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Bill
Longley
DOWN AND OUT IN A NACOGDOCHES JAILby
Archie P. McDonald | |
In the 1960s, more than forty "western" series dominated prime-time television
network series. One, "The Texan," starring Rory Calhoun in the title role. His
character was named Bill Longley, and he was a character indeed. Calhoun played
him as one the dodge for the law who spent a weekly half hour rescuing someone
or righting some wrong. Old Bill would not have recognized himself.
The
real Bill Longley was born in Austin County, Texas, on a family farm in 1851.
The family later moved to Washington County. The Civil War began before Longley
was old enough to participate but he caught the spirit of the times nonetheless,
and his first scrape with the law involved brutalizing freedmen and women.
Longley claimed at his most notorious stage to have killed thirty-two men, the
first in 1868 when he could have been no more than seventeen years of age. At
that stage, his victims consisted mostly of freed slaves, former soldiers, and
unfortunates who crossed his path at the wrong time.
Longley prospected
for gold in Wyoming and joined the U.S. Cavalry, deserted, and spent six months
in the guardhouse before being released to complete his enlistment, at least until
he deserted again, this time successfully.
For several years Longley lived
in Kansas, Texas, and even Louisiana, and his frequent moves left more corpses
behind. Occasionally arrested, he escaped one sentence in Delta County, Texas,
by burning down the county jail.
Longley was captured for the last time
in Desoto Parish, Louisiana, by Nacogdoches
County Sheriff Milton Mast, who brought the prisoner to his jail while preparing
to transport him to Giddings to stand trial for a murder committed there. This
time Longley did not escape. |
| | Longley's
Grave in Giddings Cemetery
TE
photo, 2000 |
After
the trial in Giddings, Longley was hanged on October 11, 1887, just five days
past his twenty-seventh birthday. Or was he? As with other "legends" of the Old
West, rumors emerged that the hanging had been faked and that Longley lived for
years under assumed names in Louisiana. If so, he himself had reduced his status
at the trial by admitting that he had killed only eight men, not thirty-two.
One thing is sure. He killed none in the Nacogdoches County jail.
©
Archie P. McDonald
All
Things Historical
December
5 , 2004 column
A syndicated column in over 40 East Texas newspapers
(This column is provided as a public service by the East Texas Historical Association.
Archie P. McDonald is director of the Association and author of more than 20 books
on Texas )
See
Also
Bill
Longley Does Not Get Along Well With Others - A Visit to the Giddings City Cemetery
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