Michael Thomas Barry

Award winning author Michael Thomas Barry was born and raised in the Chicago area and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Criminal Justice and History from Cal State Fullerton. He also holds a post graduate degree in legal assistantship from the University of California, Irvine. Michael has worked as a sworn Peace Officer for the County of Orange, civil litigation paralegal, and regional asset prevention manager.

Legendary Old West Lawman Bill Tilghman is Murdered - 1924

Nov. 1, 2012

William Tilghman

by Michael Thomas Barry

On this date in 1924, legendary old west lawman, William Tilghman is murdered. Known to both friends and enemies as "Uncle Billy," Tilghman was one of the most honest and effective lawmen of his day. Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 1854, Tilghman moved west when he was only 16 years old. Once there, he flirted with a life of crime after falling in with a crowd of disreputable young men who stole horses from Indians. After several narrow escapes with angry Indians, Tilghman decided that rustling was too dangerous and settled in Dodge City, Kansas, where he briefly served as a deputy marshal before opening a saloon. He was arrested twice for alleged train robbery and rustling, but the charges did not stick. Despite this shaky start, Tilghman gradually built a reputation as an honest and respectable young man in Dodge City. He became the deputy sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, and later, the marshal of Dodge City. Tilghman was one of the first men into the territory when Oklahoma opened to settlement in 1889, and he became a deputy U.S. marshal for the region in 1891.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated - 1984

Oct. 31, 2012

India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

by Michael Thomas Barry

On this date in 1984, India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated in New Delhi by two of her own bodyguards. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, both Sikhs, emptied their guns into Gandhi as she walked to her office from an adjoining bungalow. Although the two assailants immediately surrendered, they were both shot in a subsequent scuffle, and Beant died. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, attempted to forge a unified nation out of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural factions that existed under British rule until 1949. His daughter, Indira Gandhi (no relation to Mohandas Gandhi), rose to power in 1966, fighting many of the same problems as her father had. Her own political career was a roller coaster, from the highs following India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971 to the lows of being thrown out of office in 1977 after declaring a state of emergency in 1975, during which time she suspended civil liberties and jailed her political opponents.