Cheers!
This stamp means I'm old enough to drink... and that ain't no bull... oh, wait... it does kinda look like a bull.
Wild Bill was 39 years old when he was killed.
Even though we had gotten there early, it wasn't clear where the show was going to be... and as luck had it, it was on the other side of the room, so we mostly just "heard" it. Same actors, different roles.
Here is the story in more (gruesome) detail:
Wild Bill was sitting playing cards with a couple other men. Normally he NEVER sat with his back to the door, but this afternoon, he had joined the game late and no one was willing to give up their chair. "Crooked Nose" Jack McCall (aka Billl Sutherland) walked in and shot him point blank in the back of the head. The bullet exited through his cheek (according to reports, carrying some brain matter with it) and hit another player in the wrist. McCall fled into the street where he was captured.
A trial was conducted the next morning, with a jury that was quickly thrown together. The testimonies of several eye witnesses were heard, including the men at the poker table. The defense focused on creating a bad past reputation for Bill. And McCall stuck to his story that Wild Bill had killed his brother so this was justice.
McCall was acquitted of the murder and left the area soon after, and headed into Wyoming. He was subsequently re-arrested after bragging about his deed, and a new trial was held. This was not considered double jeopardy because at the time Deadwood was in Indian country. The new trial was held, and tis time, McCall was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged on March 1, 1877 (at the age of around 26), and buried in the Roman Catholic cemetery. The cemetery was moved in 1881, and when his body was exhumed, he still had the noose around his neck.
McCall's true motives will probably never be known. At first, he claimed it was to avenge his brother, then it was that Bill cheated at cards, and still later he tried to plea bargain, giving authorities the name of a man whom he claimed had paid him do to the deed. On the other hand, perhaps it was simply ego. He had also lost in cards to Bill the day before and didn't have enough money to cover the debt (Bill let him off, even giving him some of the money back).
Jack McCall (played by Sean Baxter), me, Wild Bill (Travis Pearson), and Captain William Massie or the guy who got shot in the wrist (Guy Darland)
Out in street, McCall was captured and led down the street to where his trail was going to be staged at the Masonic Temple.
The sheriff arrives on the scene.
Jack's gun is taken from him.
During the walk to the trial, an old man comes out into the street, cackling and swinging a noose.
He later told us he wasn't officially part of the show, just a store owner who thought he'd come out and have a bit of fun!
We took our seats in the long room, right in front of the stage. The show was set up more as a comedy than anything else... with music, lots of humor, and audience participation (some more willing than others). But they went through the motions of the trial, eventually reaching the point where McCall was set free.
The Dover Brothers are Andy Mosher, Mark Anderson and Randy Christensen. We were encouraged to participate in songs like "Rock me mama like a wagon wheel" and an interesting "Ghost chickens in the sky."
One of the "witnessess" from the audience
A young deputy keeps a close eye on McCall the entire time.
As we left the hall, McCall was outside the door in a coffin... complete with noose around his neck.
Goodbye, Jack!
We made our way slowly back to the car, passing more information signs on the way.
Deadwood in the late 1880's...
... and 1909 from the same vantage point.
The real Calamity Jane
Born as Martha Jane Canary (1852 – 1903), she was the oldest of six children. In 1865, the family headed west on a wagon train. Along the way, her mother died from "washtub pneumonia." After some more moving about, her father died about two years later. Jane became head of the family and did what she could to support them all. She worked as a dishwasher, cook, waitress, dance-hall girl, nurse, part-time prostitute (she was apparently quite a looker when she was young), and even an ox team driver. Eventually found work as a scout .
From her autobiography of 1896 she writes:
"In 1865 we emigrated from our homes in Missouri by the overland route to Virginia City, Montana, taking five months to make the journey. While on the way, the greater portion of my time was spent in hunting along with the men and hunters of the party; in fact, I was at all times with the men when there was excitement and adventures to be had. By the time we reached Virginia City, I was considered a remarkable good shot and a fearless rider for a girl of my age. I remember many occurrences on the journey from Missouri to Montana. Many times in crossing the mountains, the conditions of the trail were so bad that we frequently had to lower the wagons over ledges by hand with ropes, for they were so rough and rugged that horses were of no use. We also had many exciting times fording streams, for many of the streams in our way were noted for quicksands and boggy places, where, unless we were very careful, we would have lost horses and all. Then we had many dangers to encounter in the way of streams swelling on account of heavy rains. On occasions of that kind, the men would usually select the best places to cross the streams; myself, on more than one occasion, have mounted my pony and swam across the stream several times merely to amuse myself, and have had many narrow escapes from having both myself and pony washed away to certain death, but, as the pioneers of those days had plenty of courage, we overcame all obstacles and reached Virginia City in safety. Mother died at Black Foot, Montana, 1866, where we buried her."
After her time in Deadwood, she bought a ranch in Montana, got married, moved some more, and participated in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show as a storyteller. She eventually returned to the Black Hills, doing cooking and laundry for one of the brothels. She died in 1903 in her 50's while drinking heavily on a train. She had struggled all her life with alcohol... and also with embellishing her accomplishments. This has made it very difficult to determine the "true facts" of her life.
