</div>
<div align="center">
Bending the elbow</div>
<div align="center">
and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Plastic-Cowboy-Boot-Mugs/dp/B001BQYLZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378523407&sr=8-1&keywords=westerns+mugs">tipping the mug</a></div>
<div align="center">
can be just as bad as the opium drug;</div>
<div align="center">
just try them and then try to think.</div>
<div align="center">
Well, Flatt had a few,</div>
<div align="center">
and then a few too many;</div>
<div align="center">
some might say he was "dead drunk."</div>
<div align="center">
But he got up and staggered</div>
<div align="center">
and tried to get home,</div>
<div align="center">
too wasted to smell a near skunk</div>
<div align="center">
He was shot from behind,</div>
<div align="center">
it severed his spine</div>
<div align="center">
right at the base of his skull.</div>
<div align="center">
Two men were suspected,</div>
<div align="center">
Horseman and Hunt,</div>
<div align="center">
but<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hangman/dp/B002XSS19O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1378523561&sr=8-3&keywords=westerns+hangman"> the Hangman</a> never would pull.</div>
<div align="center">
They say justice failed</div>
<div align="center">
'cause neither suspect was jailed.</div>
<div align="center">
But I say, if you think they got away</div>
<div align="center">
think again.</div>
<div align="center">
'Cause ol' Frank and Bill</div>
<div align="center">
are roasting in hell,</div>
<div align="center">
since crime unrepented is sin.</div>
<div align="center">
</div>
JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-47592648641886162952013-09-01T19:17:00.000-07:002013-09-01T19:17:59.323-07:00Lynching Robert LacyHave you heard 'bout Robert Lacy, the outlaw, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gambler-Playing-Keeps-Kenny-Rogers/dp/B0002IQJ82/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1377914819&sr=8-9&keywords=gambling+western+movie+book">gunman, and gambler</a>?<br />
Shot several men down New Mexico way, roamin' the state like a rambler.<br />
Some say he had a death omen<br />
So he headed north to Wyomin'<br />
And supported himself as a cheatin' card handler.<br />
<br />
Up in Rawlins he continued the shady play.<br />
Tapping out the citizens: several suckers a day.<br />
But the town grew wise.<br />
It sparked fire in their eyes.<br />
And shouting vigilantes soon led the way.<br />
<br />
They stormed the saloon where Lacy played<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Five-Card-Stud-Dean-Martin/dp/B0000648YX/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1377914819&sr=8-8&keywords=gambling+western+movie+book"> draw and stud</a>.<br />
They grabbed him and his pal: another card sharping crud.<br />
Both were dragged out<br />
Amidst bellow and shout,<br />
Then <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hanging-Tree-Gary-Cooper/dp/B008JEJSB6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377915057&sr=8-3&keywords=hanging+western+movie">noosed and lynched</a>, and cut down with a thud.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-68521964557807449252013-08-30T18:55:00.000-07:002013-08-30T18:55:10.423-07:00Gunfighter: Jim RileyGunfighter Jim Riley was slow to gall.<br />
But don't be fooled, he was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Puppet-Master-Action-Figure-Shooter/dp/B000UZNTNK/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1377831561&sr=8-12&keywords=six-shooter+movies">quick on the draw</a>.<br />
There ain't much about him in western folklore,<br />
Except one event with blood, guts, and gore.<br />
<br />
Minding his business, just sipping his brand,<br />
When in walk three 'pokes with pistols in hand.<br />
The one in the lead stomps up to his friend,<br />
And barks aloud like a stinkin' gut wind.<br />
<br />
All hell broke loose when triggers were pulled,<br />
And Riley's blood boiled as if it were brewed.<br />
The first thing he did was lock the front door<br />
Before he began to settle the score.<br />
<br />
First, another friend gave it a go.<br />
Got gut-shot instead, a death painful and slow.<br />
When Riley took aim and let bullets fly,<br />
Most hit their mark, and more men did die.<br />
<br />
Two to the legs and the instigator fell.<br />
Riley's first regret: not sending him to hell.<br />
But the other two had no such luck,<br />
They took lead in the chest: forgot to duck.<br />
<br />
Blood was still pumping, Riley was hyped.<br />
Confusion took over, common sense wiped.<br />
Riley turned and saw a man by the door,<br />
Raised his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Shooters/dp/B00EKGXB7O/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1377831895&sr=8-14&keywords=six-shooter+movies">six-shooter</a> and fired once more.<br />
<br />
