Lawman: Life and Times of Harry Morse, 1835–1912, The

by John Boessenecker

Harry Morse - gunfighter, manhunter, and sleuth - was among the West’s most famous lawmen. Elected sheriff of Alameda County, California, in 1864, he went on to become San Francisco’s foremost private detective. His career spanned five decades. In this gripping biography, John Boessenecker brings Morse’s now-forgotten story to light, chronicling not only the lawman’s remarkable adventures but also the turbulent times in which he lived. Armed only with raw courage and a Colt revolver, Morse squared off against a small army of desperadoes and beat them at their own game. He shot to death the notorious bandidos Narato Ponce and Juan Soto, outgunned the vicious Narciso Bojorques, and pursued the Tiburcio Vasquez gang for two months in one of the West’s longest and most tenacious manhunts. Later, Morse captured Black Bart, America’s greatest stagecoach robber. His exploits were legendary. Drawing on Morse’s diaries, memoirs, and correspondence, Boessenecker weaves the lawman’s colorful accounts into his narrative. Rare photographs of outlaws and lawmen and of the sites of Morse’s exploits further enliven the story.

Genres: History

388 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and times of Harry Morse is about a man named Harry Morse. Harry Morse was a sheriff and took a stand against bandits and thieves. He came from a long line of Puritan pioneers. Morse's great-grandfather served in the French and Indian Wars, and his grandfather served in the Revolutionary War. Harry spent his childhood in New York City. attending Public School No. 7, in Christy Street. He stopped attending school when he was 10. He was involved in a famous shooting in Alameda County. Two men named Narciso and John were having an argument and Narciso placed a $500 bounty on Gunnel. John was shot was shot in the arm and was thrown off his horse. John had time to escape to report him.