Bill Longley, cold-blooded killer of many men, had a brutal end. On October 11, 1878 he was hanged for murder in Giddings, TX. But the executioners...
The Botched Hanging of Bill Longley
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Mark Boardman
Robert Sallee James
It seems a bit strange that two of the baddest guys of the Old West were preacher’s kids. Jesse James’ father was a well-known Baptist minister in...
Tiburcio Vasquez
Tiburcio Vasquez was—and is—regarded as a freedom fighter to at least some folks. But his own people ultimately turned on the California...
Lawman Tom Carson
The stories say various things about lawman Tom Carson—mostly wrong stuff. Like that he was Kit Carson’s nephew. Wrong. That he put several...
Temple Houston
Temple Houston, lawyer son of Sam Houston, insulted opposing counsel Ed Jennings during an 1895 trial in Woodward, OK. Jennings responded in kind. ...
Henry Wheeler’s Rifle
The James-Younger Gang was trying to rob the First National Bank in Northfield, MN on September 7, 1876. As we know, they were shot to pieces—in...
Wyatt Earp in Ellsworth
August 15, 1873. Ellsworth, Kansas. Gunmen Ben and Billy Thompson get into a confrontation that leads to the death of Sheriff Chauncey B. Whitney. ...
Frank Hamer
Frank Hamer was a legendary lawman/Texas Ranger. He was in dozens of gunfights, proving his courage. He led the ambush that brought down Clyde...
Endicott Peabody
Endicott Peabody was a blue-blood easterner with a semester of divinity school under his belt when he went to Tombstone in January 1882. He made...
A Hard End
It was a hard end for Billy the Kid pal Tom Folliard on December 19, 1880. Pat Garrett and posse ambushed the gang that evening at Fort Sumner, NM,...
Go West, Young Man?
One of the most famous phrases of the 19th century, “Go West, young man!” reportedly inspired thousands of Eastern Americans to find their fortunes...
Butch Cassidy Wants Out
Butch Cassidy was tired of the outlaw trail. So in 1899, he tried to cut a deal to gain his freedom. The details are cloudy, but it appears that he...