The man was unarmed, just trying to vacate.<br />
He should've stayed low, and not tempted fate.<br />
Some say he was lucky not to have died,<br />
But the rest of his life he wanted to hide.<br />
<br />
The bullet tore off the tip of his nose.<br />
The poor guy had nothing to hold when he blows.<br />
Riley regretted mistake number two;<br />
Leavin' him noseless, he felt like a fool.<br />
<br />
Now the Newton General Massacre's known far and wide;<br />
Second only to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Life-Legend-Wyatt-Earp/dp/B000B5KSMO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1377831753&sr=8-4&keywords=Tombstone+collection+western">Tombstone</a>, where bodies abide.<br />
But Riley would fade from gun play and history,<br />
Adding to the truth -- an air of mystery.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-50340254791748240302013-08-29T19:58:00.000-07:002013-08-29T19:58:18.393-07:00Hard Headed or Brainless: Outlaw Marvin Kuhms"J.W. Wilson," the alias of Marvin Kuhms<br />
Was most likely born under a whiskey moon.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fistful-Dynamite-Two-Disc-Collectors-Edition/dp/B000OPOANO/ref=sr_1_290?ie=UTF8&qid=1377831309&sr=8-290&keywords=bank+robbery+movies">Bank robber and thief</a>,<br />
Ten years spreading grief,<br />
With the big bully style of a modern-day goon.<br />
<br />
Instead of caressing curvaceous buns,<br />
Kuhms was known to sleep with two guns.<br />
So the posse he'd meet<br />
Came in with stocking feet<br />
And surprised him like a bad case of the runs.<br />
<br />
Marshall Laird told him not to draw,<br />
And waved his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saddles-Saloons-Six-Shooters-Westerns-Collection/dp/B000HIVIMO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377831414&sr=8-2&keywords=six-shooter+movies">six-shooter</a> close to Kuhms jaw.<br />
But the ornery cuss<br />
Did what he must,<br />
Only to be shot in the head by the law.<br />
<br />
Somehow Kuhms survived his foolish attempt,<br />
And was sent to the pen with indignant contempt.<br />
So when Kuhms made parole<br />
He again chose to go<br />
And steal for himself the life that he dreamt.<br />
<br />
He figured he'd have to put in some hustle<br />
To make up lost time, so he started to rustle.<br />
But another brain fart<br />
Doomed his plan from the start:<br />
A farmer shot him dead when fearing a tussle.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-8055186610194209942013-08-28T16:46:00.000-07:002013-08-28T16:49:43.625-07:00Farewell Elmore Leonard<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><img sb_id="ms__id3638" src="http://www.elmoreleonard.com/images/uploads/ElmoreLeonard_JoeKidd.jpg" /></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: xx-small;">from Elmer Leonard. com</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The world seems a little bit darker now that Elmore Leonard -- who passed on August 20th --
has gone to the last round-up in the sky. His brand of western tale always took
the reader to a place that was hard but understandable, and new, yet somehow
familiar. And it was always a place to be entertained. So long, pardner. We’ll
miss you, but we know that your legacy will continue.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you haven’t had a chance to read the western fare by
Elmore Leonard, you really ought to give yourself the opportunity. You can catch them all with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Western-Stories-Elmore-Leonard/dp/0061242926/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1377671787&sr=8-13&keywords=western+books">“The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard,”</a> and then move on to his non-western stories, since he had a far-reaching talent. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/1b/c5/a4/1bc5a48b1cfc6c083c55355f92158959.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">from Cowboys and Girls at pinterest. com</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
</div>
JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-65459477023103344872013-08-27T23:08:00.000-07:002013-08-29T20:10:13.718-07:00Outlaw and Unlucky Lover: James JenkinsJames Jenkins was an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Shooters/dp/B00EKGXB7O/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1377831895&sr=8-14&keywords=six-shooter+movies">outlaw</a>,<br />
A profession he adored.<br />
It's said that he killed ten red men,<br />
With eight white men also scored.<br />
<br />
Some died in Missouri,<br />
And some down Texas way,<br />
Others were killed in Iowa<br />
And Cal-i-for-ni-a.<br />
<br />
In the latter state,<br />
Over in Napa City,<br />
Jenkins gave his black heart<br />
To a gal he thought was pretty.<br />
<br />
The couple came together,<br />
Even though she was a Misses.<br />
He knew he had to have her;<br />
