The death of Wild Bill... corrected!
Two small ads... (will appear later). Once we have one million hits!		1st "wrong" labeled photo Before I go into the details on the the murder, I will try to figure out where it happened, or should I say where it did not happen... We know for sure this picture, which is most often used to show what main street looked like at the time he was shot, is incorrect! (The man named in the sign under the clock did not even arrive until late in 1877).  All of main street was also moved due to being "under-mined" when they came to it during the summer of '76... Also claim # 10... said to have been re-named Saloon #10, as well as the bar built by Carl Mann. All figure out to be at different locations! It depends on who's history records you use. And nobody is going to like what I say about this, if I stay with what I have found to be the real truth, you may have to wait a while for that information!		Information on where he was buried, then re-buried is accurate, but they did not spell his name right on the first of many grave markers... Notice the last name is Hickock instead of Hickok. One must understand people wrote as they spoke, spelled as it sounded, and did not realize at the time that it would ever be that important. (The murder of Wild Bill was hardly mentioned in the paper, and after a few fires and floods... about the only record easy to find). Many other things were told much later in time.

We also have a bit of a problem even figuring out the correct placement of what was referred to as main street during the early time! 

Looking at the picture below, (of a picture you can only find hanging on the wall at the current "Old Style Saloon # 10")... I noticed it was labeled 1876? (And it shows several two story buildings on another "main street"... which is then located about on what is now Sherman Street...  If you lay that picture over the next one below it you find that large "ore treatment plant" building is later placed between the "flash spot" and the little bridge, which was not built until July of '76... Very few building was done on any large structures on this side of that bridge before the fall of '76. This picture must be mis-labeled, and taken at a later date, there is some confusion right now about exactly when. Main Street of original Deadwood runs along the high side of the creek in this picture, and has already been taken down to bedrock... all buildings other than three small ones, (located where the Franklin Hotel stands now), had been removed! A water channel runs on down the high side towards what was then known as claim number 10...

The Post Office on Sherman Street, (a large tan building in bottom center), is placed where you see the smallest two story building, located on the original "main" street with many other shops and places of business. (This was actually main street of another town). 

The "double take" picture below is a continuation of this street, showing many shops and stores of the New Deadwood area. (This part of town was another town to the southeast, then considered far away, and across the main stream, where most of the gold was found).

Some trees are now blocking the view of many buildings running south on what is now known as Sherman Street. The actual location, (that the first picture was shot from), was higher on the hill, and a bit to the right. Sherman Street is about where the main street of this community was then...  but the true location of the original Deadwood City Main Street is more of a question. (Also, what was built, where it was built, and when it was moved/rebuilt/finished). 

When Wild Bill was killed, in early August of 1876 I believe actual main street was only a few blocks long, starting at two building up from Goldburg's Grocery... ending when it ran into the hillside behind what is now known as the Wild West Winners Club. It was 35 feet lower than ground level is now on one end, and 15 feet lower at the other end.

Was Wild Bill playing poker in Carl Mann's bar, or Faro in a tent beside claim #10? Was his assassin caught in Goldburg's Grocery or Shotty's Meat Shop? Was Calamity Jane really there? (Doubtful... it was pretty early in the daytime for her)!

I have enjoyed listening to all the "true" versions of the "killing of Wild Bill" throughout the years... mostly I have been surprised at how far apart they are from each other, here are a few examples:

"There was no serious poker played in Deadwood before he died, no complete deck of cards even... no fancy chairs, only stools... no tables, only boards across barrels... in tents! The best story told most often was all made up by drunken people after the fact, once they heard he was famous"... This story goes on and on, mostly about him being blind from Syphilis, and other derogatory comments!

(This is the most negative story, told by someone "stomped on" by the Deadwood people, after the town fell apart soon after the girls were ordered out in the late 1970's). He was possibly referring to the way it was in Deadwood at the time Wild Bill was SAID to have arrived in June... It was not true by the time he died though. At least one new deck of cards arrived by the time the 4th of July Centennial celebration was held, several more came in with other saloon supplies in late July. (And true pioneers said the two things made out of paper that were not used to wipe your butt in a pinch were the bible and a deck of cards for a good poker game... those arrived intact, even to such a remote place as Deadwood during the early part of the gold rush)!

