Weird Western Tales #52 "The Plot to Kill President Lincoln"

 Weird Western Tales #52 Feb 1979 

"The Plot to Kill President Lincoln"

Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Luis Dominguez, art - Luis Dominguez, cover

Southern Virginia. June 29, 1862

Scalphunter is awakened from night slumber by a pistol being held to his head. The brandisher of said weapon stands in the moonlight, stating that he has followed Scalphunter out of Atlanta five weeks back. Suddenly the sleeping Indian attacks, grabbing the pistol, punching the man and then grabbing him, hurling them both into the river.

As they battle in the water, the man, Bat Lash, starts calling out to Scalphunter. Scalphunter stops his attack and then drags Bat Lash from the river. Once on shore, Scalphunter reaches to retrieve Lash's hat and Bat punches him on the jaw, returning the favor of the attack. Bat composes himself and launches into why he is there.

He was in Montgomery at a poker game with a Confederate officer. Lash was caught cheating and in a manner that becomes him, Lash shoots the chandelier, dropping it on the officer's head and then hotfoots it out the back into an alley. In the darkness he is approached by a woman with a pistol. Her name is Lavender and she knows of Lash's exploits stealing the Gatling Gun. She is working for President Lincoln and she has been sent to retrieve Lash and Ke-Woh-No-Tey and bring them to the White House.

Lash's pursuers eventually make it to the alley and he has to beat a hasty retreat and that brings us to the present time. Bat does ask if Scalphunter ever found his sister but Ke-Woh-No-Tey replies that his sister is dead. Lash asks if Scalphunter is up for a trip to Washington D.C. and Scalphunter just nods.

They continue riding through the night and most of the next day they end up on a hill overlooking White Oak Swamp, observing the beginning of a major battle breaking out. They realize that the quickest way to Washington is directly through the battlefield and without a further word Scalphunter spurs his mount with Bat Lash trying to keep up. The Battle of White Oak Swamp was a bloody affair with over 17,000 men killed, wounded, or missing and Lash and Scalphunter end up fighting their way through, kicking and shooting both Union and Confederate forces to get by.

They manage to get through with their skins intact and by nightfall they are on a supply raft heading up the Potomac. Morning breaks and they arrive in DC and they are stopped by Union guards. Just then Miss Lavender vouches for them and guides them through the guarded roads to the hotel where they will be staying. Lavender says she will come by in the evening to take them to the State Dinner where they will meet the Secretary of War. Lash says he thought they were to meet the President. She says they will but Secretary Stanton will explain everything.

That evening at the White House Bat Lash and Scalphunter are introduced to President and Mrs. Lincoln. The President says that he understands that Brian was adopted by the Kiowa, very brave people, and that he had dealt with a few in Illinois. Lincoln then asks why they are in Washington. Lash and Scalphunter exchange puzzled looks and Secretary Stanton intervenes saying that they are here at his request to thank them for their help in St Louis. 

Stanton and his two guests take their leave of Lincoln and go to a private room. Stanton said he wanted them to meet Lincoln to take his measure. Scalphunter states that Lincoln has a strong hand. Stanton agrees but that Lincoln is weak in war and that afterward he may be a traitor to the Republic. Lash notes that Stanton doesn't sound like a fan of Lincoln's and Stanton confesses that he brought the two men here to kill President Lincoln!

After a momentary pause, Lash asks how many other people are in on this plot. Stanton states it is Miss Lavender, several northern businessmen and a Union General. They are willing to pay generously. Lash smiles and asks how much are they thinking? Stanton offers five thousand, Lash counters with ten thousand (about 318k in 2025). Stanton agrees but Scalphunter says he will not be a part of it. Killing in battle is honorable but killing a chief in his lodge is the act of a coward. Lash turns and says he was afraid of that and knocks Scalphunter out with the butt of his pistol.

Scalphunter wakes up, his hands bound behind his back, atop the uncompleted Washington Monument. 

He is up there with a Union soldier and Miss Lavender. She says that this is the type a place a half-wit savage might climb up and then slip and fall to his death. Lavender tells the soldier to untie Scalphunter and then give him 'a taste of your bayonet'. The soldier does so but rushes at Scalphunter, who ducks and the soldier goes arse over teakettle over the edge to his death.

Miss Lavender pulls out her whip (which has a wrist loop)and starts whipping Scalphunter until he stumbles backwards over the edge. Satisfied with her work, she steps to the edge to look down on the dead Indian but she suddenly screams. Scalphunter caught a support beam and is just under the lip of the platform. He grabs her whip and yanks hard, hurtling Lavender over the edge to her death. Scalphunter climbs back onto the platform and swears to repay the debt he owes to Lincoln.

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - two, the soldier and Miss Lavender

Running Total - 99

Compared to Jonah Hex - 14th appearance and Scalphunter has 99 vs Jonah's 68

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 14

Injuries - Knocked out and whipped

Timeline - Evening of June 29, all day and night of the 30th and then July 1st.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Conway, once again, has a believable running timeline and a consistent geography. He ties in several historical events (White Oak Swamp, unfinished Washington Monument, we also see the capitol being built) and refers back to prior issues. 

