Joe,
What you posted is how I sang it on the record. My rendition of the song IS different in a few respects from the Dalhart/Robison/Jenkins? version. I suspect I didn't know my song well before I bagan singing. -- to paraphrase B. Dylan. Also, it is an example of the folk tradition messing things up yet again.

'Ten commandments' became 'holy bible.'

'...out in a western state' became 'I will tell you of a bandit in a great midwestern state.'

Hope this helps,

Art (Joe, What about those 'rabbits'?)