It was just over a decade ago I met a legendary Texas Ranger:
February 25, 2006
Got to have breakfast with a living legend this morning. Joaquin Jackson, Texas Ranger and best selling author (his first book “One Ranger” is in its sixth printing and he’s working on his second), picked me up at the Museum of the Big Bend on the Sul Ross State University in Alpine and took me downtown to the Holland Hotel for breakfast. Joaquin is six foot four and quite imposing, and as we walked into the restaurant, you could see the heads turn and hear the whispers.
Nick Nolte played Joaquin in the movie “Extreme Prejudice” and spent several weeks hanging with the ranger to get down his speech and mannerisms. “He’s a damn good mimic,” Joaquin said with a laugh. “He had down all of my mannerisms.” Joaquin told me plenty of great stories but the one that stopped me short, was when I asked him if he ever ran into any oldtimers who knew King Fisher (see Classic Gunfights, Jan-Feb 2006 True West). Joaquin smiled and said he was at Ulvalde when they dug up King in the mid-1960s. He said King Fisher had a glass window coffin and he still had his mustache in place and a nice black suit.
At ten the local newspaper took a photo of Joaquin and me in front of the museum.
Liz Jackson (Joaquin’s daughter-in-law) introduced me and gave True West a big, Texas style plug at their auction. I said a few choice words and thanked everyone.
End of blog entry for February 25, 2006. Jackson just passed away last week at the age of 80 and we are doing a tribute in the next issue of True West. Someone asked me what it was like meeting him and I said, "I felt like I met Wyatt Earp."
Speaking of the O.K. Corral, we are hot on the trail of The Walk Down and we're featuring eye witness quotes to the build-up and fight. I have to say, this is one of the most bizarre quotes in the entire affair:
"I first saw Frank McLaury on that day pretty near the Grand Hotel as they were riding in. Frank McLaury, Bill Clanton, and an old gentleman who I am not acquainted with. This was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. At first, Doc Holliday went out and shook hands with one of them in a pleasant way, and said, "How are you?" or something of that kind."
—William Allen
Pleased to Meet You, Hope to Kill You Soon!
Daily Whip Out: "Doc Meets Billy Clanton"
"Each man kills the thing he loves."
—Oscar Wilde
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