Dodge City Kansas in the mid 1870's was the "wickedest town in the west," the "Sodom and Gomorrah of the plains". Cattlemen at the end of long hard cattle drives and outlaw ruffians alike mingled and commingled in Dodge City, much of the time not peaceably. Gambling, saloon girls, whiskey, and loud piano music added to the raucousness of nights in Dodge. Lawmen such as the Earp Brothers, aided by the likes of Doc Holliday, the Mastersons (Bat and Ed), and others, were called upon to keep the citizens of Dodge out of harm's way. Tombstone grew rapidly after the discovery of Silver in the area. Law enforcement there was lenient at best. The Texas Rangers were adamantly cleaning west Texas of its undesirable elements. The combination of the two made Tombstone a prime locale for the West Texas renegades eager to get rich by hook or crook. Quality law enforcement was at a premium for anyone willing to take the job. The Clanton brothers, the McLaury brothers, Johnny Ringo, were in their heydays during this time in Arizona history. Law and Disorder takes the reader through the violent and lawless days of both cities and the attempts of the Earp Brothers and Doc Holiday, a gambler extraordinaire, to bring civility to southeast Arizona in the 1870's and 1880's, in spite of the crooked lawmen and politicians of the time. The families affected sought revenge, many times by cowardly ambushes, other times, openly, and brazenly in the face of the law. Sheriff Johnny Behan had his own means of dealing with the situations that arose, many times with questionable practices.
About the Author: J T Ringo (1949- ) was born and raised and still lives in Brooksville, FL. He graduated from Hernando High School in 1967 and attended Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College) in St. Petersburg, FL after graduation. He is retired after 30 years with the US Postal Service and is married (40 years) to a retired English teacher. They have two adult children, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild born May 12, 2012. J T has been writing off and on since college in the late 60's, but only seriously since 1986. His first novel was published in 1990 by Brandywine Books and is called The Broadcast Killer. Out of print now, it was not his best effort and a re-write may be in the works soon. Two of his poems have been published by the Poetry Guild, the last one published; J T was the featured poet. At Amazon.com, two other books that were published in 2009 are now available. One is called Poems For Fun And Inspiration, and the other is a murder mystery called Ace Williams, Manuscript for Murder. You Have the Right to Remain Silent, published in 2010, is a murder mystery set in a fictional town in southern Georgia. Local readers have given nothing but positive reviews of the highest regard for this novel. Last month, J T ventured into the field of westerns. His first western, an historical fiction set in the 1880's west and written around his distant cousin, Johnny Ringo, was published and is now available at amazon.com also. Its title is Law and Disorder. A second western is now available entitled Arizona Territory 1880 A Man...A Badge...A Six Gun. All can be found by searching for J T Ringo at either amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. They also can be purchased directly from the publisher, createspace.com. J T loves to write and does so for personal entertainment as well as for the pleasure received from entertaining others. Many of J T's poems are comedic and he is thrilled when others laugh at what he has written, especially when it was intended to be funny. Several of his poems are intended for children, having received the ultimate seal of approval from his grandchildren. J T is also a member of BMI Music Association, past member of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, and past member of the Board of Directors of the Hernando County Fair Association.