Big Nose George

'''George Parrott''', also known as '''Big Nose George''', '''George Manuse''' and '''George Warden''', was a [[cattle rustler]] and [[highwayman]] in the American [[Wild West]] in the late 19th century.<ref name="Frances">{{cite web|url=http://www.francescacontreras.com/roadtrip/7-museum.html|accessdate=2009-03-11|author=francescacontreras.com|title=The Story of Big Nose George Parrott|year=2006| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090328004505/http://www.francescacontreras.com/roadtrip/7-museum.html| archivedate= 28 March 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> His skin was made into a pair of [[shoes]] after his execution and part of his skull was used as an ashtray.<ref name="Legends">{{cite web|url=http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WY-BigNose.html|accessdate=2009-03-11|author=Legends of America|title= Outlaw Big Nose George Becomes a Pair of Shoes in Rawlins|year=2007| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090410205236/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WY-BigNose.html| archivedate= 10 April 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref><ref name="Outwest">{{cite web|url=http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/bignose.html|accessdate=2009-03-11|author=Chuck Woodbury|title=The crook who grew up to be a shoe|year=1997| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090314040148/http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/bignose.html| archivedate= 14 March 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>

In 1878, Parrott and his gang murdered two law enforcement officers—[[Wyoming]] deputy sheriff Robert Widdowfield and [[Union Pacific]] detective Tip Vincent—while trying to escape following a bungled train robbery.<ref name="Echo">{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/The-ballad-of-Big-Nose.4977900.jp|accessdate=2009-03-11|author=Sunderland Echo|title= The ballad of Big Nose George|year=2009| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090406005742/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/The-ballad-of-Big-Nose.4977900.jp| archivedate= 6 April 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Widdowfield and Vincent were ordered to track down Parrott's gang on August 19, 1878, following the attempted robbery on an isolated stretch of track near the [[Medicine Bow River]].<ref name="Legends"/> The officers traced the outlaws to a camp at Rattlesnake Canyon, near [[Elk Mountain, Wyoming|Elk Mountain]], where they were spotted by a gang lookout. The robbers stamped out their fire and hid in a bush but, when Widdowfield arrived at the scene, he realised the ashes of the fire were still hot. The gang then opened fire and Widdowfield was shot in the face. Vincent tried to escape, but was shot before he made it out of the canyon. The gang stole the weapons of both men, as well as one of their horses, before covering up the bodies and fleeing the area. The murder of the two lawmen was quickly discovered and a $10,000 reward was offered for the "apprehension of their murderers". This was later doubled to $20,000.<ref name=roaming>{{cite book|title=Roamin{{'}} Wyomin{{'}}|pages=211|first=Tom|last=Cullen|publisher=Trafford Publishing|year=2003|isbn=1-4120-0127-7}}</ref>

In February (?or January?) 1879, Big Nose George and his cohorts were in Milestown, later present day [[Miles City, Montana]]. It was known around Milestown that a prosperous local merchant, one Morris Cahn would be taking money east to buy stocks of merchandise. Big Nose George, Charlie Burris and two others planned and carried out a daring daylight robbery even though Morris Cahn was traveling with a group of 15 soldiers, two officers, an ambulance and a wagon from [[Fort Keogh]], who were going east to collect the army payroll. At a site about 10&nbsp;miles beyond the Powder River Crossing, near present day Terry, Montana, there is a steep coulee (known ever since as "Cahn's Coulee"). Approaching the coulee over a five-mile plateau, the soldiers, ambulance and the wagon got strung out. The gang donned masks and stationed themselves at the bottom of the coulee, at a turn in the trail. The gang first surprised and then captured the lead element of soldiers, as well as the ambulance with Cahn and the officers. Then they waited and likewise captured the rear element of soldiers with the wagon. Cahn was robbed of somewhere between $3,600 and $14,000, depending on who was doing the reporting.

News of the escape attempt spread through Rawlins and groups of people started making their way to the jail. While Rankin lay recovering, masked men with pistols burst into the jail. Holding Rankin at gunpoint, they took his keys, then dragged Parrott from his cell.<ref name="Echo"/><ref name="Wyoming">{{cite web|url=http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/rawlinsa.html|accessdate=2009-03-11|author=Wyoming Tales and Trails|title=The mortal remains of Big Nose George Parrott, Carbon County Museum|year=2008}}</ref> The 200-strong [[lynch mob]] strung him up from a telegraph pole.<ref name="Time"/><ref name="Hobo">{{cite web|url=http://www.hobonickels.org/george.htm|accessdate=2009-03-11|author=Original Hobo Nickel Society|title=Big Nose George|year=2005| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090405175914/http://www.hobonickels.org/george.htm| archivedate= 5 April 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref>

Charlie Burris suffered a similar lynching not long after his capture;<ref name=roaming/> having been transported by train to Rawlins, a group of locals found him hiding in a baggage compartment and proceeded to hang him on the crossbeam of a nearby telegraph pole.<ref>{{cite book|title=Goodbye, Judge Lynch|pages=105|first=John W.|last=Davis|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|year=2006|isbn=0-8061-3774-6}}</ref>