Hardin rode with outlaw Frank Polk in Navarro County until Polk was arrested for murder. He started his criminal career at the age of 17, when he stabbed and killed a fellow gambler whom he had accused of cheating him at cards. [citation needed], In many early western films and literature, Native Americans were often portrayed as savages; having conflicts and battles against gunfighters and White settlements. [3] Bat Masterson used the term "gunfighter" in the newspaper articles which he wrote about the lawmen and outlaws whom he had known. The well-worn picture we have of a Wild West gunfight a tension-filled standoff in the middle of a dusty street, often at high noon, won invariably by the man who unholsters his gun more quickly than his opponent is largely fiction. He was not a killer in the ranks of Clay Alison. Even J.W.H., admired most of his gunshow marksmanship yadyadayda. A gunfighter was someone who was good with a gun and willing to use this skill in a dispute, not exactly the best shot in the world like a sniper, but just someone willing to standup and fight a foe. Gordon wanted her to stop working. One of the most famous stories about him involves a confrontation he had with a sheriff named Bud Frazer over Millers alleged involvement in the murder of a cattle rancher. In 1880, Allison relocated to Mobeetie, Texas, where he met and married America Medora Dora McCulloch. WebIn the film Tombstone (1993), Doc Holliday was portrayed by Val Kilmer. Today, the term "gunslinger" is more or less used to denote someone who is quick on the draw with a pistol, but can also refer to riflemen and shotgun messengers. "Wyatt Earp," Masterson wrote in his later career as a journalist, "is one of the few men I personally knew in the West in the early days, whom I regard as absolutely destitute of physical fear.". In 1899 the Earps went to Alaska during the Gold Rush and again opened a successful saloon. The body count of 44 for John Wesley Hardin was all from the recorded names of lawmen and two individuals he was actually convicted of killing not the uinknown total of others who stood in his way. WebLegend says the Wild West outlaw Billy the Kidcattle rustler, gunslinger, murderer, escape artistkilled 21 people before he turned 21 years old, his age at death. Lawless violence such as range wars like the Lincoln County War and clashes with Indians were also a cause. sweet number onemy dad gave me the middle name of Wesley because of John Wesley Hardin. One the lesser-known but more notoriously violent gunslingers of the Old West was John King Fisher, who was in and out of prison from the age of sixteen. The group went on a killing spreekilling three people within three days, including a sheriff and a deputy. Corral (though it wasnt really in a corral at all), cemented Earps reputation as a Probably not. Even other gunslingers were likely to avoid any unnecessary confrontation. A gunfighter would use tie-downs to keep his pistol from catching on the holster while drawing. Wyatt responded by sending several rounds into Billy. Several legendary gunslingers are revealed in the gallery of photos. Ironically, some modern historians have claimed that on this particular occasion Horn was actually innocent. Longabaugh was reputed to be the best shot and fastest gunslinger of the Wild Bunch, a group of robbers and rustlers who ranged through the Rocky Mountains Jim miller?? "His draw was only fairly fast," Earp's assistant, Arthur King, told True West magazine in 1959, relayed in "Wyatt Earp's Cow-boy Campaign," by Chuck Hornung, "but his accuracy was uncanny.". Most experts believe the real number is right around 100 men. Wes Hardin was no doubt a killer, but he probably didn't kill 44 men. Short shot him in the chest, killing him. He kept his pistol in the pocket of his coat. [1][10] For instance, the gunfight at the O.K. James Butler Hickok is one of the most famous gunmen of the Old West. WebFastest Gun that ever lived Don Hamilton 5.38K subscribers Subscribe 172K 5.4M views 9 years ago Amazing Fast Draw.