HELL ON THE BORDER

In an earlier post I mentioned the book, Hell on the Border, a History of the Great Court at Fort Smith, Arkansas. The original author is unknown, the present copies were published by Frank L. Van Eaton of Stockton, California in 1953 and later republished by Hell on the Border Publishing Co., Fort Smith, Arkansas, no date.

The existence of this court, and Judge Parker and the U.S. Marshal's Service stationed on the very edge of the Indian Nation, in itself puts the state of Arkansas in the wild west. While folks on the delta raised cotton and lived in plantations and owned slaves, this part of the state existed under the reign of outlaws and the men who hunted them down, equally vicious in their own way. Their actions made for conditions much like those in the far west. Places like Dodge City, Deadwood and Cheyenne had nothing on Fort Smith and the rugged Boston Mountain settlements like Fayetteville.

A newspaperman once wrote, after visiting Fayetteville, that it was an untamed, wild town.

My copy of Hell on the Border, given to me by a treasured friend, does have a photo of Colonel Jacob Yoes,and the cut under the picture says "...the one who cleaned up the last of the Tough Gangs." I've never learned why the later copies of this fabulous historical book do not contain his photo. I only heard that he himself insisted it be removed. The book is very rare.

Perhaps because of the information contained therein, Yoes wanted to be separated from it. The stories are graphic and indicative of the way times were in the old west. Perhaps Jacob wanted his beloved Arkansas to be looked upon with less rancor. But, like the kids say today, "it is what it is." I, for one, do not agree with revisionists who want to leave out what they don't like about history. But of course, we will never know the exact and precise truth of some of the incidents, for even those involved often tell different versions.

The introduction states, "Hell on the Border is an important book...because in its own crude way, it presents details of some of the bloodiest, cruelest crimes ever committed in a new country where even the cruel elements could hardly be so viciously cruel..."  An eastern journalist visited Fort Smith and Indian Territory in the hectic days and went home to write, "There is no God West of Fort Smith."

After explaining the famous court, Judge Parker and hangman George Maledon, the author goes on to tell stories of men like E.C. Boudinot, Thomas Boles and an ex-jailer by the name of Berry. Then he's off and running, with in-depth stories of early cases with titles like "His Body Split with an Axe," "Hired to Kill for Ten Dollars," "A Trio of Bad Men," "Spared the Rod and Spoiled the Child." And so the tales continue. About Cherokee Bill, the infamous Buck gang and an intriguing title which I'll need to read, "Romance and Strategy Combined."

The book contains a photo of the second Fort and the wall before it was torn down. It's dated 1842, very early for decent photography, and unusual that this one survived the years.


I sense, in the brittle and yellowing pages, stories that would make great novels. And that sounds like a fine idea.

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