Vigilante. Scott Cooley was born in Oklahoma. Orphaned in his early teens, he was adopted by a rancher named Tim Williamson, who took Cooley home with him to Mason County, Texas after a cattle drive. When he was old enough, Cooley joined the Texas Rangers, but soon resigned his commission after his stepfather Williamson was murdered in a range feud known as the "Mason County War" or "HooDoo War." Cooley sought out Deputy Sheriff John Worhle, who had allegedly led Tim Williamson into a fatal ambush. Cooley shot him dead, removed his scalp, and tossed his corpse down a well. Thereafter Cooley and his friends were in constant conflict with the German farmers of the Texas Hill Country area. Scott Cooley and Johnny Ringo were jailed in Burnet, Texas but were busted loose in the spring of 1876 by several members of the Cooley gang. Shortly after this Cooley tracked down and killed Peter Bader, a German farmer widely believed to have been the man who killed Tim Williamson. Cooley went down to Blanco County to lay low but turned up dead in September. His cause of death was listed as brain fever, but rumors circulate to this day that he was poisoned. Scott Cooley was 24 years old at the time of his death.
Vigilante. Scott Cooley was born in Oklahoma. Orphaned in his early teens, he was adopted by a rancher named Tim Williamson, who took Cooley home with him to Mason County, Texas after a cattle drive. When he was old enough, Cooley joined the Texas Rangers, but soon resigned his commission after his stepfather Williamson was murdered in a range feud known as the "Mason County War" or "HooDoo War." Cooley sought out Deputy Sheriff John Worhle, who had allegedly led Tim Williamson into a fatal ambush. Cooley shot him dead, removed his scalp, and tossed his corpse down a well. Thereafter Cooley and his friends were in constant conflict with the German farmers of the Texas Hill Country area. Scott Cooley and Johnny Ringo were jailed in Burnet, Texas but were busted loose in the spring of 1876 by several members of the Cooley gang. Shortly after this Cooley tracked down and killed Peter Bader, a German farmer widely believed to have been the man who killed Tim Williamson. Cooley went down to Blanco County to lay low but turned up dead in September. His cause of death was listed as brain fever, but rumors circulate to this day that he was poisoned. Scott Cooley was 24 years old at the time of his death.
Bio by: Dennis Rice
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