This book was referred to me by a friend after I had inquired about information about Bad John Hall, the former gun-happy police chief of Wheelwright, Kentucky, which is a whole other story. The book was written by someone named Phillip K. Epling and the edition I have in my possession was printed by what I assume was a vanity press created by the author known as E & E Publishing Company, Elkhorn City, KY 41522.
But I have also found other editions of the book under imprints including Overmountain Press McClain Printing, and Reformation Publishers. The book is about a man named John Wright, known widely as both Bad John Wright, Devil John Wright and several other nicknames related to his ability with a gun and willingness to use it. He was born in 1844 and died in 1931 at the age of 86 which was a very ripe old age for a gunslinger in the early twentieth century. He had a reputation for honesty despite his well known propensity for killing other men. He served several years as a deputy sheriff in Letcher County Kentucky along with one term as a magistrate. He was often used to hunt down wanted men and one story in this book claims he once chased a horse thief out of Kentucky, across the Ohio River into Ohio, then back across the Ohio into West Virginia, all the way into Virginia, and then killed the man and recovered the high priced race horse not far from Cumberland Gap before bringing the horse back to the rightful owner.
The book is poorly written, highly fictionalized, and questionable as to truth. I am sure it also had some influence in the ongoing defamation of Appalachian people as gunslingers, killers, and other less desieable elements of civilized society. But, if you are into reading about legends of the Appalachian mountains, especially those legends which involve such men, you might find the book worth reading. For me the best, and most likely most accurate story in the book concerns the fact that Bad John Wright was a cousin to a man who was known as The Kentucky River Giant, Martin Van Buren Bates, who was nearly eight feet tall, married a woman of equal size from Nova Scotia, spent their lives traveling with circuses, and retired to Seville, Ohio where they are buried. The book claims that Wright spent a few years traveling with his cousin and working in the circuses before returning to Cynthiana, Kentucky, where he married his own wife, Martha Wright. After a few year in Cynthiana, the Wrights returned to Letcher County for most of their lives but he is buried in Wise County Virginia.
In addition to the weaknesses I have listed in the preceding paragraph, the edition of the book which my friend loaned me also contains several photographs and a letter written by Martha Wright which appear to have been copied on some low quality, older version of a copier which rendered them virtually useless for a reader. But if you are dying to know more about Bad John Wright, you might enjoy the book.
The book is poorly written, highly fictionalized, and questionable as to truth. I am sure it also had some influence in the ongoing defamation of Appalachian people as gunslingers, killers, and other less desieable elements of civilized society. But, if you are into reading about legends of the Appalachian mountains, especially those legends which involve such men, you might find the book worth reading. For me the best, and most likely most accurate story in the book concerns the fact that Bad John Wright was a cousin to a man who was known as The Kentucky River Giant, Martin Van Buren Bates, who was nearly eight feet tall, married a woman of equal size from Nova Scotia, spent their lives traveling with circuses, and retired to Seville, Ohio where they are buried. The book claims that Wright spent a few years traveling with his cousin and working in the circuses before returning to Cynthiana, Kentucky, where he married his own wife, Martha Wright. After a few year in Cynthiana, the Wrights returned to Letcher County for most of their lives but he is buried in Wise County Virginia.
In addition to the weaknesses I have listed in the preceding paragraph, the edition of the book which my friend loaned me also contains several photographs and a letter written by Martha Wright which appear to have been copied on some low quality, older version of a copier which rendered them virtually useless for a reader. But if you are dying to know more about Bad John Wright, you might enjoy the book.
1 comment:
I descend from a few of these Halls mentioned I might take a look at that book, I’d never heard of it. Hope you’re doing well Roger, keep up the great work.
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