- Draw and shot in less than 2/100's of a second. This was the first recorded example of two men taking part in a quick-draw duel. Billy The Kid. After his troops took down the remaining outlaw, Patton tied the three dead men to the hood of his touring car and drove the bodies back to his commanding officer. Roland Deschain from the fantasy series The Dark Tower is a gunfighter pitted against fantasy-themed monsters and enemies. One of the most legendary figures of the Old West, Wild Bill Hickok was an actor, gambler, lawman, and gunfighter who was regarded as one of the most skilled gunslingers of his day. He shot a man in the eye in Pisgah on a bet and killed a black man in Leon County, Texas. After being wounded several times while fighting in the Civil War, Stoudenmire moved to the lawless city of El Paso, Texas to serve as sheriff. Bob Munden, the worlds fastest gunslinger, was one of those special few. One of those pictured is famed black cowboy Jesse Stahl, whose rodeo riding skills were unparalleled in the 1800s. The first story of the shootout was detailed in an article in Harper's Magazine in 1867 and became a staple of the gunslinger legend. He then went back to the saloon. To imply that Wyatt Earp backed down Clay Allison ( And before that Ben Thompson) both\ Corral, which occurred in 1881 when Earp, his brothers Morgan and Virgil, and friend Doc Holliday confronted a group of cowboys who had recently been arrested for robbing a stagecoach. No Kid Curry? That 30-second throwdown, which came to be known as The captain reacted in an instant. [41], Not as well known today but famous in his time was the dapper, derby-wearing train robber Marion Hedgepeth, who despite his swell appearance, "was a deadly killer and one of the fastest guns in the Wild, Wild West". The outlaws' bullets tore at Davis's clothing but caused only two slight flesh wounds. He was buried in Pecos Cemetery; his body was later moved to the courtyard next to the Orient Hotel Museum. After hitting one with a branding iron, he supposedly outdrew another and shot him. William Pinkerton, whose National Detective Agency had sought to capture Hedgepeth and his gang for years, noted that Hedgepeth once gunned down another outlaw who had already unholstered his pistol before Hedgepath had drawn his revolver. Frank Loving, who had only a slight scratch on his hand, was immediately taken to jail. WebJames Miller Hired Killer of the Old West. Hickok was supposedly holding a pair of Aces and Eights at the time, a combination now known as the Dead Mans Hand., Known for his mercurial personality and violent temper, Clay Allison was a gunfighter who is remembered as one of the most notorious and downright deranged outlaws of the Old West. There is more speculation than history in this list. A sharpshooter when she was still a young woman, she engaged in [25][38] Timothy Isaiah "Longhair Jim" Courtright was running the T.I.C. In 1871, Hardin was arrested for the murder of Texas marshal Laban John Hoffman, but he escaped after killing another police officer, Jim Smalley. [72], Many Japanese manga and anime have also adopted the western genre. "His mind calculated he was kind of like a quarterback when the defense moves on you, and you have to calculate, 'What's my backup plan, here?' [74][75], Modern-day western gunslingers have also appeared in recent Neo-Westerns. No Jesse James in your list?! Just one example of Jesse Jamess skill was when he shot one of his gang who had fired at him while they were riding at speed. He sent two deputies to arrest Ike Clanton. Definitely agree that Hardin is the deadliest, almost all were head on gun fights with armed gun fighters and law men, and well documented. This story is not true because Laurel arrived the first time in the USA (was english) in 1910 together with Chaplin (born english too) for the first American tour and met Oliver Hardy ten years later. "He called it deliberation," says Dunham, who also serves as president of the Wild West History Association. And it really didn't matter. A lot of the guys on this list worked as sheriffs at some point or another. His mother ran out after him. He entered the council hall and dared the councilors to try to take his guns or his job, at which point they immediately changed their mind, saying he could keep his job. [10] How famous gunfighters died is as varied as each man. [37] One of the women who worked there had an ex-boyfriend named Mike Gordon who had just been discharged from the Army. While there he left for periods while he went to Deadwood and another time to Texas. Alll this info is interesting. Doesnt add up so your story cant be true. Blevins returned to Holbrook and was heard bragging about his killings. King Fisher had great success as a county sheriff in Texas. Horn was finally caught and hanged in 1901 after being linked to the murder of a 14-year-old boy. This list is absolutely terrible.. king fisher was hardly a gunfighter but more of a cowboy type figure who for intl a few scrapes with ranch hands..btk was not a gunfighter he was a cattle rustler/hired hand who handled himself well and used a gun when he had to(only 4 kills). Years later, I found out that Arness was known to be horribly slow at drawing a gun and was filmed many times