Bass Reeves -- Deputy U.S. Marshal

People say he was the real Lone Ranger or at least what it was based off

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Why have we not heard about this guy?

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Bass was a complete badass. I know about him but then again the marshal museum is 30 minutes from my home town. Few blocks away from judge parkers courthouse and gallows

A few days ago I watched an old western TV show about Belle Starr. Reading about her online I learned she had been arrested by Bass Reeves. I didn't know he was black.

I can't believe there hasn't been a movie about him yet.Hollywood glorifies all sorts of thugs like Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, but ignores a real hero.

This would make a movie script even if he wasn't black:

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One of his sons, Bennie Reeves, was charged with the murder of his wife. Deputy Marshal Reeves was disturbed and shaken by the incident but allegedly demanded the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. Bennie was eventually tracked and captured, tried, and convicted. He served his time in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before being released and living the rest of his life as a responsible and model citizen.

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I'm betting his mustache alone was enough to make most men surrender.

I've watched that on the History channel numerous times. He even arrested his own son

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A few days ago I watched an old western TV show about Belle Starr.

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Western Arkansas around Fort Smith was a big part of the Wild West as we understand it. There are some old legendary "outlaw caves", including a "Belle Starr Cave", in the Ouachitas near the Oklahoma line.

There's some crazy old history in Fort Smith. Judge parker hanged 80 people at the gallows down there.

In 5th grade, we had a diorama project where we made replicas of Judge Parker's gallows out of popsicle sticks. Seems really weird and morbid to me now, but I remember I got 2nd place.

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Western Arkansas around Fort Smith was a big part of the Wild West as we understand it. There are some old legendary "outlaw caves", including a "Belle Starr Cave", in the Ouachitas near the Oklahoma line.

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That area was the setting for the episode I saw

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There's some crazy old history in Fort Smith. Judge parker hanged 80 people at the gallows down there.

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The Clint Eastwood movie Hang 'Em High is based on Parker, though his name was not used. I don't remember if it was actually set in FS.

Parker is a character in the 1958 movie The Fiend Who Walked The West, in which the villain is played by Robert Evans who would later produce The Godfather.

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Denzel is almost a dead ringer for this guy

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Unfortunately the role will be played by Will Smith and he will have a lot of zzzzzingers!