b'Lawman continued from page 31in a Stetson, and on this particular evening, he was perhaps even more drunk than usual, coming into town with hisOf them all, the man I consider it an honor to have known and to have favorite prostitute, along with an army sergeant pal and hisridden with was Bill Tilghman. It has always been a mystery to me whyprostitute paramour. They intended to have fun that late Halloween night - it was almost past midnight, and theWyatt Earp has been made into the great hero of the frontier. Personally, drunken Lynn red two shots into the air. I think Bill Tilghmans contributions were far more important to our Tilghman, who had just completed his rounds was havinghistory than Earps. Tilghman was a warm, kindly man in contrast to Wyatt a late dinner at Ma\'s Cafe with a friend when he heardEarp, whose manner was cold and impersonal.Marshal George Boldsthe shots. He quickly stepped out into the street, his nickel-plated, engraved Colt Single Action45 in his hand, approached the drunken Prohibition (what an irony) agent, Dodge City and who had served as a deputy to Marshal Bill secured the agent\'s arm and took his gun, at least the gunWiley Lynn was apprehended, stood trial, but to theTilghman: "Of them all, the man I consider it an honor to that he saw. For Bill Tilghman, who usually would take extraamazement of all, or perhaps not, considering thehave known and to have ridden with was Bill Tilghman. It care when apprehending a varmint and do a body search,circumstances of Cromwell, he was acquitted and set free.has always been a mystery to me why Wyatt Earp has been either had a fatal moment of carelessness, or his advancedGerry and Janet Souter wrote in their Guns of Outlaws, "Butmade into the great hero of the frontier. Personally, I think age had slowed his reflexes and his thinking process, formen like Bill Tilghman were never without friends" (Souter,Bill Tilghman\'s contributions were far more important to as he briefly looked away, the suddenly alert Lynn securedGuns of Outlaws, p. 169). Fliers soon started appearing onour history than Earp\'s. Bill Tilghman was bringing law a second gun from within his jacket and red two shots atthe streets of Cromwell warning the criminal element thatand order to a wild and ruthless frontier while Earp was point-blank range into the aged lawman\'s body (Souter,it was high time to get out of town, and one night, a monthsearching for gold in Alaska.Guns of Outlaws, p. 168).Sources differ whether Big Billafter Tilghman\'s murder, a group of men wearing white Tilghman died instantly, or whether he lingered on for a fewsheets (the Ku Klux Klan was very popular in OklahomaTilghman was a warm, kindly man in contrast to Wyatt minutes or a couple of hours,but either way, the legendaryat the time, but these men were not from the Klan) droveEarp, whose manner was cold and impersonal. Wyatt Earp Old West lawman whom Bat Masterson had touted as "theinto town bearing torches drenched with kerosene andwas a great Western marshal, but to my mind, Bill Tilghman greatest of us all" and who kept right on working into theproceeded to set the entire town on re. The next morningwas greater, both in character and in deeds." (Horan, James second decade of the 20th Century died shortly thereafter.skies looked down upon a practically burned down to theD., Across the Cimarron: Marshal George Bolds\' Own Story As Paul Wellman eloquently wrote in A Dynasty of Westernground Cromwell. of His Life and Adventures in the Cow Towns of the Old West, Outlaws, "Only Bill Tilghman, perhaps the greatest of theBonanza Books, 1956, p. 72).ghting lawmen of the Territory, died in harness. And heAnd Tilghman was avenged in another way too, though died a martyr to his own code: he never shot unless it wasit took over seven years for retribution to run its course.Perhaps it is tting that 95 years after the demise of Bill absolutely necessary, and he tried to give even criminals aWiley Lynn, now free, quarreled with another agent,Tilghman, and 20 years since Sam Elliott portrayed him fair break, which one of them did not give him" (Wellman,Crockett Long, and in a brief but violent gunght said toin You Know My Name, Hollywood once more recognized A Dynasty of Western Outlaws, p. 292). be in that same Oklahoma State Capitol building wherethe Old West Sheriff who played himself so well in The Bill Tilghman had laid in state, both men killed each other.Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws. For there is a new Bill The governor of Oklahoma ordered a special three daysWhen Tilghman\'s widow Zoe learned that her husband\'sTilghman movie which has all the makings of an Old of mourning for the slain lawman, and for those nextkiller had met his demise, she simply said aloud, "No juryWest classic that was released in February - Bill Tilghman three days, as thousands silently walked past his casket,on earth can acquit him now." and the Outlaws, starring Ken Arnold as Tilghman, and Bill Tilghman lay in state in the Oklahoma City Capitolfeaturing some names that might be familiar - Johnny building, with a guard of honor (Wellman, A Dynasty ofPerhaps the last words should come from Marshal GeorgeCrawford, Darby Hinton, Robert Carradine, and Lana Western Outlaws, p. 295). Bolds, who knew all of the classic Old West lawmen inWood, Natalie\'s sister. DONT WAIT UNTIL THE HEAT IS UP AND SO ARE THE PRICES.50% OFF STANDARD AC UNITSLimited Time Only! 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