William “Cap” Light was a highly respected lawman in Texas, starting in 1884 when he
was just 20. He was quick on the draw, killing at least two men in the line of duty. But
then he married Eva Smith—the sister of con-king Soapy Smith (photo).
In 1891, Light became an enforcer for “The Soap Gang” in Denver and Creede,
Colorado. For whatever reason, he didn’t last long, returning to Texas

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows