Jeff, the Smith brothers were shot in a shoot out after their cohorts smuggled them guns.
This is not a romance cowboy movie, the Smith brothers were in jail for a reason, they tried to escape, it was a gamble, they lost and died.
Romance movie? WTH are you talking about?
Yes they had guns. They knew they were likely to be illegally attacked and killed and they prepared to defend themselves knowing that the whole thing was a sham.
They did not try and escape. That’s an absolute load of Bravo Sierra. Smith was already across the River preparing to go West when the word came and his wife asked him to return. So he did so and freely gave himself up, stating at the time he was going like a lamb to the slaughter...and he was.
If he wanted to escape, he never would have returned.
They did not try to escape, they used their unalienable rights to self defense to defend themselves against a mob and a pre-determined setting of murder and death were they were left to the very mob that had vowed to kill them...and they died in the result.
I teach this each year in our classes arounf the June time frame which makes some members uncomfortable...but the fact is he had the wepaons because he knew his rights were being trampled, even though it was illegal to have them in the jail. He tried to defend himself and others...and failed and died in the attempt.
Romance movie?...please, you have got to be kidding me. Forgive and excuse me, but what a sophmoric statement.