Did Old West lynch mobs ever remove the boots of the man about to swing?
Samantha Aldridge
Parsons, Kansas
Under some circumstances, lynch mobs might take off the man’s boots. One of those would be when the condemned man wanted to “die with his boots off.” Or, if he had friends in the mob, they might do it for old times’ sake. But for the most part, the lynching party was too angry to do much except hang the poor devil.
Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian. His latest book is Wyatt Earp: Showdown at Tombstone. If you have a question, write: Ask the Marshall, P.O. Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 or e-mail him at marshall.trimble@sccmail.maricopa.edu
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