gunslingers the Wild West from 1850 to
1890 the Old West had little in the way
of government law or police men would
carry guns on them to protect themselves
some were outlaws and some were the
lawmen who tried to stop them good aim
and speed with a gun and a willingness
to pull the trigger would make them
famous today we call them gun fighters
or gunslingers but back then they were
called gunman or Shootist let's look at
some of the famous individuals who
gained a reputation for their exploits
as gunslingers Wild Bill Hickok law
enforcement Wild Bill Hickok was a
frontiersman army scout actor and lawman
who helped bring order to the frontier
West his career as a gunslinger started
on the wrong side of the law killing
class and being put on trial twice and
being released both times Hickok was
elected sheriff of Ellis County Kansas
in 1869 his reputation as gunslinger
continued when he killed two men in
gunfights within his first month in 1871
Wild Bill became marshal of Abilene
Kansas this was a dangerous town during
his shootout with saloon owner Phil Coe
it caught killed Coe before he could
fire a shot at him Hickok been
accidentally fired two shots at his
deputy Mike Williams who he mistook for
an outlaw and killed him he would regret
this accident for the rest of his life
in 1876 in Deadwood South Dakota Wild
Bill Hickok who had become a regular
poker player at Nuttall and Mann's
saloon with his back to the door was
shot and killed instantly by Jack McCall
the cards he was holding at the time
were a pair of black aces and a pair of
black aids which became known as the
dead man's hand Billy the Kid hired gun
Billy the Kid spent most of his short
life in and out of jail he was a
gunslinger in a feud between two
factions in which both sides stole from
and killed each other Billy the Kid
would participate in the Lincoln County
War in New Mexico on the side of
Englishman entrepreneur John Tunstall
and a vigilante gang called the
regulator's who formed after tons
they were in conflict the gunmen who
supported Dolan a businessman who had
opposed Tunstall after the end of the
conflict and his escape Billy the kid
whose real name was William Henry
McCarty was accused of killing a number
of men became a fugitive in 1878 the
governor of New Mexico offered safety
for Billy if he surrendered however the
district attorney turned on Billy once
they had him in custody
Billy escaped from jail but three months
later was shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett
while sneaking into a house at night
Jesse and Frank James train robbers
Jesse James was a bandit who was
sympathetic to the Southern cause he and
his brother Frank fought against Union
soldiers in the American Civil War and
made raids on the anti-slavery towns
after the war they robbed banks
and formed the James Gang after robbing
more and more stores stagecoaches and
banks the gang moved on to robbing
trains gaining a high price on their
head and becoming nationally famous when
the game tried robbers National Bank
both killed Minnesota in September of
1876 Cole Jim and Bob younger were all
captured and given life sentences
however the James boys escaped Jesse
wanted to keep robbing banks and was
assisted by cousins Bob and Charley Ford
Jesse was killed when the disloyal Bob
Ford who now wanted the reward money for
Jesse James's bounty shot him in the
back of the head in his hotel room why
their lawman Wyatt Earp made his name as
a famous lawman in several Wild West
towns and earned the reputation as one
of the toughest gunslingers of the Old
West
his most famous showdown would be in
Tombstone Arizona Wyatt Earp and his
brothers Virgil and Morgan and their
friend Doc Holliday took on the McLaury
and Clanton brothers who were cattle
smugglers and horse thieves the Earp's
were seen as a threat to their illegal
activities during the shootout McLaury
brothers knew Billy Clanton were killed
why it wasn't wounded although Virgil
and Morgan work today
the shootout is known as gunfight at the
okay Corral
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