The Unsolved Murder of Kate Manning 1871

I've always been a believer in the notion that no matter how smart we think we are, there are things truly beyond our understanding. No, I'm not talking about how we can't figure out why people who once called us "friends" would try to slander our good name. And no, I'm not even talking about trying to figure out what motivates so-called friends into making false charges against us. Frankly, I sort of understand them only for who they are -- just lowlife scum. I might not understand why they do what they do, but I know such worthless people exist. And frankly, that's enough for me.

I know really well that there are some people who we befriend, only to find out later that they don't have a single redeeming quality. Sadly, they snake their way into our lives. And yes, it's beyond me why we don't recognize that some folks are just scum, not to be trusted, not to be made your friend. While I might not understand what motivates such scum, I know they exist. Of course, I don't care to understand what makes them tick. They are not that important for me to waste my time trying to figure out. 

That's sort of what we find in this 153-year-old murder mystery. There is no way of figuring out what really motivated someone to kill Kate Manning in 1871. Sure, the killer's motive could have been jealousy, rage, unrequited love, rejection, maybe he was used and tossed aside. Maybe it had nothing to do with love or passion or being a suitor. Maybe it is for the oldest reason in the world -- and it was simply over money. 

Yes, there are things known only to God -- good and bad. Of course, there are those acts with motives too illusive for us to comprehend. And yes, my friends, that's important to remember in this story because the killer was possibly her own brother. 

Just as with the exact date of her birth, we know that Kate Manning was born in Ireland sometime in 1843 -- but also used the alias Catherine McManus for one reason only known to her. She was murdered at the age of 27 in North Platte, Nebraska. She's buried in the North Platte Cemetery. She was the 1st woman to be buried in Lincoln County's "New" North Platte Cemetery after she had been first buried in North Platte's Old Downtown Cemetery. 

Her simple headstone reads: Kate Manning, Died, May 9, 1871, Age, 27 years, 10 months, 15 days, Sister of Peter Manning. Murdered.

So now, what do we know?

On the morning of May 9, 1871, Kate Manning, a young woman, almost 28 years old, was found shot to death on the claim that she had been holding down just a little Southeast of the town of North Platte, Nebraska. It's said Kate was well-known and respected by all. While that might have been true, her killer was certainly the exception. As for her killer, who killed her is considered a mystery. And yes, as sad as it is, her killer may have been her own brother. Yes, her brother.  

On May 12, 1871, The Omaha Herald newspaper reported the following: 

A Horrible Atrocity at North Platte.

Full Particulars of the of an Estimable Young Lady.

Her Own Brother Accused of the Crime.

North Platte, May 10, 1871.

To the Editor of the Omaha Herald,
    Our town has just been thrown into a fever of excitement, by one of the dastardly murders ever recorded in the annals of crime.
    Such a crime as makes the heart grow sick and faint, and almost leads one to believe in the total depravity of man.

THE FACTS

    The facts are as follows: About a week ago it was rumored that certain parties were about to jump a claim, belonging to Miss Kate Manny, which, coming to her ears, she procured a tent, and, fitting it up, resolved to hold it by possession.
    Monday evening she took up her residence there, and proposed to spend the night. Since that time she was never seen alive by her friends.

THE SEARCH.

    As she did not return as expected on Tuesday morning her friends became alarmed, and sent a messenger to learn the cause of her absence.

THE SCENE.

    On arriving upon the premises he was horrified by the dead body of Miss Manning, lying about a hundred yards from the tend, and covered with blood.
He hurried back to town and told the terrible news.

THE MURDER.

    In a short time a large crowd had gathered around the scene of the tragedy. On examination it was found that the murdered woman's death was caused by two pistol shots; either would have proved fatal. One bullet passed completely through the body, above the left breast. The other passed through her head.

"A FEARFUL STRUGGLE."

    There was evidence of a fearful struggle, and Miss Manning, being a strong and courageous woman, must have made a desperate resistance.
    From the appearance of the tent it seems that the murderer must have gained access to the interior before being discoverd. When, being awakened, the poor girl must have sprung up and discharged her revolver at the intruder, as she had one of Colt's make with her, and she knew how to use it. It was found in the tent, with three chambers empty.
    The assassin evidently seized her, first by the wrist and then by the throat, (as the finger marks on both showed,) and then struck her on the head with his own pistol; and after stunning her, placed a pistol to her breast and fired, the clothing being singed.
    She must then have broken away and ran to where the body was found, and then fell, when the miscreant placed his pistol to her head and shot her and she lay.
    A was at once instituted, and three men living on an adjoining claim were arrested, but nothing could be proved against them.

THE MURDERER.

    By examining the ground closely, a track was found where the murderer had stolen up to the rear of the tent, barefooted, and went from the same in an opposite direction. This was followed about half a mile, when it appeared that boots or shoes were put on. The track was then followed to town. It was observed that in the bare track there was a peculiarity about one foot, it being misshapen.

HORRIBLE.

    From circumstances not necessary to relate, suspicion at last fell upon a brother of the deceased, and he was arrested, when it was found his foot fitted the track precisely, and one was malformed. He was known to come to town about 11 at night, and returned about daylight.
    From these facts and previous threats, it seems conclusive that he is the author of the damning deed. This is all that can be learned at the present writing.
    The murdered woman was a most estimable lady, and her death has cast a gloom over the whole community.
    No cause can be assigned for the murder, unless it was perpetrated to receive certain property possessed by the deceased.

    Should it be proven that the right man is caught, justice will not have long to wait with the present feeling of our community.

In haste,       Pioneer.

-- end of The Omaha Herald article reported on May 12, 1871. As usual, when I post newspaper articles, I print them here just as it was printed back in the day with spelling and punctuation errors. Just as I found it in the newspaper archives.

Now before I go on, let's talk about the date of her murder. I found two web sources stating she was found dead on her claim on April 9, 1871, but her headstone reads May 10th, 1871. While I checked to find any mention of Kate Manning or her murder in April of 1871, I couldn't find a word reported anywhere. But when I searched the newspaper archives month by month for 1871, they all indicate she was killed on May 9, 1871. 

So where did the April 9, 1871 date come from? Well, from what I can tell, that date comes from a genealogical website that claims it's in an article from The North Platte Bulletin published on August 14th, 2004. I wish I could say it is because I can't even it -- though I've spent hours on The North Platte Bulletin archive webpage with no luck in finding it.

So, because everything points to May and not April as being the month she was killed, including her headstone, I'm going with what's on Kate Manning's headstone -- May 10th, 1871.

From the description of what she looked like when found, her "assassin evidently seized her, first by the wrist and then by the throat, (as the finger marks on both showed,) and then struck her on the head with his own pistol; and after stunning her, placed a pistol to her breast and fired, the clothing being singed. She must then have broken away and ran to where the body was found, and then fell when the miscreant placed his pistol to her head and shot her and she lay." No, there was no question that it was obviously murder.

