Who was that masked man anyway? Researcher claims a former slave was the real Lone Ranger.

The Lone Ranger was a beloved all-American hero, the gun-slinging, bandit-catching arm of justice for the dangerous and wild west. His adventures kept eager little boys glued to the radio for two decades. He inspired novels, comic books, and a TV show starring the venerable Clayton Moore. Disney recently got in on the action, releasing its own glamorous version of the tale in theaters this July.
But who was that masked man anyway?
An Illinois scholar is convinced that he’s tracked the legend to his lair.
Art Burton, a researcher and author of "Black Gun, Silver Star," believes the Lone Ranger was a flesh and bones hero—an African American man named Bass Reeves.
Born an illiterate slave in 1838, Reeves went on to become a volatile mixture of Superman and Sherlock Holmes, with a little bit of Chuck Norris’ invincibility thrown in. At 6 foot 2, 190 pounds, he was a sharp shooter who could handle a gun in both hands. He would gallop into a thicket full of dangerous outlaws and escape unharmed, his mustache still perfectly curled. It was a life worthy of a movie script.