Tom Horn & the Impending Storm

One of the most tragic figures in American West history has to be Thomas “Tom” Horn, Jr. (November 21, 1860 – November 20, 1903.) He was lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin. On the day before his 43rd birthday, he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of Willie Nickell. Horn’s exploits as an assassin far overshadowed any other accomplishments he made during his lifetime, including during his time as a scout in tracking Apaches in southeastern Arizona Territory, southwestern New Mexico Territory, and into the states of Sonora and Chihuahua in northern Mexico along the Sierra Madre Occidental. On July 18, 1901, Horn was once again working near Iron Mountain when Willie Nickell, the 14-year-old son of a sheepherding rancher, was murdered. Horn was arrested for the murder after a questionable confession to Joe Lefors, an office deputy in the US Marshal’s office, in 1902. Horn was convicted and sentenced to be hanged. In 1903 Horn escaped from custody in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was quickly overtaken by townsmen after being grazed in the head by a shot fired O.M. Eldrich, and badly beaten during recapture. It is still debated whether Horn committed the murder he was convicted for. Some historians believe he did not, while others believe that he did, but that he did not realize he was shooting a boy. Whatever the case, the consensus is that regardless of whether he committed that particular murder, he had certainly committed many others. Chip Carlson, who extensively researched the Wyoming v. Tom Horn prosecution, concluded that although Horn could have committed the murder of Willie Nickell, he probably did not. According to Carlson’s book Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon, there was no actual evidence that Horn had committed the murder, he was last seen in the area the day before the murder, his alleged confession was valueless as evidence, and no efforts were made to investigate involvement by other possible suspects. In essence, Horn’s reputation and history made him an easy target for the prosecution. Steve McQueen portrayed Horn in a film released in 1980. McQueen was suffering with cancer at the time the movie was made and not feeling well at all. Linda Evans played the love interest in the film and had a great piece of dialogue that is resonating with me this morning. “Someday you’re going to have to pay for your way of life. You’re a bad person and God knows it.” I know at least six people I’d like to share that sentiment with. Some of them live in Greenboro, North Carolina and spent some time visiting the site yesterday. I suppose they’re curious about what’s going to happen to their family. It’s the calm before the storm, isn’t it. Nothing has changed. The storm is still coming. We’ll be in court soon. The people who framed my brother are bad people and God knows it.