User Reviews

In this episode, Jesse is on the trail and pauses to get some sleep. During the night someone steals his horse. The next day Jess is tracking his stolen horse and notices that the horse has thrown a shoe. He also sees that the rider got off the horse and is leading the horse to a nearby town. Jess makes it to the town and finds his horse at the blacksmith shop. The blacksmith tells Jess that the person that brought the horse to him is inside. Jess brings the person out only to find out that it is a young Mexican juvenile.

Jess wants the youth punished in some kind of way but little does he know that the Judge in the town has a hatred for Mexicans. He sentence the youth to hang. Jess is horrified about the verdict. It seems strange, but nearly everyone in town supports the Judge's decision. During the show, we will learn why the Judge has such a outward hatred for all Mexicans.

Even though there was some strange occurrences that happened in the episode - like when Jess asks to be deputized or when someone gets hit with a small stick sending them crashing to the floor- but overall the story was interesting enough to keep the attention of viewers. Sometimes in the series the story of the week feels long and drags but in this offering the show produced enthusiasm which made the hour long show feel short. Good watch.

Young Rafael Campos as Angel Chavez in the 50s film Trial gave a heart breaking performance as a young Mexican kid caught up in criminal controversy in that film. Campos is similarly cast as a young wise guy Mexican kid who steals Robert Fuller's horse and gets in a real jackpot because of it.

When Fuller catches up with him he expects him to get a few days in the joint and maybe a tanning from his parents. But it's his misfortune to get a hanging judge with a hatred of Mexicans.

Even the injured party Jess Harper is offended by this and takes up the kid's cause. Sad but true in the old west horse stealing could be a hanging offense meant to discourage those who might leave one afoot in rough country. Still discretion was the rule and one didn't have to apply the maximum.

Others in the cast are Oliver McGowan as the hanging judge, Joanna Barnes as the judge's daughter, Richard Coogan as the sheriff, Mary Sinclair as a cafe owner sympathetic to the kid, and Harry Carey, Jr. as a store owner.

Still for Rafael Campos this is one of his best roles and one of Laramie's best episodes.