Bat Lash and Scalphunter are like a western buddy cop movie, with Lash being the loose cannon and Scalphunter playing the stoic partner with a set of morals. I enjoy it every time these two pair up and this looks like it will be really good story arc (but I already know that, wink wink.

The artwork is spot on with the panels of the two men exchanging looks saying a lot more that exposition boxes could ever convey.

Next Issue: The rumble in the stairwell, crosses and double crosses, the meeting of titans and the most iconic Scalphunter cover EVER!!

Weird Western Tales #51 "Hanging for a Scalphunter"

 Weird Western Tales #51 Jan 1979 

"Hanging for a Scalphunter"

Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Luis Dominguez, art - Luis Dominguez, cover

Atlanta, Georgia. Early May, 1862

Scalphunter is bound and sitting in a jail cell. Confederate guards insult and taunt him. It is just before dawn and three guards are escorting him to the gallows. As they walk through the prison they pass the cell of Samantha Savage, Scalphunter's long lost sister. She reaches out to him, touching him on the arm and expresses a connection that she has felt since they met two days ago (He has not revealed his true identity to her). A guard smacks her arm with a rifle barrel and Scalphunter whirls and snarls at the guard, who tells Scalphunter to PLEASE try something.

The guards lead Scalphunter to the main room of the jail which resembles an administration room. Once in the room, Scalphunter lunges towards a guard with his shoulder, knocking the man down and the kerosene lantern he is holding shatters, setting a desk on fire. He then head butts another guard through a door and while a third guard manages to get a shot off, Scalphunter flips backwards to avoid being hit. 

Just then Colonel Tremayne and more guards come into the room and the Colonel shouts that Scalphunter will surely hang. The guards rush him and Scalphunter backpedals away, slamming into a large mirror on the wall and then falls unconscious. The guards load him up into a wagon and head towards the gallows erected in the city square. A large crowd has gathered to see the Indian hang. 

It takes six guards to get Scalphunter out of the wagon and up the steps to the noose. Scalphunter snarls at those gathered and we have a 1+ page flashback of the previous five issues including the never before seen trial of Scalphunter and Samantha where they were found guilty of being spies. After sentencing, Scalphunter tears apart the rope holding him grabs Dasher and hurls him out the fifth floor window to his death.

Drake, wearing handcuffs, charges Scalphunter and manages to get him into a bear hug, crushing his ribs. Scalphunter manages to get his hands around Drake's neck and both men crash to the floor, unconscious.

As the guards approach, they learn that Drake is dead and Scalphunter jumps up and grabs another guard and starts strangling him. Colonel Tremayne intervenes by pistol whipping Scalphunter unconscious.

Back at the present and at the gallows, the noose is placed around Scalphunter's neck, the hangman advances to the lever and shoves the lever downward. The door opens and Scalphunter falls but he suddenly takes a piece of broken mirror, cuts his bonds, grabs the rope and slices the noose before it goes taut, he then drops to the ground, alive and then rushes and grabs a horse hitched to a buggy, he slices  the harness and escapes.

The Senator declares that any man that possesses such horsemanship cannot be a spy. He demands that Colonel Tremayne bring Samantha Savage to the plantation that evening or there will be the Devil to pay.

Later in a hotel Mademoiselle Magarit is mulling over that her spy has allowed her two best men to be captured, has allowed Scalphunter and Samantha to be hung as spies and Scalphunter has escaped. Soon people will make the connection and realize that she was the one passing Rebel plans to the officials in Washington.... and just then the door to her room swings open and Scalphunter walks in. We then hear her scream.

That evening at Creighton House everyone is gathered, with the Senator demanding of Samantha that she reveal if she is a spy or not. She admits that she is not and the Senator demands to know is! Just then Scalphunter and Magarit enter, with Magarit stating that Samantha is innocent. She also explains her connection to Reginald Ashe and Samantha was unknowingly carrying instructions to the real spy here in Atlanta. As she is about to reveal the spy's identity, she is fatally shot. Colonel Tremayne steps from behind a curtain, places the smoking pistol to his temple and kills himself.

The next morning, Scalphunter is readying his horse when Samantha approaches him. She said she never did learn why he came here and who is his. Scalphunter looks into her eyes, thinks for a quick moment and then mounts up stating...

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - two

Running Total - 97

Compared to Jonah Hex - 13th appearance and Scalphunter has 97 vs Jonah's 65

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 14

Injuries - Knocked out twice and almost hung

Timeline - One day and the next morning.

This was a very very nice conclusion to the Samantha Savage quest as well as the Mademoiselle Magrit intrigue. I did enjoy the flashback plus the extra part covering the sentencing, this allowed the story to start right into the action. Conway was always adept at this typo of story structure.  The escape by Scalphunter was somewhat ruined by the cover reveal, but we always knew that covers couldn't be trusted, right???

Next Issue: Scalphunter goes to Washington DC via the Swamp, Faces Monumental problems, Bat Lash and a plot to kill Lincoln!! How much more can they cram into one issue?!?!?!

