Journal Notes

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Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

Tilghman was appointed Chief of Police of Cromwell, Oklahoma, in September 1924. He found Cromwell to be as rotten a location as he was warned. The landscape was thick with oil derricks. Massive sections of pipe were stacked near mining shacks and mining equipment, stray tool pieces and wood shards from derricks that had been rocketed into the air by oil gushers were strewn about, and puddles of mud and oil were all around.

Among the businesses on the main thoroughfares were numerous taverns, dance halls, and houses of prostitution. “This is a bad place,” Tilghman wrote to his wife shortly after he arrived, “and these modern criminals are not like your old outlaws that had a sense of honor and gratitude, and decency in certain ways. These dope runners and the like would sooner shoot you in the back than meet you face to face.”

Tilghman wasted no time in helping to make Cromwell a safer and more desirable place to live. He functioned as sanitary officer and general welfare custodian as well as policeman. One of the first directives was the installation of water barrels for fire emergencies. He also ordered the trash and debris that littered the streets and alleyways around businesses to be cleaned up. By the end of the month his focus had shifted from the exterior of the store fronts to the businesses themselves. He shut down and padlocked the doors of twenty-five pool halls and arrested owners who had violated the Prohibition Act.

Not everyone applauded the lawman’s efforts. Deputy Sheriff of Seminole County turned federal prohibition officer Wiley Lynn, did not care for Tilghman, and resented his presence in Cromwell.

Since Chief Tilghman had come to town, he’d put a stop to drunken miners and oil field workers firing their weapons indiscriminately. Few had dared to violate the directive. So, when the lawman heard a gunshot outside Murphy’s Café where he was having coffee with one of his deputies, he hurried out of the building to investigate. As he exited the eatery, he saw Lynn at the end of the boardwalk holding a gun. “What the hell are you doing out here?” Tilghman asked gruffly. Lynn approached Tilghman with his gun in his hand and the lawman walked toward him holding his own gun.

School Commissioner Hugh Sawyer saw Lynn quickly walking toward Tilghman with his gun drawn and tried to intercede to disarm him. In the meantime, Tilghman moved in to meet Lynn’s attack. When the two met a scuffle ensued. Tilghman was using both arms to keep Lynn from pointing his gun at him. Lynn, seeing an opening and using his free hand, reached for another gun he had in his suit jacket pocket. He leveled the gun at Tilghman and fired three bullets into his chest. The veteran lawman sank to the street, unconscious, and his colleagues and townspeople rushed to him.

Wiley Lynn ran back to his car and sped away from the scene with his passengers by his side. Chief Tilghman was carried to a secondhand furniture store and placed on a sofa. He died shortly thereafter.

To learn more about the killing of Marshal Tilghman read

Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Women Who Inspired Him

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Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

“Synopsis: Step into the vibrant tapestry of the Old West with the enthralling story of Bill Tilghman—a man whose life was as adventurous as the rugged landscapes he roamed. A lawman, buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, rancher, horse breeder, saloon keeper, politician, and even a filmmaker, Tilghman stands out as one of the last true legends of his time. His life, filled with unique and daring escapades, is a testament to the spirit of the Old West.

His life was a series of daring escapades, but it was also a passionate love story. This love story, interwoven with the tale of the woman who cherished him, adds a poignant and personal touch to the narrative, making it a compelling read for all.

Tilghman’s captivating book invites readers to journey through the vibrant and exciting history of the fading Western frontier, a world of trials and triumphs. This is a unique opportunity to explore the history of a man who epitomized the spirit of adventure and a woman who was determined to preserve his legacy and honor the love of her life.

Critique: Tilghman—The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him is a captivating narrative that beautifully intertwines the thrill of adventure with a heartwarming love story. Imagine the dusty trails, the sound of hooves echoing against the vast, open plains, and the camaraderie of those who lived boldly in times of challenges and triumphs.

