Thomas “Tom” Horn Jr. (1861-1903)

Western Lawman, World Champion Steer Wrestler, Convicted Murderer. He left school and home to escape an abusive father at an early age. By age 17, he'd been a railroad laborer, wagon and stage coach driver and then a US Army Scout who played a part in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 by negotiating the terms of surrender with the Apache Chief. In 1888 he became a ranch hand and was Worlds Champion steer wrestler. Soon after that he was a sheriff in Colorado before working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency for 4 years and killing 17 men. In 1894 he was in Wyoming working as a cattle detective for local beef barons, charging $500 for each rustler shot. Horn used a buffalo gun, and his trademark was to leave a rock under the dead man's head. In 1898 he joined the cavalry in support of the Spanish-American War, where he was in charge of Teddy Roosevelt's pack trains of the Rough Riders. In 1901 he was accused of ambushing and killing 14-year-old Willie Nickell. Willie's father was trying to introduce sheep onto the Wyoming cattle ranges. Some believe he had been hired to kill the father, but mistook the son for his father and killed him with 2 shots from long range. Friends in the area believe was set up because of the attention the ranchers were getting and was not the actual killer. He was later arrested after bragging to a deputy US marshal, in a state of intoxication, about the killing. He was sentenced to hang. After escaping once from the Cheyenne jail, he was recaptured and spent the few remaining months weaving the rope that would shortly hang him.

Bio by: Phantomht