1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,159 Speaker 1: I'm to blaying a charkerboarding and I'm fair DOUTI. And 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: if you're a fan of the Wild West, or maybe 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: if you've just watched a lot of TV as a kid, 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: you're probably at least sort of familiar with the character 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: of the Lone Ranger, a fictional renegade lawman who roamed 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: the American West trying to help people fight bad guys 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: and enact justice. And the same character has been featured 10 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: in a number of ways on the radio, on TV shows, 11 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: and in movies, and in all of those cases, his 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: overall story has been pretty similar. He's a guy named 13 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,599 Speaker 1: John Reid who's part of a group of six Texas Rangers. 14 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: One day, five of his group are killed by outlaws, 15 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: and Read survives and is rescued by a Native American 16 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: named Tonto. After Tonto nurses him back to health, Read 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: makes himself a black Mass and becomes the Lone Ranger. 18 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: Most representations of the Lone Ranger also feature that unmistakable 19 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: theme song of the William tell overture. Let's take a 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: listen to that song, So hopefully that got you guys 21 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: in the mood for this podcast. And another common point 22 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: that you'll see in most representations of the Lone Ranger 23 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: is that it's usually played by a white actor, but 24 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: there are many who believe their inspiration for the Lone 25 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: Ranger character was actually a man named Bass Reeves who 26 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: was not only black, he was a former slave. So 27 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: is who became a US Deputy Marshal is known as 28 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: one of the first black lawmen west of the Mississippi 29 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: River and also one of the bravest and best law 30 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: men as well. In fact, he's been called one of 31 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: the bravest men this country has ever known, So in 32 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: that sense, it's not too hard to see how he 33 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: would have inspired the Lone Ranger character. However, Reid's life 34 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: wasn't entirely without controversy. He had more than one incident 35 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: that almost compromised his reputation in his position as an 36 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: upholder of the law. But it's those sort of gray 37 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: areas that some might say make him all the more interesting. 38 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: So we're going to take a look at reeves story 39 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: and some of his most famous adventures. But first we're 40 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: gonna look at how as a black man in the 41 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, he became a deputy marshal in the first place. 42 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: So Bass Reeves was born into slavery in around July 43 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: thirty eight in either Texas or Arkansas. And we should 44 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: say here that a lot of the deep these details 45 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: about his life, especially about Reeve's early life, are kind 46 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: of sketchy. A lot of them derived from oral history 47 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: that's been passed along throughout the year. So perhaps it's 48 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: only fitting that we start out with one of these 49 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: more debatable facts. Some historians believe he was born near 50 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: Van Buren, Arkansas, while others think it's more likely he 51 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 1: was born in Paris, Texas. One thing we do know, though, 52 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: was that Reeves and his parents were owned by a 53 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: man named William S. Reeves, who was a farmer and 54 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: a politician. That's where he got his last name from, 55 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: of course, And according to the Oxford African American Study Center, 56 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: Reeves worked in the cotton fields as a water boy 57 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: when he was young, and that's where he started hearing 58 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: adventurous stories and these songs about black outlaws. And not 59 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: too much is known about rubs parents, but apparently it 60 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: really worried his mother that her young son was so 61 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: enthralled with violence and guns and these less than upstanding men, 62 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: maybe a little afraid her boy would become an outlaw 63 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: himself by the time the Civil War broke out, though 64 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty one, Reeves was working as the personal 65 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: servant of William Reeves's son, George Reeves, who was a 66 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: colonel in the Confederate Army and organized the eleventh Cavalry 67 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: Regiment for Grayson County, Texas. What exactly happened to Bass 68 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: Reid's during the war is a little bit sketchy, though 69 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: according to Encyclopedia Britannica, Reeves claimed to have served in 70 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: the battles of p Ridge, Chickamaugua, and Missionary Ridge under 71 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,679 Speaker 1: Colonel George Reeves, but the Reeves family the slave owner 72 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,159 Speaker 1: Reeves that is claimed, and many historians believe that Bass 73 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: Reeves actually ran away fairly early on in the war. Supposedly, 74 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: Bass and George got into an argument while they were 75 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: playing cards, and Bass attacked George, knocking him unconscious. But 76 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: by Texas law at that time, Bass Reeves could have 77 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: been killed for attacking his master like that, so he 78 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: took off for Indian Territory, and we talked a little 79 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: bit about Indian Territory and a podcast we did last 80 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: February called Who Was America's First Black Millionaires, which was 81 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: about a woman named Sarah Rector. In that episode, we 82 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 1: learned that Indian Territory in the eighteen hundreds was basically 83 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: in the area that would later become the state of Oklahoma. 