"Hang'em first, try'em later"
By Gobs! There was nothing judicious about Judge Roy Bean "Doffing his saloon apron, the grizzled barkeep dons a dirty alpaca coat, sits himself down behind the bar, draws a pistol and bangs for silence using the butt as a gavel. "Order, by Gobs! This honorable court is now in session, and if any galoot wants a snort before we start, let him step up to the bar and name his pizen." The good judge had never seen the inside of a law school. His only law book was the 1879 Revised Statutes of Texas. But the self-styled "Law West of the Pecos" knew how to hold court. There, in his Jersey Lilly saloon in the minuscule West Texas town of Langtry, Roy Bean doled out drinks and his own brand of justice for more than 20 years." -Smithsonian Magazine June 1998
And so goes the legend of the infamous Judge Roy Bean! Movies, books, legends, and stories abound about the old judge. His old courthouse and his grave are items of interest in Texas sightseeing trips. Below are links about the judge and the mysterious Lillie Langtry. We hope you will find the information useful and entertaining. If you access other links containing information which might be useful to others, please "email the Judge" above and we will try to use them here.
Thanks from the crew at JudgeRoyBean.com
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