Prisoner Breaks Jail But His Liberty Is Brief
Written by Kirk Hawley
My name is Frank Cooper, I'm a dangerous man
And I have no decent purpose, plan or function
I've terrorized every enterprise around these parts
All the way from Bluff to Crescent Junction.
I was headed to the dance down at the Woodmens' Hall
And I figured I could prob'ly use a drink
So I went down to the Co-op with a problematic check
And the banker had me thrown into the clink.
Seventeen dollars was a bitter pill
In that dirty little one-whore town
But I am not a man to be imprisoned or confined
Or to be told where I'd be bunking down.
The Moab jail is not an ostentatious place
If you blink while riding by you'll probably miss it
And I figured I could use a little drink or two
If I kicked em down those walls could not resist it.
A friend of mine came staggering by about midnight
And he heard the sounds of my attempt to flee
He said 'Why Frank the noise you make would wake the dead
You'll hurt yourself and I have got the key.'
The next day I was riding south, outside of town
When I figured I could prob'ly use a drink
I stopped for some refreshment at the Wilson ranch
Where a man could sit and maybe catch a wink.
It's pretty hard to look at old Joe Wilson's face
It helps to take a few drops of liquor
He was shot up pretty bad back in the Indian wars
I guess while Joe was quick, those Indian braves were quicker.
I hung around old Joe's place for a couple days
So I could have a drink and hear his story
All about the old days when this place was new
Until the setting sun would end the day in glory.
Someone told the sheriff where I was at
And they picked me up, there wasn't any bounty
That's how I got the title that I hold today,
The most wanted man in southern Grand County.