Prof. Alex Taylor’s column dives into the legend of Boot Hill and the many incarnations thereof. Originally appearing November 1, 1988, in the Gainesville Times, he examines some of the famous epitaphs associated with the Wild West, and some insight into other Boot Hills — Mafia included.
A transcript and additional commentary follow the column.
TRANSCRIPT:
Even the Mafia had a ‘Boot Hill’
Last week, friends Jim Lockaby, Terry Dotson, Ted Bowen, Fred Shope and I traveled to Colorado for our annual elk and deer hunt. Stopping in the small New Mexico town of Santa Rosa, we were a few miles north of Old Fort Sumner, the burial site of Billy The Kid. Folks out west are fond of their historical Boot Hills, and The Kid is a famous attraction.
But did you know that most Boot Hill cemeteries are only a part of American history myths?
There was only one actual Boot Hill and that was in Dodge City, Kan. The name referred to a small hill used as a temporary burial spot and began with the custom of burying a corpse with his boots curled up and placed under his head as a pillow. In 1879, the 25 inhabitants of Boot Hill were permanently transferred to Dodge’s Prairie Grove Cemetery.
Several western towns, including Tombstone, Ariz., began a 20th century version of Boot Hill, including such graveyard graffiti as “Too many irons in the fire” (rustling) and “died of lead poisoning” (gunfights). The boot hill in Tombstone has as permanent residents Tom and Frank McLowery and Billy Clanton, who all died in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
If you are a devotee of graveyard humor, you must be familiar with Tombstone’s mystery epitaph of Lester Moore. It reads: “Here lies Lester Moore; Four slugs from a forty-four; No less, no more.”
No date accompanies the verse, but folks believe the grave is a humorous, if morbid, bit of American history, for no corpse has ever been in the grave.
Even most Mafia Dons are buried in a boot hill. Known as the Mafia Boot Hill, St. John’s in Queens, New York City, has become the burial site of Mafia big shots, resting in infamous members as Thomas Lucchese, Charles Luciano, Vito Genovese, Joseph Profaci and Carlo Gambino, the model for Mario Puzo’s “Godfather.” Among others buried at St. Johns in recent years are Joseph Colombo and Carmine Galante. Walkie-talkie-equipped guards patrol the cemetery, protecting the final privacy of all these dons. Graves of criminals, for some strange reason, are raided more often than those of other people.
Al Capone’s burial site in Chicago’s Mount Olivet Cemetery was visited by tourists so often that his family had the body secretly moved across town to Mount Carmel Cemetery. The headstone simply reads, “My Jesus Mercy.”
When Billy The Kid was shot dead by Sheriff Pat Garrett, he was dressed in a white shirt by an attractive Indian girl who loved him, Deluvina Maxwell. She buried Billy under a wooden cross bearing the legend, “Duerme bien, Querido” (Sleep well, beloved). The cross was quickly carried off by souvenir hunters.
Today, Billy is buried in a common grave in Old Fort Sumner with outlaw pals Tom O’Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. A stone marker with the inscription “Pals” identifies the trio and the dates of their death.
It was a lonely death in a very lonely place. . . but then Billy was a strange and distant person in that land.
Alex Taylor’s column on criminology and history appears in The Times on Tuesdays.
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Indeed, the Lester Moore grave is a contrivance. As well are the puns upon his Boot Hill epitaph. In fairness, it does begin with HERE LIES.
It was reportedly a favorite mention of ZZ Top‘s founding bassist, Dusty Hill (RIP), who wanted something similar for his own but couldn’t come up with a favorite.
Let’s see …
Here Rests (had to use a musical pun)
Dusty Hill
Four Strings
A Bearded Thrill
He’s been up, and now he’s down
Oh Lord, take him downtown
(sigh) I’m sure his were better.
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