84 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: In the early nineteen hundreds, black people who lived there 85 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 1: were in kind of an interesting position. Initially, Indian tribes 86 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: kept them as slaves, just as white people did elsewhere 87 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: in North America. But after something called the Treaty of 88 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty six between the US government and the five 89 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: civilized tribes, which included the Creek, the Cherokee, the Choctaw, 90 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: the Chickasaw, and the Seminole, these tribes had to abolish 91 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: slavery and make the former slaves thereafter known as friedman 92 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: full members of their tribes that had quote equal interest 93 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: in the soil. So basically former slaves could own land, 94 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: and some even served as Indian policemen. So Indian Territory 95 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: was a great place for reeves to escape to after 96 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 1: supposedly attacking his master, probably for a lot of the 97 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: same reasons. It was a popular place for outlaws to 98 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: go and hide out in. Even after the war. There 99 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 1: just weren't a lot of towns and villages, and the 100 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: Indians there had jurisdiction over themselves. They weren't really subject 101 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: to US laws. They're so good place to go. So 102 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: Reeves went to Indian Territory, found refuge with the Creek 103 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: and Seminole Indians, and while he lived among them, he 104 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: really picked up their customs, became fluent in the languages. 105 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: That's been a theme of our recent podcastay And besides that, though, 106 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: besides going and living with Indians in Indian Territory, it's 107 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: sort of unclear what exactly Reeves did during the war. 108 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: According to an article by Art T. Burton in Wild West, 109 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: Reeves could have been part of the Union's first Indian 110 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: Home Guard Regiment under an Indian name, or he might 111 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: have even served with one of the guerrilla Union Indian bands. 112 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: Sometime following the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, Reeves 113 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: left Indian Territory and settled in Van Buren, Arkansas. By 114 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: this time he had married a woman named Nellie Jenny, 115 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: who he ended up having ten kids, with five girls 116 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: and five boys. By the eighteen seventies, he was earning 117 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: a living as a farmer in a rancher and also 118 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: occasionally served as a guide for a deputy U. S. 119 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: Marshals who were going into Indian Territory to hunt for outlaws. 120 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: So his knowledge really came in handy there. Then, in 121 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy five, Judge Isaac C. Parker took over the 122 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: Fort Smith Federal Court in Arkansas, and Parker became known 123 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: as the Hanging Judge for all the death sentences that 124 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: he handed down in his court. When he took over, 125 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: his court had jurisdiction over all of western Arkansas and 126 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: Indian Territory, which was an area of about seventy five 127 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: thousand square miles in size, and it was the largest 128 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: federal court in U. S history just in terms of 129 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: its size. So, as we mentioned, Indian Territory was a 130 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: popular place for outlaws to hide out and it was 131 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: considered the most dangerous area in the country. So it 132 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: was gonna be tough going for Judge Parker. So when 133 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: he came on board, he decided pretty much right away 134 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: that he wanted to crack down on criminals in that area. 135 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: In particular so one of the first things he did 136 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: was ordered that two hundred new US Deputy marshals be hired, 137 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: so these marshals could arrest blacks and whites who weren't 138 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: members of the tribes in Indian territory. That's what they 139 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: had power to do. The Indians, of course, had their 140 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: own law enforcement and courts for their people, so they 141 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: were outside of Parker's jurisdiction. Parker also decided that black 142 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: men would be perfect for these new deputy marshal positions 143 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: because a lot of Indians didn't trust white deputies. Some 144 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: white deputies hadn't always treated them so well. No surprised there, 145 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: but there were. There was this precedent of black freedmen 146 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: who were kind of part of the tribes, part of 147 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: the community, so