Union Suit Fans in the Limelight

Down and Out, But Not for Long!

Spencer Hastings, Guest Contributor

In this story, Zane was married to an Asian woman, Alice. The couple had two young children, a boy and a girl. One morning, Alice answered the door to find the local “peace” officers standing there to arrest her for miscegenation.* As she was being handcuffed, Zane, the loyal ranch foreman and devoted husband and father, came running to her rescue. He was overtaken, beaten senseless and left for dead in front of his kids. Alice was taken off to jail.

This original sad tragedy was the third episode in Season 2 of the miniseries, Yellowstone 1923 which aired March 16, 2025 and titled Journey the Rivers of Iron.

In the fourth episode, Alice lingers in jail and Zane, now paralized from the waste down and unable to walk, is held in a “home” confinement hotel room, unable to care for himself. Jacob Dutton, anxious to come to the aid of his favorite ranch hand, confronts the county judge who was to preside over Alice's trial. After he realizes the good judge drinks forbidden alcohol (it's Proibition afterall in the United States at that time), he secures the release of Alice and Zane through a little extortion. After Alice's release, Jacob eventually gets their family back to his large ranch house, barely surviving a terrible blizzard on the way.

When a doctor makes a house call at the Dutton Ranch for a different reason, Jacob asks him to take a look at Zane who is still bedridden. The doc determines that Zane has swelling of the brain and will not survive much longer with out immediate hospitalization, the only place having resources to relieve the growing pressure. He needs to get to a major hospital immediately. This is impossible because roads and railroads are still closed due to the recent blizzard and large snow drifts blocking most travel.

The doctor informs the family that he has a drill, such as it is, but little anesthetic. But it is the only possible solution if Zane is to live. Still there is no guarantee that he will live let alone ever walk again. The decision is made to proceed.

So, Zane is undressed laid out in his union suit and socks on a bed to keep warm.

He is strapped down as the doc prepares to get to work. Special wooden blocks had been built to hold Zane's head steady during the procedure. Leather straps added to the bed frame to assist Jacob and his nephew, Jake Dutton, to firmly hold down Zane's head and body.

With the straps secured and the head restraints fitted, the doctor and men are ready for emergency brain surgery. The Duttons hold Zane straight and tightly so he doesn't inadvertently strain against the straps.

The doc places a rag drenched in chloroform over Zane's nose and mouth to put him under.....

The family doctor becomes a surgeon as he reaches for antiseptic for cleaning the top of his shaved head and next his hand-cranked drill...The desperate work begins.

To Zane's great discomfort, the chloroform does not last through the operation. He wakes up screaming! But Jacob and Jake with all their strength hold him down and steady while the job is finished. But will it be successful?

After a bit, the straps are loosened and taken off. Jacob assists Zane in setting up....carefully and slowly:

Zane tells the men the pressure is subsiding. They want to see if he is able to stand. Will the release of the pressure on his brain result in him no longer being paralyzed?

He is able to successfully stand and walk a few steps in his socks and long underwear with a large bandage wound around his head.

Zane is anxious to see his wife, Alice, who has been through so much! Jacob is not so sure as he is still unsteady.

The stressed out doc, pulls a bottle of prohibited booze from his medical bag for a shot.

Clothes are too difficult for Zane, so Jacob throws a blanket around his shoulders and leads him outside in his union suit into the freezing cold where Cara is comforting Alice...