HistoryNet Book Review of Thunder Over the Prairie

“The trigger finger of frontier fate pointed to songstress Dora Hand in Dodge City, Kansas, on October 4, 1878. That night, one of her admirers, Texas cowboy James “Spike” Kenedy tried to shoot another of her admirers, Mayor Dog Kelley, while he slept in his modest home. Trouble was, Kelley happened to be out of town, and sleeping Hand, who had been invited to use his abode, took the bullet in what might be described as “the first ride-by shooting.”

That unusual action—even for the Wild West—certainly makes for a fine story. But there’s much more to the tale and the rest of the story should delight fans of such lawmen luminaries as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. Those two well-known badge wearers teamed up with two other “fearless” young lawmen, Bill Tilghman and Charlie Bassett, to form what was arguably “the greatest posse of all time.”

“The capture itself seems dramatic enough, although exactly how things played out and who shot whom might not be as clear-cut as you might think. What happened to Kenedy after he was brought back to Dodge for trial is equally interesting (hints: no rope was involved; he had a rich Texas daddy) and presents another reason to wonder about frontier justice.”