Lincoln County Sheriff William Woodhurst found footprints from a peculiar shoe in the soft soil around Manning's tent. Kate Manning's brother Pete, who owned a saloon on Front Street, had a deformed foot. The sheriff tracked those footprints to Pete Manning's saloon. As soon as the sheriff matched his club foot with the tracks, Pete Manning was arrested and jailed. 

According to many descriptions, Pete Manning was a pretty popular guy in North Platte. He was known for having a good disposition, he was said to be a happy sort of fellow who was all in all slow to rile. It's also said many there simply couldn't believe that he could have murdered his own sister. 

The feeling among the townsfolk started to change when talk went around that Pete Manning was almost broke and in need of cash. Talk also started circulating that Pete had threatened to "jump" Kate's claim. All of a sudden, that happy, easy-going, local saloon keeper brother of Kate Manning looked like the prime suspect.  

Soon, the North Platte's vigilance committee formed to gain access to the jail. The vigilantes had a rope, they picked out the tree, and they wanted Pete to hang for killing his sister. Not allowing prisoners to be taken is what Sheriffs and their Deputies do. In this case, Lincoln County Sheriff William Woodhurst had the help of his wife Mary who helped calm down the townsfolk. Supposedly, when the townspeople started to make their way into the jail, the Sheriff's wife calmed things down by talking to them and appealing to their sense of justice. 

One newspaper report stated: A group of about 300 angry townspeople gathered in front of the jail with the intention of lynching Pete. The leader of the mob knocked on the jail door and demanded Pete Manning. Woodhurst's wife told the men that the sheriff was gone but that Manning was confined and a well-armed deputy was inside to protect the jail. "Anyone who enters the jail does so at his own risk," Mrs. Woodhurst told the crowd. Another man stepped forward and repeated the demand. "If you want Manning," Mrs. Woodhurst said, "get him in a legal way; but I think you had better go home to your wife, for I know she never would sanction you leading a mob." She went inside and bolted the door. 

The second time the townsfolk started toward the jail, it's said Sheriff William Woodhurst stood tall and resolute. Of course, standing tall, being bold, having resolve, and being resolute with a 12-gauge side-by-side helped him make his point. It was enough to stop the angry citizens of North Platte for the moment, but even Sheriff Woodhurst knew he couldn't stop a crowd of angry citizens if they rushed the jail and wanted to push past him. 

And no, they were not a mob. A mob means they were a large and disorderly crowd of people. That's not the case. These were the same friends and neighbors whom the Sheriff went to when he needed posse members, special guards, and assistance during disasters. These were the same people he knew and trusted to show up in mass when a fire needed to be fought. He met with them daily. He prayed with them in church and had supper in their homes. He knew they wanted justice. But no, he couldn't let them have justice at the end of a robe.

Sheriff Woodhurst knew well that in too many instances in frontier towns, good men, good lawmen, Sheriffs, Deputies, and Possemen, all purpose-driven, were no match for citizens with out-of-control emotions, anger, distrust in the criminal justice system, who had a desire to see someone pay for a killing. And in this case, it was a killing of a young girl who everyone believed was ruthlessly murdered by her own brother. 

Knowing this, Sheriff Woodhurst understood the situation and sent for help and requested the use of soldiers from Fort McPherson. The fort's commanding officer Major Brown obliged and offered the Sheriff a detail of soldiers to act as extra guards. They stood outside to present a formidable barrier. The citizens disbursed and later returned with a petition demanding Pete Manning be turned over to that. Woodhurst refused, citing his duty to protect the prisoner. 

The citizens feared Sheriff Woodhurst would try to sneak Pete Manning away to Fort McPherson. To counter this, the citizens volunteered to stand guard outside the jail to prevent Pete Manning from being removed without their knowledge. This standoff between the Sheriff and the citizens continued for five days. 

Sheriff Woodhurst decided on a plan. Using the soldiers, the Sheriff sneaked a soldier's uniform into the jail. Once Pete Manning was dressed in the uniform, the Sheriff had Pete march under guard to the Army post when the soldiers were relieved at the end of their shifts. Dressed as one of the soldiers, Pete Manning was marched right past the citizens. The scheme worked, and Pete Manning was kept under guard at Fort McPherson until it was believed safe to return to the jail in North Platte.

As for the vigilantes, they soon discovered that the prisoner had been taken to Fort McPherson. Soon, the townspeople sent a committee to Fort McPherson demanding the surrender of Manning. Instead of getting Manning, they were told they had ten minutes to leave the fort or else. They returned to town without incident. 

The citizens were angry but knew nothing could be done. After a few weeks had passed, Sheriff Woodhurst went to the fort and returned Manning to North Platte and put him in jail. By this time, tempers had eased and no further trouble from the townsfolk was had. All in all, the excitement had subsided.

Of course, Pete Manning's attorney didn't take any chances and immediately filed for and got a change of venue to Grand Island to stand trial there. A well-protected court tried Peter Manning for the murder of his sister. His trial is said to have taken several days.

Since no one saw who did it, the prosecution could only make a strong circumstantial case against him. To attack the circumstantial case against Manning, his defense attorney appealed to the jury saying that it didn't matter that "the shoe Pete Manning wore on his deformed foot was found to fit the impression in the soft soil." His defense attorney said it didn't matter because it wasn't unusual for Pete's footprints to be found all over his sister's claim. His attorney contended that such a thing was not out of the ordinary since, according to Pete, he visited her often. In the end, to everyone's surprise, Pete Manning was acquitted of the murder of his sister due to a lack of evidence to convict.

Very soon after the trial, a bartender who worked for Pete was considered a suspect. But he too was released. The citizens of North Platte met the bartender as he left the jail. They took him to a tree and tied a rope around the bartender's neck to get him to make a confession or tell what he knew about Pete Manning's involvement in his sister's death. But even threatened with death, the bartender denied all knowledge of the crime. Sheriff Woodhurst showed up, probably being resolute with a 12-gauge side-by-side, and helped the bartender leave town one step ahead of some unconvinced citizens.  So in the end, if he knew, he kept it to himself.  

As for Kate Manning's brother Pete, who owned a saloon on Front Street, had a deformed foot, a newspaper article states that he lost his saloon, had to auction off his property, and died penniless a few years later.  It's true. As strange as it might sound, especially knowing there were still people there who believed that he murdered his sister, Pete Manning did in fact return to North Platte financially and physically ruined. Then, after battling an illness, some said may have been Tuberculosis, he died three years later. 

As for the real killer, he was never brought to justice. Whoever murdered Kate Manning got away with it. Thus, who murdered Kate Manning remains an unsolved mystery.

As for my belief that there are things truly beyond our understanding. I believe some things are known only to God. And as for those who have literally gotten away with murder, those who may have never been made to answer for their crimes in our courts, those who have walked because our laws could not persecute them? 

