Isaac C. Parker, the stern U.S. judge for Indian Territory from 1875 to 1896, brought law and order to a lawless frontier region. He held court in the border city of Fort Smith, Arkansas, but his jurisdiction extended over the Indian tribal lands to the west. Pressing juries for convictions, Parker sent seventy-nine convicted criminals to the gallows-as many as six at a time. More ofen than not, however, he passed sentences on thousands of liquor dealers, rapists, and cattle and horse thieves-even throwing Belle Starr in the penitentiary for stealing a horse from a crippled boy. "This is a...

First released in 1978 and still the best account of territorial law enforcement, this book presents a thoroughly researched, well-documented, and entertaining history of United States marshals in New Mexico and Arizona during the tumultuous territorial years. Included in the story are notable lawmen such as John Pratt, John E. Sherman, and Creighton M. Foraker and gunfighters like Billy the Kid, "Doc" Holliday, and the Earp Brothers. With detailed accounts of many other lesser-known lawmen and criminals, Ball gives a well-rounded history of the mundane as well as the spectacular incidents in...