In their captivating narrative, Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss not only transport us to the rugged landscapes of frontier life but also evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time of profound emotional connections amidst exploration challenges.  To say this book spoke to my heart and soul is an understatement.”

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The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

Late in the summer of 1884, a pair of wild-eyed, trail-stained strangers wandered into Dodge. Both were heavily armed when they entered the Long Branch Saloon. The bartender noticed their guns and informed the men the weapons weren’t allowed in town. The men announced to all in earshot that they hadn’t any intentions of surrendering their guns and defied the law to take their six-shooters from them. The two grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses and proceeded to a nearby table where they started drinking. In between drinks the pair loudly threatened to kill anyone with a badge who came near them.

Marshal Bill Tilghman’s reputation as an effective peace officer had reached beyond Dodge City, and the belligerent customers dared the well-known lawman to square off against them. “We hear tell he’s fast on the draw,” they shouted. “He’s got a chance now to prove it. Somebody go tell him that if he’s tired of living, we’re ready to help him end it.”

A man named Sampson let the marshal know what was going on and, in spite of the informant’s warning to stay away, Tilghman picked up his pistols and headed out of his office. As he left, he told Sampson if he didn’t go, gunslingers from all over the Territory would ride into Dodge ready to oppose him.

When Marshal Tilghman entered the saloon, patrons and employees scattered. The resolute lawman made his way to the mouthy drifters and instructed them to give up their guns. “They’re not allowed in town,” he told them. The three men eyed one another for a few brief moments and then one of them quickly drew his weapon. Before he could get off a shot, Tilghman had drawn and fired his gun at the man. The second of the duo pulled his pistol but he didn’t get far. He was on the floor with a bullet in his chest before the smoke from Tilghman’s first shot had cleared. The marshal retrieved the dead men’s weapons and ordered a handful of cowboys who were taking refuge behind the bar to help carry the bodies to the mortician’s office.

To learn more about Marshal Tilghman read

Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

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Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

Author and historian Art Burton phoned last evening to let me know how much he liked the book Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him. Art is a retired college professor and one of the leading authorities on U. S. Marshal Bass Reeves. I’ve admired Art’s work for some time and it was an honor to have him call and share his thoughts on Tilghman. We both agreed that Tilghman as well as Cherokee lawmen Sam Sixkiller and Zeke Proctor have not received the attention they so richly deserve. He offered to write a review of the Tilghman book and I can’t wait to post it. Thanks, Mr. Burton, you made my month.

“Chris Enss delivers the goods on Machine Gun Kelly, who moved from the upper middle class and college to become an infamous Prohibition-era gangster with his moll, Kathryn Thorne. Thoroughly researched with exciting new details!” —Meyer Lansky II, grandson of Meyer Lansky and author of The Lansky Legacy: The Life and Letters of Meyer Lansky

Meet the Kellys: The True Story of Machine Gun Kelly and His Moll Kathryn Thorne is published by Citadel a Kensington Publishing imprint and is scheduled for released in May 2025

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

won the silver medallion in the category of Western Nonfiction

at the Will Rogers Medallion Award Ceremony

Can’t wait to celebrate the win with my sweet friends at Deadwood History, Inc.

It is indeed an honor to learn the story penned for the Tombstone Epitaph about

Sarah Herring Sorin, The Attorney Teacher won the  

DOWNING Journalism Award.

Thanks to editor Mark Boardman for publishing the article,

Linda Wommack who chairs the award,

and Women Writing the West.

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Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

“This engrossing biography-within-a-biography offers well-written looks into the lives of a feared and respected Deputy U.S. Marshal and his wife, a poet and writer, plus a tragic 1924 event that tore them apart. Tilghman is a true story infused with Wild West and early 20^th-century history, several pursuits of justice, details of a happy but challenging marriage, and a widow’s lengthy quest to honor her husband’s legacy.