While we don't have to like such things, I was brought up to believe that when it comes to such things, we can only hope that God does not sleep and he does serve justice to such killers. I can only hope that one such killer who was made to stand before God to answer for his despicable act is the person who shot and killed Kate Manning on May 9th, 1871. After all, there is some solace in believing that God made her killer answer for what he did. 

Tom Correa

Who Is Actually Running Our Country?

Story by Terry McGahey  

As we have all heard at one time or another our government is now being run by what’s called the deep state. Many of us, as well as myself, believe the deep state as it is referred to, comes down to the elitist Democrats and some Republican politicians who claim to be Republican but who in reality, are actually shadow-woke Democrats with Mitt Romney leading the pack.

In my opinion, as well as many of us American patriots, Joe Biden is not fit to run this country. All one has to do is watch Biden stumble and bumble through his speeches and or his interviews which at times it seems that this old man doesn’t even seem to know where he is. Personally, I do respect the office of president, but I will never refer to Biden as president because I have absolutely no respect for this destroyer of our nation.

Going back to the so-called "Deep State," I don't know how many folks know who Jeff Dunham is. Jeff Dunham is a comedian who uses many different puppets in his act. And if you notice, one of the puppets he uses is the grumpy old man named Walter. The grumpy old man puppet looks amazingly like Joe Biden. 

Like Jeff Dunham who commands his puppets with his hands and his remarks, I firmly believe the Deep State is Biden's puppeteer.

Who is the Deep State? There are many crooked politicians and other extremely wealthy individuals with the likes of George Soros and many others who belong to this so-called Deep State. It's my belief that the up-close individuals to Biden, who are actually running the office of President are the Clintons, Obamas, Schumer, Polisi, and some of the wealthiest people in the world. 

The people I mentioned above dance to the tune of those wealthy individuals for their own benefit. How else does a public servant of the people get so rich if not on the take so to speak?

Most of us, as even the Democrat Party realize, that Biden most likely would not be able to finish his term in office if elected. And frankly speaking, his re-election bid against Trump is a total joke. With the Democrat fascists also realizing this fact we are now hearing California Governor Gavin Newsom's name being thrown around as a possible replacement Democrat candidate for president.

As most of us know, California cities are in a gruesome state of decline. So that’s why I refer to Gavin Newsom as "Gruesome Newsome." This far-left Democrat Governor of California has run out many businesses as well as many long-time California residents to places like Texas, Arizona, and other states. Newsome loves regulations forcing people to bend to his will.

Just look at the gasoline automobile ban he is trying to enforce, forcing you to drive electric vehicles, not to speak of his regulation policies that are driving out businesses and people causing California to lose more and more revenue. 

Places like Los Angeles and San Francisco and many other cities in California look like Third World countries in places. Anyone who votes for Gruesome Newsome is still voting for the so-called Deep State. Different person but the same puppet.

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and their historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Biden vs Trump -- A Compare & Contrast Meme

 Here's a meme that I was asked to do for a group that I belong to, I hope you find it interesting.

The Story of Pearl Hart

Story by Terry McGahey 

When most of us think about Old West outlaws robbing trains, banks, stagecoaches, or others, what comes to mind are the James Gang, the Wild Bunch, the Daltons, and several others. But one of the last stagecoach holdups in the United States was actually perpetrated in part by a Canadian-born woman by the name of Pear Hart.

Pearl was born Pearl Tayler in 1871, received a very good education, and by late teenage years she met a man by the last name of Hart. Being very enamored with Hart, Pearl married him and had two children, one boy and one girl. 

Hart turned out to be a drunk and a gambler, and because of their unsteady relationship, Pearl sent the children to live with her mother in Ohio. Even though their marriage was on-again-and-off-again, they would be together at different times during their marriage history.

Pearl left her husband at the end of the Chicago World Fair which they attended and boarded a train for Trinidad Colorado. While in Trinidad she worked as a cook and it is speculated she also worked as a soiled dove (prostitute). By 1898, Pearl had ended up in Mammoth, Arizona, also working as a cook in a boardinghouse as best known about her at that time.

Once the mines had played out in the area, Pearl fell upon hard times financially and received a message to return to her mother's home because her mother had fallen seriously ill. 

During this time period, Pearl knew a man who went by the name of Joe Boot. But who knows if that was his true name. Boot was working a worthless mining claim at the time being financially busted also so the two decided they could get some quick cash by robbing the stagecoach which ran between Globe and Florence Arizona.

On May 30th, 1899, Boot and Pearl met the stage in Cane Springs which was a well-known water stop on that route about 30 miles Southeast of Globe. While Boot held a gun on the driver and passengers, Pearl who had cut her hair and was dressed in men’s clothes collected $431.00 from the victims which would equal about $15,000.00 today. Pearl then took the driver's revolver and gave each one of the passengers back one dollar before the two galloped off on their horses.

There hadn’t been a holdup on this route for quite some time so there was no longer a messenger (shotgun rider) on this run. The stage driver then unhitched one of the horses and rode to notify Sheriff Truman of Pinal County of the robbery.

The sheriff formed a posse and caught up with Boot and Pearl on June 5th, 1899, while they were sleeping. Boot was held in Florence, Arizona, while Pearl was being held in Tucson. On October 29th, 1899, Pearl escaped the Tucson jail by digging an eighteen-inch hole in the poorly constructed walls of the jail -- but she was caught shortly afterward. 

Pearl and Boot were sent to trial in October of 1899. In court, Pearl used her femininity with the story of only needing the money to return home to her very ill mother and the jury found the two not guilty. The verdict resulted in the judge becoming irate with the jury afterward for not doing their duty.

San Diego Newspaper Clipping, October, 1899

Boot and Pearl were later re-arrested and found guilty of tampering with the U.S. mail. Both were then sent to the Yuma Territorial Prison, Joe Boot had become a prison trustee driving supply wagons to the chain gangs and while doing so he had escaped. He was never heard from or seen again. He had served less than two years before his escape. 

Meanwhile, Pearl had become somewhat of a media "Darling" while in Yuma. And, since there were no provisions for a woman in the prison, Pearl was placed in a private cell that had a small yard attached to it where she would give interviews to reporters and other visitors.

Pearl received a pardon from the Territorial Governor Alexander Brodie in December of 1902 and she was given a train ticket to Kansas City. She then used an alias and worked for the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show for a time. In 1940 a census taker claimed that he had discovered Pearl Hart being remarried and living in Arizona under her married name. 

When Pearl Hart actually passed away is somewhat of a mystery. Some say she passed in 1955 in Gila County, Arizona, which is most likely, but some say 1925 in Kansas City and others say San Francisco in 1952.

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and their historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Albert Haunstine's Hanging In Custer County, Nebraska 1891

Below is a story sent to me by a reader who thought other readers might find it interesting. The story is about murder and facing the consequences of one's actions. 

Here's the story.

