JOHN PAYNE “One Arm Bandit”
The notorious One Arm Bandit, was born to a rancher in the oil rich town of Shidler, Oklahoma on April 19,1953. On June12, 1973, thinking the electricity had been shut off, John climbed up a telephone pole to cut some wires. Problem was, he was dead wrong about the status of the wires.
Without warning, 7,200 volts of electricity ran through his entire body for an unbearable 10 seconds. It burnt through fingers of his right hand and he fell to his death.
He was brought back to life, but was in bad shape. The electricity exited through his body through his abdomen, leaving his intestines protruding. the voltage had burnt through his left leg as well. Exposing his thigh bone from his knee several inches up. his flaming clothing also had been doused upon reaching the ground. Despite the massive electrocution, he survived. The doctors wanted to cut John’s left leg off but he told them ” I can’t ride a horse with one leg and if I cant ride a horse, then I don’t want to live.” The doctors did, however cut off his right arm because it was completely burnt. After five weeks in the Tulsa Burn Center, the doctor reported “no apparent brain damage, but he was short handed”. So John checked himself out and went home
IN 1975, John took a liking to Judy Crabtree whom he married. John and Judy are responsible for what is now the most sought after gang in the rodeo world today a.k.a. THE ONE ARM BANDIT AND COMPANY.