In the words of Burton, when it comes to American history, “Just barely scratch the surface and you’ll always find a Black man underneath.” Unfortunately, things are this way today, just as they were during Reeves’ time, back in the day. While this account just scratches the surface, it is a stark reminder of the history of Black folk. Many of those he captured were incarcerated in Detroit, Michigan and it is believed that the stories these convicts told were used by the creators of “The Lone Ranger” to create this fictional character.Īccording to Burton, Reeves’ service as a deputy marshal came to an end in 1907 when the area became the state of Oklahoma and segregationist laws were imposed. Because of his outstanding skills, Reeves became a vital force in tracking down outlaws.
Marshal deputies were needed to establish law and order in the region. It was then that he became the first Black Deputy U.S. He escaped to freedom after beating up his master following an argument over a card game. Born a slave, he escaped slavery when he went off to fight with the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
Burton stated, “If you got into a gun fight with Reeves, it was tantamount to committing suicide.” Reeves also wore a black mask, one that covered his entire face. Also, Reeves could shoot straight with both hands. It is reported that he was such an expert shooter until he was barred from shooting contests as he had an unfair advantage over others.
Was the lone ranger real crack#
Reeves also gave out silver coins as a personal trademark as did The Lone Ranger who used silver bullets that were left with “good guys.” Just like The Lone Ranger, Reeves was also an expert crack shot. For example, Reeves rode gray or white horses had a penchant for disguises such as dressing up as a preacher, a tramp and even a woman and, he used an American Indian tracker who was his own Tonto. There were similarities between the fictional Lone Ranger and the real-life Marshal Bass Reeves which appear in Burton’s book.
He is believed to have captured more than 3,000 criminals with his flamboyant detective skills, super strength and supreme horsemanship.īecause of his reputation in Oklahoma and Arkansas, Burton feels that his writings about Reeves restored him to his rightful place in the history of the American West. He was also exceptionally adept at capturing fugitives and outlaws. He was also described as physically powerful and skilled with firearms. Based on Burton’s research, Reeves was fluent in Creek and other southern Native languages. According to Burton, Reeves spent his early life as a slave in Arkansas and Texas and may have been the most outstanding peace officer in the late-19th century and perhaps the greatest lawman of the Wild West era. As a result of 20 years of digging through mounds of facts, as well as some legends, Burton concluded that Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves was the most feared U.S. One source, in particular, was the previously mentioned book written by Art Burton, an Illinois scholar, who is convinced that The Lone Ranger was based on the real life of a Black American named Bass Reeves. So, I searched for the ethnicity of The Lone Ranger and found several sources that made this argument. Carol Kuruvilla brought back childhood memories for me when she indicated that The Lone Ranger kept eager little boys glued to the radio and television for many years. In an internet posting by Carol Kuruvilla from the New York Daily News, titled “Could this former slave be the real Lone Ranger,” I learned that Art Burton, researcher and author of “Black Gun, Silver Star” believed that The Lone Ranger was a Black American named Bass Reeves. I decided to dig into the history of The Lone Ranger to see if there was any possibility that The Lone Ranger was not the Clayton Moore I saw in the movies, on television and in books but rather someone whose ethnicity was the same as mine. Do you believe that the original Lone Ranger that we often watched on television, back in the day, was a Black man? So, if we had told the story rather than someone that did not look like you or me, we would have possibly celebrated this masked man, this cowboy, as a brother. So, I am going to share with you an account of this masked cowboy that has been passed on to me in emails over the past several years. Our failure to appreciate our past impacts us today and jeopardizes our future. Too often, we lack the facts that enable us to tell the stories that are relevant to our community. In the past, I have often said that if we fail to record our history and provide our perspectives, we will find relevant facts distorted, if not omitted, when the story is told.