You Can Only Fool ...

 

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

 

Have I got a story for you ...

 

Frank James Western Outlaw

Frank James turned himself in to Missouri Governor Thomas Crittenden in 1882. He surrendered his pistol and gun belt in a quiet room at the Capitol in Jefferson City, asking only for a fair trial.

He got it. After several weeks behind bars, Frank was acquitted. Public sentiment had softened, and the state couldn’t prove its case. Unlike the Youngers, Frank James never spent a day in the penitentiary.

He lived out the rest of his days quietly guiding tourists, giving the occasional interview, and tending to chickens on his farm. He died in 1915, an old man who had once terrorized the railroads.

Wyatt Earp Western Lawman

 

If you pointed a gun at Wyatt Earp, you’d best mean business and be ready to “burn powder.” The glint in his eyes and the guns on his hips meant business.

Wild Bill Hickok Gunfighter, Lawman, and Gambler

Wild Bill and Davis Tutt squared off in the town square of Springfield, Missouri, on July 21, 1865. They stood fifteen paces apart, hands twitching at their sides. Only one man walked away.

Clay Allison Gunfighter

Clay Allison entertained himself by shooting up dance halls and small towns, making respectable gents leap around barefoot while he riddled the floor with bullets. He didn’t need much of a reason—just a little liquor and a bad mood.