There were even some real chairs and a few round tables, a number of other "nice" things as well. It is true that Wild Bill did not play poker after he got here in July, but it was because he did not have the money at first, for any serious game anyway!

Another famous quote: "It happened in a tent with a board front, open to the claim in the back. There was only whiskey for buckets into the sluice for payment, normally no gambling other than the faro game on the board between the barrels... It was called claim number 10, not Saloon Number 10"...

A true story, but the timing is off again, that was much earlier this summer! And although it did happened, it did not happen with him, his "diggin' days" were over by this time in his life. (He tried to work at a "diggin's" right after he got to town, and gave up on it within 10 days).

"It took place in a dugout behind the present location of the Fairmont Hotel, there was no back door to even run out"...

This story is at least part wrong, Jack McCall did escape out some back door, ran up some alley, and was later cornered in a meat shop, which soon became Goldburg's Grocery! There WAS a dugout used as a bar early that summer, and it does figure out to be fairly close to the tenth claim on that creek, which moved several times that year. (This is impossible to figure out later though, the gold digging all the way down to bedrock, poor record keeping, and future flooding changed everything too much).

"The black aces & eights story was made up in 1934, by a dealer from Deadwood, working in Las Vegas at the time."

Part true maybe, many dealers/pit-bosses/madams etc. were hired out of the Deadwood area to help with the beginning of live gaming in Las Vegas during the depression... Many stories were told of things that happened, or should have happened, in Deadwood's start-up days, some of them were true, most of them were the "stretched truth," and a few were outright lies! This still happens... 

A total of five different stories circulate about what the other card was, (with the aces & eights)... a nine of diamonds, a queen or a jack, and if all the aces and eights really were black? One story even says he only had the two pair... and was about to draw for his other card!

None of these stories are able to be researched before the slow times of the depression, (over 50 years after it happened), mostly because that poker hand was not truly recorded or documented before that. I cannot however say it did not happened at the time, or something like it happened to him in another poker hand that day... indicating bad luck. Also, until after the roaring twenties were over, (and Las Vegas started up in a big way), they did not need to encourage tourism in Deadwood, there were more people here than would fit most of the time. The story about a small group of people coming in from California during the slow times of the "dirty thirties," going into the # 10 with lots of money to spread around... (And asking the bartender about a story concerning Wild Bill holding "Aces & Eights" when he was killed... wanting to know if it was true). Well... duh... what would you have said?

I have an interview with a man who witnessed this event in the bar that day during the depression, and he was sober at the time! He said the bartender did not miss a beat, he even said he could arrange for those boys to play poker right there later that night. And if any of them "caught that hand" in the game, they got a free hour with the girl of their choice! (They did, and they didn't... but much money changed hands out of this happening, and the man said it was the first "real money" from outside the area that summer). After that many stories began to surface, both true and untrue, and Deadwood was off and running on the path of no return!

For some reason that hand gets dealt to poker players in Deadwood way too often, even to this day in time. I do not play much poker, (but have caught the hand three times), I have played in far less than a thousand games in the first ten years of legal gambling! I have been the dealer only a few times in poker, maybe close to fifty games, and I have dealt that hand twice! When it happens to someone at the # 10 or a few other places they get a "bonus" for getting it, anytime it happens anywhere, the player always looks around, and will often leave if their back was facing a door going anywhere! The last time it happened to me I was dealing a "show-off game" in the lobby of the Franklin Hotel using tournament chips as part of an "old west" program. I was dealing to professional actors playing Custer, (the most real one on TV, from Ohio), Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill, (the best ones, both from Cody, Wyoming), Curly Bill, and an unnamed Civil War renegade from Tennessee... It was in August too, and Wild Bill was sitting with his back to a door... I was teaching these players, (and all others watching), the various games offered in Deadwood at the time. When I came to the game "five card draw," I only dealt three hands before moving on to another game. On the second hand, I dealt aces & eights to Wild Bill... Although a true professional at all times during his entire career after that in Deadwood, he was physically shaken by it at the time, even accusing me of dealing off of the bottom of the deck, (something I have never been able to do, even in my best days long ago). The rest of the players, as well as the crowd, were all quite amused that it had happened, and we continued on with the game/show/performance...

