Roy Bean

Era: 19^th Century

Importance: Judge and lawman

Module: American West

‘Judge’ Roy Bean

Roy Bean was not a real Judge, however he was one of many right-thinking men who wanted to help establish law and order on the Plains as they were settled.

He set himself up as a Judge, and was readily accepted by his community in Langtry, Texas. He was typical of his era, wise and respectable he meted out the law as he best saw fit, despite been hampered by a lack of knowledge of the law. Not always fully reliable Bean found a man accused of murder NOT GUILTY because, as he put it, “THERE AIN’T A DAMN LAW THAT SAYS IT’S ILLEGAL TO SHOOT A CHINAMAN”.