Weird Western Tales #50 "Spies"

 Weird Western Tales #50 Dec 1978 

"Spies"

Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Luis Dominguez, art - Ross Andru and Al Milgrom

Early May, 1862. Atlanta, Georgia.

Scalphunter is riding a black stallion down the streets of Atlanta. He is recognized by Mademoiselle Margarit and she starts asking two of her compatriots if they properly handled Wakwame? They tell her that she should consider that matter closed. 

Scalphunter is heading to the home of Mrs. Maxwell, a home that carries some notoriety. As Scalphunter dismounts, two men sneak up behind him and one (Drake) slips a rope around his neck, the other pulls a rapier from a modified cane. As Drake loops the rope around Scalphunter and pulls him into an alley the other man moves in to attack. Scalphunter flips Drake forward over himself and smashes Drake's head into the wall. He then punches the other man in the face and leaves them both unconscious in the dark alleyway. 

Scalphunter approaches the door and a neighbor interrupts him, saying that the Maxwell woman and her harlots are in jail. Scalphunter asks if all the women are in jail, shows her a locket with his sister's photo and asks if it includes her as well. The woman says that looks like the girl Senator Creighton took in. She wasn't like the other floozies. She gives him directions to Creighton's place and he rides off to find his sister.

Some time later Scalphunter arrives at the massive Creighton House. The Confederate flag flys tall in th eyard and Rebel soldiers surround the area. One stops Scalphunter and tells him to turn around or be shot. Scalphunter, not one to be ordered around, tenses to take the soldier out when an officer, Colonel Tremayne, orders that Scalphunter be allowed to pass. The soldier observes that Scalphunter is white and Tremayne notes that he is dressed as a Kiowa, many are the stories of white children raised by the Kiowa. Tremayne invites Scalphunter into the house and offers a hot bath a fine meal.

When they enter the house they meet a wheelchair bound Senator, his son and slowly descending the staircase, Miss Savage, Scalphunter's lost sister. She asks his name and he replies that he is Ke-Woh-No-Tey. She grasps his arm and states she feels as if they have met and Scalphunter does not see the hate in the eyes of the Senator's son.

Shortly afterward, once Scalphunter has had a bath and is wearing a suit, the four of them sit down to a meal, waited upon by the son. The Senator apologizes for the meager fare but the war has caused all sorts of shortages. The son interjects that they are also prisoners in the house. Tremayne, wiping his mouth, states that is a requirement due to the fact that someone in the house is a Yankee spy. It could be anyone, Miss Savage; Josiah, the butler; Prissy, the maid; Senator Creighton; Randolph Creighton, his son; or even Scalphunter himself.

Miss Savage protests because Ke-Woh-No-tay just arrived but Tremayne says his whereabouts yesterday were unknown. If he is innocent, where did he come from and where is he going? No matter what, Tremayne will get his answers or nobody leaves alive!

Back in Atlanta, the two thugs are speaking with Mademoiselle Margarit in house that formerly belonged to Mrs. Maxwell. She is complaining that Maxwell forgot to bribe the officials and got shut down, destroying the conduit for the spy information conduit. But now Tremayne has learned of the spy activity, her informant is trapped in the Creighton House and soon they will all be discovered. On top of that, those two thugs can't kill an unarmed Indian. 

The other man says there is nothing to worry about because the Indian is trapped in the house as well. She pulls a pistol on him and tells him to go up to the house tonight, contact the informer, get the information and kill the Indian.

That night, Samantha Savage, is walking in the garden in the moonlight and Scalphunter is on an upper balcony, silently watching her. He hears glass break in the house and he quietly retreats into the house. He voices downstairs and looking over the stair rail, he sees the two men from earlier. They are talking to an unseen man in another room and as the two men start to approach the stairs, Scalphunter launches himself over the rail to attack. 

He slams into Drake, clawing at his eyes. The other man draws his sword and tries to skewer Scalphunter, but Slaphunter manages to tackle both men at once, sending all three slamming their heads into a wall, knocking the two out.

Samantha walks in and sees the damage. Scalphunter explains about the spy and that he is in another room. Scalphunter tells her to stay where she is but she demands to follow him. Scalphunter turns and is knocked out from behind by a shadowy figure with a fireplace poker.

When he wakes up he is on the floor, hands bound behind his back. Tremayne holds a rope that binds the two thugs, demanding who is the traitor they were trying to meet. They cite Samantha Savage is the spy and the Indian is in cahoots with her. Tremayne agrees that they are both spies and tomorrow they will hang.

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - Zero

Running Total - 95

Compared to Jonah Hex - 12th appearance and Scalphunter has 95 vs Jonah's 56

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 14

Injuries - Knocked out

Timeline - One day. 

This was a really enjoyable issue with even more intrigue being piled on. We have spies, a whodunit, a found sister, double crosses and Scalphunter in a suit. Will Scalphunter get his revenge on Mademoiselle Margarit, will he be able to reveal his true name to his sister, can he survive the next day? Sadly, no backup story of Cinnamon.

Next Issue: It's a necktie party and probably the wildest one since Cat Ballou!