Sometime in the spring of 2005 we will finally finish with proof-reading/posting/perfecting all of these web pages about Deadwood. At that time I will be adding all the video and pictures of many re-created times in and out of town. The video of this poker game I just mentioned will replace this paragraph... you will see for yourself. And not only will this page, as well as many others, be much easier to read, (I am not a trained writer, as you can see), but many stories/interviews/performances, as well as some "unbelievable but true" happenings will appear! It will be worth your time to come back and see many of the other pages, when completed. Also, some of the people calling me a liar for what I have said up to now, will be silent forever... but hopefully not silently removed!

One other story just appeared less than two years ago about this famous hand... It stated a quote from the man in charge of supplying "additional chips for a marker," a common practice at the time, (to keep the game going at a fast pace, without having to weigh gold)... He said he noticed Wild Bill's final hand, when bring him more chips! He stated he held four sevens and an unknown high face card, either a jack, queen, or a king!

This is too funny, if you really understand the game, (as it was played at the time), those telling it should try to re-create it someday, they will then see how unbelievable this story really is. We need to stop such nonsense, and get back to the facts... too many people tell the same untrue story too often! Then the Encyclopedia Britannica researches it, (in five books written about Deadwood), and prints it as fact, something that has already happened more than once!

The game was played for high stakes, it even had a "life or death" outcome at times, especially if any of the players were caught cheating... (It was legal to kill a man point-blank for that, but mostly only in games where large amounts of money were involved). Even being involved in disrupting or ruining a good game could be a reason for death, or at least for being "run out of town," which was what happened more often. This still happens to this day... ask "Jerry the Wire" if you can find him, he may be buried beside Jimmy Hoffa... but if he isn't, he is still hiding, and always will be... his family will miss him forever! (And all he did was wear a wire into an illegal game in Spearfish, so the local "gaming gods" could break it up for good). And the power of these people, (the South Dakota Gaming Commission), _____(linked after I am dead)______ is so far reaching, in all the wrong directions, that they need another good house-cleaning yet to this day. Ask "Mick the Snitch" or the "diamond girl," if you can find them, or many others so far, (eight "targeted" people I know of)... If any of them ever got rich enough to buy a "shooter," I would not walk around out in the open very close to anyone involved in enforcing the gambling laws, you may get caught in the cross fire! 

Notice: The following is just a long paragraph about local nonsense, it is not important to those not planning on visiting here, and are only interested in Deadwood, Wild Bill, or history. It is best to scroll down five page clicks and continue reading past the long line about the LOCAL GAMING COMMISSION ______________________:-)

(These people have the power to destroy you, and ruin your chances of ever being a success in this gambling town, or any other... And they "target" anyone who speaks up against them, at the same time allowing those involved in major crimes, as serious as murder, not only go free, but continue to hold some of the higher jobs. They spent all their time involving themselves in everyone's money issues, often private or personal, while ignoring even serious crimes, as long as money is not involved. They turn a deaf ear to the use and abuse of serious drugs, they only work undercover with the crooked cops and bad court people... And most of all, they have nobody around to answer too, no power above them). This is the largest uncontrollable problem the town has these days, other than having the men count the money... And don't forget, the Gaming Commission was originally empowered to control and restrict gaming, (in other words, stop the cheating and illegal dealings of all people involved with gambling). The first year of gambling they were busy back at the state capital getting those they wanted to lead placed in charge and nothing was done, the second year they realized there was much money involved and they had power over it. (Although it was set up as "low-limit" gambling, with a five dollar cap on the highest bet, thought to cause about a 7% increase in tourism and more business for the five bars allowed in town)... Instead an additional 50 "beer" bars appeared, and 75 casinos replaced all but a few of the businesses on Main Street! Wintertime tourism had increased 700%, gambling places ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... over 5000 people were gambling up to 5 dollars almost every second, in some places non-stop! We did not have enough trained personal to work that hard, were running out of beer, and there was no place to park your horse... By the beginning of the second summer of this new gold rush things were totally out of control, at times in fact, nobody was in control of some things involving the large sums of money... (I have a video of over 300 pounds of what appeared to be bags of one hundred dollar bills being temporarily stored in a public bathroom... the guy who was told to watch it went to check on his chow while someone was lining up a cart to haul it someplace safe, he ask me to guard the door). A big-shot from down south was playing poker that night in Callahan's bar at the Franklin Hotel. He had been carrying on all day about everything being bigger and better "back where he came from" in Texas. I was trying to do a video of the start-up of another new bar when he ask me where the bathroom was... (Although we use to have public ones in that hallway, they were being remodeled into a larger handicapped one for women only, we also had a private "help only" bathroom in this hallway, the only men's room was far away downstairs. I was guarding what I thought was a shipment of liquor, often unloaded into this bathroom because it was one step from the entrance to this new bar). I was filming the action from that doorway when he approached... I told him he could just use this close one if he did not take anything! (I was just joking, knowing he would not take a bottle of whiskey, it was free at the game anyway). He opened the door and gave me a strange look, as I was telling him how he could slide the hook to lock it from the inside... I moved closer in time to see him walk into the room, which was half filled with bank bags marked with $100... (I knew we always ran out of "nickel" bags first when doing the "coin drop," and the $100 bags were often substituted, but he did not know that). He had already unzipped his pants and was in a hurry, so I said; "On second thought, you shouldn't really lock the door, I will be waiting right here," and closed the door... He finished quickly and went back to the game, saying nothing... In fact, one of the dealers ask me later what I had said to shut him up on all that bragging he had been doing about Texas? I did not tell her what had happened, I did not even tell the guys doing the drop when they came back for the money. At the end of the night the poker boss ask me about it and I did tell him. Mike told me all the guy said when he lost all his money and got up to leave was; "This is a friendly town, I am going to tell my friends in Vegas about it, but you should do something about your lack of camera surveillance, and find a better place to store your money"... 

