www.tomroadblair.com

I’ve watched a lot of good old westerns and seen a lot of portrayals of the infamous “Judge Roy Bean” but never really knew much authentic history about the guy. I do remember the old movie where Walter Brennen played Judge Roy Bean and even got an Academy Award for his performance, but it wasn’t very realistic, as most of the westerns go.

Roy Bean was from Kentucky and before he had himself appointed as Justice of the peace in Pecos County Texas in 1882, he had gained himself quite a reputation… and not much good either. He was born in 1825 and when he was around 15 he killed a guy and had to go on the run from Kentucky to California where he became noted for chasing women, gambling, cockfighting events and illegal boxing matches.

He shot and wounded another man and spent a couple months in jail before he broke out and moved on again. He ended up in New Mexico doing quite well… smuggling guns to Mexico. He then settled down in San Antonio, married, had five kids, was involved in many dishonest scams and schemes before he left his wife and kids to become a saloon keeper, then a saloon owner and then got elected as Justice of the Peace in a tiny tent city named Eagles Nest Springs. By then he had become an overweight. A scraggly beard, dirty and sweaty clothed old man… but he was feared.

He once pronounced a man “Innocent of murder charges” to an Irish man that had killed a Chinese railroad worker. He said “It’s a crime to kill a man, but I don’t see anything in the book about a Chinaman.”

Although many have the notion that Judge Roy Bean was a “Hanging Judge”, most of his cases were misdemeanors…just a few murders, but there is no record of Judge Bean ever sending anyone to the gallows.

Of course the old judge never kept any records of his cases either.

It is known he did quite well with his “Law office bar” and his Justice of the Peace position… including performing marriages for $5 each. At the end of a marriage he would always say, “And may God have mercy on your souls and if it doesn’t work out its only $5 to undo it!”

If you want to know about Judge Roy Bean, about the best factual book is said to be Judge Roy Bean Country, by Jack Skiles. As far as Judge Roy Bean’s political morality and today’s politics go…well, I’ll leave it to you to decide what direction history is going.

Tom “Road” Blair