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Don Hoglund is a technical writer for the Army at Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. He hopes to retire soon and spend time freelancing and writing fiction. He grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has a BA in American Studies from the University of Minnesota. He has a variety of writing interests and is currently working on a mystery novel and a historical novel. He believes the Western is America's classic folktale. The actual story in Judge Hatch was inspired by a bit of English folklore about a highwayman named Dick Turpin.

Judge Hatch

by Don Hoglund

Hank hunkered down and jumped right into his story. "Back in our frontier days, Judge Hatch was having trouble with horse thieves-- there was always trouble with rustlers but what made these rustlers so bad was they were stealing Hatch's own horses. You can bet Hatch was mad and when he caught Jeb Stuart's boy with one of those horses, he threw the lad right in jail.

Jeb had his ranch right outside of town and everybody knows neither Jeb nor his boy would steal a thing. Hatch knew it too, but he was mad.

"Jeb was just beside himself. He didn't know what to do. There was just no getting through to Hatch. He'd been hurt where it cost him money, I figure

"Richard King has a hand in this. Bring me King and I'll let the boy go,' Hatch told him. "So that's how Jeb Stuart happened to be in the next town and saved a stranger's life. Jeb and the stranger are what this story is about--mostly.

"Jeb, carrying his Winchester rifle had gone to the next town, hoping to find King. Not that he knew what he'd do if he found King. Jeb was sitting in the saloon, probably thinking what to do when a fight broke out between a rough unshaven backwoodsman and a fellow Jeb called a ‘city-slicked dude' wearing a Prince Albert coat and a new Stetson hat. Jeb figured he was a gambler. Well, Jeb didn't really care one way or the other until the backwoodsman pulled out a Bowie knife. Some instinct or reflex made Jeb shoot.

"Well, the stranger was grateful and just had to buy dinner for Jeb. While they were eating Jeb told him about his boy and how Hatch told him to either pay a fine or bring in King.

"The stranger told him that he just couldn't imagine Jeb being out after a man. 'I'm sort of desperate, if you know what I mean. There just ain't no reasoning with Hatch right now.'"

"'This Hatch sounds like a real piece of work,' the stranger said, 'I thought they just hung horse thieves around here?'

`They used to," said Jeb. `They almost always did until Justice Hatch came. But he set up some regular law hereabouts. And he wouldn't ever hang a man if he could fine him. Hatch says there ain't no profit in hanging a man."

"Well Jeb told the stranger all about Hatch. Pretty much what I told you folks and Jeb just talked for hours and hours about how things was before Hatch come along. There was no law at all. Folks were robbed and killed daily. Then this short paunchy, rather funny man with a crooked stovepipe hat came along. He saw the law as a lucrative business and if it helped make life out here any more pleasant, he had no objections.

"Things did improve. Most of the outlaw gangs were broken up except for King. That's what bothered Hatch. King was a showoff. He did things in a big way and defied the law. It was hurting Hatch's reputation.

"The stranger offered to go back with Jeb and pay the fine. 'After all, you saved my life. Besides, I'd like to meet this Justice Hatch.'

"Jeb was the kind of a man who had a lot of pride. Most men in the territory did. They had to in those days, so he refused to take money from the stranger. 'Well, why not make it a loan then' the stranger said. After a little persuasion, Jeb agreed to that."

"Jeb was the kind of fellow that settled these parts. They didn't always get along other places, but out here a man needed something a bit different. With Jeb, it was pride.

"Anyhow, Jeb and the stranger rode back together. Must have been about noon when they got back to the town and found Hatch playing poker in the saloon. One thing folks didn't do was interrupt a poker game, especially when Hatch was playing. But that stranger, just as bold as anything, walks up to Hatch and told him that he wanted to pay the fine for Jeb's son. Well, Hatch looked a bit annoyed, but he stopped the game long enough to collect the fine and started to deal another hand.

"Don't you think Mr. Stuart should be given a receipt?' The stranger said. Well, you can bet that everybody was taken back by that. It was like accusing Hatch of being dishonest. But Hatch made the receipt. He grumbled and cussed some, but he gave it to Jeb, all the same. Then the stranger sat down and started playing poker with Hatch.

"Now Hatch wasn't above a bit of cheating at poker if he didn't think he'd get caught. Afterwards Jeb says that he knew Hatch was cheating and he tried to tell the stranger but he didn't pay any attention to him. And the stranger was losing and losing.

"'You seem to be about cleaned out, son,' said Hatch. But the stranger said that he had more money and started to pry the heel off of his boot. Sure enough, he had a real roll of money hid away in an empty space inside that heel. Hatch was delighted and they played poker and drank whiskey till late at night until Hatch had all the chips.

" 'It looks like I've got about enough money left to buy a round of drinks, the stranger said, 'then I've got to get over to the next town.'

"'I'm going there myself,' said Hatch. 'I always like a good loser. What say we ride together?'

"The stranger said, 'sure' so they had another drink and started on their way

"'You don't intend to carry all of that money with you,' he asked Hatch.

"'I sure enough do'

"'Aren't you afraid of being robbed? I hear that there's an outlaw named Richard King that's been troubling you. Aren't you afraid he might hold you up and find all that money on you?'

'That confounded King.' Hatch replied. 'You know that blamed son-of.. He's the only thing that keeps me from being a success around here. But don't worry, son. He don't have the nerve to rob us in the open --- though he is sure enough a nervy one --- but he'll never find the money. You ain't the only one with some tricks. That hiding place in your boot was pretty good, but I got a better one. Everybody thinks that this hat I wear is just a beat up old piece of trash but I got room in it to stash all kinds of money.'"

"Now listen, Hank." I said. "The way you're telling this it seems like everyone had a secret pocket to stash their money."

"I couldn't say about that," he told me. ‘Of coarse they didn't have much in the way of banks in those days. Could have been the custom for all I know."

" If everyone had a secret pocket," I objected, "Then everyone else would know about it. I mean..."

Hank chuckled, "I got you Mr. Smith. It could be that everyone thought they were fooling everyone else. I kind of suspect that a bit myself. Of coarse there are those who tell me that Jeb Stuart saw the stranger making that hole in his boot heel before they met with Hatch."

Hank lit a corn cob pipe, which he tamped like it was a meerschaum. "Well, there isn't much left to tell. The story goes that after the stranger and Hatch rode out of town the stranger stopped his horse so that it blocked the road.

'You know, I surely do admire that hat of yours, Justice,' he said. 'How would you like to trade it for a brand new Stetson?'

"Of coarse, Hatch didn't say anything. He was too stunned. He just looked up and found himself staring down the barrel of a big .44.

"I mean a man of your position, Justice, shouldn't have to wear an old beat-up hat. It's downright undignified.'

"For once in his life, they say, Justice Hatch had nothing to say. He started to protest but then he heard the hammer cock on that .44. He just took off his hat and gave it to the stranger."

"So the stranger turned out to be Richard King?" I said.

"Well" Hank drawled, "nobody ever was too certain about that. Old Hatch wouldn't say much about it except he told Jeb that the stranger felt he'd been paid back his loan. Anyhow, Justice Hatch was never too quick after that to put the local people on the spot."