Except for western history buffs, almost everyone has forgotten the Texas outlaw John Larn. Yet more than a century after his death in 1878, the mere mention of his name can trigger strong reactions along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in northern Texas. In Bravo of the Brazos, Robert K. DeArment tells for the first time the complete story of this enigmatic and controversial figure.Larn was good-looking, well-mannered, and gentle around women and children. He was a successful rancher and renowned frontier sheriff. Yet he was also the charismatic leader of a vigilante committee that enjoyed widespread support. Before his death at age 29, Larn had killed or participated in killing at least a dozen men. His neighbors in Fort Griffin, Texas, endorsed his ruthless shooting of horse and cattle thieves on sight, but their tolerance waned when he began killing for profit or revenge. When he threatened to reveal the names of prominent citizens involved in his vigilante committee, he lost public support. A mob composed of relatives and former friends and associates brought his popular, murderous career to a sudden and bloody end before he could divulge any names. Today, more than a century later, DeArment divulges those names as he tells Larn's story.
- ISBN10 0806182237
- ISBN13 9780806182230
- Publish Date December 2002 (first published 15 September 2002)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint University of Oklahoma Press
- Format eBook
- Language English