Politicians are under a spate of examination in the 21st one C : a public servant can hardly try tosell a senate bum , orpost illicit mental picture of themselveson the internet , or evenaccept millions of dollars in bribeswithout getting difficulty . But during this election season , when making America great again is topping the interior to - do list , countenance ’s reflect back on a time in American history when a novel governor could show up to his inauguration proudly lark about shoes made from a hanged felon whose stiff he clamber himself .
Times sure have changed .
Back in 1881 , an outlaw cite George Parrott , also know by the byname " Big Nose George , " was hang in Rawlins , Wyoming , for taste ( and fail ) to rob a wagon train and afterwards vote down the two law officer who came after him . Before this incident , Big Nose George — whosenose really was unco magnanimous — was just a small - metre sawbuck stealer . But after fly to Montana follow the murders and bungled robbery , he robbed the military convoy of a local merchant who was travelling back east with a bunch of hard currency .
This successful catch saw Parrot get cocky . He return to the town where the merchandiser was from , went into a saloon , and started bragging about the looting and the murder back in Wyoming . This self-praise resulted in his seizure and turn back to Wyoming . There he unsuccessfully tried to elude from prison using his pocket knife — patently you could keep your pocket knife on you while you were in gaol in the Wild West — but betray , and waslynched and hang up on a telegraphy poleby an angry mob of more than 200 people .
After Parrott ’s 1881 death , nobody showed up to arrogate the body , soJohn Osborne , the Dr. who pronounced him dead took his body home for " medical work . " He extracted Parrott ’s brain and gave it to his friend , the surgeon Thomas Maghee , who wanted to study Parrott ’s " criminal brainpower . " Osborne also saw off the top portion of Big Nose George ’s skull and give it toLillian Heath , a 15 - year - previous girl who went on to become Wyoming ’s first distaff physician ( she reportedly kept it her integral spirit , using it as an ashtray and a door stop ) . The bottom portion of Parrott ’s skull , Osborne put in a barrel with the rest of the finger cymbals .
Not one to waste any part of the malefactor ’s corpse , Osborne then scramble Parrott ’s eubstance and had a pair of shoes and aesculapian travelling bag made out of the human cutis . The cup of tea has never been establish . year later Osborne enter political relation and was elected governor of Wyoming . To his 1893 inauguration he wore the shoe that a 12 years before had been a homo .
spill about a political statement .
That very footwear is now on display , along with the death masquerade Osborne cast after Parrott ’s death — his nosewasreally braggart — in theCarbon County Museumin Rawlins , Wyoming .
