Whiskey River Ranger: The Old West Life of Baz Outlaw

Captain Frank Jones, a famed nineteenth-century Texas Ranger,said of his company’s top sergeant, Baz Outlaw (1854-1894), A man of unusual courage and coolness and in a close placeis worth two or three ordinary men. Another old-time TexasRanger declared that Baz Outlaw was one of the worst and mostdangerous because he never knew what fear was. But not allthought so highly of him. In Whiskey River Ranger, Bob Alexander tells for the first time the full story of this troubled Texas Ranger and his losing battle with alcoholism.

In his career Baz Outlaw wore a badge as a Texas Rangerand also as a Deputy US Marshal. He could be a fearless andcrackerjack lawman, as well as an unmanageable manic. AlthoughBaz Outlaw’s badge-wearing career was sometimes heroicallycreditable, at other times his self-induced nightmarish imbrogliosteased and tested Texas Ranger management’s resoluteness.

Baz Outlaw’s true-life story is jam-packed with fellows owningwell-known names, including Texas Rangers, city marshals,sheriffs, and steely-eyed mean-spirited miscreants. Baz Outlaw'stale is complete with horseback chases, explosive train robberies,vigilante justice (or injustice), nighttime ambushes andbushwhacking, and episodes of scorching six-shooter finality. Bazmet his end in a brothel brawl at the hands of John Selman, thesame gunfighter who killed John Wesley Hardin.