If You Could Be a LEO in the Old West, Who Would You Be?

[dakotaranger]

Tillman

[Jake Harlow U.S. Marshal]

My hero in my early days was Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, real or not he was the one.
One LEO was Seth Bullock, he cleaned up the language, made it against the law to use swear words in 1877. Deadwood series could take a lesson from Seth on that one, course they would be in jail long before now.
Marshal Harlow is my favorite,fiction? Maybe,maybe not.
Keep yer back to the wall,
Jake

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Bill Tillman  and Marshal Venard of Nevada City, CA 1860s.

I would have been a Deouty Sheriff like I was until I retired in real life, maybe a Texas Ranger.  I was in a rural, mountianous county when I retired, and we seldom had back up.  It was very much "One riot, one Ranger"  My backup was an XM177E1 with a 30 round mag in my trunk, even when I was a detective!  I guess I would have carried a Henry or Spencer back then, along with a RM 44 Colt or Open Top. I'm partial to Henry and Spencers, and If I was doing it in the 1860s to 1870s, that's what I would havce had

[John Barleycorn]

Hmmmm....Well, The Lone Ranger always left with Tonto,  I think I would rather leave with the damsel,  I'll have to ponder this one somemore....JB

[Tim Burrattler]

My GGG grandad Mike B. Wright, Nueces County Sheriff (Texas)1901-1916, or any his cousins, the Wright family of Texas Rangers or my GGG Uncle, Texas Ranger Doc Pollock

[Tubac]

No doubt about it, Texas John Slaughter.

Tubac

[Jailhouse Jim]

Wyatt Earp, he lived a long adventurous life and lived with a hooker  .

Jailhouse Jim

[mrwill]

Francis Augustus Hamer

A man who knew how to get the job done.

mrwill

[Handsome Dave]

OK but I am Biassed 

Ahijah W. (A.W.) Grimes (1850-1878) - Ahijah W. Grimes was born in Bastrop, Texas on July 5, 1850 to one of the first pioneer families of the area.

He began his lawman career as the Bastrop City Marshal in 1874  and joined the Texas Rangers in 1877.

In 1878 he moved the family to Round Rock, Texas, where he worked in a bank until he was appointed as a Deputy Sheriff of  Williamson County.

Unfortunately for Grimes, when the three members of the Bass Gang, including Sam Bass and Seaborne Barnes, rode into round Rock on July 19, 1878, Grimes spotted them carrying hand guns which was illegal within the Round Rock city limits.

When he challenged them, they replied by opening fire on him. He is buried in the Old Cemetery in Round Rock, Texas.

[aryfrosty]

I'd either work for Judge Parker in the territory or be a ranger in Arizona or Texas. Likely Texas. I'd wear the badge right and live the life as best I could.

[Top Kick Ken]

Probably a US Deputy Marshal.  Followed by a Sheriff job somewhere.   Would have probably done some work for Wells Fargo and the railroad too at some point.

[Don Nix]

I just had to reply to this thread, I know its old but its right up my alley.
Everett Nix,US Marshall for the Guthrie Court was Bill Tillmans boss.
Now the neat thing is there were several Nixs that worked in JudgeParkers court.
All my great grandaddies folks were in western Ar at the time. plus my grand other was a Tillman. I wound up being in Law Enforcement in western AR and did quite a bit  of business with the US attorney in Ft Smith. When I had to go to the US Court house there it was kind of neat to know that The Nix men were still chasin bad guys out of that court.
Once another deputy ,whose great uncle had been a deputy under Judge Parker, and had some time before our meeting with the US Attorney so we went over and got to talk to the Curator and historian in Judge PArkers Court.
He wasnt at all surprised to find that the decendants of judge parkers Marshalls were working together in souhtwest Ar as Lawmen.
He said a number of the men who were US Marshalls and Deputy marshall during that time had decendants who stayed in Law enforcement.
Western Ar and the Indian territories being what they were you were either a good guy or an outlaw and the same still tends to run true in some places
The families of outlaws have passed on that lifestyle as the Lawmen did .Out laws begat outlaws and Cops begat cops.

[Texas Lawdog]

Don, It's a family tradition!

[Cuts Crooked]

Elfego Baca!

[Daniel Nighteyes]

I would probably have been a posseman for one or more Deputy US Marshals in the Indian Nations, particularly in the western portion.  I would have been very particular about who I would, and would not, track down.

[Marshal Cy Clone]

Bill Tillghman hands down. 

Marshal Cy Clone

[Federalist]

I reckon Seth Bullock would suit me fine.  A pioneer, capitalist, sheriff, Deputy US Marshal, member of the Rough Riders and a darn good friend of Tom Mix and Theodore Roosevelt.  Sorta the all American lawman.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-SethBullock.html

[Elmer Watson]

As my badge said alameda county I would have to go with Harry Morse.

[RickB]

Either Bat Masterson or Wyatt Earp. Both lived a long time after their law careers and had very interesting lives. And Wyatt settled down with Josie. Not a bad ending there. 

[Beauregard Hooligan]

My choice would be Virgil Earp, who was the real lawman in the Earp family.



Virgil Earp was a Civil War veteran, and U.S. Deputy Marshal for south-eastern Arizona and Tombstone City Marshal at the time of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Even though one armed due to the attempt on his life in Tombstone, he was involved in the railroad "wars" in California, and was elected Colton, Ca's first City Marshal. Before his death, he was a Deputy Sheriff for Esmeralda County, Nevada. Virgil Earp was one hell of a man!