Indians tended to trust black people a 148 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: little more. Therefore, they'd make good potential marshals. Reads in particular, 149 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: was just perfect for one of these positions. After all, 150 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: as we mentioned, he knew Indian territory well. He once 151 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 1: said that he knows the area like quote a cook 152 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: knows her kitchen. His knowledge of Indian languages and customs 153 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: was a huge plus two, Because Parker really wanted to 154 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: keep good relations with the tribes. That close relationship with 155 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: the Indians actually might have influenced the Lone Ranger story 156 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: to some extent through the character of Tonto. So Reeves 157 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: was commissioned a Deputy U S Marshal in eighteen seventy 158 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: five went to work. Incidentally, you just mentioned his his 159 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: close relationship with Indians that came in part because of 160 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: his mastery of their some of their languages. That mastery 161 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: of languages is even more impressive when you consider that 162 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: Reeves was illiterate so um, I mean that sounds difficult 163 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: enough to have several languages in your head and not 164 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: know how to read or write them, but in your 165 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: own language and your own language. But for his martial work, 166 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: he'd have to get somebody to read arrest warrants and subpoenas, 167 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: and then he'd memorized the names of the outlaws any 168 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: other details and head out from there. So now we're 169 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: getting a little bit into his work, which is really interesting. 170 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: I mean a lot of details about his work as 171 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 1: a marshal kind of border on legend, which is why 172 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: his adventures make for such good stories, I think. But 173 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: what we know for sure is that he was a 174 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: natural at what he did, or he seemed to be. 175 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: He was physically well suited for it. For one thing, 176 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: he was about six ft two and anywhere from one 177 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: hundred eighty two hundred pounds. According to another article of 178 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: Burton's in New Crisis, Reeves personally like to dress that 179 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: intimidating frame of his and snazzy clothes. He always had 180 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: his boots polished, for example, and he liked to wear 181 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: a big black hat that was slightly upturned in the front. 182 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: More often than not, though, especially when he was after 183 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: an outlaw, Reeves would wear disguises, and that was kind 184 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: of his trademark. He disguised himself as a cowboy or 185 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,839 Speaker 1: a preacher, or a farmer, or even an outlaw. So 186 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: this is also kind of a lone ranger ish element 187 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: to his story, except maybe even a little more interesting. Yeah, 188 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,959 Speaker 1: I think so, because he went to some serious trouble 189 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: in these disguises, I think, and one really authentic because 190 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: and one really well known mission. Reeves was pursuing two 191 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: outlaws in the Red River Valley of the Chickasaw Nation, 192 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: and he heard that they were hiding out somewhere near 193 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: the Texas border. So he rode out that way with 194 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 1: his posse. By the way, at this time, Deputy Marshalls 195 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: would travel around Indian Territory with a few possemen, a 196 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: cook and a wagon, just because the area they were 197 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: patrolling and hunting for outlaws and was so vast, I 198 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: mean a typical loop was around. A typical loop that 199 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: they would travel was around eight hundred miles. Would be 200 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: eight hundred miles right, So they'd be out there for 201 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: a while. So the posse set up camp about twenty 202 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: eight miles from where these two outlaws they were pursuing 203 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: were supposed to be hiding out at their mother's house. 204 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: So then Reeves disguised himself as a tramp. He really 205 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: paid attention to every detail too. He removed the heels 206 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: from an old pair of shoes, He carried a cane 207 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: with him, and then he put on a floppy hat 208 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 1: that he had shot with a few bullet holes to 209 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: look all roughed up. He also, of course concealed the 210 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: handcuffs and the pistol and the badge that he was 211 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: carrying underneath his clothes. Then he started walking twenty eight 212 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: miles traveling on foot to the mother's house. When he 213 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: got there, he asked her for some food, you know, 214 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: complaining that his feet really hurt because he'd been walking 215 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: and trying to escape from this posse that was pursuing him. 216 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: The mother really sympathized with him. She led him in, 217 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: she fed him, She told him that her sons were 218 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: running away from the law to She even suggested that 219 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: maybe he should hang out with her and team up 220 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: with her own son so they could protect each other. 