Wednesday, October 10, 2018

'Longhair Jim' For Western Wednesday...!

Some of the lawmen in the old west were badder than the outlaws they were supposed to protect the townsfolk from. That was the case of 'Longhair Jim' Courtright. Here is his story from Listverse.

‘Longhair Jim’ Courtright


Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

In addition to his untamed locks, Timothy Isaiah “Longhair Jim” Courtright was known for his skill as a gunman, performing at one time as part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Always a controversial character, he was the first elected marshal of Fort Worth, Texas. He also ran protection rackets in the local saloons and gambling houses. He is rumored to have killed several business owners who declined his offers of protection. His enthusiasm for his work often ran away with him. At one point, he was employed to track down cattle rustlers, but he ended up killing both rustlers and homesteaders.

Courtright finally met his end in 1887 in a duel with Luke Short, a saloon owner and former friend of Courtright’s. Short had told Courtright to “go to hell” when the former had offered the latter protection. In the middle of the street, the two men met in one of the very few face-to-face gunfights to have actually taken place in the Wild West. After a tense standoff, both men drew their pistols at the same time. Short fired first, blowing off Courtright’s thumb. Courtright tried to shift his gun to his uninjured hand, but as he did so, Short shot him in the chest.

I reckon that he didn't care if you were friend or foe, his racket came first.

Coffee outside on the patio this morning!

7 comments:

Mamahen said...

He sounds like a mean one for sure. Sounds like folks might have been better off with no lawman in my opinion:))

linda m said...

He sounds like a real "winner" to me. Sort of got what was coming to him. Hot one here again today, then it will cool down again.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mamahen...
Guess some folks are just born mean and ornery.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Linda...
Karma can be a b**ch, for sure!
Thanks for coming over today!

Rob said...

Doesn't sound like Longhair Jim had any friends....

JO said...

What a mean thug for certain and they always get theirs in the end.

Chilly 53 degrees this morning here I am loving this. See you all on the patio

Dizzy-Dick said...

Sounds like a plot for an old western TV show. Interesting, Mr. Jim.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rob...
You could be his friend, but had to watch your back.
Thanks for the visit today!


Hey Jo...
What goes around, comes around. That seems to be the case here.
Thanks for dropping by today!


Hey Dizzy...
It would make for an interesting western, for sure.
Thanks for stopping by today!