Her heart is as dark as his is.<br />
<br />
The unsuspecting hubby,<br />
The poor slob, Patrick O'Brien,<br />
Was befriended by Jenkins,<br />
But was clueless 'bout his lyin'.<br />
<br />
Then Jenkins let the Misses<br />
Put him on the spot.<br />
He would be the killer<br />
In her murder plot.<br />
<br />
She wanted her hubby gone.<br />
In reality she said,<br />
"Pull your pistol, Lover, <br />
And shoot that bastard dead."<br />
<br />
So Jenkins drank his courage<br />
And did the dirty deed.<br />
But he was<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hanging-Tree-Gary-Cooper/dp/B008JEJSB6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832119&sr=8-3&keywords=hanging+western+movies"> caught and hanged</a>,<br />
While Mrs. O'Brien was freed.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-19440448886962668342013-08-26T18:15:00.000-07:002013-08-29T20:15:57.908-07:00A Lawless Lawman: Jack HelmJack Helm was a racist S.O.B.<br />
Who wore the grey and favored slavery.<br />
He even did wrong<br />
Over a Yankee song<br />
That a black man whistled with bravery.<br />
<br />
And when there was no <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Burns-Civil-Commemorative-Edition/dp/B004AR4WSA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832291&sr=8-2&keywords=civil+war+collection+movies">Civil War</a>,<br />
You could find him with a star that he bore<br />
In the great state of Texas<br />
Where he hated the Mex's,<br />
And everyone else that's for sure.<br />
<br />
Helm got caught-up in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Sutton-Taylor-Feud-Deadliest-Greene/dp/1574412574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832408&sr=8-1&keywords=sutton-taylor+feud">Sutton-Taylor feud</a>;<br />
The type of duty that befit his evil mood.<br />
A prime instigator,<br />
He was head regulator,<br />
And the days he didn't kill he'd sulk and brood.<br />
<br />
His body count raised his reputation.<br />
The Governor even gave him a new station.<br />
But when deeds come to light<br />
Causing citizens fright,<br />
He's sent back to DeWitt for the duration.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lawless-Breed-Wesley-Reconstruction-Violence/dp/1574415050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832484&sr=8-1&keywords=john+wesley+hardin">John Wesley Hardin</a> was one of Helm's foes:<br />
A kin to the Taylor's, or so the story goes.<br />
Several times they met,<br />
Their back-ups vented and wet,<br />
Yet Hardin and Helm escaped the death throes.<br />
<br />
But in eighteen-seventy-three, in the month of July,<br />
The two evil rivals would have one more try.<br />
Helm came from the rear,<br />
Hardin turned with a sneer,<br />
To blast Helm with buckshot: his day to die.JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-26496296470054249492013-08-26T17:54:00.000-07:002013-08-29T20:21:48.736-07:00Lincoln County War Survivor: Jim FrenchJim French took part in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lincoln-County-Documentary-History/dp/0865347212/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832595&sr=8-1&keywords=lincoln+county+war">Lincoln County War.</a><br />
From regulator to outlaw to settle a score.<br />
Thought he flipped his lid<br />
After joining <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Kid/dp/B00D8FNZE2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832866&sr=8-2&keywords=billy+the+kid">Billy the Kid</a>,<br />
And nearly dying at McSween's general store.<br />
<br />
French was there when Brady raved and cussed,<br />
Just before he and Hindman bit the dust.<br />
But the McSween episode<br />
Turned his blood ice cold,<br />
So he headed for "obscurity or bust."JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-46268284572138064282012-12-25T01:39:00.000-08:002012-12-25T01:39:01.881-08:00Merry ChristmasNo matter what the secular world keeps proclaiming, Jesus is still the reason for the season. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-86301344895465116372012-10-04T23:23:00.000-07:002013-08-29T20:27:20.601-07:00James Copeland: land pirateJames Copeland the outlaw was known as a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/History-Detection-Conviction-Designs-Murrell/dp/1940127025/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1377832983&sr=8-19&keywords=land+pirate+western">"land pirate"</a><br />
Led a gang in Mississippi that were mean and irate<br />
Adding to the gravity<br />
He was known for depravity<br />
And he did to the law what ladies do while they gyrate<br />
<br />
He had rich benefactors, the family Wages<br />
With dealings more "heathen" than<a href="http://www.amazon.com/History-Osage-People-Louis-Burns/dp/0817350187/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377833187&sr=1-3&keywords=osage+indians"> painted Osages</a><br />
They paid him to kill<br />
But he never would tell<br />