221 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 1: When the sons came home, they agreed to this plan, 222 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 1: this deal that mom has set up for them, and 223 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 1: then that night they set up a separate room for 224 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: Reeves to sleep in. He insisted that no, we should 225 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: all sleep in the same room in case something happens. 226 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: That way we can protect each other. When the outlaws 227 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: were asleep, though, he handcuffed them without them waking up. 228 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: And when morning came, they realized what had happened, and 229 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,199 Speaker 1: Reeves had a march right on back to his camp, 230 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: all twenty eight miles. Apparently, the mom followed them for 231 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: at least three of those miles, cursing Reeves the entire way. 232 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: I have to imagine she would be pretty upset about 233 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,079 Speaker 1: the whole thing. Yeah, he was pretty happy about it, though. 234 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,359 Speaker 1: The reward of returning those guys in was five thousand dollars. Typically, 235 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: these marshals got paid when they brought the outlaws back 236 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: to court to be tried. So that story is pretty amusing, 237 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: but it doesn't totally illustrate how dangerous this job really was, 238 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: cuffing outlaws in their sleep. Reeves was shot at several 239 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: times during his career as a marshal. His belt was 240 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: shot into two months, another time his hat brim was 241 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: shot off, and still another time his bridal regin was 242 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 1: cut by a bullet, but it said that he himself 243 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: was never actually wounded, which I think is just fascinating. Well, 244 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: he was a real gun expert to His weapon of 245 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: choice was a Winchester rifle, but he was also known 246 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: to carry around two cult revolvers that were positioned but 247 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: forward on his belt for easy access and conveniently for 248 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: a ranger a lawman. He was ambidextrous, so pretty much 249 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: equally good no matter which hand he was shooting with, 250 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: probably especially handy when you're shooting on horseback. Reeves was 251 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: still really careful even though he was heavily armed, though 252 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: it said that he rode a big red stallion with 253 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: a white blaze on its face. So just like the 254 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: Lone Ranger, he has his signature horse, Trusty Steed, a 255 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: blery horse with a speed of light a cloud of 256 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: dusty silver. But he also kept some other horses around 257 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: for his undercover work. Apparently, if you rode a horse 258 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: that was too fancy, that would tip off the outlaws 259 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: that you were marshal, no matter what kind of disguise 260 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: or outfit you were wearing. So he couldn't just ride 261 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: his red horse around. Well I have to imagine too, 262 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: if you had such a distinctive horse to a red 263 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: stallion with a white blaze, people would begin to recognize 264 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: that pretty easily. Most of all, though, Reeves was just 265 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: unbelievably brave. He really didn't seem to be afraid of anything. 266 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: For one example, there was a place eighty miles west 267 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: of Fort Smith that was known as the deadline, sort 268 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: of the end of civilization, and when deputy marshals crossed 269 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: that line, they were thought to be as good as dead. 270 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: You know, you're taking your life into your own hands 271 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: by crossing the deadline. But Reeves really just thought as 272 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: a challenge he would go riding across the deadline several 273 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: times just to just to do it. But his bravery 274 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: is maybe most evident in the encounter where he comes 275 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: as close as he ever did to losing his life, 276 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: and that happened in four when he got ambushed by 277 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: three outlaws, the Briner brothers, and they were wanted for 278 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: horse stealing, robbery and murder. When I ambushed him, they 279 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: told him to get off his horse and to keep 280 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: his hands away from his gun. But Reeves did not 281 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: follow their instructions at all. He stayed really calm and 282 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: showed them warrants he had for their arrest, and he 283 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: just asked him, you know what day is it so 284 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: I can make a note of this for the government. 