Death on the Gallows by West C Gilbreath

Death on the Gallows by West C Gilbreath

The most comprehensive work ever done on legal executions by hanging in Texas. Arranged by counties, this book documents 467 executions in Texas, many that have been forgotten through the years. Such as:

Decapitated: Jack Fields--Wharton County, and Charles Myers-- Tarrant County were both completely decapitated and Clemente Apolinar--Bexar County was almost decapitated.

Had to be hanged twice: Joseph Brewster--El Paso and Jack Williams--Wharton County, and Jack Post of Young County had to be hanged twice at their executions.

Famous Hanging: Joshua Bowen--Gonzales County was the brother-in-law of John Wesley Hardin and declared up to his death that the witness identified him wrong, and that it was John Wesley Hardin who committed the murder.

Mass Hanging: In 1917, thirteen African American soldiers from the 24^th Infantry Division were hanged in Bexar County for murder and mutiny, when they took part in the Houston riot on August 23, 1917.

The racial disparity of those executed in Texas is also of note when you consider 280 of those executed out of the 467, or 60% were African American, during a time when African Americans made up only about 22% of the population in all of Texas.

Thoroughly researched by West Gilbreath, a career law enforcement officer, this book is a must for any Texas history buff, as well as school and public libraries.

West Gilbreath has more than thirty years of experience as a law enforcement officer. West began his career as a deputy patrolman with the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department in Las Cruces, New Mexico. West left the Criminal Investigations Division as a lieutenant and commander in 2001. He and his wife, Sabrina, relocated to North Texas to pursue second jobs and now live in Denton. West joined the University of North Texas Police Department in Denton, where he is the captain of the Criminal Investigations division and has been cross-commissioned as a Special Deputy United States Marshal.

Marshal.West is a graduate of the New Mexico State Police Enforcement School in Santa Fe, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The National Forensic Academy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He is a Police Instructor and holds a Texas Master Peace Officer license. West is an ardent law enforcement badge collector who collects New Mexico and Texas sheriff badges as well as other law enforcement and Old West artifacts when he is not researching lawmen and outlaws of the Old West.

Death on the Gallows, his debut book, was released by High Lonesome Press and chronicled the men and women who were hanged in New Mexico between 1847 and 1923.