before he could "beat" the gunslinger to the draw. After several years of working as an officer of the law, he moved to Dodge City along with his brother. Gunmen Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Bass Reeves, Commodore Perry Owens, and Luke Short all died of natural causes, living out their lives on reputation and avoiding conflict in secluded retirement. [40] They met in an alley following an argument about a card game. [15] Other gunfighters would use bridgeport rigs that gave a faster and easier draw. There were many better career policemen than Wyatt Earp. They weren't. Dallas Stoudenmire was born in Bullock County, Alabama, on December 11, 1845, to Lewis and Elizabeth Stoudenmire. Johnny Ringo built a reputation as a gunslinger while never taking part in a gunfight or killing unarmed civilians. This garnered nation wide news. Privacy Policy | TopTenz T-Shirts | Sponsors. The shooting started when Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury cocked their pistols. A little closer look, though, reveals that Earp who never was wounded in a gunfight and died at age 80 of natural causes maybe wasn't that fast. Jim Killer Milller ( supposed killer of Pat Garrett), no I dont believe he should be among the ranks. [16] Revolvers were a popular weapon to gunfighters who were horsemen, cowboys, and lawmen because of their concealability and effectiveness on horseback. [citation needed], Known gunmen/lawmen were generally effective, and in time the violence would subside, usually, after the gunman/lawman had been involved in several shooting incidents, eventually leading to a substantial and well-earned fear that kept everyone in line. One journalist reckoned that if Munden had Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: John Donovan But they were just as apt to be like the O.K. These duels did occasionally happen, as in the case of the Luke ShortJim Courtright duel, but gunfights were typically more spontaneous, a fight that turned deadly when one side reached for a weapon, and no one knew who actually won the fight for several minutes until the air finally cleared of smoke. Haha! He was involved in several gunfights, mostly just maiming opponents, so he was a gunfighter because he did fight armed opponents. [65][66][67], The quick draw which gunfighters help popularize, is still an important skill in the American military and law enforcement communities. and not everybody really can do that, especially when there's live rounds coming at you," says Marshall Trimble, Arizona's official state historian. I agree with Mander. In fact, the faster draw generally misses, and therefore gets killed.". I have always been fascinated with Billy The Kid, Although i dont want to glamorize what these men did in their time it certainly was a time to die with their Cowboy Boots on. [31], The famous lawman Wyatt Earp gave an account of having participated in a duel once during his vendetta. Some historians have since stated that it is possible that over time he was confused with another Wild Bunch member, Kid Curry, who was without a doubt the most dangerous member of the gang, having killed many lawmen and civilians during his lifetime before being killed himself. After his brother Morgan was killed in retaliation, Wyatt embarked on a mission to kill everyone associated with Morgans death. Doc hollidy, kid curry, Luke short and dave matter should be on there before half those guys. Men such as these were called gunmen, pistoleers, and shootists; the term gunslinger is only a Hollywood creation. While he served his time, Hardin studied religion and law, but he suffered from bad health. [citation needed], It is often difficult to separate lawmen of the Old West from outlaws of the Old West. When asked why he had eaten with a man who wanted to kill him, Allison replied, I wouldnt want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach. For a man who led such a dangerous lifestyle, Allison met a rather ironic and unimpressive death in 1887, when he fell off a wagon and broke his neck. [62], Alongside the iconic cowboy, gunfighters have become a cultural image of the American people abroad, and also as an idealized image of violence, frontier justice, and adventure. [79] Another well-known video game Western protagonist is John Marston from Red Dead Redemption, who was nominated for 2010 Spike's Video Game Awards, as well as his friend Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2. This caught the attention of the famed Pinkerton Detective Agency, and Horn worked for them for several years as a tracker and bounty hunter. 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