ᵻlˈɛktᵻd ʃˈɛɹɪf ʌv dʒˈɑːnsən kˈaʊnti, waɪˈoʊmɪŋ ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv, hiː wʌz sˈiːn æz ɐ stɹˈɔŋ ɹˈaɪt hˈænd ʌvðə kˈæɾəl bˈæɹənz, ænd ðə tˈoʊn əvə lˈɛɾɚ fɹʌmðə pˈɪŋkɚtən ˈeɪdʒənsi ɹˌɛkəmˈɛndɪŋ tˈɑːm hˈɔːɹn tə kˈæntɑːn kənfˈɜːmz ðæt hiː tˈʊk ɐ vˈɛɹi hˈɑːɹd lˈaɪn ɐɡˈɛnst ɹˈʌsəlɪŋ sˈʌspɛkts.
Elected sheriff of Johnson County, Wyoming in 1885, he was seen as a strong right hand of the cattle barons, and the tone of a letter from the Pinkerton Agency recommending Tom Horn to Canton confirms that he took a very hard line against rustling suspects.