Bonnie & Clyde/ Frank Hamer

Siringo was born in south texas in 1855. He first was a cowboy then did 22 years as a pinkerton man. He was all over the country, mexico and I belive even in south america. Did a lot of investigating on mine/union wars besides bank jobs, train robberys, rustling etc. Its a large good book. I have to read it again but I think he even lived to be a early adviser in the movie industry. He crossed paths with many famous western charactures. Talks about his guns too.
 
Jellybean, try these books; "Luke Short" by Wayne Short..."John Wesley Hardin" and "Pat Garrett" by Metz..."George Scarborough" and "Bat Masterson" by DeArment. "Gold Dust and Gunsmoke" by Boessenecker (My favorite that is choke full of gunfights that you never heard about that make the OK Corral fight look like a game of tiddlywinks. This is all about California violence during the goldrush).
 
feralmerril, Charley Siringo sounds like an interesting character, I see he was involved in the pursuit of Billy the Kid and that might be where I'd heard of him. It looks like his book is available in audio form too, but reading is half the fun so I'm going to get a print version. If I get approved that is...

keith44spl, Is there any books about, or references on, Captain Gonzaullas? I'm going to do a google search on him as soon as I log off of here.

Wyatt Burp, That looks like a mother lode, if I can find copies available. And since I've heard of the authors I should. I've read John Wesley Hardins autobiography and really enjoyed it, especially the way he makes all his shootings sound so "justified". Thanks a lot, I'm going to go do some searching.
 
keith44spl, found a book by Brownson Malsch, any others? Thanks.
 
The book by Malsch is: "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas, Texas Ranger. It's a good one with a good number of pictures of his guns.

Bob
 
Another couple of books that you might keep an eye out for deal with the capture of "Machine Gun" Kelly and the story of the kidnapping of Tulsa oilman Charles Urshel in 1933.

CRIMES' PARADISE written in 1936 and VOICES FROM ALCATRAZ written in 1947 are both by E. E. Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick was a close friend of Urshel and was involved in his ransom. The books give a first person account of the events and document much about the Texas Ranger's work and the early days of Hoover and the FBI.

Bob (My uncle was married to Kirkpatrick's daughter.)
 
keith44spl, thanks for the info, I did a search on Captain Gonzaullas and found some info, and a couple interesting sites, on-line.

bettis1, thanks for the leads. I'm going to check on avaialability and add them to my list. I was never a fan of "gangster movies" but reading the actual accounts of them are a whole different story. Didn't this thread start on that note?

Wyatt Burp, I found one copy of Wayne Shorts book on Amazon.com. If you happen to have a copy of that one laying around you might want to lock it up in a safe place.
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Jelly, I have a paperback copy of the Luke Short book. Got it in, appropriatly, Tombstone. It's a good one. I'll loan you mine for a while if you want. BTW, when reading this book in Tombstone, I stood in the exact spot Short shot Storms. This was very cool. If interested let me know here. My e-mail ain't on in my personals I think.
 
Thanks Wyatt, I went back to Amazon to see what the difference between your book and theirs was that would make theirs worth the $155.00 price tag. I had noticed it was a paperback too but hadn't paid attention to the copyright or publication dates. By "collector" they must have been referring to the fact that the author signed it, I've seen them get more for these but not that much! Anyway thanks for the loan offer but I found their publishers web page and the book can be ordered new at a very reasonable price.

Interesting story too, I've always wanted to travel out west but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.
 
"Real men wear hats." All men wore hats until JFK became president. He set a new style that has stayed except for cattlemen and cowboys.
 
Keith44Spl., Have been to the Custer Battlefield a number of times over the years in all seasons. It's "interesting" all right, but for spooky I nominate the site of the Fetterman Fight ("Massacre")south of Sheridan WY. On December 21, 1866, he and 80 men took out after Sioux scouts because he was itching for a good scrap. Nobody came back...

I've been out there on cold foggy nights, and it put chills up my spine. I don't normally get that, either.

BTW I enjoy your posts. My first partner was out of TX, and taught this young whippersnapper a LOT.
 
keith and Bat, interesting stories. I've been as far as Wyoming, twice, but they were hunting trips with a friend of mine. We drove out in 24 hours, hunted the whole time we were there and then drove back in 24 hours, no time for sightseeing. After I went out the second time I was sent a copy of my Great Great Grandfathers autobiography, which was only three pages long. He said he was a galvenized yankee and was patrolling around the Platte river when his patrol was ambushed by indians. He was much too brief in his version of the story but did say he was the only survivor by the time help came. I'd like to get out there again and do a little more sightseeing.

Hey, I've got google earth, I guess I can do a fly over after all.
 
I just finished the new book Go down together, it was pretty good. The didn't make them heros, and basically told it the way it was. A dirty nasty lifestyle that hardly ever works out.

They didn't demonize the law oficers, though apparently they didn't get along but what group of grown men always get along.

I picked it up last week at Barnes and Noble it was worth it.
 
Well I just ordered it based on your boys advice. Amazon new hardcover $20 including shipping.
Looks like a nice read. I like big interesting books and at 450 pages this one should keep me going for a couple days.
 
Originally posted by keith44spl:
If Wyatt will allow me this liberty,

A short side note on Capt. Frank Hamer.
ranger2sm.jpg


Borger, at the junction of State highways 136, 152, and 207, in south central Hutchinson County, was established by and named for A. P. (Ace) Borger, who was reputed throughout Oklahoma and Texas to be a shrewd town promoter. In March 1926, after the discovery of oil in the vicinity, Borger and his partner, attorney John R. Miller, purchased a 240-acre townsite near the Canadian River in the southern part of the county. Within ninety days of its founding, sensational advertising and the lure of "black gold" brought over 45,000 men and women to the new boomtown.

Within a matter of months, oilmen, prospectors, roughnecks, panhandlers, fortune seekers, card sharks, bootleggers, prostitutes, and dope peddlers descended on Borger. "Booger Town," as it was nicknamed, became a refuge for criminals and fugitives from the law. Before long the town government was firmly in the hands of an organized crime syndicate led by Mayor Miller's shady associate, "Two-Gun Dick" Herwig. The center of this vice was Dixon (now Tenth) Street, notorious for its brothels, dance halls, gambling dens, slot machines, and speakeasies.

Acting on petitions and investigative reports, in the spring of 1927 Governor Daniel J. Moody sent a detachment of Texas Rangers under captains Francis Augustus Hamer and Thomas R. Hickman to remedy the situation.

A favorite of mine is the one that's often told on Capt.Hamer. While intrained to Borger, a young newspaper man was on board with this contingency of Rangers. While the newspaper hack was taking a nap, Hamer slipped a small .25 caliber automatic from the young man's vest pocket. After awaking he discovered his pistol missing, at great amusement to the Rangers. Upon returning the small handgun, Capt. Hamer remarked,'If I ever got shot with one of those and found out about it I'd be mad. If I'm going to the hub of hell, I'd carry a .45.'

Although the rangers proved a stabilizing force and compelled many undesirables to leave town, Borger's wave of crime and violence continued intermittently into the 1930s and climaxed with the murder of District Attorney John A. Holmes by an unknown assassin on September 18, 1929. This episode prompted Moody to impose martial law for a month and send state troops to help local authorities rid the town of the lawless element.
Click to expand...

Great story!
 
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