"Blood Brothers: The True Story That Inspired the John Wayne Movie "The Sons of Katie Elder". On the evening of January 19th, 1889, two wagons and a buggy slowly crossed Dry Creek, two miles east of Graham, Texas. The lead wagon held six prisoners, four of them being the Marlow Brothers, chained together in pairs by manacles attached to their ankles, and a guard named Phlete Martin. The second wagon carried Deputy U.S.Marshall Edward Johnson, three guards, plus spare weapons and ammunition, while four more guards followed behind, two in a buggy, and two on horseback. Suddenly, from the darkness, came s shout saying "Hold Up!", and guard Phlete Martin shouted "Here they are, take all six of the sons of _itches". A wild gunfight followed that left five men dead, an act that was only a part of a long series of tragic events that included misinformation, wrongful persecution, mob attacks, lawsuits, killing, a famous Texas Ranger, a Colorado lawman, and the U,S. Supreme Court. The Marlow Brothers were innocent. A lot of people wanted them dead. Their story inspired the 1965 western "The Sons of Katie Elder", starring John Wayne, which rendered a version in total much different than the real story, which was much more dramatic. Credits: Jim Pettingill "The Marlow Brothers-Their Texas Ordeal and Their Lives in Colorado" The Fighting Marlows-The Men Who Wouldn't be Lynched, Glenn Shirley A Story of Frontier Life of Early Days, William Rathmell  

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