It was a cold, wet February morning in 1886 when Dave and Billy Babbitt stepped down off the passenger train in the raw, boisterous railroad town of...
The Babbitt Brothers and the CO Bar Ranch
read more
Mark Boardman
Two Men; Two Dead
A gunfight between an outlaw and a lawman killed both. Ed Short (picture) was marshal of Hennessey, Indian Territory and a deputy U.S. marshal in...
An Explosive Tactic
Texas Ranger Ira Aten tried a controversial plan to lessen crime. Ira Aten was a lawman in the 1880s, serving as a Texas Ranger. He became involved...
A Reason for the Violence
Gunman Clay Allison had an injury that may explain his bad deeds... Clay Allison was one of the West’s most infamous shootists. It’s not clear just...
Packing It In
Tom Horn’s role in the Spanish-American War is uncovered. Tom Horn was—is—a legend of the Old West. His exploits are unique in their variety:...
The End for Big Nose George
Parrott couldn’t fly at the end of a rope. Big Nose George Parrott ran with a gang of cutthroats and robbers in 1870s Wyoming. After bragging about...
A Revolt in New Mexico
Indians rise up against U.S. occupiers. The Taos Revolt was an uprising by Hispano and Puebloan groups against the United States during the Mexican...
Massacre at Bloody Island
The U.S. army avenges the deaths of two slaveholders. Northern California’s Bloody Island Massacre is one that is not mentioned much in the history...
Another Notch for Sundance
The Wild Bunch rider killed a policeman in South America. It appears that Butch Cassidy (seated right) and the Sundance Kid (seated left) got into...
Tom Fitch and the Pleasant Valley War
The famed attorney got an accused murderer off. Attorney Tom Fitch is best known for defending the Earps and Doc Holliday at the so-called OK Corral...
Fake News on Doc Holliday
Papers said he died in a Texas gunfight. It’s a lesser-known gunfight in the life of Doc Holliday. He was gambling in the West Texas town of...
A Fatal Fling
Young John Selman’s attempted elopement led to his father’s death. John Selman, Jr.’s attempted elopement probably led to his father’s death. The...