Bad Company and Burnt Powder: Justice and Injustice in the Old Southwest (Frances B. Vick Series)

Cloth hardcover, xxiii + 456 pages, numerous b&w photos in text, NOT ex-library. Interior is clean and bright throughout with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Faint external marks on lower page edges. Bright, untorn dust jacket with a long crease on the spine. -- "This book is a portrait of twelve lawmen or criminals, or of famous events in the American Southwest in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. The events take place in Arizona Territory, Texas, or New Mexico Territory." -- A historical anthology that explores twelve distinct episodes of law and disorder on the 19th-century Texas frontier. The book examines the blurred lines between legal enforcement and vigilante justice; structured into twelve chapters, each focusing on a different character or specific event involving lawmen, outlaws, and vigilantes. - Lesser-Known Figures: While notable names like John Wesley Hardin and Frank Hamer are mentioned, the focus is primarily on historically significant but less famous individuals. - Key Profiles: The text features stories of Cal Aten, a young Texas Ranger seeking adventure; John "Cattle Jack" Hittson, a cattleman who dispensed ruthless justice to cow thieves; and Bob Meldrum, a quick-triggered gunman. - Frontier Justice: Alexander analyzes how "justice" was often served outside formal legal systems through lynchings, feuds, and "six-shooter finality" when the official judiciary was weak or non-existent. The book has been praised for its meticulous research and engaging storytelling style. Reviewers from WWA Roundup Magazine highlight the work as an "authoritative study" that goes beyond obvious culprits to find unsung heroes and villains in the annals of Texas history. According to historian David Johnson, the tales vividly capture the "grim realities" of law versus justice in a time of frequent violence and vengeance.…