For decades, Bill Tilghman, an Oklahoma-based federal marshal, had investigated crimes, survived gunfights, and chased down outlaws in several states, including Texas. He had been praised for his long service by many state and local officials and even by President Theodore Roosevelt. Now he was looking forward to retiring and staying home with his family and horses. But on November 1, 1924, the 70-year-old lawman was gunned down in Cromwell, Okla., while trying to disarm a drunken Federal Prohibition Officer.

Tilghman’s death left his wife, Zoe Tilghman, and their three young sons unable to pay their bills. However, the two biographers show how she was able to push her grief aside and find just enough work to keep her household afloat. The duty-minded marshal often had ridden off on crime-fighting assignments that required days or even weeks away from home. In his absence, Zoe had taken up writing again; she had begun writing stories and poems as a teen before she attended the University of Oklahoma. Over time, she had made some sales to magazines, book publishers, and poetry journals. She also had done some writing and editing for Harlow’s Weekly, an Oklahoma City newspaper. This time, she talked her way into a regular job as the publication’s literary editor. She also increased her personal writing output and penned more poems and books that sold.

But, as the two authors note, the work that she most wanted to complete was a biography titled The Marshal of the Last Frontier, a tribute to her husband’s crime-fighting career. As a young adult, Bill Tilghman had floundered and gotten into legal trouble at least twice. However, he had gotten a fresh start and found a new career when Sheriff Bat Masterson hired him to be an undersheriff in 1878 in dangerous Dodge City, Kansas.

Zoe began work on Bill’s biography in 1925 yet did not manage to finish it until twenty-three years later, in 1948. Daily life’s struggles had gotten in the way. Two of her three sons had turned to crime, but the third had joined the Army and would become a decorated officer in Europe during World War II. Also, the late marshal had lived a complex life that left much to document. At various times before or after becoming a lawman, he had been a buffalo hunter, Indian fighter, rancher, horse breeder, saloon keeper, and politician.

“I rewrote the book four times,” she recalled years later. “Once, I threw away a hundred thousand words and began anew. But by 1948, it was done. I had, in the process, learned a good deal about writing. [And] I had hoped that some time Bill’s life would be the object for a moving picture.”

Ironically, Bill Tilghman and several other survivors of America’s Wild West days had previously edged into the early movie-making world and formed their own production companies. In 1915, the marshal and a few friends had made a “patriotic drama” titled The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws. It focused on improving Oklahoma’s image in the world by re-enacting how several big-name bandits had been captured or killed. The making of the movie, who starred in it, and how it was distributed is eye-opening reading.

Meanwhile, Zoe Tilghman’s book was finally published in 1949 and “was well received not only by politicians like President Eisenhower but by critics from coast to coast,” the Tilghman authors note. No movie resulted. Nonetheless, Zoe’s efforts brought her an unexpected consolation prize. She got to write some stories for an early Western TV series, Death Valley Days.

Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss acknowledge that producing this biography-within-a-biography would not have been possible without help from the Tilghmans’ granddaughter, Suzie. She gave them access to boxes full of Zoe’s and Bill Tilghman’s mementos, cards, letters, poems, and journals. “Much of the material used in this book,” the two authors report, “is being seen by the public for the first time.”

Tilghman is rich with historical settings, cultural atmosphere, and real-life characters, seen against a backdrop of rapid change. In the book, the Wild West is fading out and being taken over by new technologies, new settlers, and new expansions of urban areas. But as Oklahoma transitions from a territory to a state, many veterans of the “old days” are not yet ready to let go of the “old ways” that shaped them.” – Lone Star Literary Life

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Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

“I’ve met my fair share of outlaws who couldn’t or wouldn’t change. They were hell-bent on breaking the law no matter how many chances they were given to do the right thing.” Marshal Bill Tilghman, 1896.

The launch of the new book Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him will take place at the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale on Friday, October 11 at 3 P.M.

Visit visitorservices@westernspirit.org to register to attend the event or call 480-686-9539.

Enter now to win a copy of the book

Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

“Bill Tilghman would charge hell with a bucket of water” – President Theodore Roosevelt.

Read about the last great frontier marshal in the book

Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him