Tom Horn

[litl rooster]

thanks Capt. that was interesting

[jrdudas]

With regards to feuds that don't die; I have stayed at the TA Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming on several occassions.  The TA is the ranch in Wyoming where the Johnson County War ended; the bullet holes are still visible in the barn.  I'm told by the owners that feelings still run strong on both sides in the area, and to be careful of what you say when in the company of strangers.

JR

[litl rooster]

With regards to feuds that don't die; I have stayed at the TA Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming on several occassions.  The TA is the ranch in Wyoming where the Johnson County War ended; the bullet holes are still visible in the barn.  I'm told by the owners that feelings still run strong on both sides in the area, and to be careful of what you say when in the company of strangers.

JR

jr I have been to Buffalo the folks at TA did not steer ya wrong. TA was featured in Western Horseman or American Cowboy a couple years back, with the picks of the bullet holes and they also said the same thing in the article. They probably been in bpth magazines

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[Forty Rod]

...

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

The following bit on Tom Horn's book is from Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest By J. Frank Dobie



"HORN, TOM

"Life of Tom Horn . . . Written by Himself, together with His Letters and Statements by His Friends, A Vindication. Published (for John C. Coble) by the Louthan Book Company, Denver, 1904. Who wrote the book has been somewhat in debate. John C. Coble's name is signed to the preface attributing full authorship to Horn. Of Pennsylvania background, wealthy and educated, he had employed Horn as a stock detective on his Wyoming ranch. He had the means and ability to see the book through the press. A letter from his wife to me, from Cheyenne, June 21,1926, says that Horn wrote the book. Charles H. Coe, who succeeded Horn as stock detective in Wyoming, says in Juggling a Rope (Pendleton, Oregon, 1927, P. 108), that Horn wrote it. I have a copy, bought from Fred Rosenstock of the Bargain Book Store in Denver, who got it from Hattie Horner Louthan, of Denver also. For years she taught English in the University of Denver, College of Commerce, and is the author of more than one textbook. The Louthan Book Company of Denver was owned by her family. This copy of Tom Horn contains her bookplate. On top of the first page of the preface is written in pencil: "I wrote this -- `Ghost wrote.' H. H. L." Then, penciled at the top of the first page of "Closing Word," is "I wrote this."

"Glendolene Myrtle Kimmell was a schoolteacher in the country where Tom Horn operated. As her picture shows, she was lush and beautiful. Pages 287-309 print "Miss Kimmell's Statement." She did her best to keep Tom Horn from hanging. She frankly admired him and, it seems to me, loved him. Jay Monaghan, The Legend of Tom Horn, Last of the Bad Men, Indianapolis and New York, 1946, says (p. 267), without discussion or proof, that after Horn was hanged and buried Miss Kimmell was "writing a long manuscript about a Sir Galahad horseman who was `crushed between the grinding stones of two civilizations,' but she never found a publisher who thought her book would sell. It was entitled The True Life of Tom Horn."
 
"The main debate has been over Horn himself. The books about him are not highly important, but they contribute to a spectacular and highly controversial phase of range history, the so-called Johnson County War of Wyoming. Mercer's Banditti of the Plains, Mokler's History of Natrona County, Wyoming, Canton's Frontier Trails, and David's Malcolm Campbell, Sheriff (all listed in this chapter) are primary sources on the subject."

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

http://userpages.aug.com/bdobson/horn.html

[B. Butch Cavendish]

man I know that Im way late on this thread.but just for the record, the kid at the end of the movie that Horn tgets the drop on was a high school friend of mine. And I dated his sister. His name is Gerald Wester. just an fyi

[Danny Bear Claw]

As I recollect, Tom Horn was hired by the Wyoming Cattleman's Association to eliminate rustlers, (not squatters).  The so called "rustlers" were identified by the association for Horn and it was understood that the elimination would take the form of a rifle bullet.  The elder Nickells was the intended target the day that the younger Nickells turned up dead while, incidentally, wearing his father's coat.  There was no evidence, other than the trademark "rock under the head", pointing to Horn as the shooter.  In fact, I recall reading that the bullet removed from the young Nickell was of a different caliber than Horn's rifle used.  Horn was a braggart and that was probably his downfall.  He especially liked to brag when he was drunk.  Well, after the Nickells shooting he got drunk and a lawman by the name of LaForres coerced a so called "confession" out of Horn.  He never actually admitted to the shooting but when LaForres asked Horn about it he said something to the effect of, "I never made a better shot in my life".  Hidden in an adjoining room a stenographer was taking all this down on paper.  It was basically his own words that convicted Horn.

Do I think he was guilty of the Nickells murder?  No.  Was he set up?  Probably.  Being a hired gun, even back in the old west days was risky buisness at best, but it did pay well.

Kind of a shame they left him out of the movie "Geronimo", since he was chief of scouts at the time of Goyokla's final capture, not Al Siebert as depicted in the movie.

[dangerranger]

In a book written in the 1990s Tom was listed as probably being a seriel killer. the author showed from what history we have on him that Tom was crewl to animals as a kid,that he was a braggart, that he would defend these braggs even to his own death.He also could only have one friend at a time,He formed extreme bonds with his pets and horse.and he was extremely inteligent. The author said that these are all qualitys seen in seriel killers.[ he also listed others]The reason for bringing up Tom Horn was to show that all killers were not bad people. some were even in law enforsement. What got Tom in trouble with the Cattlemans Assoc was when he started killing in town and in plain sight of others.when it was out on the prarie and out of sight it was OK.Its hard to hire a teacher, minister, or banker and pretend to want a civilised town when everyone can see your hired gun killing people for you in plain sight. as a stock detective he was also there to keep the sheep ranches out. I would guess squaters also.I think the Assoc wanted him gone but were afraid to fire him. So the easy way was to get him to hang himself. in the story I read none belived in his guilt so they couldnt get anyone to pull the gallows lever, a device was rigged to Tom himself had to start it.automaticly pull the trap door.