What were a clock and parts of a wooden bench worth in 1888? Three men’s lives. That’s right; William Ashley, Hiram Roten, and Albert E. Haunstine. All three lived in the hills and valleys southwest of Callaway, Nebraska. Good friendships and overnight stays passed among them, until one fateful day in early winter.

On November ninth [some sources state this date as the sixth], 1888, Roten and Ashley traveled to the sod schoolhouse of which they were board members. It had been designated their duty to keep up the building throughout the season when it was empty. 

When they arrived, they noticed the small (but only) clock the building owned and some lumber (probably from a bench) missing. They also found fresh buggy and horse tracks outside and decided to see who had visited the school. After notifying their families, Hiram and Roten headed off in the direction of the tracks, knowing not where they were headed to.

They were surprised to end up at the house of Albert E. Haunstine — a good friend, involved community member, and the teacher at the sod schoolhouse. After questioning him about the stolen property, Haunstine quickly gave it back to the men, but as they turned to leave, the teacher shot them in the back. 

Haunstine claims differently. For his side of the story, read the letter he wrote two days before his death. He took their watches and about 40 dollars cash from the both of them and proceeded to drag the bodies near the barn and throw some hay on top of them.

Haunstine, 25, and his wife, 17, prepared their team of horses and traveled to Arnold, Nebraska. After changing teams there, they drove south along the South Loup River until they were near Madison, NE, where Albert Haunstine stayed to work to get some money while his wife went by train to stay in Columbus, NE, for a few days. She had asked someone to go and pick him up because she couldn’t the day he was supposed to arrive by train.

Meanwhile, the families of Roten and Ashley had become concerned and began a search for them. Some friends and family members headed off toward Callaway, two or three went east to Mud Creek, and a group went to the school teacher’s (Haunstine’s) house. 

They found the place a mess, with animals running loose and items missing which clued in a hurried departure. Someone noticed a strange-looking stack of hay with hogs gathered tightly about it, and when upturned, proved to be pieces of Roten’s and Ashley’s bodies left — what the pigs had not devoured.

The authorities were notified immediately.

When the young man at the train station was asked by Mrs. Haunstine to meet her husband for her, he recognized the description. It exactly matched the wanted notice which promised 900 dollars for Haunstine’s body — dead or alive. Five hundred dollars of the total was from the state and the other four hundred from Custer County. The young man quickly got the attention of the police, and someone was on their way.

They found Haunstine in the smoker car, with one of Hiram or Roten's rifles across his lap. It is said that he gave up without struggle, mainly because he was grateful it was authorities and not a bounty hunter.

A few months later, in March of 1889, Haunstine was tried in Broken Bow, Nebraska. The county attorney H. M. Sullivan and the sheriff Jim Jones were both good friends of Haunstine. After Sullivan doubted his fairness as county prosecutor, Judge Wall of Loup City replaced him as public prosecutor. 

The trial didn’t last too long, and Haunstine was sentenced to hang six months later in September of 1889. However, Haunstine’s lawyers made an appeal to the Supreme Court because Haunstine had pled insanity. Doctors and more experts were brought in to reach a verdict of whether Haunstine was sane or not. 

When a decision was finally reached long after the September hanging date, Albert Haunstine was again found guilty and sentenced to hang on April 17, 1891.

However, Governor Boyd had heard of the case and sent a reprieval of thirty days, which meant Haunstine could not be hanged until May 17. This created many hard feelings and disappointment toward Sheriff Jones because families had come from hundreds of miles away to watch that man hang in April, and had to go home for another month before they could see that happen.

Finally, Haunstine’s execution date arrived, but even as the crowds gathered around the courthouse, Sheriff Jones spoke to them. He told them a hanging would not occur that day, and mobs led by the family and friends of Roten and Ashley attacked the courthouse. They pushed the authorities inside and demanded the keys to Haunstine’s cell. 

Only after Judge Wall, a big, burly man, held back the crowd long enough for more authorities to help out did the crowd get forced back outside for another speech. A promise that a hanging would take place soon was made, and the impatient crowd again went away for a few days.

On May 23, 1891, crowds gathered for the final time at the Broken Bow courthouse for the hanging of Haunstine. The gallows were hidden from view of the public by boards, but at about 12:30, Roten’s brother, Eli, threw a chip of wood over the boards. On his signal, a huge group of kin and friends of the murdered men tore down the wood so that all could see Haunstine hang.

Soon after, Sheriff Jones brought the prisoner from the jail cell and up the 13 steps to the top of the gallows. After Haunstine gave a short confession and requested forgiveness from all that he had effected, the noose was slipped around his neck, and the trap door was sprung. As Haunstine fell, the rope snapped upward—it had broken! Some sources strongly state that a person had cut halfway through the rope. 

Eli Roten was heard saying, "Since Haunstine killed two men, he should be hung twice!" 

Again Haunstine climbed the 13 steps, again a rope was placed around his neck, and again he dropped through the trap door. This time, though, the rope was secure, and a few minutes later Haunstine was pronounced dead by the local doctor.

Haunstine’s brother was given the body, and buried it on a hill near their homestead. About 90 meters from this grave stands a tree. After Haunstine’s execution, a rope was placed on a branch of the tree by an anonymous person to remind everyone of Haunstine’s actions and consequences. 

The rope fell off years ago due to wind and weather, but for those who know the story, the tree still stands as a symbol of what happened. Albert E. Haunstine had stolen a clock and some lumber, and had died for it.

Below is a letter written by Albert E. Haunstine two days before his May 23, 1891 execution. It does create curiosity to know which side of the story is true. (Errors found in the letter were in the original article.)

STATEMENT OF A. E. HAUNSTINE:

Since the general public has felt a great interest concerning my sad fate and is desirous to learn the real facts as to whether I malicously shot and killed Hiram Roten and William Ashely without provocation, I hereby state, for the good of all concerned and myself in particular, that I have not been and am not the vicious man my fellowmen think I am. My life and my actions since Governor Boyd's reprieve, speak for themselves.

I cannot but feel thankful for the prolongation of my life. Mr earnest prayer is that God may bless him and prolong his life for many days. The facts of my troubles are as follows:

Two weeks previous to the shooting of the above named men, I was accused of petty thieving, the murdered men with others, annoyed, provoked and threatened me with bodily injury. When they were carrying their threats too far, I came to Broken Bow, consulted a lawyer concerning the whole affair.

The advice was to protect myself. During the two weeks previous to the shooting I was still annoyed by these men. At one time, someone maliciously poisoned water that I had hauled in a barrel from my neighbors. Evidence of poison was shown after I had watered one of my horses. After the horse drank the water, it took sick and showed symptoms of poisoning.

On the fatal day, Hiram Roten and William Ashley came to my house without authority, to search for a few things which had been taken from the district school house. I was sitting in the door of my house when Hiram Roten and William Ashley advanced. Mr. Roten carried a Winchester across his arm when he advanced.

