Hanging Charley Flinn: The Short and Violent Life of the Boldest Criminal in Frontier California - Paperback

by Matthew S. Bernstein (Author)

Charley Flinn, otherwise known as Mortimer, was the craftiest criminal in frontier California. Upon his release from San Quentin State Prison in 1863, Mortimer quickly made up for lost time. He formed a gang of robbers in Virginia City, led a prison break in Northern California, and became the most wanted man in the Bay Area. Boldly outwitting both the police and the press, including the young investigative reporter Mark Twain, Mortimer escalated to wilder and wilder heists. But when he fell for a devious femme fatale, Mortimer's crimes took a darker turn.

Matthew Bernstein paints the Old West in all its terrible glory, where desperadoes tangle with crooked detectives, bloodthirsty posses, and sultry seductresses. Throughout it all, Charley Flinn keeps up a breakneck speed, committing hundreds of crimes before his love for a treacherous woman and his own violent nature lead him to a fitting climax.

Author Biography

Matthew Bernstein is an adjunct professor of English at Los Angeles City College. He also teaches at Matrix for Success Academy and is a frequent magazine contributor. He is the author of George Hearst: Silver King of the Gilded Age.