This episode positions Railroad Detective Matt Clark (Jim Davis) as a long time friend of legendary gunslinger Tom Horn. It's true that at one time Horn worked on the right side of the law, but became disillusioned with the justice system when cattle rustlers he caught and arrested were found innocent by a jury. From then on, Horn took the law into his own hands and while working for cattle ranchers to protect their herds, he became judge, jury and executioner for the men he found guilty.
The basics of Horn's capture are told in this story, but an element I'd never heard of was included relating to Horn being color blind. For the purpose of this story, it was stated that Horn would not have gone after a young homesteader feuding with a large cattle rancher had he noticed the boy's bright red hair. The man he was really after was the boy's father, and during a chase, the boy's wagon overturned and he died.
As Matt Clark joins local authorities on the case, he gets his old friend to admit his guilt in the murders of two other cattlemen. Following a chase and shootout, Horn is captured and arrested. Following a trial, Horn is hung for his role in the murder of the young boy in the story.
Stories of the Century took a great deal of liberty with historical accuracy in presenting their tales of the Old West. This one is certainly a fabricated story borrowing bits and pieces of Horn's life, with no mention of his days as an Army tracker and time spent living with the Apaches. For a more accurate telling of at least the last couple years of Tom Horn's life I would direct you to the 1980 movie simply titled "Tom Horn". It's got Steve McQueen portraying the legendary Western gunman in his very last film role. McQueen died a few short months after the picture's release.
The basics of Horn's capture are told in this story, but an element I'd never heard of was included relating to Horn being color blind. For the purpose of this story, it was stated that Horn would not have gone after a young homesteader feuding with a large cattle rancher had he noticed the boy's bright red hair. The man he was really after was the boy's father, and during a chase, the boy's wagon overturned and he died.
As Matt Clark joins local authorities on the case, he gets his old friend to admit his guilt in the murders of two other cattlemen. Following a chase and shootout, Horn is captured and arrested. Following a trial, Horn is hung for his role in the murder of the young boy in the story.
Stories of the Century took a great deal of liberty with historical accuracy in presenting their tales of the Old West. This one is certainly a fabricated story borrowing bits and pieces of Horn's life, with no mention of his days as an Army tracker and time spent living with the Apaches. For a more accurate telling of at least the last couple years of Tom Horn's life I would direct you to the 1980 movie simply titled "Tom Horn". It's got Steve McQueen portraying the legendary Western gunman in his very last film role. McQueen died a few short months after the picture's release.
