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Word came to us up in the emporium in Las Vegas toward the end of the 1890s. A hand carried letter from Edward Bonnell down in White Oaks wrote, “”Gentlemen, Trust you are doing well up North. As always best wishes are extended from all of us here for your good deeds. 30 or so ex contrail raiders and general riff raff have descended on the placer boys up the valley there are not enough lawmen in the whole county to confront these mangy dogs. Even if they could leave their own towns to come here, which they cant or won’t. The concern is obvious for both Jicarillo and soon White Oaks itself. There is talk of forming a militia , but we fear would be outgunned in the face of these experienced criminals. We are aware if what we are asking of you and every man here will help you if you ask.
Sincerely
Edward bonnell ”
Steve looked at rob who gave a slight nod, Steve wrote on the back “Ed on the way, no help needed” We were not brave or any of that. But both our families lived in White Oaks so of course we were going to draw a hard line and solve this or end our days right there and then. Truth be told we were fine with whatever the outcome would be. Silently we packed up no food. No tent, no spare clothes. But plenty of ammo .mounting up, 3:34 pm we head south down the trail shadows crossing in the valley ahead into an uncertain fate. The third day finds us bypassing White Oaks so as not to cause a fuss. And in the forest near Jicarillo outside the outlaw camp. Thru the telescope it’s easy to see about 30 very hard men lounging about the fire its 9:05pm.
The authors are reasonably sure this is going to be the last day we get , but no one gets out if this thing called life , so what better way to say adios then protecting loved ones from evil. Steve calls out “two riders to camp “and we emerge from the darkness of the forest into the flickering campfire light. We stand there as they come around on the far side of the fire. No word is said, just looking each party over. A twig snaps behind the authors and a dandy dressed figure , long smock coat. Black hat with rattlesnake band emerges, walks between us and in the blink if an eye, without a word, pulls out a colt 45 revolver and shoots the man who looked like a leader in the right eye, Then shoots the man next to the first man in the mouth. Then hoist the far left standing man in the heart and the far right man in the man parts, his screaming silenced by a final shot to the forehead
Every man there had seen violence, plenty of it. No one there however had ever seen violence on this level before. You heard stories about this kind if thing but we just figured they were made up , but seeing it first hand left A stunned silence. The dude dropped the colt to the ground, pulled a fresh piece from under his long coat. Then John Wesley Hardin said “who wants to die next?” Every eye expect Hardin’s looked at the dirt in front of themselves. The starch was out if all them. The authors both almost puked. Earlier Dallas Stoudemire the Marshall in El Paso told Wes about the problem and seeing how steve and rob did valuable assistance to Wes in the past. He decided to come give us a hand. We did not know any of that till we see him. Years later we took the take that it was extreme violence for an extremely good cause. It goes to tell kind reader not all men branded as bad by history really were case In point John Wesley Hardin a good man.