Jack McCall walked into the bar and shot Hickok through the head. Massie, at first, thought Hickok had shot him in anger. He apparently stared at Hickok in disbelief, before he realized what had actually happened. He admitted he also feared for his job. In the end, a bench warrant was issued, and Massie was forced to appear—a living evidence exhibit, as he showed off the murdering bullet in his wrist.
Massie went back to steamboats and eventually caught on to the significance of his wrist jewelry. Read Next: Fact vs. Logan Metesh is a historian with a focus on firearms history and development. His ability to present history and research in an engaging manner has made him a sought-after consultant, writer, and museum professional. Follow T. Logan Metesh: Facebook Twitter Instagram. Your email address will not be published.
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Early Years Born to an abolitionist family in , Hickok grew up in Illinois and left home when he was Immediately recognizable by his long, curly hair and large, rakish hat, Wild Bill Hickok seen here in is a larger-than-life personality in Wild West mythology.
Photo: Cody Firearms Museum. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Logan Metesh Contributor T. Nonetheless, he must have realized the potential of his awesome reputation and, understandably, when it suited him, turned it to his own advantage, ever conscious that while drunken bravado rarely matched action, there was always some gunman eager to prove himself superior to Wild Bill.
Without it, or the state of mind needed to react instinctively when threatened or under fire, even the best shots could hesitate and go down before a drunken desperado or someone coldbloodedly determined to kill or be killed. Despite his awesome gunfighter reputation, Wild Bill did not draw his six-shooters in serious confrontations as often as one might think. In fact, the authenticated killings number six known victims with a possible seventh—if one accepts that he also killed David C.
McCanles at Rock Creek in However, those six victims do serve to pinpoint the difference between a newspaper reputation and reality. Some were genuine admirers, some tongue-in-cheek and others malicious, or they thought it was what the public wanted.
Whatever the reason, Hickok typified the era of the man-killer or shootist, better known today as the gunfighter—a term in use as early as but not popularized until post We will probably never know how Wild Bill really felt about gunfighting. Old-timers recalled his bravery under fire, or deadly purpose when he drew and fired at another man who was as intent on killing him. And he never killed a man unless that man was trying to kill him.
In fact, only three men died, and the fracas has been a controversial issue ever since. The fight occurred following a row between former owner David C. McCanles demanded his money or his property back or he would take it by force. Hickok, who had turned up at the station in late April or early May and was employed as a stable hand or handyman, was not involved when the station keeper, Horace Wellman, who had failed to get money for McCanles or at least a promise to pay, returned empty-handed from the company office at Brownville, Nebraska Territory.
McCanles and Wellman then had an argument, which ended with McCanles and two of his men dead and his young son William Monroe escaping to give the alarm. It has been alleged that Hickok shot McCanles, but it could well have been Wellman. However, Hickok, Wellman and one J. This was between himself and his friend Davis K. Tutt, an ex-Confederate turned Union man who, like Hickok, was an inveterate gambler. Getting steadily drunk, he watched as Wild Bill Hickok played poker at a full table.
When one of the players dropped out, McCall quickly took his place. Drunk and overmatched, McCall lost hand after hand until he had not a dime left in his pocket. Hickok then gave McCall some money to buy himself something to eat and advised him not to play again until he could cover his losses. Though McCall accepted the money, he felt insulted. Photo by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. After some hesitation, Wild Bill joined the game, reluctantly seating himself with his back to the door and the bar—a fatal mistake.
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