Join author Wayne Purcell at the Mineral County Museum this Friday, August 12 from 4-5:30 p.m. to discuss his new historical novel, Justice for All. The murder-mystery is based on true events from 1891 and follows the story of Big Poker Tom, a Paiute Native American from Schurz and what happened on a trip to Bridgeport, California. Purcell will be giving a presentation featuring photos and stories regarding his research process for the book as well as hosting a Q&A session and book signing.
“It took me about 15 years to do this whole project,” Purcell says of creating Justice for All. Purcell got the idea to tell this story after reading an article in 1984 in American West magazine titled, “Paiute Revenge” about the Ah Quong Tai-Poker Tom incident that took place in the Eastern Sierra in the late 19th century. The article made quite an impression on Purcell, and he felt inclined to learn more. He spent hours in libraries and museums finding articles and accounts of the incident, as well as spoke with Paiute Indians and historians. Here is a quick synopsis of the story:
“In the spring of 1891, Big Poker Tom, a Paiute Native American from Nevada, leaves his Nevada reservation to find a high-stakes poker game in Bridgeport, California. Only his horse returns.
“A Paiute search party investigates, and its discoveries escalate into an intense, explosive situation that pits Paiutes, Whites, Chinese, and their justice systems against one another. Sheriff Michael J. Cody is caught in the middle. Cody tries to keep the peace, his sworn duty, however…”
Purcell took several trips to the Eastern Sierra and Mineral County collecting information and visited the Mineral County Museum a few times to research it. It starts on the Indian reservation in Schurz and the search party in Justice for All goes right through Hawthorne on their way down to Bridgeport, making this book quite relevant to the Mineral County area.
Purcell does warn that some of the language in the story mat make some readers uncomfortable, though, as the American West was becoming colonized, and racism was rampant during that time.
“Different cultures were adjusting to one another, resulting at times in alarming conflicts,” Purcell cautions.
Here is a recent review of Justice for All from Mono County Historical Society President Kent Stoddard:
“Historical novels can be challenging to pull off, but this book hits it out of the park and presents both sides of the story. It is about the murder of a Paiute Indian in the small town of Bridgeport. The white population was backed into a corner and were terrified of the local Indians. The Paiutes just wanted justice and understanding. It leads to a climax that easily happened in a small, isolated town during the closing days of the 1800s. This is a very good read.”
Justice for All currently has all five-star reviews on Goodreads.
“We started carrying the books and like the idea of an emerging author doing a local story,” says Mineral County Museum Director Kellie Zuniga. “I don’t want to give too much away, but the story is very interesting, and a lot of the characters are from Schurz,” Zuniga adds.
“The Stories Behind the Story” of Justice for All is free to attend this Friday at the museum on 400 10th Street. The following day (Saturday, August 13), Author Wayne Purcell will also be at “Friends of Bodie Day” at Bodie State Historic Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
