Ron Franscell's Blog, page 15
February 11, 2018
A genuine hero
Remember that story about wild man Earl Durand killed five people in Powell in 1939? The horrible rampage ended partly because of a teenager named Tipton Cox, who wounded Durand at the end. But even more interesting: Tipton Cox grew up to become a pilot in WWII. He was one of two pilots who rescued…
The post A genuine hero appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Tarzan of the Tetons
In 1939, mountain man Earl Durand went on a rampage. He killed five people during a sprawling chase through the mountains, ending in a daring daylight bank robbery in Powell. A wounded Durand shot himself dead at the end. He had become a national media sensation. So many people wanted to see Durand’s body at…
The post Tarzan of the Tetons appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Pixley’s eyes
In 1964, at Jackson’s famous Wort Hotel, two little girls were raped, strangled and bludgeoned brutally with a large rock. .Andrew Pixley, a 21-year-old transient dishwasher, had sneaked into the room through an open window. Convicted and sentenced to die, Pixley asked to be executed in 1965. And his one other request was also granted:…
The post Pixley’s eyes appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Elvis co-star dies
In 1957. actress Judy Tyler had just wrapped up her first starring movie role, playing opposite Elvis Presley in “Jail;house Rock.” She was heading back East to appear on a CBS game show when she was tragically killed with her newlywed husband in a car crash outside tiny Rock River. She was 24.
The post Elvis co-star dies appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Butch’s mug shot
You already know Butch Cassidy was the most famous outlaw in the infamous Wild Bunch. This is his 1894 mugshot from the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. What you probably didn’t know is that in the late 20th century and even into the early 21st century, the Wyoming Department of Corrections refused to release the famous…
The post Butch’s mug shot appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Hickok’s assassin
In 1876, not long after he’d shot the famous Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood SD, Jack McCall was in a Laramie bar boasting about the murder. A deputy U.S. Marshal sitting nearby immediately arrested him and tossed him in the Laramie jail. McCall was eventually sent back to face a trial, where he was convicted…
The post Hickok’s assassin appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Last Wild Bunch outlaw
Wild Bunch outlaw Bub Meeks helped Butch and Elzy Lay rob the bank in Montpelier, Idaho, in 1896. But the pathologically unlucky Meeks was captured and sent to prison. He escaped but was recaptured. He tried to kill himself in prison and was sent to an Idaho insane asylum, from which he successfully escaped. His…
The post Last Wild Bunch outlaw appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Vanished into thin air
In 1934, 21-year-old Olga Schultz married Wyoming oilman Carl Mauger just a few weeks after they met.They spent their honeymoon elk hunting. One day. Carl reportedly left Olga to rest beside the trail while he hunted. When he returned, she was gone. Massive searches ensued but Olga was never found. Runaway bride? Murder victim? Bear snack?…
The post Vanished into thin air appeared first on Ron Franscell.
Old West serial killer
In 1868 in the boomtown of South Pass City, Polly Bartlett ran a boarding house … where she reportedly liquored up a couple dozen travelers and poised them with arsenic-laced steaks. A vigilante killed her in jail and she’s buried in an unmarked grave in the town cemetery, which is still there.
The post Old West serial killer appeared first on Ron Franscell.
