The Rossi Murder: Sounds like an intriguing read!

The front-page article, Friday, June 18, 2021, Book Review: "The Rossi Murder" by Jordan Thomas describing Ron Roizen’s research regarding that incident some 106 years ago was interesting. I wish my friend Ron the best of luck with his new book “The Rossi Murder and the Unwritten Law in 1916 Wallace, Idaho.” Sounds like an intriguing read! I plan to buy a copy.

It reminded me of something that happened in the small town of Wheatland, Wyo., some 65 years ago. A rancher not far from town suspected his wife of being unfaithful. There was to be a bull auction some distance away, so the rancher told his wife they needed another bull. He left for the sale in his cattle truck and told her he would be gone overnight. No one saw him double back and stash his truck in the brush out of sight. The rancher then walked to their barn where he could wait unobserved. Sure enough soon after dark some headlights came up the driveway. He quietly entered the back door of his house, strode into the bedroom and caught a man in bed with his wife. Jerking the guy out of bed he punched the interloper’s lights out. While the man was laying spread eagled, bare naked on the floor unconscious, the rancher took out his pocket knife with which he had castrated hundreds of bull calves. When he awoke shortly thereafter, he had been emasculated. Holding a towel to his underside, the cuckolder was obliged to drive himself back to town. It was long after office hours, but everyone knew where the town doctor lived.

The next morning the town was abuzz about what had happened at the nearby ranch the night before. It was said that the doctor had remarked that the rancher had done a pretty clean job.

As far as I know there were never any repercussions litigious or otherwise as a result of the instant justice administered by the rancher. But that was a different time; alas a bygone era.

FRANK FRUTCHEY

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