veracity neither implied nor guaranteed
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that she and Harry Reid share a common ancestor.
Senator Harry Reid’s great-great uncle, RemusReid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory.
On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription:
‘RemusReid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.’
So Judy e-mailed Senator Reid for information about their great-great uncle. Believe it or not, Harry Reid’s staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:
“Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad.
Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency.
In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed.”
And that’s how it’s done.
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24 Comments!
O-KAY!!!! This is a joke, right?
By the way, I’d think the g-g-uncle would be proud of Harry.
What’s a few horses and train jobs compared to the job Harry’s done?
Written by the authors of “Dreams from My Father” (not Obama)
If true, it proves that Harry Reid does have a sense of humor.
FYI: http://www.snopes.com/politics/humor/horsethief.asp
And: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/01/harry-reids-outlaw-ancestor/
Not that I doubt for a moment that Harry Reid would be a horse thief himself given half the chance, but this just sounded too good to be true. Or did you know that and I just don’t know you well enough?
Harry *likes* tending to his orchids on the home place. Remus woulda emptied 2 revolver loads into his fey ass………………
I once asked my mom, during my doing of the family history/geneology, what her “people” did – No. Texas/Oklahoma panhandle, 1870′s. (AKA “No-man’s Land”)
Her answer: “Stole horses, mostly. Or at least that’s what MY dad told me.”
As a distant relative of Black Jack Ketcham, I have to say a hanged horsethief ancestor is pretty dang awesome. Almost improves my opinion of Reid. Not quite, though.
A great-great uncle isn’t an ancestor.
*cough*veracity neither implied nor guaranteed*cough*
^ Well Claire, *I* noticed the veracity disclaimer.
But as long as one realizes this, it is such a fun little piece.
Speaking of ancestors, a good many of mine (both direct and collateral) spent the 19th century killing people and getting themselves killed. (it was such a frisky era)
The most interesting that I know about is one who was running a little gang (among other endeavors) down in Texas. The final straw for the local residents was when he took in some particularly bad actor who had gotten himself kicked out of Jessy James’s gang.
(hint: if he’s not good enough for the James brothers, do you really want him in your gang either?)
So the fed-up locals got themselves together a posse, hunted them down, shot them all dead, and pilled the bodies on some lady’s front porch, until a wagon could be sent to haul them all off.
(But with regard to veracity, the President himself (or at least his ghost writer) says that he ate the dog.)
Wellllll, I rode with Pershing on the Mexican Punitive Expedition.
True – just ask TRKOF, who was my platoon leader.
;<D
Why steal a horse when you can take it through taxation?
That was the first I’d seen of it and regardless of the surname involved, it’s a clever and fun piece of writing. Much appreciated.
My question is where is Pinkerton now when we need someone to investigate, arrest, bring to trial, convict and hang reid today.
Since it would be too big a job to do the same for the people who voted for him.
One of my family ran the records back in the 16th-17th century in Ireland/Scotland. It was a long list of jail records, but in the middle was the record of one of the family who was a law official.
So it was like: crook, crook, crook, crook, cop, crook, crook… sounds like the Chicago PD.
“Aye, the black sheep o’ the faml’y, he was…”
And thus, another falls victim to that damned new fangled “neck extender”!
Couldn’t stand it. Blogged it. With attribution.
^ And who could blame you?
One of my favorite lines from WKRP:
Q: So, if your father was a horse thief, and your grandfather was a horse thief, and your great-grandfather was a horse thief, does that make you a horse thief?
Les Nessman: No, that would make you a Democrat.
^ Yark! Yark! (*tail wags frantically*)
Thank you, Claire, ppb, for teaching me how to read more carefully
& not skip over little one line ‘qualifiers’ for the rest of the article!
Whatever happened to the “KisP Brainz Institute“??
Ooh!
Claire has a new frame & drop-shadow style widget for PhotoShop!
Nice!
Story reminds me of somethin’ me ol’ Dad said.
“Son, there’s a reason my family are from Canada, not England & Ireland.”
Reckon it was due to inadequate lawyers?