THE
STORY OF THE OUTLAW
A STUDY OF THE WESTERN DESPERADO
WITH HISTORICAL NARRATIVES OF FAMOUS OUTLAWS;
THE STORIES OF NOTED BORDER WARS;
VIGILANTE MOVEMENTS AND ARMED
CONFLICTS ON THE FRONTIER
BY
EMERSON HOUGH
NEW YORK
THE OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY
1907
Copyright, 1905, by
THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
Copyright, 1907, by
EMERSON HOUGH
Entered at Stationers' Hall, London, England
All Rights Reserved
THE OUTING PRESS
DEPOSIT, N. Y.
The Story of the Outlaw
PREFACE
In offering this study of the American desperado, the author constituteshimself no apologist for the acts of any desperado; yet neither does hefeel that apology is needed for the theme itself. The outlaw, thedesperado—that somewhat distinct and easily recognizable figuregenerally known in the West as the "bad man"—is a character unique inour national history, and one whose like scarcely has been produced inany land other than this. It is not necessary to promote absurd andmelodramatic impressions regarding a type properly to be calledhistoric, and properly to be handled as such. The truth itself isthrilling enough, and difficult as that frequently has been ofdiscovery, it is the truth which has been sought herein.
A thesis on the text of disregard for law might well be put to betteruse than to serve merely as exciting reading, fit to pass away an [Pg vi]idlehour. It might, and indeed it may—if the reader so shall choose—offera foundation for wider arguments than those suggested in these pages,which deal rather with premises than conclusions. The lesson of ourdealings with our bad men of the past can teach us, if we like, the bestmethod of dealing with our bad men to-day.
There are other lessons which we might take from an acquaintance withfrontier methods of enforcing respect for the law; and the first ofthese is a practical method of handling criminals in the initialexecutive acts of the law. Never were American laws so strong as to-day,and never were our executive officers so weak. Our cities frequently areridden with criminals or rioters. We set hundreds of policemen torestore order, but order is not restored. What is the average policemanas a criminal-taker? Cloddy and coarse of fiber, rarely with personalheredity of mental or bodily vigor,