I invited them into my house and invited them to dinner. They would not partake of any dinner. An altercation of words took place, and so exasperated my temper that for a few minutes I was beside myself and in the heat of passion, shot one. To protect myself, I shot the other, who was attempting to draw a pistol from his pocket.

These are the facts concerning my whole trouble. It is well known that when Mr. Roten was leaving his house, he took a pistol and Winchester rifle with him. His own wife can state that, after arming himself with a pistol he returned to the house and said he believed he would take his rifle. 'I hear that Albert is a bad boy of late. If I don't need it, I will leave it in the buggy.' This is the substance of his words.

My trouble has not come without cause. Had these men not provoked me, I would never have shot them. I thought too much of them to do them any harm but when they came to search my house without a warrant, armed with pistol and rifles, it provoked and angered me to desperation. All that had taken place rushed to my mind and in an instance I did as I was told, protected myself.

I am about to suffer the penalty of the law for a crime to which I was driven. However, I am sorry for my rash act and beg forgiveness of the families of the dead men and all whom I have injured. I am also sorry for all the trouble I have been to my fellow citizens, hoping that they will forgive me, and that nothing shall remain in your minds, other than the sad consequence of following bad advice.

Signed Albert E. Haunstine, in presence of Chas. M. Parkhurst and Rev. Tomas P. Haley." As written in The Merna Record (exact date of newspaper is unavailable).

The deteriorating hanging tree is supposedly still there. It's located about 100 yards from Albert Haunstine's grave. 

-- end of the story sent to me. 

So now, to me, this story should give folks a lot of questions. First, with the evidence that has been presented to you, including a statement from the man who was about to be hanged, what do you believe happened? Who do you believe, the known story of what took place or Albert Haunstine's version of what happened? 

The official report said both men were shot in the back and their bodies were hidden. It's known that Albert Haunstine did in fact murder both men. That's not in dispute, but why didn't Haunstine address shooting the men in the back or why he hid their bodies and fled?  

What do you think of his final statement about what took place? Do you think he was telling the truth? Do you think he lied? Knowing he was about to be hanged, why wouldn't he tell the truth? 

If he was telling the truth, and armed men did go to his home and decided to search it without a warrant, do you think he was right in killing them? Was Albert Haunstine provoked after the men entered his home wanting to search it? Of course, there's the question, why did he flee if, as he later claimed, it was a case of self-defense against two armed men? 

While he said he shot one and then the other as he was drawing a pistol, which sounds like self-defense, did he flee because in actuality he shot both men in the back? Back-shooting tells most people on a jury that the two weren't a threat at the moment that he shot them. Shooting men in the back would in most cases get a man hanged in the Old West. 

But doing that, then making an effort to hide their bodies, before fleeing is not what innocent men do. Provoked or not, it's not what innocent men do. And frankly, his actions don't agree nor make sense with his statement explaining his reasons for killing both men. Of course, who knows what someone might say just before being hanged. 

Tom Correa

Cattle Stampedes

Cattle Stampede by Artist William Henry Dethlef Koerner 

Story by Terry McGahey 

As a working cowboy, I never experienced a true stampede. I once experienced a minor stampede in which we had to ride ahead of the cattle and turn them into a mill before they ran headlong into the fences. Turning cattle into a mill, simply put, means to turn the leaders into a circle until the leaders run into the back of the rest of the herd shutting them down.

We were only moving about one hundred head from one pasture to another when a lightning strike to a tree during the monsoon season caused the cattle to run. Believe me, this small run pales in comparison to what the drovers on the old cattle drives had to deal with. And not only that, it was daylight and not as dark as three feet down a cow's throat which the drovers of that time also had to deal with. A run at night could quickly put you in your grave.

One other time I was pushing about sixty head or so of mostly wild longhorn cattle by myself up to the working pens. When they reached the wing we built to funnel them into the pen they pulled up, turned, and on a dead run was headed directly at me and my horse. 

All I could do was to get my horse behind a tree and let them go. If I would have tried to turn them it could have been the end of me and my horse. Below I have given the quotes by the old-time drovers when it comes to stampedes.

Charles Goodnight of the Goodnight/Loving Trail said it this way, "In the excitement of a stampede a man was not himself, and his horse was not the horse of yesterday. Man and horse were one, and the combination accomplished feats that would be utterly impossible under ordinary circumstances.

A drover by the name of Andy Adams wrote, "A stampede is the natural result of fear, and at night or in uncertain light, this timidity might be imparted to an entire herd by a flash of lightning or a pearl of thunder, while the stumbling of a night horse, or the scent of some wild animal, would in a moment's time, from frightening a few head, so infest a herd as to throw them into the wildest panic.  

Amongst the thousands of herds like ours that were driven over the trail during its brief existence, none ever made the trip without encountering more or less trouble from runs. Frequently a herd became so spoiled in this manner that it grew into a mania with them, so that they would stampede on the slightest provocation, or no provocation at all."

E.C. Abbott (Teddy Blue) wrote, "If a storm and the cattle started running you’d hear that low rumbling noise along the ground and the men on herd wouldn’t need to come in and tell you, you’d know, then you’d jump for your horse and get out there on the lead, trying to head them and get them into a mill before they scattered to hell and gone. 

It was riding at a dead run in the dark, with cut banks and prairie dog holes all around you, not knowing if the next jump would land you in a shallow grave. I helped to bury three of them in very shallow graves."

If you ever get the chance, read Teddy Blue’s book called We Pointed Them North. It’s a very good read that gives the true nature of what it was like to live and be a drover during that time period.

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, writer, and historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and their historic City Ordinance Number 9. 

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona. 

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Trump Declared His "America First" Policy At The United Nations In 2017

Lately, on some Democrat Party-controlled Mainstream Media programs, there are television commentators who appear bewildered at the support that President Trump receives from his supporters. Those talking heads for the Democrat Party are absolutely mystified when it comes to what draws Americans to President Trump. 

To help Democrats, I want to give this example of why Americans see Donald Trump as the right man for the job of President of the United States. I want to give this example of how his loyalty to Americans of all backgrounds has inspired Americans to return that loyalty.  

In the following speech to the United Nations, there was one thing that President Trump said that angered Democrats more than anything else. What made them so angry? They became angry when President Trump reminded the leaders assembled there that America's first responsibility is to our citizens. 

President Trump said, "Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens — to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values. As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first."

Please understand that Joe Biden and the Democrat Party do not believe in this. This is not how Democrats see the role of the United States government. To them, the government needs to be controlling. While Democrats talk a lot about "preserving Democracy," they really mean they want to "preserve their Oligarchy." 

An Oligarchy is a form of government in which a small group of people hold all of the political power. Democrats see themselves as that small group of people who have to control the United States.

While President Trump's statement was met with great applause at the United Nations, Democrats took to the airwaves and in concert called him a "xenophobe." They called President Trump a "xenophobe" which is defined as "a person having a dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries."  They attacked President Trump because he said what Americans need to know and want, that "their government cares about them before anyone else."  And for that, as sad as it is, Democrats attacked him. 

