Famous Outlaws From The Wild West Era
The story of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral between historical figures such as Wyatt Earp and the Clanton Gang epitomizes the history and the legends of the American Old West. The good guys win the shootout. The Clanton gang and other outlaws wreaked havoc across the western landscape from the mid-1800s to early 1900s.
Characters like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Black Bart, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid became legends in their own time and the material for movies in later years. Outlaws of the period included lawmen and women. Hoodoo Brown and The Bandit Queen are just two examples.Confused? Here ‘s a little help .
Hoodoo Brown, real name Hyman G. Neil, was born in Virginia. He practiced law and served in the Union Army. After the war, he eventually ended up in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Hoodoo was elected Justice of the Peace and served as coroner and mayor. He formed a police unit by enlisting gunfighters who became known as the Dodge City Gang. For 11 years from 1879 through 1880, Hoodoo led his bunch of outlaws in murder, municipal corruption, stagecoach holdups and train robberies. As coroner, Hoodoo packed the coroner-s jury with outlaws enabling the cover up of crimes.
Myra Maybelle Shirley, also known as The Bandit Queen and Belle. Belle excelled in classes at the Carthage Female Academy and was an accomplished pianist. She grew up with Cole Younger and became friends with the James brothers who would form the James-Younger Gang. It was not long before Belle was introduced to a life of crime. Belle planned and organized robberies, fenced stolen goods, bribed the law and was a horse thief. Shot in the back by an unknown assassin, Belled died in 1889.
Gunslingers, corrupt lawmen, and women who steal horses lace the history of the American Old West with stories steeped in adventure, excitement and mystery.