Loren D. Estleman > Quotes

“An execution carried out in secrecy is no better than lynching from a dry branch.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Branch and the Scaffold: The True Story of the West's Hanging Judge

“In 1914, Franz Ferdinand, the Austrian imperial heir, was shot and killed by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo. Do you know the motive behind the act?

It was in retaliation for the subjugation of the Sebs in Austria.

It was not.Franz Ferdinand had stated his intention to introduce reforms favorable to the Serbs in his empire. Had he survived to ascend the throne, he would have made a revolution unnecessary. In plain terms, he was killed because he was going to give the rebels what they were shouting for. They needed a despot in the palace in order to seize it.

What's good for reform is bad for the reformers”
― Loren D. Estleman, Gas City

“These days, however, gentlemanly status seems to be more a question of appearance than conduct.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes

“Without question, his picture did not do him justice, but again, he was dead when it was taken”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Branch and the Scaffold: The True Story of the West's Hanging Judge

“Just as the brightest lantern is useless until it is ignited, the presence of genius without the necessary stimulant that sets it to working is a thing of little worth.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula

“Early on as news of the sextuple execution in Fort Smith spread, rooted itself in the umber soil of the western Indian Nations, and grew inthe the solid stalk of legend, the men whom Marshal Fagan appointed to swell the judge's standing army abanddonded the practice of introducing themselves as deputy U.S. marshals. Instead, when they entered the quarters of local law enforcement officers and tribal policemen to show their warrants, they said: "We ride for Parker."

Sometimes, in deference to rugged country or to cover ground, they broke up and rode in pairs or singles, but as the majority of the casualties they would suffer occurred on these occasions, they formed ragged escorts around stout little wagons built of elm, with canvas sheets to protect the passengers from rain and sun for trial and execution. With these they entered the settlements well behind their reputations. The deputies used Winchesters to pry a path between rubbernecks pressing in to see what new animals the circus had brought. Inside, accused felons, rounded up like stray dogs, rode in manacles on the sideboards and decks. At any given time-so went the rumor-one fourth of the worst element in the Nations was at large, one fourth was in the Fort Smith jail, and one fourth was on its way there in the 'tumbleweed wagons.'

"That's three-fourths," said tenderheels "What about the rest?'

"That fourth rides for Parker.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Branch and the Scaffold: The True Story of the West's Hanging Judge

“As I write these words, it occurs to me that the story is in fact a timely one, in that it demonstrates the evils which a science left to itself may inflict upon an unsuspecting mankind”
― Loren D. Estleman, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes

“Cherokee's American, Ned. It don't get more American than that.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Branch and the Scaffold: The True Story of the West's Hanging Judge

“Now came details of Goldby's adventures with the Cooks and their band. "Chicken, Dynamite Dick, The Verdigris Kid. I wish these fellows read something other than Ned Buntline's Own. Why haven't I heard of this Goldsby before this?”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Branch and the Scaffold: The True Story of the West's Hanging Judge

“Concealing himself from his father's wrath, behind the barn with wick turned low and his face two inches from the rough sawtooth page, Young Crawford had read of these atrocities in Beadle's Dime Library and fantasized about "calling out" the brutal old man who had sired him, "throwing down" on him with the "hogleg" he wore high on his hip, and blasting him into hell; after which he would go "on the scout," separating high-interest banks and arrogant railroad barons from their soiled coin and distributing it among their victims, or failing that into his own pockets and saddle pouches and living the "high Life" in saloons and "dance halls" where beautiful women in brief costumes admired his straight legs and square jaw and told him of the men who had "ruined" them (he knew not just how, only that the act was disgraceful and its effects permanent), whereupon he sought the blackguards out and deprived them of their lives. There was usually profit involved; invariably the men were thieves who lived in close proximity to their "ill-gotten booty," and didn't it say somewhere in Scripture that robbing a thief was no sin? If it didn't, it should have.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Branch and the Scaffold: The True Story of the West's Hanging Judge

“When we got out, the air was heavy as atomic weight. Even the gulls were afraid to land on the steaming asphalt.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Monkey in the Middle

“Rookies are like baby turtles,” he said. “As soon as they hatch out they make a run for the water. Them that make it without getting eaten by birds grow up to be big turtles. Them that don’t—don’t. An officer’s first responsibility is to stay alive.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Midnight Man

“cleaning,”
― Loren D. Estleman, Kill Zone

“All Detroit is divided into three parts: the automobile industry, the city government, and the casinos. Of those parts, only one has never had to go to Washington to beg for money. Guess which.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Smoke on the Water

“There is no gravity,” I said. He grinned lopsidedly. “The earth sucks. Ain’t it the truth.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Midnight Man

“I know a rancher like you down below Hell's Canyon. He runs about six cows and five thousand sheep. But he calls himself a cattleman.”
― Loren C. Estleman

“She hesitated. “You weren’t one of those commandos who killed Nazis with their bare hands, were you?” “I wore gloves.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Paperback Jack

“The world's black and white, good and bad, no matter what you hear. The people who say it isn't have already chosen black.”
― Loren Estleman

“appeared fierce, but Oscar decided this was due more to the fact that his face was still cut and swollen from”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Master Executioner

“Question: What’s Detroit without guns? Answer: Cleveland.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Silent Thunder

“The creature comforts were all a man cared about at the finish.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Ragtime Cowboys

“all they’ll ever find of you is a grease slick clear down to Toledo”
― Loren D. Estleman, Cut-Throat Dogs

“There is the press and there is entertainment. It’s only when we allow them to bleed into each other that we get into difficulty.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Sweet Women Lie

“The room smelled of stale leather and genteel decay, like an old woman waiting patiently for the lover who had jilted her to return after sixty years.”
― Loren D. Estleman, The Hours of the Virgin

“Experience is like rhubarb. You got to add sugar to make a pie.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Ragtime Cowboys

“What did I think of him? I, who'd worked with him hand-in-glove longer than all the rest, and who knew him better than anyone -- including Mrs. Blackthorne? He was a first-class son of a bitch. But how many men have you known who were first in their class at anything?”
― Loren D. Estleman, Wild Justice

“What's good for reform is bad for the reformers”
― Loren D. Estleman Gas City

“to”
― Loren D. Estleman, Downriver

“When most of your life is the past you spend too much time in it.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Every Brilliant Eye

“The vinyl cushioned seat on his chair let out a long windy sigh like a mule when its packs are unloaded.”
― Loren D. Estleman, Cut-Throat Dogs