So he finally got the noose after nine years in cagesJerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-3881642186817986962012-09-28T01:27:00.000-07:002013-08-29T20:36:37.780-07:00Lovers of Myra Belle Shirley: aka Belle Starr<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cole-Younger-Famous-American-Guerrilla/dp/1846778905/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377833327&sr=1-13&keywords=cole+younger">Cole Younger</a> and Belle fill under a spell</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that lasted many a day.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was on the run for things he had done</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
so they shacked up in a cabin to play.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Soon time was at hand, he rejoined the band,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
leaving Belle who started to show.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Soon out popped a girl,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Starr-Tracks-Belle-Pearl/dp/0882897233/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377833563&sr=1-4&keywords=belle+starr"> who she named Pearl,</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and it's still thought her father was Cole.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The next man to feed, a man named Jim Reed,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a robber just like the last.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The pair up and looted, then quickly scooted,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
only to find they spent it too fast.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But Reed's luck was raw, and he was slow on the draw,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and so he bit the dust.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yet it was soon found that a new beau was around,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Blue Duck now gave Belle his trust.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Their new gang would hustle the livestock they rustle,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and some would actually say these two did care.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It was proven when Blue Duck ran out of luck</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and Belle did more than her share.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He was sentenced to die, the ol' "hang 'um high,"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but Belle kept the legal fight going.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There would be no noose, he was eventually cut loose,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but for Belle there would be no knowing.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Not one to tarry, Belle would soon marry</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
her aka namesake Sam Starr.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But their wheelin' and dealin' got them six-months for stealin',</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and their romance was now from afar.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When they left jail behind, right back to the grind,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they always sought a dishonest dollar.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But Sam would soon fall, killed in a brawl,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and Belle found another man to collar.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
His name was Jim July, another on the sly,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it was obvious Belle had the itch.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
She packed her own gun, joined in on the fun:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
today they'd just call her a "bitch."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But a life of crime dunks a soul in slime,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and there's always victims who hurt.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So when one is despised, don't be surprised,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Belle-Starr-Outlaws-Lawmen-Wild/dp/0766031764/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377833423&sr=1-11&keywords=belle+starr">like Belle... to be shot and left in the dirt.</a></div>
JerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-45289967452520730882012-09-23T21:37:00.000-07:002012-09-23T21:37:45.625-07:00Abilene: wild beginningsIn the early days of Abilene<br />
A wide open town in Kansas it would seem<br />
They had a few who served the law<br />
Those quick on the draw<br />
But for the most part it was wicked and mean<br />
<br />
You would see a gunfight pert near every day<br />
Many came to the town honest then started to stray<br />
