The historical Isaac C. Parker (1838-1896) has been overshadowed by his legend -- the notorious "hanging judge" of the Wild West. In his time as district court judge, he did sentence over 160 people to execution, but Parker's reputation as a bloodthirsty monster is unfounded. In reality, Parker assigned the penalty mandated by law but had personal reservations about capital punishment. Born in Belmont County, Ohio, Parker served as city attorney, circuit attorney, and circuit judge in Missouri during the 1860s. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1871 to 1875. However, his most famous tenure, from 1875 to 1896, was as judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and nearby Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma). There, he quickly gained a reputation for swift, stern justice. In 1889, the U.S. Congress allowed appeals from Parker's court and reversed many of his convictions, outraging Parker and furthering his reputation for dispensing angry, rough-hewn justice.