If Democrats want to understand why so many Americans are loyal to President Trump? Why we support President Trump, why we want him to be elected as America's 47th President, and why we want Joe Biden out of the White House, is because unlike Biden and anyone that the Democrats have who wants to be President, no one will put the needs, the safety, and promise to preserve the rights of Americans like President Donald Trump will. And do it. 

When President Trump says he puts "America First," he means it. If Democrats would do this, then maybe they wouldn't have people leaving the Democrat Party to such an extent that Democrats now have to bring in Illegal Aliens to vote for them.

Below is the speech given by President Donald Trump to the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. 

President Trump's speech was seen as both a reminder to the United Nations and the nations assembled there that the United States is a sovereign nation, while also reminding others of the importance for leaders of nations to put the needs of their people first. Then he explained why his priority is the American people. He explained why his job is to meet the needs of American citizens.

President Trump's speech: 

Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, world leaders, and distinguished delegates: Welcome to New York. It is a profound honor to stand here in my home city, as a representative of the American people, to address the people of the world.

As millions of our citizens continue to suffer the effects of the devastating hurricanes that have struck our country, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to every leader in this room who has offered assistance and aid. The American people are strong and resilient, and they will emerge from these hardships more determined than ever before.

Fortunately, the United States has done very well since Election Day last November 8th. The stock market is at an all-time high — a record. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before. Companies are moving back, creating job growth the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time. And it has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense.

Our military will soon be the strongest it has ever been. For more than 70 years, in times of war and peace, the leaders of nations, movements, and religions have stood before this assembly. Like them, I intend to address some of the very serious threats before us today but also the enormous potential waiting to be unleashed.

We live in a time of extraordinary opportunity. Breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine are curing illnesses and solving problems that prior generations thought impossible to solve.

But each day also brings news of growing dangers that threaten everything we cherish and value. Terrorists and extremists have gathered strength and spread to every region of the planet. Rogue regimes represented in this body not only support terrorists but threaten other nations and their own people with the most destructive weapons known to humanity.

Authority and authoritarian powers seek to collapse the values, the systems, and alliances that prevented conflict and tilted the world toward freedom since World War II.

International criminal networks traffic drugs, weapons, people; force dislocation and mass migration; threaten our borders; and new forms of aggression exploit technology to menace our citizens.

To put it simply, we meet at a time of both of immense promise and great peril. It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights, or let it fall into a valley of disrepair.

We have it in our power, should we so choose, to lift millions from poverty, to help our citizens realize their dreams, and to ensure that new generations of children are raised free from violence, hatred, and fear.

This institution was founded in the aftermath of two world wars to help shape this better future. It was based on the vision that diverse nations could cooperate to protect their sovereignty, preserve their security, and promote their prosperity.

It was in the same period, exactly 70 years ago, that the United States developed the Marshall Plan to help restore Europe. Those three beautiful pillars — they’re pillars of peace, sovereignty, security, and prosperity.

The Marshall Plan was built on the noble idea that the whole world is safer when nations are strong, independent, and free. As President Truman said in his message to Congress at that time, “Our support of European recovery is in full accord with our support of the United Nations. The success of the United Nations depends upon the independent strength of its members.”

To overcome the perils of the present and to achieve the promise of the future, we must begin with the wisdom of the past. Our success depends on a coalition of strong and independent nations that embrace their sovereignty to promote security, prosperity, and peace for themselves and for the world.

We do not expect diverse countries to share the same cultures, traditions, or even systems of government. But we do expect all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties: to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation. This is the beautiful vision of this institution, and this is the foundation for cooperation and success.

Strong, sovereign nations let diverse countries with different values, different cultures, and different dreams not just coexist, but work side by side on the basis of mutual respect.

Strong, sovereign nations let their people take ownership of the future and control their own destiny. And strong, sovereign nations allow individuals to flourish in the fullness of the life intended by God.

In America, we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to watch. This week gives our country a special reason to take pride in that example. We are celebrating the 230th anniversary of our beloved Constitution — the oldest constitution still in use in the world today.

This timeless document has been the foundation of peace, prosperity, and freedom for the Americans and for countless millions around the globe whose own countries have found inspiration in its respect for human nature, human dignity, and the rule of law.

The greatest in the United States Constitution is its first three beautiful words. They are: “We the people.”

Generations of Americans have sacrificed to maintain the promise of those words, the promise of our country, and of our great history. In America, the people govern, the people rule, and the people are sovereign. I was elected not to take power, but to give power to the American people, where it belongs.

In foreign affairs, we are renewing this founding principle of sovereignty. Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens — to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values.

As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first. (Applause.)

All responsible leaders have an obligation to serve their own citizens, and the nation-state remains the best vehicle for elevating the human condition.

But making a better life for our people also requires us to work together in close harmony and unity to create a more safe and peaceful future for all people.

The United States will forever be a great friend to the world, and especially to its allies. But we can no longer be taken advantage of, or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return. As long as I hold this office, I will defend America’s interests above all else.

But in fulfilling our obligations to our own nations, we also realize that it’s in everyone’s interest to seek a future where all nations can be sovereign, prosperous, and secure.

America does more than speak for the values expressed in the United Nations Charter. Our citizens have paid the ultimate price to defend our freedom and the freedom of many nations represented in this great hall. America’s devotion is measured on the battlefields where our young men and women have fought and sacrificed alongside of our allies, from the beaches of Europe to the deserts of the Middle East to the jungles of Asia.

It is an eternal credit to the American character that even after we and our allies emerged victorious from the bloodiest war in history, we did not seek territorial expansion, or attempt to oppose and impose our way of life on others. Instead, we helped build institutions such as this one to defend the sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all.

For the diverse nations of the world, this is our hope. We want harmony and friendship, not conflict and strife. We are guided by outcomes, not ideology. We have a policy of principled realism, rooted in shared goals, interests, and values.

That realism forces us to confront a question facing every leader and nation in this room. It is a question we cannot escape or avoid. We will slide down the path of complacency, numb to the challenges, threats, and even wars that we face. Or do we have enough strength and pride to confront those dangers today, so that our citizens can enjoy peace and prosperity tomorrow?

If we desire to lift up our citizens, if we aspire to the approval of history, then we must fulfill our sovereign duties to the people we faithfully represent. We must protect our nations, their interests, and their futures. We must reject threats to sovereignty, from the Ukraine to the South China Sea. We must uphold respect for law, respect for borders, and respect for culture, and the peaceful engagement these allow. And just as the founders of this body intended, we must work together and confront together those who threaten us with chaos, turmoil, and terror.

The scourge of our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principle on which the United Nations is based. They respect neither their own citizens nor the sovereign rights of their countries.

