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THE SAGA OF TOM HORN
The Story of a Cattlemens War
With
PERSONAL NARRATIVES, NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS AND OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS AND TESTIMONIES
By
DEAN F. KRAKEL
Table of Contents
Contents
Table of Contents
REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER
PREFACE
Today few stories are more alive, colorful and controversial than are those of Tom Horn in Wyoming. It has been approximately one-half century since the State of Wyoming took his lifeyet mystery shrouds the entire affair. An atmosphere of taboo often greets the prober.
Despite numerous books, dozens of features, and hundreds of articles written about Tom Horn, some distortions, false rumors, and injustices persist. Thus this is an effort to salvage truisms from the few who knew...who are still living. To analyze in chronological order official records and facts of the case dating from Horns entry into Wyoming in 1894, until the date of his execution in 1903. In his autobiography, The Life of Tom Horn, Horn covers his life prior to the former date. Authenticity has been the primary goal of presentation, as well as has been the preservation of the near profane atmosphere of this era.
The study has been bigger and more revealing than just that of one man. For in this minute of history was arrayed a pageant of personalities unassembled beforeunequaled since. It involved the life and death of a way of living that revolved around a code of the range. The Horn trial set the stage, provided the cast, then the drama, and without warning, pulled the final curtain downthe new order had won its foothold.
But for Old Cheyenne it was a glimpse into her pastinto her closet of skeletons. Into yesterday when she, like Dodge City and Tombstone, was a hell raiser. That was the heyday of homicide, the big herds, and tangled economicswith only a sprinkling of law and order to interfere. And so the Tom Horn case made her think, to remember and to pulsatethis was an anti-climax. Cheyenne was suddenly alive againthen she was suddenly sad...for the lifeless form of a man and a cherished way of life dangled at the end of a ropeboth would be gone forever.
The personalities, the old range codes, and the atmosphere of Frontier Cheyenne are gonebut their spirit remains. This spirit has in part been kept alive by a rip snortn show called Frontier Daysand memories of a hard bucking old outlaw by the name of Steamboat.
And so, the case marked the birth as well as the death of an era, for this was the Daddy of em Allthis is The Saga of Tom Horn!
DEAN KRAKEL,
Laramie, Wyoming.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
For assistance in the collection of materials I am indebted to the Director, Mr. N. Orwin Rush, and the Staff at the University of Wyoming Library; to the Wyoming Stock Growers Association; to the late Mr. W. A. James, Clerk of Court, First Judicial District of Wyoming, for making available official documents and testimonies for both research and reprinting, and Miss Clara Ahrens of the same department; Mr. T. Joe Cahill, Cheyenne; Mr. Andrew Ross, Pierce, Colorado; Mrs. Nettie LeFors, Buffalo, for permission to use Joe LeFors story; to the Annals of Wyoming for Edwin Smalleys account of the arresting of Tom Horn; and to the Denver Posse of the Westerners for granting permission to reprint part of the late John C. Thompsons account of the execution.
The collection of photographs for The Pageant of Personalities was made possible by cooperation of both individuals and institutions. I have drawn heavily from the photographic files of the L. E. Snow collection, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, and many other collections located in the Archives and Western History department of the University of Wyoming Library. Of equal importance has been copies of prints taken from the files of the Denver Post. I am grateful to the following individuals who permitted use of photographs in their possession: Mrs. Nettie LeFors, Buffalo, Wyo.; Mr. T. Joe Cahill, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Mr. Fred Mazzula, Denver, Colo.; Mr. Andrew Ross, Pierce, Colo.; Mr. John C. Thompson, Jr., Rawlins, Wyo.; and Mrs. Leslie E. Snow, Buffalo, Wyo.
For educational and stimulating conversation of the Horn case, I am thankful to the late Mr. W. A. James, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Mr. A. S. Bud Gillespie, Laramie, Wyo.; Mr. Clayton Danks, Lander, Wyo.; Mr. Cleon J. Lesh, Laramie, Wyo.; Mr. Charles Farthing, Iron Mountain, Wyo.; Mr. Tom St. John, Laramie, Wyo.; former Governor of Wyoming, Mr. Fenimore Chatterton, Arvada, Colo.; and Mr. Harry Hannes, Laramie, Wyo.
In the preliminary typing and arranging of the manuscript, I was pleased to have had the assistance of Miss Dorothy Stull, Laramie. A second typing was done by Mrs. Ivan Jones, Rock Springs; and the final typing by Mrs. Lloyd Pullum, Laramie.
I feel fortunate in having been able to secure Artist Roy Hunt. He designed the book jacket and drew the illustrations for each of the three parts. Mr. Hunt resides in Denver, and is employed by the Colorado State Historical Society.
In reproduction of photographs, special thanks go to Mr. Walter B. Ludwig of the Ludwig Photo Enterprises, Laramie, for interest and professional service; to Mr. LeRoy Roman, photographer at the Ludwig Studios for interest and superb restoration work in bringing new life to many; of the faded photographs; to Mr. Joe Kay of the University Studio, go thanks for excellent photographic assistance.
The dimness of many of the photographs is due to the age of the originals and should not be a reflection upon the photographers, engravers or printers who reproduced them.
I am grateful for the cooperation of Mr. Jack Costin of Laramie Printing for patience and plenty of hard work. Thanks are due Mr. Harry O. Collier, also of the same firm.
Binding was done by the Dieter Bindery of Denver.
And last but not least, to my wife Irisfor living Tom Horn for the past eighteen months. Her comments and suggestions have been helpful in the assembling of the manuscript.
AUTHOR.