It was like that in the gold rush times too, I have seen pictures of a man guarding small barrels of gold nuggets with a single rifle, all alone... The bartender often had pounds of gold in an open box under the counter at closing, nuggets were later found to have fallen through the cracks in the floor boards of many bars even twenty years later. Girls hid "extra favors" in the form of nuggets, money and jewelry in a number of places later found by people remodeling. Other security problems at that time were controlled mostly by the gun, and the fast use of it... Also good watchmen, (they had no surveillance cameras in those days)!

We did not have any video cameras in Deadwood the first year of this new gold rush either, they were not even required. The only one installed in a "gaming room" in the whole town was the one I put in where the "live table" action was located at the Franklin Hotel... At first I hooked it to one of my personal VCR's and recorded many funny things that happened. Later, when we started to get some "rules" and guidelines to follow it was obvious we were violating some serious rules... The first thing I was ordered to do was unhook the microphone, then remove the VCR... Finally I just aimed it more up and back away to just see the entire room, after that the monitor was only used by the front desk, to see if there was room at any of the games for people checking in. Now we have cameras in every public room in town except for the bathroom. And I have seen as many as five cameras in a "count room" the size of a small closet. The last I heard the Gaming Commission wanted to be "hot-wired" into every camera in town as soon as possible, in the meanwhile they have control over every VCR tape or recording computer running 24 hours a day. 

When gambling got going they wanted everyone working with money to wear a "picture tag" with their complete name and their social security number in plain site at all times. By the second year we could no longer wear masks while working on Halloween night... What was next? Maybe branding a number on our arm so they could keep track of us better!! (And meanwhile, what about the cheating going on all over, mostly from people already thrown out of Vegas). I have a good video of one "pro" that was constantly adding to his bet when he had a winning hand at the blackjack table. The Gaming Commission was called and they refused to do anything after he threaten them. (At the time it was felt by most owners that a little loss was acceptable, we did not want to cause any problem with customers, who continued to bring so much fresh money to town daily, now for more than two years). One of the eye-witnesses I got to write up a statement describing his actions on the table that night, (the diamond girl), was later run out of town after becoming a "target" by the "Commission," I also became a target... I still am to this day! (I called Stan an idiot for not getting this problem fellow for openly cheating, and disrupting my game. He did not want to do anything to him as he was crippled... or was at least pretending to be)! 