285 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: I want to make sure my paperwork is good. At 286 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: that point, the outlaws just thought he was crazy and 287 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: started laughing at him, and while they were distracted, while 288 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: they were so amused, Reeves shot two of them dead, 289 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: diverted the gun barrel of the third, and then killed him. 290 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: And Reeves actually killed quite a few outlaws during his career, 291 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: even white ones, which might have gotten him lynched in 292 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: other areas of the country. And I'm not sure on 293 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: this point if he actually got paid for the ones 294 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: that he killed. I've seen sort of differing opinions and 295 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: various sources out there, So if anyone out there knows 296 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: if you get paid for the ones that you killed 297 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: to please let us know. We're not sure how this 298 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: whole deputy marshal thing worked in that respect. But of course, 299 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: as we hinted at earlier, there's more to the story 300 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: than just Reeves Winds. As you might imagine, with the 301 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: line of work he was in, his life was tainted 302 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: a little bit with scandal too. The biggest one had 303 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: to do with the death in four of his black cook, 304 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: William Leach. So really, that April, when Reeves Posse was 305 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: camping out near the Canadian River, Leech and Reeves got 306 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: into an argument that supposedly started when Reeves was dissing 307 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,400 Speaker 1: Leeches cooking not a bad or not a good idea. Rather, 308 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: things escalated though, and according to some accounts, Leech poured 309 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 1: some hot grease down the throat of this puppy that 310 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: Reeves had their in camp with them. After that, Reeves 311 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: furious shot Leech. So nothing came of this incident for 312 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: a while, But then in January eight six, Reeves was 313 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: indicted for first degree murder, arrested and held in jail 314 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 1: for six months until he could make bond. Kind of 315 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: shocking that this famous lawman couldn't make bond for six months, 316 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 1: but apparently he made it quite a bit of cash 317 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: to in criminals. So his trial, though, started October eight seven, 318 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: and Reeves hired really great attorneys who brought in ten 319 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: witnesses for his defense. He testified that he had argued 320 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 1: with Leech, but it wasn't really that big of a deal, 321 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: and then later, while trying to dislodge a bullet from 322 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: his Winchester rifle, the gun had accidentally mispired and happened 323 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 1: to hit and kill Leech. Raeves was acquitted, but the 324 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: trial depleted his savings and he had to move his 325 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: family to a different home outside of Van Buren. And 326 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: after that, Reeves went back to catching outlaws, but he 327 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: was eventually stationed in different areas. In eighteen eighty three, 328 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: he'd already transferred from Fort Smith to the Federal Court 329 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:37,880 Speaker 1: at Paris, Texas, and then in he transferred again to Muskogee, 330 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,400 Speaker 1: which was where he was until Oklahoma became a state 331 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: in nineteen o seven. But Reeves had one more brush 332 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: with scandal later in his career. After returning from one 333 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: of his trips to deliver prisoners to federal jail in Muskogee, 334 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: he learned that his own son had been charged with 335 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: murdering his wife and was somewhere hiding out in Indian Territory. So, 336 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,199 Speaker 1: of course, knowing who's done this is none of the 337 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: other deputies wanted the job of bringing the kid in. Reeves, 338 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: of course, was adamant about doing it himself. I mean, 339 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: I have to imagine partly just because he didn't want 340 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: something to happen to his son. Um. It took him 341 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: two weeks to get him, but Reeves returned with his son, 342 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: whom he later turned over to the court. His son 343 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,640 Speaker 1: ended up in Leavenworth Prison, another place where our podcast 344 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: subjects seemed to be going lately, um, but was eventually 345 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: pardoned and apparently never got into any more trouble. Reeves 346 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: served as a Deputy U. S. Marshal in Indian Territory 347 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 1: for a total of thirty two years, and was the 348 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: only one who did so from Judge Parker's appointment until 349 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: Oklahoma statehood. All told, he said to have arrested more 350 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: than three thousand outlaws and killed about fourteen, though it's 351 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: very likely there may have been more than fourteen killed. 352 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 1: His work ended after Oklahoma became a state, and after 353 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: that he walked a downtown beat for the Muscogee Police 354 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: to armament for two years and there was apparently never 355 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: a crime on his beat. So this was kind of 356 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: a relaxing retirement job almost for him. Commit your crimes 357 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 1: on on Reeves this day off, maybe right, but it 358 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: didn't last too long. Reeves died at home January twelfth, 359 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:19,679 Speaker 1: nineteen ten, after being diagnosed with Bright's disease. So was 360 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: he the real Lone Ranger? We have to go back 361 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: to that question we posed in the title of this podcast. Well, 362 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 1: as we mentioned, he said to have influenced or inspired 363 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,120 Speaker 1: the character. Obviously, some details of his life are