The hanging judge-where are you?

Sadly missing today in America are the hanging tree - and "the honest men."

This is a statement made by Andrea in her post "When Hillary Clinton died."

The words stuck in  my mind and I seriously worked this over and then the light came on! The Hanging Tree, the Hanging Judge Issac C. Parker of Fort Smith, Arkansas circa 1875.

Judge Issac C. Parker

A few years ago I read a very good book about Judge Issac Parker. The Branch and the Scaffold by Loren D. Estleman is very well written and researched. I cannot say the author breaks any new ground in this novel but he does a masterful job of bringing the all the characters to life and all of them are based on the real characters. None of the characters in this book are made up and Estleman uses the historical facts about the characters to weave a fine, fast moving and easy reading novel.

Parker was well known for handing down justice. He was very strict and did not hesitate to send a criminal who deserved death, to the gallows. The judge should have been better known for his compassion for the victims and families of the criminals who ended up in in Parker's courtroom. The judge was hated, vilified and badly misunderstood  by those who did not live in the Indian territories where crime was rampant and lives were cheap. Many politicians, newspaper editors, lawyers and citizens who lived on the east coast had no idea what life was like on the western frontier. These were some of Parker's harshest critics. His job as judge took a heavy toll on his personal life.

One of the best parts of this novel was the way the author describes in exacting detail how the hangman or executioner went about his 'trade.' The quality of rope was very carefully chosen, the rope was cleaned and oiled to make sure it functioned as required. Knots and nooses were almost a form of art to those who practiced this trade. It was very interesting to learn that this was not a position that was horribly looked down upon by the citizens of Fort Smith or in other territories.

The book is well worth your time, especially if you like the American West, American History or want to read about some of the most colorful bad guys that were brought to justice and sentenced in Parker's courtroom. Belle Starr, Ned Christie, and the Dalton Gang, just to name a few.

OK, so you might be wondering where is PatriotUSA going with this, or you might have fallen asleep?

This is where I am driving to; the United States, from coast to coast needs a few 'hanging judges.'  We need judges who will have no fear of the liberal progressive agenda or politicians who squeal every time a severe sentence or the death penalty is handed out. Judges who will not care about securing their positions for life nor worry about the damning reactions of political correctness. Judges that will honor what the victim(s) have gone through, lost at the hands of criminals, showing compassion and kindness, no mercy nor quarter for those criminals who have committed heinous crimes. Many of the judges that serve on the bench today and nothing more than limp dish rags who have no moral foundations, no ethics nor values, based on the Constitution of The United States and have forgotten who they serve. We have judges who have been bought off by politics, greed, favors, unions and the cronyism of the worst kind.

Judges who will take a look back at what truly worked for justice in this country. The style of law and knowing the law. We need judges like Judge Issac C. Parker.

I am not advocating for the return of hanging as a method of execution, so please do not go there nor read that into this post but we do need a to seriously look at the code of West and Frontier justice. Perhaps this is a bit harsh and why should we go back to that? Because it worked and what we are doing today in our justice and legal system is an epic fail in so many ways. Call me whatever you want. I can think of quite a few politicians who I would like to see go through Judge Parker's courtroom, starting with the current POTUS and those responsible for Benghazi. That is just for starters. Impeaching Obama, finding him and his cronies GUILTY of crimes against the United States for treason and sending them all to prison for LIFE, would be just fine with me. Meanwhile, I will just wait in the shade of the hanging tree. PatriotUSA

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Tags: Judge Issac C. Parker, The hanging Judge, The hanging Tree, Indian territories 1875, American West, U.S. History,The Branch and the Scaffold To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the Patriot's Corner. Thanks!