At that time the normal policy when dealing to a cheater in Deadwood was only to remove the extra chips he added after the cards, I had done that... Then you point it out to others at the table and they make comments... I also did that... (Gary and his wife both made comments, even threatened to write it down if he did not quit)... he didn't and they did... We had cameras on the tables by this time, we reviewed the tape and called the "gaming gods," something our security guy at the time was against. (He was a veteran of high-stakes gaming in Nevada and said they would only cause trouble, he was right). I went to the extra trouble of getting the cheater and the "head of gaming" a private room to discuss this, and provided the statements of the witnesses to both of them, then awaited the outcome, missing out on many tips during that time. When they came out of the room and Stan said; "let him go" I came unglued, calling Stan a "chicken-shit," which as our security said at the time, soon ended my days as a dealer! I was later reminded by my boss that "the Commission" was not here to work with me, they were here to work with him, only to keep people working in gaming from taking money from the owners... What was I thinking... It is not about right or wrong, it is all about the money!

The next thing the "gaming gods" did to control the only people making as much money as they did, (those in the tip trade), was to call in the IRS... It seems some people forgot to write down all of their tips. (This is the same thing the cops did when they did not get a fair share of the girl's money back when the brothels got out of hand)...

All of a sudden some people owed many thousands in back taxes and lost everything, including their drug habits, their marriage and kids, their lives... The smart ones, (coming in from Nevada), had hidden money saved up for several years by then and "negotiated a settlement"... they continued to work! The "stupid ones" put that extra cash in their bank accounts and left a trail even Stan could follow... The real stupid ones, (like me), felt that money was not properly earned, and put most of it back into the "game"... either by playing it, or tipping it back to others, (normally referred to as "spreading the cheese" to all  others in the tip trade, like waitresses and bartenders). When this audit happened I was not working that many hours in the "gaming" side, there was still too much having to do with my responsibilities needing repair at that old hotel, I was lucky to have used some of my money, (and most of my wife's tips), investing in something that would pay off... Like fancy video cameras and editing computers costing many thousands of dollars each. (It was not really a good investment, but a good right-off according to the IRS). We got out of the audit years owing less than one thousand dollars, I had that much in the college fund and used it. (Little did I know, the following year Stan got one of his target... me, and our income dropped from over 40 thousand to less than 20... now all the kids got to put themselves through college). Right after that Colorado got gaming, then the riverboats... 35 other states started Indian Gaming or state sponsored devices and everything went down hill from there. Deadwood was stuck with coupon-mooching locals, tight Canadian buses, and a few foolish tourist. Tips went down to one tenth of the good years for almost everyone. (My wife is still forced to declare over 8% of her "till" in the cafe due to that audit, average tip from a Canadian bus is far less than that... but it does not matter, others are in control). Pam has always kept a very complete record of her tips during her life, the first entry in this book dates back 34 years, at a truck stop on the Interstate... The first entry says only a short statement: "8 hours, $6.34... good day"... another entry was written about ten years ago, it goes into more detail and reads "2 Canada buses, no locals, 93X2 meals, off at 2 PM, Mary and I split $1.80 tips, bad day"... the "till" reading was probably over $500... they each had to declare about $20 in tips, the taxes on that money is taken out of their check and that amount is added to their yearly income. Some winter months that is all it reads for all of her shifts, which are cut down to 4 a week! Four years ago the majority of the Rally bikers finally became such a "rich-yuppy" type that their tips no longer got her out of the hole from a winter full of Canadians... She is still positive though, says; "At least I have a job, and in the summer I still get 40 hours"... Only thing wrong with that "targeted crack-down" was the few they missed. (Remember, this is only about money, not right or wrong)! They got every tip person in town except one very small group, those working in hard-liquor bars... Some say the "money gods'' got free booze or sexual favors to leave them out, or just include them in the "average tip day" of the beer bars, which is still declared at "one dollar per hour worked" as far as I know. (That is about right for beer bars, especially those who charge an even dollar for the beers, but not even close to the hard liquor tips, which are at least twenty times that). You can easily tell these few people apart from all others after 15 years, they are the ones with very nice things, except for the two who sell coke on the side, their nice things went up their nose long ago. And as far as free booze, that's a joke, everybody knows you either tip heavy for strong hard liquor, or you pay the going price for a watered down drink! Sexual favors are another story... the only three I know that do it take opposite approaches towards the same goal, getting "ahead"... One gets a lot a head, and good for her, she is earning every dollar her family needs... The other one has no family, concentrates on the bosses head, pours the worst drink in town, makes the worst tips, and is the only girl I have ever known to be called a bitch by women. I am not sure why she is still here, the girl she ran off to get that job, (a very wise 40+ year Deadwood bartender), once told me she is allowed to live here as an example to others, so they do not become like her! That makes some sense, if you think about it... 

