Justice In The Wild West

Justice In The Wild West

Towns soon began to grow , and within a few years there could be a few thousand people made up of mostly men without their families. When they were not working they spent most of their time gambling and drinking. Fights broke out and sometimes guns were fired. The crime rate went up as robberies were planned and carried out. In the mining towns the miners were robbed of their silver and gold. Stage coaches were held up and you have probably heard of 'Jesse James' well he held up stage coaches and the trains that transported the gold and money. Cattle rustling was another crime and also bank hold ups. Because of all this crime the towns would employ a sheriff or Marshall who would try to keep law and order, by locking up the petty criminals and the drunks.

A judge would travel around the towns holding a court to try the criminals. People who were accused of these crimes would be tried by a judge who travelled around the towns. People were often hanged for their crimes. In some areas there was no sheriff or Marshall and the local townsfolk would take it on themselves to be judge and jury and would try the 'criminals' themselves. The so called criminals were often hanged and sometimes they had not trial at all and were just lynched- [hunted down and hanged from the nearest tree].

The History of the West - Native American Peoples Of the Plains - Wagon Trains - Gold Fever - Ranches on the Plains - Cowboys - Homesteaders - The Railroad - War Between The Settlers and The Native American Indians