The Mason County “Hoo Doo” War, 1874-1902 (Volume 4) (A.C. Greene Series) - Softcover

Johnson, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1574412620 ISBN 13: 9781574412628

Publisher: University of North Texas Press, 2009

Synopsis

In 1874 the Hoo Doo War erupted in the Texas Hill Country of Mason County. The feud began with the rise of the mob under Sheriff John Clark, but it was not until the premeditated murder of rancher Timothy Williamson in 1875, a murder orchestrated by Sheriff Clark, that the violence escalated out of control. His death drew former Texas Ranger Scott Cooley to the region seeking justice, and when the courts failed, he began a vendetta to avenge his friend.

In the ensuing months, Sheriff Clark's mob ambushed ranchers George Gladden and Moses Baird, which drew gunfighters such as John Ringo into the violence. Local and state officials proved powerless, and it was not until the early 1900s that the feud burned itself out.

David Johnson analyzes the myths and legends surrounding the feud and presents the first definitive account of what happened in Mason County—a case study in frontier violence of the bloodiest kind.

The author analyzes the myths and legends surrounding the feud that began with the rise of a mob and escalated to premeditated murder. The Hill Country feud drew gunfighters of the era such as John Ringo and involved the Texas Rangers before it burned itself out in the early 1900s.

About this title

About the Author:

David Johnson is best known for John Ringo, his biography of the famous gunslinger. He has also edited two editions of The Life of Thomas W. Gamel. He lives in Zionsville, Indiana. Rick Miller, who wrote the foreword, is the author of Bloody Bill Longley and Sam Bass & Gang.

Review:

"Few blood feuds in the West were more vicious or more lethal than the Mason County War of Texas.... Depicting a formidable body count, along with episodes and motivations which are characteristic of other western feuds, David Johnson has placed the Mason County War in the front rank of extralegal frontier conflicts." - Bill O'Neal, Journal of Arizona History"

About this edition

• Publisher: University of North Texas Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1574412620
• ISBN 13: 9781574412628
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360