Prohibition Lawman

The true story of war hero and prohibition lawman Steve Lawson. September 21, 1922 is a fateful one for Constable Lawson of the Alberta Provincial Police. The force is charged with stopping the illegal importation of liquor into the province. After an ill-fated run-in with police rum runners confront Lawson at his office and home in Coleman in the Crowsnest Pass. There is a brief scuffle, shots are fired and the unarmed officer falls to the ground dead. After the arrest and subsequest sensational trial the rum runners are hanged the following year. The focus in this story is on the victim and his family, not on the criminals and the crime. Too often victims are forgotton in the media frenzy after crimes are committed. Readers will be surprised to learn Steve Lawson is more than a historical footnote, but a major player in the history of the West.