When Outlaws Wore Badges

by Melody Groves

New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards (History, Other)** Lawman or Outlaw? At times, the black-hatted “villains” and white-hatted “good guys” of the Old West were one and the same. Often it was difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish who was who. Sheriff Wyatt Earp stole horses and ran brothels. Albuquerque’s first town marshal, Milton Yarberry, was accused of murder and subsequently “jerked to Jesus.” Burt Alvord, town marshal of Willcox, Arizona, and friends, robbed a train. Alvord then deputized these same friends into a posse to apprehend the robbers. It came as no surprise when his posse came up empty handed. Justice Hoodoo Brown and Deputy JJ Webb ruled Las Vegas as leaders of the Dodge City Gang until they were run out of town by citizens fed up with their type of justice. “Mysterious” Dave Mather and even two of the Dalton Gang spent time behind a badge, as well as behind bars. When Outlaws Wore Badges explores the double lives of outlaw lawmen through some of the West’s most memorable frontier characters.

164 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2021

About the author

Melody was born and raised in Las Cruces, southern New Mexico, but spent a few years "growing up" on Guam and in the Philippines. A graduate of New Mexico State University (B.S. Education), she is also a graduate of the University of New Mexico (M.A. Education). Melody taught in Albuquerque until leaving the classroom to become a full-time freelance writer.

A deep love of anything cowboy and Old West creates a fertile playground for her imagination. After spending ten years with the New Mexico Gunfighters Association, she learned what it feels like going toe to toe with a revolver-wielding sheriff. Being both "good guy" and "bad guy" gives her a firsthand feel for what her western characters experience.

Melody is a contributing editor for Round Up magazine for Western Writers of America. She is also a contributing writer for "American Westward Expansion," a collegiate history encyclopedia. She also writes for Wild West, True West, New Mexico and other magazines.