THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN

ALICE, TEXAS - The tale can be traced to Big Foot Wallace, himself a legend in Texas, the true facts are known only from his own account. In his own memoirs he recounted how a lone cattle rustler was caught and killed by Wallace and a group of ranchers. In a fit of bizarre humor, and to make an example of the thief, they beheaded the bandit’s body. Then tying the dead rustler to the saddle as though he sat astride his horse, they affixed the severed head to the saddle horn and released the unfortunate animal to make it’s way baring the dead rider.

The Original Headless Horseman

Wallace was not surprised to hear tales told by shaken travelers of a headless horseman atop an angry wild steed that would appear out of nowhere scaring the wits out of even the most seasoned cowboy. Nor was Wallace surprised to find that even after men well known for shooting fast and shooting accurately had repeatedly fired on the remarkable sight not one had seen the headless rider so much as flinch as bullets pierced his body.

Finally, a knowing and kindly soul found the luckless animal and relieved it of its service to the long dead rider, however, the joke was on Big Foot Wallace. The Headless Rider was still seen around Alice and Ben Bolt, the head still sporting a sombrero, the horse wild from exhaustion. Even Wallace may never have really known for sure: Had he’d begun a legend or created a ghost?