Times were difficult for farmers in the 1800s in the Wyoming
Territory because of the long droughts. No rain to germinate the seeds farmers
planted---sometimes the last seeds planted without money left to buy more. I am
sure the non-growing seeds the tired family man cursed many times before the
farmer gave up his dirt farm, he could not even do dry farming without water to
carry to his seed.
This is how John William Goodnight (Luke Perry) began his
journey that gave him a new direction in his young life.
John walked with his parents William (Adrian Hough) and Ada
Goodnight (Ingrid Tesch) into town without looking back at the
unfruitful life they left. When arriving at Dry Gulch they shared a
covered wagon with Judge Aldous (Tom Butler) and Rebecca Shaw (Gabrielle
Rose). The wagon was the only stage-coach the families had to travel in.
Judge Aldous Shaw and his wife enjoyed talking to John because he
was bright and quick with his questions of the Judge. Everyone laughed and
talked as the old covered wagon bumped and rattled its way over the crude
roads.
Suddenly,
bullets flew towards the stage-coach by the brother and his men who the Judge
had hung that morning before leaving Dry Gulch. The driver shot in cold blood
and the wagon overturned killing John’s mother and his father murdered
protecting his son. The brother of the hung man---killed the judge by stabbing
him---in the back.
John and Rebecca Shaw survived the slaughter and she took him in
and; educated him and he became a lawyer.
This is where we find the hard-drinking, property damaging rebel
rousing John Goodnight who seemed lacking in professional ambiance of a
privilege few. John as a lawyer had never lost a case, but it did not seem to
make his happy. So his adopted mother took measures into her own hands and had
the Governor of Illinois swear John in as a Circuit Judge of Wyoming Territory.
John’s new life begins as a judge---Hell-bent on seeing---justice
served. He did not care for lawyers because winning was utmost important with
them; and many times justice was not served. John and Rebecca were still
looking for justice in finding the ones who killed her husband his parents.
John would meet the most vial and cruel people in the Wyoming
territory as well as good decent people. Even the law enforcers like the
sheriff of some towns were crooks; so he had his hands full of staying alive
and seeing justice served—one way or another.
He
travelled on horseback through storms to arrive on time for his court sessions.
Sometime, the wildlife of the night interrupted is sleep, but with his bottle
of whiskey and a book to read---kept him warm and cozy through the night.
Covert Affairs: Watch Annie a CIA Action Agent--Click Link--http://hub.me/acRwk
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PurvisBobbi44
is the sole author of this article and if it is seen anywhere else
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