quite 364 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: different from the Lone Rangers, but it's easy to see 365 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: how his brave personality and his wild adventures would have 366 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: influenced a tail about a hero of the Wild West. Yeah. 367 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: I mean, after all, he's been called quote one of 368 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: the most successful lawman in American history. That sounds like 369 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 1: somebody worth making a TV show on. He was also 370 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: the first African American inducted into the Great Westerners Hall 371 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City 372 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety two, and then on December five, he 373 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,440 Speaker 1: was inducted into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame. 374 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: And in November eleven, these awards has kept on being 375 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: heaped on him. Oklahoma State Legislature passed an act officially 376 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 1: declaring the bridge that passes over the Arkansas River between 377 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: Muscogee and Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, as Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge, 378 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: So people kind of continue to commemorate him and research 379 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: his life. Art Burton, whose articles we mentioned in this episode, 380 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 1: has a book on him called Black Gun, Silver Star, 381 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 1: and there are some others as well. I think there's 382 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 1: one called Bad News for Outlaws by Vonda Nelson. There's 383 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: also a new Lone Ranger movie coming out in two 384 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: thousand thirteen stars Johnny Depp as Tonto Army Hammers The 385 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: Lone Ranger and Helena Bottom Carter as We don't know who, 386 00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 1: but we'll find out, I guess. So yeah, we don't 387 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: know if there will be any Bass Reeves nods in 388 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: that that one. Then it will be interesting to check out. 389 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: Maybe Johnny's listening to this podcast and it's gonna go 390 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: um mess with the script a little bit, and that's 391 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: an exciting thought. With Johnny Depp in our heads, it's 392 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,400 Speaker 1: always a good time to transition on over to listener mail. 393 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: So this postcard is from Dave and it is a 394 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: very special postcard because it's from Antarctica. And Seplena and 395 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 1: I were talking. I think this means now that we 396 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: have received postcards from every continent in the world. So awesome. 397 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 1: So like we need some celebration music there or something 398 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: not not like Polar Silence. But Dave wrote to say 399 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: that at least one podcast listener was present at the 400 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: centennial observation of Robert Scott's arrival at the South Pole. 401 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: The Scott ceremony was a sober affair, as you might expect, 402 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: but the night before the ceremony, Major Henry Worsley of 403 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: the British Army talked about Scott's journey, illustrated with photos 404 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 1: he and his companions had taken as they skied along 405 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: Scott's root the previous weeks. Anyway, thanks for making history entertaining. 406 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:09,239 Speaker 1: My wife, daughter and I are all devoted listeners, so 407 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 1: thank you. Dave. It's a cool postcard too. It is 408 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: of the South call kind of a contemporary art illustration 409 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: of herhole. So awesome Antarctica. We also got a postcard 410 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: from Monica in London and she recently attended an exhibit 411 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: at the Natural History Museum of Scott's last expedition and 412 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: it was Man hold Sledges. It was a postcard of Yeah, 413 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,239 Speaker 1: Katie and I discussed Man hold Sledges a bit in 414 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: that episode and it it's kind of a horrifying looking situation. 415 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: It's the four guys straining under this giant fled packed 416 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: with boxes and in the realm of I listened while 417 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: I x Monica tells us, but she listens while she 418 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: knits on the tube on her way to class. Sounds fun. 419 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,640 Speaker 1: So thank you Monica, and thank you Dave for our 420 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: our chilly postcards we received. And if you guys want 421 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: to make any other suggestions to us or let us know, 422 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: um if you've attended exhibits about topics we've covered anything 423 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: like that, we are at History Podcast at Discovery dot com. 424 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,439 Speaker 1: Remember it's our new email address. We're also still at 425 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: miss in History on Twitter and we are on Facebook. 426 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: And if you want to learn a little bit more 427 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 1: about some of the topics we mentioned today on the podcast. 428 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 1: You can look up an article called how the Emancipation 429 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: Proclamation worked, and you can find that by visiting our 430 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: homepage at www dot how stuff works dot com. Be 431 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from 432 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 1: the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore 433 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The house 434 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 1: Stuff Works iPhone app has a rise. Download it today 435 00:24:53,359 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: on iTunes. Two