Spotting the Real Outlaws

Deception can be achieved one of two ways: Directly, by explicitly saying things which are not true, and indirectly, by leaving out critical information. For instance, you can be a person who lies to authorities about being sexually abused, or you can be a person who lies to the court that an individual has prior criminal convictions when you have evidence to the contrary. Both types of people are reprehensible curs. The one who lies and withholds evidence that would prove they are lying is worse, however – especially when that deceiver is a prosecuting attorney. Clinical physiatrists at Harvard University noted in a study done in the 2001, that people who regularly deceive by leaving out critical information cannot be cured. I thought about individuals like that a lot while writing the book about outlaws of the Old West due to be released this summer. It’s interesting to me that some of the most diabolical outlaws these have law degrees and claim to be protecting the rights of the people. I’ll take the bad guys and gals of the Old West over that kind of outlaw any day. As a rule, Old West outlaws could not be reformed. Frequently, however, they tired of being chased and became temporarily law abiding. Bill Longley, a gunfighter known as the deadliest in the Old West, tired of being hunted in Texas, went to Salt Lake City. Frank James left Missouri for California for the same reason. John Wesley Hardin left Texas for Florida from the same motive. All three soon returned to their old haunts and sooner or later renewed their old habits (except Frank). George Coe, a member of Billy the Kid’s gang, used to the free and wild New Mexico, when back on a Missouri farm with a wife felt like a “bird in a cage.” He moved to the West to become a reliable rancher. Henry Plummer’s (a lawman turned criminal), Boone Helm’s (a murderer and thief), and Ben Thompson’s (a Texas gunman and gambler) good wives and children could not turn them from their wayward careers. Henry Starr tried to quit robbing banks, but could not. Frank Jackson (bank robber with Sam Bass’s gang)stopped his career temporarily at Sam Bass’s death and was not heard of for a long time, until posting as a Mr. Downing in Arizona, he got drunk and was shot by a Ranger named Speed. Arkansas Tom, one of the very few remorseful killers, after several tires to reform, finally wailed, “I don’t know what’s the matter with me!” No doubt, some of the bad men were sincere in their attempts at reformation, but because of their past record, society was prejudiced against them. John Wesley Hardin actually tried to reform, but society would not accept him with his lurid background and prison record. At the very least quarrel he got into as lawyer and as a candidate for public office charges were made that he was back in his old boots again. Society would not let outlaw reform nor the good officer retire, because of their past records. People feared the former and wanted the latter for protection he afforded. They demanded, for instance, that intrepid Wyatt Earp continue as Marshal even after the work became distasteful to him. Everywhere he went he was met by a petition to represent the law. Restless Marshal Frank Canton could not settle down to normal, peaceful life. He was officer of the law wherever he went-be it Oklahoma, Montana, or Alaska. We sure could use someone like Frank Canton patrolling the halls of the U.S. Department of Justice in Kansas City, Missouri these days. And if he couldn’t spot the outlaws right off I could give him a couple of names to get him started.