Many of the qualities
that attracted early settlers to the West were shared among lawmen and
criminals alike—mainly the willingness to risk their lives to enforce the law
or commit a crime. Given that, it comes
as no surprise that history records men who, at various times in their lives,
worked both sides of the law. Given the
wide-spread use of firearms by both camps, it’s hard to believe that in some
towns the City Fathers begrudged not only the lawman’s salary, but the amounts
spent on ammunition for their lawmen.
Here are a few colorful examples of men who loved and loathed the law.
Tom Horn was at one
time a cowboy, a soldier, a range detective and Pinkerton agent who finished
his career as a hired killer.
Burton Alford made the
move from lawman to the more profitable work as an outlaw.
J. J. Webb spent his
days first as a lawman, a hunter, a surveyor, then a hired gun who ended his
days riding with the Dodge City Gang
Henry Newton Brown
transitioned from Billy the kid’s gang to deputy sheriff in Texas where he was
fired for picking fights with drunks. In
Kansas, he turned respectable and was promoted to Marshall to clean up the town
of Caldwell. Sadly, he was living beyond
his means and became involved in a plot to rob a bank in Texas. The attempt
failed and Brown was shot and killed trying to escape.
It’s often said the lawman has to think like the criminal, so I find this thin line between law and the lawless, that was often crisscrossed, fascinating. There are no criminal tendencies in my sheriff, Weston, in A BRIDE FOR WESTON, but he does quit once, disillusioned by some aspects of the business. The Sheriff’s Mail Order Bride series is already up and running and I’m excited to have A BRIDE FOR WESTON part of the lineup. You can pre-order Weston here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097QF2YZC
Do check out the entire series here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097HK95X9
Kathleen Lawless blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys, which doesn’t stop her from creating a wide variety of interests and occupations for her many alpha male heroes.
Her hero, Steele, in HER UNDERCOVER COWBOY, is a
modern-day cowboy, so when she was wooed by a man called Steel— while he’s not
a cowboy, he is an alpha male and her forever hero. Which is why all of her stories end Happily
Ever After.
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