The Dead Man's Hand

Wild Bill Hickok was a figure of legend, a man who embodied the old west. He was born to Homer, IL in 1837 and fled to Kansas, becoming a scout and a lawman as he roamed the American frontier. Wild bill was one of the deadliest gunfighters of his time and had a cold-blooded demeanor to match.

Wild Bill won what is said to be the first real duel of the wild west. After escalating tempers from a poker game and failed negotiations on a small debt, Hickok and Davis Tutt had a standoff in Springfield, MO that would set the stage for countless wild west movies. Hickok smoked Tutt at 75yrds hitting him in the heart while Tutt flat out missed. After his arrest following the incident, the code of the old west rang true, and Hickok was set free with nothing more than a large fine.

The shootout that made Wild Bill famous took place in 1861 when he killed David McCanles at a stagecoach station in Rock Creek, Nebraska. McCanles robbed the station and demanded that Wild Bill and the other employees hand over the stagecoach’s strongbox. Wild Bill refused. The two men faced off, and in a flash Wild Bill drew his revolver and shot McCanles twice, killing him instantly. McCanles didn’t stand a chance.

After the incident Shanghai Bill or Duck Bill as he was known, grew a mustache and Wild Bill was born. Wild Bill became a famous lawman working as a marshal in various frontier towns. Most notably he served a tenure in Abilene, Kansas where he put down Phil Coe. Coe thought it would be a great marketing ploy for his saloon to draw a giant cock on the side of a town building. He also fired his revolver within city limits, so Hickok set out to have him arrested. One thing led to another, and Hickok ended up looking down the barrel of Coe’s revolver. No matter, Hickok put him down before Coe’s finger could hit the trigger.  Nobody out-drew the fastest hand in the west.

He was revered for his tough-but-fair enforcement of the law. Legend has it that he also fought a grizzly and ended up having to kill the attacking bear with a knife to the throat. This hardened enforcer did have a gentler side though. Hickok was known for assisting the needy and had a soft spot for children. He often handed out money or treats as he passed through town, earning him the nickname Wild Bill the Baby Tamer.

After his law enforcement days and a stint in the Union Army as a scout during the civil war, Wild Bill developed what today we would consider a gambling addiction. 5 card stud was his game. This indirectly led to Wild Bill’s death, which came at the hands of Jack McCall.

Deadwood, South Dakota: one day after cleaning McCall dry, Wild Bill sat in the same saloon and in unusual fashion sat with his back to the door. A cowardly McCall stormed into the saloon, supposedly seeking revenge for the killing of his brother. He walked right up to Hickok, pulled his Colt Single Action, and put two .45 rounds into Hickok’s back. Hickok’s hand held a pair of Aces and 8’s, which has since been known as the deadman’s hand.