Old West Group

The Wild West... where the rich got richer, and the poor got dead !!!!

Each new day brought fresh danger.

In the Wyoming Territory, beyond the reach of civilization, lawlessness was a fact of life. The TSOC Cattle and Trade Company, flush with wealth, consumed smaller ranches and farms, one by one. As money poured in, disorder followed. While ethics ran thin, much of the chaos could be blamed on the sheer excitement and desperation of frontier life. Towns like Sherman, wide open and barely governed, became fertile ground for outlaws.

Many believed the law was crooked—bent to serve the wealthy few. Outlaws who blamed their crimes on bad luck or injustice often found sympathy in the press. With threats on every side, the people turned to vigilante justice. Official law enforcement was unreliable at best. In Sherman's early days, men vastly outnumbered women, giving rise to a booming trade in prostitution. Brothels and gambling halls were not only accepted but thrived as legitimate businesses.

Despite reports of Sioux raids, murder, and lawlessness, settlers continued to flood into Sherman. The town council, in partnership with the TSOC Cattle Company, organized a militia to protect their interests. Over 150 armed men patrolled the region, loyal to the Company and commanded by Jonathan Adams Claridge. Marked by their yellow sashes, they became known simply as the Yellow Sashes.

But even with the militia, violence spread. Small towns along the cattle trails became notorious for lawlessness and gunfights. The army was too busy with the Indian Wars to protect them, and the Yellow Sashes only intervened where the Company’s assets were at risk. Ranchers, cowboys, railroad workers, and drifters often settled their disputes with fists or firearms. A local cemetery—Carver’s Coin—was established to bury the dead, whether wealthy or penniless.

Sherman’s saloons served whiskey, beer chilled on ice, and even exotic delicacies like Russian caviar. Gambling ranged from casual chuck-a-luck to poker games worth thousands. Some hotels offered rare luxuries like hot baths and massages.

By mid-1869, while most businessmen faded into obscurity, three names endured: Claridge, Tims, and Sorensen. The TSOC Cattle and Trade Company was thriving. The Yellow Sashes patrolled Sherman with their own version of justice.

That changed when the town council hired Tom Sands as sheriff in October 1869. Sands worked hard to restore law and order. With army support, he eventually forced TSOC to disband its militia and submit to local law enforcement. But resentment simmered. Ranchers and cattlemen clashed violently despite Sands’ efforts.

Tensions reached a breaking point when Andrew O’Connor, angry over extortion and betrayal, confronted Jon Claridge. O’Connor’s bullet missed its mark, killing Jon’s son instead. In a rage, Jon killed Andrew with his bare hands. A cover-up followed, orchestrated by Thomas J. Tims and Markus T. Sorensen, who seized O’Connor’s share of the Company in exchange for their silence. The company was renamed Tims, Sorensen, and Claridge (TSC) Trading Company.

Within months, both Tims and Sorensen were murdered under suspicious circumstances. Many blamed Jon Claridge and remnants of the Yellow Sashes, but a jury acquitted them. Claridge emerged as sole owner of TSC. The Yellow Sashes faded from public view—until they didn’t.

As Sherman grew and prospered with the arrival of the railroad, reports surfaced of robberies by masked men wearing yellow sashes. U.S. Marshals were finally dispatched to Laramie District. Among them was John Tyrone (JT) Wesley.

Under Wesley’s watch, Sherman began to civilize. The TSC lost influence, the Yellow Sashes were outlawed, and churches, schools, and businesses sprang up. Cattlemen and drovers turned Sherman into a bustling way station.

But violence still simmered. One night, a drunken brawl in a saloon turned deadly. Sheriff Tom Sands was killed in the crossfire. JT Wesley arrested Marcus Ruszo, a known Claridge associate, but once again, both he and Jon Claridge walked free in court.

The feud between Wesley and Claridge deepened. Claridge sought to control all of Sherman, while Wesley fought to stop him. Loyalties divided. Some saw Claridge as a force for prosperity, others saw him as the architect of Sherman’s darkest days.

With mounting scrutiny from the Marshals and pressure from his allies, Claridge left Sherman in June 1870 for Kansas City. Yet Marcus Ruszo remained, and the Yellow Sashes reappeared in violent raids and robberies.

By late 1870, Sherman was a booming town of 5,000, teeming with saloons, brothels, and opportunity. Women were outnumbered ten to one, and young, transient men filled the streets. While not the den of crime Eastern papers claimed, Sherman was unquestionably violent. Men fought for honor, pride, or profit—and many died for it.

Forty-seven homicides were recorded during Sherman’s boom years. Some argue the true number was higher. But amid the violence, Sherman’s citizens also built a thriving town, driven by ambition and the promise of wealth.

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Vigilantism & Frontier Justice

At times, Sherman’s citizens took justice into their own hands. Vigilance committees like the Yellow Sashes delivered swift punishment when the courts failed. Organized and disciplined, they often acted with the silent approval of the town’s leading citizens.

One such hanging saw the execution of a man whose guilt was beyond doubt. The vigilantes marched him to the scene of his crime and left him swinging beneath a tree, a sign pinned to his chest:
Though controversial, these acts of frontier justice brought a brutal order to Sherman. Eventually, law and order associations formed in response, but neither lasted long.

Despite a functioning justice system, few murderers were ever convicted. Of forty men arrested for murder, only seven went to trial. Six were acquitted.

By September 1870, Sherman still teetered between lawlessness and civilization. As U.S. Marshals rode out on patrols, masked men in yellow sashes returned to the shadows, torching ranches and stealing livestock. Innocents — women, children, ranchers — died in the crossfire.

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Outlaws or Saviors?