Judge Roy Bean, Law West of the Pecos
He kept a black bear named Bruno at his saloon. His only law book was The Revised Statutes of Texas, 1879. He got periodic updates but used them for kindling or toilet paper.
Most of the time he was pretty slovenly, with an unkempt scraggly beard, and sweat-soaked bandana. His clothes were seldom clean and he was overweight. But he was feared in the courtroom because of his demeanor and decisions. His rulings were so arbitrary. He could swear in English and Spanish but would not tolerate it in the courtroom. You could be fined just for swearing. He carried blanket warrants so he could serve them at the slightest offense. His decisions were often based on racism so ex-confederates and Irishmen got breaks and non-whites did not. He did not keep records of any of his cases. He charged five dollars to conduct an inquest or to perform a marriage or divorce. Another story tells of the time a body was found near the Pecos River and brought to the saloon. The dead man's pocket had $40 and a pistol. Bean fined the man $40 for carrying a concealed weapon and took the money. Though he may have had at least one man hung, it is not known why he became known as the hanging judge.
He was reelected several times. Most of his cases were misdemeanors and the occasional murder. The rest of the time he spent in his saloon hoping to serve customers. He especially enjoyed serving railroad passengers who would be desperate for something to drink while the train was taking on water. He charged outrageous prices for drinks and somehow didn't get around to giving everyone their change before the whistle blew to call the passengers aboard.
He still hoped that some day Lilly Langtry would show up. She sometimes toured western theaters so it wasn't that unlikely that she might show up. In 1888 she performed at San Antonio. Roy took the train to San Antonio to watch her and perhaps meet her. He never did meet her, but he often wrote to her. Once she wrote back and offered to donate an ornamental drinking fountain to the town.
The most outrageous considers the murder of a Chinese man. He wasn't especially fond of the Chinese probably because they were thrifty and didn't spend much at his saloon. An Irishman killed the Chinese worker. Bean said, "I find the law very explicit on murdering
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