WOMEN OF THE WILD BUNCH

Author: Donna Ernst
Publisher: Wild Bunch Press, 2004
Features: 104 pp, bibliography, endnotes, index, photographs, illustrations.

Review by: The Man Behind the Mask

The picture of several Wild Bunch members, usually called the Fort Worth Five photo, is the basis for Donna Ernst’s series of books on the photogenic quintet. This is book number two—but its focus is not on Butch, Sundance, et al.

Rather, this one takes a look at some of the better known women connected with boys: Laura Bullion, Lillie Davis, Etta Place, Fanny Porter, and Annie Rogers. All lived in Texas at various points, and all worked as prostitutes at one time or another. Some “dated” more than one Bunch rider over the years.

These ladies are pretty representative of a class of women who struggled to survive in the Old West. They plied the world’s oldest profession because there was little else to do to make a buck. And it’s understandable that they’d run into outlaw customers, men with a certain dash and daring that would prove attractive as well as dangerous.

As with the first book in the series—about Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry—this is not an exhaustive look at the women of the Wild Bunch, nor is it intended to be that. It’s a quick overview of their lives and associations, a sketch of their ties to some of the most famous criminals of the Old West.

That doesn’t mean that there is no new or interesting information included in the stories; in fact, far from it. And there’s a later section dealing with other feminine friends of the Bunch—some of whom have been suggested as the mysterious Etta (actually Ethyl) Place.

What this book does very, very well is serve as a quick reference to some of the gang’s women. The writing is crisp and sharp. The photos add to overall presentation. And it’s very inviting to folks who are new to the Old West field.

Personally, I won’t be surprised if Donna Ernst manages to track down Etta Place, to find out who she really was, where she came from, and what happened to her—and then writes THE book about her. In the meantime, we have four more men to be profiled in the Fort Worth Five series. And I can’t wait for the next one.