Talk: Border Desperados

Coll by M.C. Parler Mr. William Eden Monte Ne, Ark. January 20, 1960 Reel 344, Item 1 Talk about Border Desperadoes MCP: Did you ever see a hanging over at Fort Smith: WE: Never seen nobody hung. I been in Fort Smith one turn when they — how come me down there, I sold a feller — let a feller have a race horse. And he turned out to be a robber — bank robber, you know -- and they captured him, and they had me down there. They found out — he told an, he told em that he got a tace horse from me, and so I was called down there as a witness. And that's how come me down there. And, when I was a small boy, a feller by the name of Payne Goatcher, he was sheriff here at Bentonville, he was sheriff for years till I growed up pretty near grown. And old Uncle Payne disapeared and I thought he was dead. And I remembered him well. And while I was down there, I walked out around the jail. And there was a man come walkin' up, short, heavy- set man, pistols buckled around him, a couple of pistols in their holsters, And I said good morning and howdy-do to him. And he spoke very nicely, and we passed a word or two. And I said, "Say, pardon me if I am too inquisitive. I'd love to know your name." He said, "Goatcher." I said, "Uncle Payne Goatcher!" "Yes, sir," he said. And I said, "Well, uncle Payne, I want to shake hands with you." I said, "You probably, you know my daddy good, I know. You used to be sheriff at Bentonville, Benton County Bentonville." And he says, "What is your name?" I said, "Eden." He said, "Are you Jim Eden's boy?" He knew Paw well. And I said, "Yes," He said, "Which one, the oldest one?" Why", he said, This is William then." He knowed me then. But I had growed up til he wouldn't a knowed me.Reel 344, Item 1 Continued Well, then, he tuck me in the jail, and showed me Henry Starr and Kale Starr -- no not Kale — Henry Starr and Cherokee Bill. Cherokee was a pretty good-size man, and he was pretty dark. But Henry wasn't very dark. MCP: They never did make any songs about the Starrs, though, did they? WE: No mahm.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation