A Bit of a Blowhard

The fanciful tale of Cyclone Bill.

Abe Beck was hired to haul freight around Yuma, Arizona in 1877. But he disappeared with wagon, mules and freight. Two years later, he showed up in Tucson and was promptly arrested. When asked to explain his absence, Abe told the judge that while on his journey, a giant cyclone scooped the wagon and animals and him up and deposited them somewhere on the Texas plains. In turn, judge deposited him in the county jail and anointed him with a nickname–Cyclone Bill.