Rough & Messy Justice brings to life the Rocky Mountains' Crowsnest Pass of 1920, a place of rugged geography, diverse culture, and a bustling economy. Against this backdrop, an armed robbery of a CPR train leads to a dramatic shootout at the Bellevue Café between police officers and two Russians, recently arrived from the coppermines of Butte, Montana. The book meticulously details the crime, the shootout, and the thrilling manhunt for the escaped bandit. The story continues with an account of the trial and its flawed application of the law, revealing overt racism in the press and police correspondence, a law enforcement coverup, a biased judge and jury, a lackluster defense counsel, and confused trial witnesses. These elements contribute to the tragic hanging of an innocent man. Rough & Messy Justice critically examines social and racial prejudice, law enforcement misconduct, and judicial incompetence, exposing a miscarriage of justice that challenges traditional assumptions about equality under the law.

Keith Regular teaches history and social studies at Elkford Secondary School, Elkford, British Columbia. He received a PhD in history from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1999.

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