The next trick the "gaming gods" did was to involve themselves in the personal lives of all people they were directed to "target" by bosses and owners... (using money as the reasoning behind it again... if you owed money, you were at risk to become a thief, and steal from your place of business)! All debts were discovered and declared, many people were "called on the carpet," before getting that "almighty important" permit to be involved another year in the money business! Those who "know who to suck up to" seemed to get by with debts of many thousands, even to the IRS, even for ten years. Those with even very small debts, often to undeserving creditors on baloney claims got two choices, pay off or don't work! (In investigating this further I noticed another thing... it was not "across the board" type debts, people, or amounts... it was again the "targeted" trouble-makers... those who did not blindly follow the lead of those in charge of all money). It is an abuse of power, the power of money, just like in the old days, nothing has changed!

In the original gold rush those with money controlled those without the money, it controls even those who have it in their possession, as long as it is IN their possession. The Indians were right, one must put it out of site and not return to that area, less you be lost. A very wise man was once ask to put that into words all could understand... I still wonder how anybody can fit a camel through the eye of that needle. Maybe the Gaming Commission has a very big needle, and they are running it through the heart of anyone who argues with them!

Notice: The "local ranting and raving" about problems not concerning the tourists... (And rest assured, if you brought money to town, or they even think you have money, or at least some friends with money... Nobody controlling that money after you spend it will ever bother you while you are here. They will even send you free money if you give them your address). This entire part of the page will disappear, and reappear on a separate page dedicated totally to the local problem with THE GAMING COMMISSION._______________________________________:-)

Back to the "main game" as it was called, the one where you had a few simple rules, not played for "table stakes" or with marked cards! The one where you could bet your whore, your claim or your deed... even your father's gold watch, all on a single good hand! The one that Wild Bill had gotten into with a "fairly large amount of gold," maybe playing against Carl Mann, (part owner of one of the nicest "operations" in Deadwood), another very rich man, (who appears to still remain a mystery), and Capt. Massie... (Who had either robbed his riverboat, or sold it out from under his investors... but had come to town in hiding, with more paper money than anyone had flashed into any game in town, up to this time).

This was a serious game, played with a controlled amount of marked "chits" supplied by the bar. Almost nobody was allowed close enough to the game to ever see cards or touch the chips, and in no way did they take part in the game. The only exception I ever heard of was maybe a badly-drugged/brain-dead whore, who had the smarts to never make a comment! (But it was observed by many, as close as possible, to watch for "tells" from the players... and any time the table fell over due to a fight coming by, or one at the table... the witnesses were often used to get an educated guess about who had how many chits, and who had won those in the middle at the time the table went over)! It was very exciting to watch such a game, just as the "high-stakes/no-limit" games played these days, (in a few very private areas)! 

In such games there would normally be a "bank" in a safe place inside this room, and most "large" winnings are banked as the game goes on, all guns are checked... (all witnesses are even "padded down" as they enter)! It is serious poker played by the best in the world, still played with declared/counted chits, and often with "many thousand dollar" buy-ins! This business of large piles of money just laying around in front of players is directly from HollyWorld, I have never seen such a thing anywhere in the Black Hills in all my years. People do not "bet the farm" or their women anymore either, although they may bet the "use of a girl" once in a while, (but not without permission, and often by request). There are no sunglasses or hidden tells, no booze or drugs, VERY little talking for the most part... (I always remember one line from the best poker man in the hills, while trying to re-train me)... Mike would say: "Larry, shut up and deal"... 

