Old West Relic Dies In His Sleep

Nathaniel “Texas Jack” Reed, a real relic of the Old West, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Jan. 7, 1950.

The self-proclaimed sole survivor of “the 47 most notorious bandits of the Indian Territory” lived to tell his tale only to discover no one wanted to listen. While the thrilling exploits of John Wesley Hardin, Bill Longley, Sam Bass, and other gunslingers of note captivated dime-novel readers and modern-day moviegoers, Texas Jack languished in obscurity.

Despite his nickname, Nathaniel Reed was not a native of the Lone Star State. Born in Arkansas during the Civil War, his father gave his life for the Union cause. The orphaned adolescent was forced to fend for himself as a ranch hand in the Oklahoma Territory.

A foreman introduced the youth to the fast buck, inviting him along on a Colorado train robbery. Reed