Life was an oddity<br />
And death was a commodity<br />
For residents in Abilene in its heyday<br />
<br />
Many a souls there quaked and quivered<br />
Hoping by day-break they'd be delivered<br />
The drunks had stopped drinkin'<br />
By morning they're stinkin'<br />
And shoot 'um ups slowed cuz' gun hands shivered<br />
<br />
But mornings turned to noon and then to night<br />
And hangovers gave way to the call of dance hall delight<br />
Between dealings quite shady<br />
They'd court a scarlet lady<br />
And just for kicks they'd cause someone fright<br />
<br />
Cowboys and floozies danced cheek-to-cheek<br />
Then turned and switched partners for a whole new treat<br />
Cowboys chose pokin'<br />
Or opium smokin'<br />
Yes, every known sin was on an Abilene street<br />
<br />
Don't turn down a drink or you'll be called out<br />
Don't be caught with a hole-card or you'll feel a clout<br />
Keep your horse off the pool table<br />
And your paws off Aunt Mable<br />
And you might live to see what Abilene's all about<br />
<br />
It was thick with thieves and moral disease<br />
With most everybody doing just as they please<br />
But all the disorder<br />
Lost to law and order<br />
But a good hoop and holler can still be heard on the breezeJerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-89950563932750080092012-09-22T21:24:00.000-07:002012-09-22T21:24:12.949-07:00Dayton Graham: Arizona RangerFrom Bisbee Sheriff to Arizona Ranger<br />
Dayton Graham lived a life of danger<br />
But his feud with Bill Smith<br />
In truth not a myth<br />
Proved that he and Stubbornness were no stranger<br />
<br />
When Graham and Tom Vaughn first met the outlaw<br />
They were in Douglas but their plan had a flaw<br />
They gave Smith an inch<br />
And he drew in a pinch<br />
And shot down both men of the law<br />
<br />
A bullet to the neck laid Vaughn low<br />
To the arm and chest had Graham about to go<br />
On Death's door he did hover<br />
But soon did recover<br />
And he swore to give Smith the final blow<br />
<br />
He took to the trail and started trackin'<br />
And found him in a saloon chip stackin'<br />
It was hot bullet weather<br />
As both men slapped leather<br />
And filled the saloon with shots crackin'<br />
<br />
At that moment he remembered some sound advice<br />
"Don't let an outlaw ever best ya' twice"<br />
So three shots, one to the head<br />
Left Bill Smith lying dead<br />
Showing if you shoot a lawman beware of the priceJerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-68444694498377394992012-09-21T21:17:00.000-07:002012-09-21T21:17:03.225-07:00Bob Meldrum: a bloody-handed lawmanLegend has it Bob Meldrum worked with Tom Horn<br />
Though his ethics were different and his morals were torn<br />
But he got 'er done<br />
A quick-triggered gun<br />
Who then found himself the subject of scorn<br />
<br />
The star that he wore was bought and paid for<br />
By mine owners and ranchers with profits galore<br />
So they turned a blind eye<br />
When more men did die<br />
Then those who were locked behind a cell door<br />
<br />
When Meldrum killed Bowen they threw him in jail<br />
But the Snake River Cattlemen raised his huge bail<br />
He then chose to scram<br />
Six-years on the lam<br />
Justice sometimes clearly moves like a snail<br />
<br />
He chose to surrender and go through a trial<br />
Some think it was rigged but they did it with style<br />
A manslaughter conviction<br />
With prison restriction<br />
For five to seven years, "you'll be gone for awhile"<br />
<br />
Yet just three months later Meldrum was free<br />
Paroled to a rancher who took custody<br />
So his life killing men<br />
While still wearing tin<br />
Would fade making saddles anonymouslyJerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3208060038159613632.post-5821342221968967872012-09-21T00:32:00.000-07:002012-09-21T00:32:04.189-07:00Robert Williamson: Three-Legged WillieJudge Robert Williamson was known as "Three-Legged Willie"<br />
On account of a peg-leg he had attached to the knee<br />
It looked mighty weird<br />
Though the man was revered<br />
For upholding the law in Shelby County<br />
<br />
He set-up court behind the general store<br />
And let folks know it wouldn't be lawless no more<br />
Some were glad<br />
Yet some were mad<br />
And tried their best to run him out the door<br />
<br />
A local rowdy saw the judge and started to snicker<br />
Then he drew and threw his pig-sticker<br />
It impaled the bench<br />
But the judge didn't flinch<br />
He knew brains over braun was quicker<br />
<br />
"This is the law in Shelby County," barked the fool<br />
So the judge drew his pistol to over-rule<br />
His superior show<br />
Made the heckler eat crow<br />
And stand with his mouth agape about to droolJerThomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16694712324715402464noreply@blogger.com0