The cards were also closely guarded during the "games of old," due to the way the game was played, no mirrors, rings, or strange sounds were allowed... (no pretty painted ladies on the lap, or behind you... or behind anyone else). Serious poker, five cards only, one draw only, a large "ante" followed by two chances to bet! (The game was fairly new, said to have been invented on riverboats a generation before this). The cards had only spots to indicate the ace through tens, no numbers in the corners... only the "face" cards had anything in the corner in fact, (a heart or a diamond was the same as it is now, the "puppies feet" and the "shovel" may have been a bit different in some decks of the day, the face cards were often hand painted... No fancy stuff either, one king did not have a sword through his head... no one eyed jack or stuff like that, very simple cards). You looked at your hand by sliding each card facing you to the back, one at a time, and then you remembered what you had, and seldom looked again. (There was no need to sort them out, or "fan" the cards... it could not help you to see the hand anyway). The most worthless card was the only one showing, and you never put them down, changed hands, or took your hand off the table! Nobody ever saw what you had until you laid them all down on the table after announcing your hand, you did not show a hand unless you were called, not even then if you were already beaten! Nobody working in the bar was allowed to see your hand, especially if their boss was betting against you. And as far as seeing four sevens in a hand while passing quickly by, you try it once! Get out an already ruined deck, old or new style, it doesn't matter... (now white out the numbers in the corners, if you are in a hurry for this test just do those on all four sevens, as well as the sixes and eights), make up his so-called hand of all sevens and see what you can still see! Now fan them out as far as you safely can, and put sixes and eights anywhere among the sevens... can't tell the difference can you? The other card was a "nothing card," (had no bearing in the outcome of the game), it would have been tossed in the draw, with a bluff of hoping for an "outside" straight or something stupid. The same thing would have happened if he had the famous two pair, either way the "house" would have not seen a seven... or an eight or ace. This is a poorly made up story, at best the man would have seen a worthless card, (it would have also been the only card normally visible, and Wild Bill would have stopped shuffling when it was in the front)!

There is also much discussion about when the shot was fired, (before or after the first or second round of betting, or after the draw)... I assure you, until the final betting, as well as the draw has occurred, nobody would have gotten close to the table without attracting a great deal of attention... Especially someone like Jack McCall. When a hand is over, and someone has placed the winning cards down for everyone to see, and all others in the game have agreed, then and only then would others move closer to get a better look, it could have happened then...

When he was shot from the back some say he even stood partly up, and drew both guns before he died, most say he just slumped over... This kind of thinking comes from other stories about lawmen and man-killers of that day, they were indeed a different breed, and reacted differently than most when a shot was fired! It had been a common thing in his past for Wild Bill to draw his guns, even fire in the direction of the shot, before most others had time to react. (And the normal reaction from everyone would be to hit the floor, giving them a better chance of survival, and declaring they did not want to be involved in the gun-play). A good sheriff would turn to the side, making a skinny target, and fire with a single gun, held at eye level. A select few, including Wild Bill, would stand their ground, and empty both guns into anyone returning fire, and do it from waist level. But he would have needed guns to even have done this, and he didn't possess any hand guns that we know of on this day, although he did mention he wanted to get one earlier that morning! (This happened while talking to a lawman about correcting some of the problems with the rough crowd controlling this town at the time... and this conversation was actually the reason for him later being murdered). He also spoke with the man he was staying with around the fire one night before that, but Charlie did not tell anyone of the conversation until after his death. Wild Bill felt the "little guy" was not given a fair chance in the Deadwood area, and he indicated he wanted to help "clean up the town" or at least stand up for some who had been "took" real bad. It had been decided this would end his life in due time, he seemed to be OK with that though, he was almost blind and somewhat useless by this time anyway! In the conversation on the street, (before noon on the faithful day of August 2nd), it was reported he spoke at some length of his willingness to acquire some pistols and kill some people! (In response the lawman stated he was too blind in the daylight, and may be too slow to clap his hands before a man in front of him could draw his pistol... It is said Wild Bill instinctively clapped his hands at this moment, only to close them on a gun, which had been quietly drawn during the conversation! At that moment his fate had been decided, as this lawman was also a business owner, and was involved in the "fixing" of the price paid for gold, (which had gone down from over twenty dollars, to eighteen)... Also there was also this problem of the ever-increasing price of things all people needed... like food, tools, canvas, and many other things. This problem went unsolved for a long time after that, and was addressed at every Rendezvous campfire for two years!

