Description

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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 scholarly and well-written book that is not only a biography of the now famous Judge Isaac C. Parker, but also a graphic portrayal of the rough and tumble Fort Smith-Indian frontier....This book is in a pioneer field and is a unique contribution to western history."-American Historical Review.