... an armed man as I would be self defence so people were rarely prosecuted. If there was a case when there was a crime and the criminals were caught, anyone who could formally prosecute them could take months to get to said town because of how vast and empty the west was. During this time there was no form of wire based communication so by the time a letter had been delivered requesting a judge or government official, then it could possibly take the best part of a year before said official arrived. The vastness of the west also meant that groups of criminals were ripe. Men and women who thrived on a crime ridden lifestyle could cause chaos in a town and sometimes control it with fear, or if there was any kind of law and order in said town, they could simply disappear into the countryside, never to ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now