Fugitive Sheriff
In July 1883, during the celebration of Pioneer Day in Coalville in Summit County, Utah Territory, the Sheriff is killed in a shoot-out. Arriving late on the scene, his son, who is one of the deputies, appoints himself sheriff and intends to locate the men responsible. The new sheriff, John Willford Simms, is a Mormon and has two wives. Because of the Edwards Act, recently passed in Washington, men who practice polygamy in the Utah Territory are to be arrested. Marshals are then sent to Utah to carry out the law. Meanwhile Simms is on the trail of those responsible for killing his father while remaining hidden from the marshals to avoid his capture.
I enjoyed this western because of its unusual subject: the Mormon religion and its practice of polygamy. My only reservation about the story was the sheriff’s continued ability to enter and leave the town without being caught. He seemed to perform his job with little worry until near the end of the book. An interesting story line, though, and an enjoyable read.