If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph. When decent people and nations become bystanders to history, the forces of destruction only gather power and strength.

No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the well-being of their own people than the depraved regime in North Korea. It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans, and for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more.

We were all witness to the regime’s deadly abuse when an innocent American college student, Otto Warmbier, was returned to America only to die a few days later. We saw it in the assassination of the dictator’s brother using banned nerve agents in an international airport. We know it kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea’s spies.

If this is not twisted enough, now North Korea’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.

It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply, and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict. No nation on earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.

The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully, this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about; that’s what the United Nations is for. Let’s see how they do.

It is time for North Korea to realize that the denuclearization is its only acceptable future. The United Nations Security Council recently held two unanimous 15-0 votes adopting hard-hitting resolutions against North Korea, and I want to thank China and Russia for joining the vote to impose sanctions, along with all of the other members of the Security Council. Thank you to all involved.

But we must do much more. It is time for all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior.

We face this decision not only in North Korea. It is far past time for the nations of the world to confront another reckless regime — one that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing death to America, destruction to Israel, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy. It has turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos. The longest-suffering victims of Iran’s leaders are, in fact, its own people.

Rather than use its resources to improve Iranian lives, its oil profits go to fund Hezbollah and other terrorists that kill innocent Muslims and attack their peaceful Arab and Israeli neighbors. This wealth, which rightly belongs to Iran’s people, also goes to shore up Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship, fuel Yemen’s civil war, and undermine peace throughout the entire Middle East.

We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program. (Applause.) The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it — believe me.

It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that Iran’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction. It is time for the regime to free all Americans and citizens of other nations that they have unjustly detained. And above all, Iran’s government must stop supporting terrorists, begin serving its own people, and respect the sovereign rights of its neighbors.

The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most. This is what causes the regime to restrict Internet access, tear down satellite dishes, shoot unarmed student protestors, and imprison political reformers.

Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed, and terror? Or will the Iranian people return to the nation’s proud roots as a center of civilization, culture, and wealth where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?

The Iranian regime’s support for terror is in stark contrast to the recent commitments of many of its neighbors to fight terrorism and halt its financing.

In Saudi Arabia early last year, I was greatly honored to address the leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations. We agreed that all responsible nations must work together to confront terrorists and the Islamist extremism that inspires them.

We will stop radical Islamic terrorism because we cannot allow it to tear up our nation, and indeed to tear up the entire world.

We must deny the terrorists safe haven, transit, funding, and any form of support for their vile and sinister ideology. We must drive them out of our nations. It is time to expose and hold responsible those countries who support and finance terror groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban and others that slaughter innocent people.

The United States and our allies are working together throughout the Middle East to crush the loser terrorists and stop the reemergence of safe havens they use to launch attacks on all of our people.

Last month, I announced a new strategy for victory in the fight against this evil in Afghanistan. From now on, our security interests will dictate the length and scope of military operations, not arbitrary benchmarks and timetables set up by politicians.

I have also totally changed the rules of engagement in our fight against the Taliban and other terrorist groups. In Syria and Iraq, we have made big gains toward the lasting defeat of ISIS. In fact, our country has achieved more against ISIS in the last eight months than it has in many, many years combined.

We seek the de-escalation of the Syrian conflict, and a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people. The actions of the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad, including the use of chemical weapons against his own citizens — even innocent children — shock the conscience of every decent person. No society can be safe if banned chemical weapons are allowed to spread. That is why the United States carried out a missile strike on the airbase that launched the attack.

We appreciate the efforts of United Nations agencies that are providing vital humanitarian assistance in areas liberated from ISIS, and we especially thank Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees from the Syrian conflict.

The United States is a compassionate nation and has spent billions and billions of dollars in helping to support this effort. We seek an approach to refugee resettlement that is designed to help these horribly treated people, and which enables their eventual return to their home countries, to be part of the rebuilding process.

For the cost of resettling one refugee in the United States, we can assist more than 10 in their home region. Out of the goodness of our hearts, we offer financial assistance to hosting countries in the region, and we support recent agreements of the G20 nations that will seek to host refugees as close to their home countries as possible. This is the safe, responsible, and humanitarian approach.

For decades, the United States has dealt with migration challenges here in the Western Hemisphere. We have learned that, over the long term, uncontrolled migration is deeply unfair to both the sending and the receiving countries.

For the sending countries, it reduces domestic pressure to pursue needed political and economic reform, and drains them of the human capital necessary to motivate and implement those reforms.

For the receiving countries, the substantial costs of uncontrolled migration are borne overwhelmingly by low-income citizens whose concerns are often ignored by both the media and the government.

I want to salute the work of the United Nations in seeking to address the problems that cause people to flee from their homes. The United Nations and African Union led peacekeeping missions to have invaluable contributions in stabilizing conflicts in Africa. The United States continues to lead the world in humanitarian assistance, including famine prevention and relief in South Sudan, Somalia, and northern Nigeria and Yemen.

We have invested in better health and opportunity all over the world through programs like PEPFAR, which funds AIDS relief; the President’s Malaria Initiative; the Global Health Security Agenda; the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery; and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, part of our commitment to empowering women all across the globe.

We also thank — (applause) — we also thank the Secretary General for recognizing that the United Nations must reform if it is to be an effective partner in confronting threats to sovereignty, security, and prosperity. Too often the focus of this organization has not been on results, but on bureaucracy and process.

In some cases, states that seek to subvert this institution’s noble aims have hijacked the very systems that are supposed to advance them. For example, it is a massive source of embarrassment to the United Nations that some governments with egregious human rights records sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The United States is one out of 193 countries in the United Nations, and yet we pay 22 percent of the entire budget and more. In fact, we pay far more than anybody realizes. The United States bears an unfair cost burden, but, to be fair, if it could actually accomplish all of its stated goals, especially the goal of peace, this investment would easily be well worth it.

Major portions of the world are in conflict and some, in fact, are going to hell. But the powerful people in this room, under the guidance and auspices of the United Nations, can solve many of these vicious and complex problems.

The American people hope that one day soon the United Nations can be a much more accountable and effective advocate for human dignity and freedom around the world. In the meantime, we believe that no nation should have to bear a disproportionate share of the burden, militarily or financially. Nations of the world must take a greater role in promoting secure and prosperous societies in their own regions.

That is why in the Western Hemisphere, the United States has stood against the corrupt and destabilizing regime in Cuba and embraced the enduring dream of the Cuban people to live in freedom. My administration recently announced that we will not lift sanctions on the Cuban government until it makes fundamental reforms.

We have also imposed tough, calibrated sanctions on the socialist Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has brought a once thriving nation to the brink of total collapse.

The socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has inflicted terrible pain and suffering on the good people of that country. This corrupt regime destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology that has produced poverty and misery everywhere it has been tried. To make matters worse, Maduro has defied his own people, stealing power from their elected representatives to preserve his disastrous rule.

