LIFE OF TOM HORN GOVERNMENT SCOUT AND INTERPTETER WRITTEN BY HIMSELF WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, TOGETHER WITH HIS LETTERS AND STATEMENTS BY HIS FRIENDS….

Denver: Published (for John C. Coble) by The Louthan Book Co., 1904.  317pp. Frontis. portrait of Horn, signed in facsimile. Illustrations. Original pictorial wrappers. First edition. Externally, minor chipping to the spine ends, slight chipping to the bottom edge of the wrappers (repaired with acid-free archival tape) and a small spot to the front cover. Internally, inked out name of a previous owner on the front fly with toning to the perimeter of the pages. Overall, a good copy+. Tom Horn, born November 1860 in northeast Missouri, was a scout, cowboy, range detective, Pinkerton detective, and hired gun. It is believed he killed seventeen men throughout the West. He was convicted in 1902 for the murder of fourteen-year-old Willie Mitchell near Iron Mountain, Wyoming. Willie was the son of sheep rancher Keis Nickell who was involved in a range feud with cattle rancher Jim Miller. Horn was hung for the killing in Cheyenne, Wyoming the day before his 43rd birthday.  Written as a vindication, there is controversy over the authorship. It has been attributed to Horn, to his employer, John C. Coble, and to Hattie Louthan, a member of the publisher’s family. There is also much information on Horn’s scouting days in Arizona.