Lawmen of the Wild West by Terry C Treadwell

Author:Terry C Treadwell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History / United States / 19th Century
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2021-05-26T00:00:00+00:00

Silver Spur Saloon.

One of these saloons, ‘The Corner’, which was on the border of the Seminole and Chickasaw nations, had a reputation for being the main distribution centre for illegal liquor. This was literally the ‘Last Chance Saloon’, because it was the last place to get an alcoholic drink before crossing the border into the Indian Territories. Bass Reeves was a frequent visitor to the saloon in the hope of catching bootleggers in the act of carrying illegal alcohol over the border. It is said that on a couple of occasions he was involved in personal gunfights after being challenged by bootleggers.

Bass Reeves wasn’t perfect as a lawman and on 8 April 1884, while on a mission into the Chickasaw Nation, he shot and killed his black cook, William Leech. The posse was camped on the banks of the Canadian River when Reeves made comments about Leech’s cooking. The other possemen assumed that it was part of the general banter that was usual between the two of them, as Leech had been the cook on a number of Bass Reeves’s posses. One witness claimed that the banter became heated and that Leech grabbed hold of a puppy belonging to Bass Reeves and poured hot fat down its throat. The witness then said that Reeves whipped out his handgun and shot Leech dead. For some unknown reason, or maybe because of Reeves’s reputation, nothing was ever done about it.

The following year Reeves was involved with the swearing-out of a warrant for the infamous female outlaw Belle Starr and her companion Fayette Barnett, for horse stealing. Having dealt with Belle Starr before on a number of occasions, Bass Reeves knew her well enough to suggest to her that she hand herself in to the court at Fort Smith. Belle Starr did just that, stating that she had no intention of letting herself be dragged into court by a federal Deputy US Marshal.

Out of the blue, a warrant was issued for Bass Reeves’ arrest on the charge of the first-degree murder of William Leech. For the next six months he was held in the gaol at Fort Smith before his trial in October 1887. In order to pay for his attorney, Bass Reeves had to sell his home and use all his savings. At his trial he stated that he had shot William Leech, but it was an accident. He explained that a bullet had jammed in his Winchester rifle and he was trying to extract it with a knife when it went off. The bullet hit Leech in the neck and, despite sending for a doctor, Leech died before he arrived. Bass Reeves was acquitted of the charge and resumed his duties as a Deputy US Marshal. One school of thought was that the charge against Bass Reeves was racially and politically motivated, but there is no evidence to support this.

The attempted bribing of Deputy US Marshals was not uncommon and no doubt there was the odd occasion when, for a relatively minor offence, it happened.

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