The Venezuelan people are starving and their country is collapsing. Their democratic institutions are being destroyed. This situation is completely unacceptable and we cannot stand by and watch.

As a responsible neighbor and friend, we and all others have a goal. That goal is to help them regain their freedom, recover their country, and restore their democracy. I would like to thank leaders in this room for condemning the regime and providing vital support to the Venezuelan people.

The United States has taken important steps to hold the regime accountable. We are prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people.

We are fortunate to have incredibly strong and healthy trade relationships with many of the Latin American countries gathered here today. Our economic bond forms a critical foundation for advancing peace and prosperity for all of our people and all of our neighbors.

I ask every country represented here today to be prepared to do more to address this very real crisis. We call for the full restoration of democracy and political freedoms in Venezuela. (Applause.)

The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. (Applause.) From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems.

America stands with every person living under a brutal regime. Our respect for sovereignty is also a call for action. All people deserve a government that cares for their safety, their interests, and their wellbeing, including their prosperity.

In America, we seek stronger ties of business and trade with all nations of good will, but this trade must be fair and it must be reciprocal.

For too long, the American people were told that mammoth multinational trade deals, unaccountable international tribunals, and powerful global bureaucracies were the best way to promote their success. But as those promises flowed, millions of jobs vanished and thousands of factories disappeared. Others gamed the system and broke the rules. And our great middle class, once the bedrock of American prosperity, was forgotten and left behind, but they are forgotten no more and they will never be forgotten again.

While America will pursue cooperation and commerce with other nations, we are renewing our commitment to the first duty of every government: the duty of our citizens. This bond is the source of America’s strength and that of every responsible nation represented here today.

If this organization is to have any hope of successfully confronting the challenges before us, it will depend, as President Truman said some 70 years ago, on the “independent strength of its members.” If we are to embrace the opportunities of the future and overcome the present dangers together, there can be no substitute for strong, sovereign, and independent nations — nations that are rooted in their histories and invested in their destinies; nations that seek allies to befriend, not enemies to conquer; and most important of all, nations that are home to patriots, to men and women who are willing to sacrifice for their countries, their fellow citizens, and for all that is best in the human spirit.

In remembering the great victory that led to this body’s founding, we must never forget that those heroes who fought against evil also fought for the nations that they loved.

Patriotism led the Poles to die to save Poland, the French to fight for a free France, and the Brits to stand strong for Britain.

Today, if we do not invest ourselves, our hearts, and our minds in our nations, if we will not build strong families, safe communities, and healthy societies for ourselves, no one can do it for us.

We cannot wait for someone else, for faraway countries or far-off bureaucrats — we can’t do it. We must solve our problems, to build our prosperity, to secure our futures, or we will be vulnerable to decay, domination, and defeat.

The true question for the United Nations today, for people all over the world who hope for better lives for themselves and their children, is a basic one: Are we still patriots? Do we love our nations enough to protect their sovereignty and to take ownership of their futures? Do we revere them enough to defend their interests, preserve their cultures, and ensure a peaceful world for their citizens?

One of the greatest American patriots, John Adams, wrote that the American Revolution was “effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.”

That was the moment when America awoke, when we looked around and understood that we were a nation. We realized who we were, what we valued, and what we would give our lives to defend. From its very first moments, the American story is the story of what is possible when people take ownership of their future.

The United States of America has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world, and the greatest defenders of sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all.

Now we are calling for a great reawakening of nations, for the revival of their spirits, their pride, their people, and their patriotism.

History is asking us whether we are up to the task. Our answer will be a renewal of will, a rediscovery of resolve, and a rebirth of devotion. We need to defeat the enemies of humanity and unlock the potential of life itself.

Our hope is a word and — world of proud, independent nations that embrace their duties, seek friendship, respect others, and make common cause in the greatest shared interest of all: a future of dignity and peace for the people of this wonderful Earth.

This is the true vision of the United Nations, the ancient wish of every people, and the deepest yearning that lives inside every sacred soul.

So let this be our mission, and let this be our message to the world: We will fight together, sacrifice together, and stand together for peace, for freedom, for justice, for family, for humanity, and for the almighty God who made us all.

Thank you. God bless you. God bless the nations of the world. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

END of the speech given by President Donald Trump at the United Nations on September 19, 2017.

If you read this a few times as I have, you can see why the Democrats fear Donald Trump will return power to the American people. Democrats don't like this, and they are fighting first to keep Donald Trump from entering the White House, and two to strip Americans of our rights to fight them. 

Tom Correa

Democrat Lies, Lies, Lies!

Story by Terry McGahey

With every yes or no question asked to the members of the so-called Democrat Party, all you get is stonewalling and out-and-out lies. The Democrat Party is so far gone that the only way it can be changed is by the party itself with members who actually believe in our great Constitution. The problem with this statement is that the Democrat party has been hijacked by the Socialists and Communists who only want to regulate and control our country with an iron fist. All they care about is control, power, money, and tearing down our laws and Constitution for their own benefit.

This party has even turned its back on Robert F Kennedy Jr. who does believe in our Constitution and country. Reason why? Kennedy does not fall within the Socialist Agenda of the far left. Kennedy was a true Democrat of the time when the party was not controlled by the Socialists. Yes, there have always been Socialists within that party but the party was not fully controlled by that faction as it is now.

I am not suggesting that we as Republicans vote for Kennedy, but I am suggesting that the only way the true Democrats of that party can bring that party back to what it was many Years ago is to make the voting Democrats understand just how far that party has sunk into the Socialist septic tank of politics.

Years ago the two parties always had policy differences, but I remember a time when you could actually talk to a Liberal and agree or disagree on different subjects without screaming, hollering, and actually hating each other. We did that by respecting each other's opinions, no matter if you believed in their opinion or not. There is no respect or decency among the Democrat Party as it is today.

What I find hard to believe is that people who are from my generation who remember this country before this takeover by the far left can not see how this party has turned against the rule of law and truly against the people of our great nation.

Illegal immigration, trying to de-fund police, and destroying our economy along with many other outright disgusting rulings made by appointed far-left judges. For some time now we have allowed our education facilities such as colleges and even grade school all the way through high school to be hijacked by Ssocialist teachers, school boards, and college professors.

In my opinion, these people should be fired and never allowed to teach again their Socialist values to our young people. The only way to change the Socialist Party of America (Far Left Dems) is for the voting Democrats of our country to wake up to the far-left agenda and start voting for a better class of politicians within that party -- people who truly care about our country and laws as well as what’s best for our people. The Socialist faction that is running the Democrat Party will never change unless the voting public makes that change.

Rapping up this article it’s my opinion that many members of the Socialist Party of America, which is today's Democrat Party, should be tried for treason and publicly hung, just as our forefathers probably would have done.

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, writer, and historian. He is best known for the fight that he waged against the City of Tombstone and their historic City Ordinance Number 9. He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.


If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)