Back to the reason for his death... (Much has been spoken about how he died, but nobody wants to speak of the "why," which is more important than anything else about this event)... A meeting was held in the backroom of a Jewish Merchant, to discuss the problem with this fast-gun "righteous" man... and how to remove him from the picture. Although it was the normal meeting place for Jewish "church," and many of those present happened to be Jewish, this meeting really did not have anything to do with religion, it was more about "margin of profit, price control," or as the mountain man of the day called it, handling the people... There were other people of importance who were not Jewish at this meeting, mostly those who had overall control of the price and availability of some necessary commodities. The man reporting this information had some control over the wholesale price of meat supplied during this summer, although he was not as badly affected by the sins of greed and envy. After the death of Wild Bill he left town for good, although he correctly stated the outcome of Jack McCall's trial on the matter, which did not take place before his departure! He also had spoken at great length of the corruption involving this area, stating he left for his own good, fearing the town was just to evil to deal with and survive, he also feared repercussions from the friends of such a famous man! This "mountain man," or another like him, also addressed some friendly Indians the same summer concerning this matter. Although most Indians were long gone by then, (on the run due to the death of Custer and his men), a few stayed behind in an attempt to try to settle the problem of all these white men surrounding the sacred Black Hills. It was the most important thing being addressed at the time, although the subject was brought up about the power of the Jews, and if they may be convinced to help in the matter. It was reported the answer was not what the Indians had expected to be the final word on this issue. (They seemed to understand the problem this group of people had throughout all ages... even they knew that many "picked on the Jews" in those days, and thought they may be far more considerate about the "plight of the Indians," who were also quite strong in a belief of a higher power having some control over the fate of their nation). They just could not understand why the gold had become so important to such a group of wise people, and were surprised it had become the controlling factor! One other important fact came out of this information, namely the lack of control the Jewish people really had during the summer of '76... according to this report they had very little to say in the matters yet, only the fact that a "secret meeting place" was under their control. Others with more experience in dealing with miners seemed to be more in control of most things inside the Deadwood City area. Only the death of Preacher Smith was said to have been more of an idea from their people, but that was at another meeting... Upon completion of my investigating of those reporting various portions of this matter to the Indians later lead me to believe at least two different mountain men were telling about what was happening in Deadwood at that time, because the preacher was not killed yet, not in fact for several weeks after the first man had left town!

It is not known exactly how the assassin Jack McCall was contracted for this killing, in what way he was paid, or how much... (I think it was between $230 and $270), but where it happened is somewhat documented, if you can believe a whore! (A poor choice of words maybe, but I am stating it just as I heard it, supposedly quoted directly from her own words on the matter). Jack was well thought of at this time actually, mostly by the girls who had gotten to know him, (in a brothel located somewhere on main street). It seems he had drove a wagon from Cheyenne, part of a large group of wagons in fact, and not one of the earliest trips... (More of a follow-up trip, with some orders from town, one of which was "as many cats as you can find" for our girls). The cats were in cages, two or three to a cage, collected from alleys or stolen from some people in Wyoming by him and others. His wagon had tipped over while crossing a creek not far from town, he had rescued one cage and a small number of cats that he did not return to the wagon. She said Jack hid the cage in some underbrush along the edge of the creek and pulled several cats from the water, getting badly scratched in the process! After the "cat auction" he was paid and went to the brothel in question. Early the following morning he returned with this girl to the creek for the remaining cats... they were traded for food and lodging in some room inside or close to this brothel. This girl also tended to his needs involving not only sex, but the many applications of something to heal his scratches. It was in her private "crib" that several important men approached him not long before Wild Bill's death. It was not reported what was said, although this girl knew more than she was telling, either from something said at the time, or later repeated by Jack directly to her. The "just of it" was simple, "You kill him, we will get you off." Enough said... no other witness has come forth though, I do not like to print this as the final truth on the matter, I need at least one more independent story on it, and fear I will never hear more on this subject. Several people have said things to this effect, but they were all stating information obtained after the trial, not before the killing! In my own mind I believe it to be true, I would not have placed it here otherwise...

When Jack McCall entered the bar where Wild Bill was playing poker he is reported to have been alone, and seemed to have had a purpose, a goal... some direction and determination. He was not there very long, and shot as soon as he got the chance. Many versions of the story say he attempted to fire other shots, but the gun did not work. He did escape out the back without a shot fired at him from anyone there, and the number of people inside at the time varies... Only one thing is known for sure, every liar in camp was later to report he was there, including Calamity Jane! Jack was quickly cornered at a meat shop and gave up without a fight! From that point on the happenings were well documented and later verified by a group, who in due time started a play based on his trial. (A number of people living in the Deadwood area during that time were questioned while still alive, much information was gathered, and sorted... the complete truth was discovered. Also court records were copied by the man trying to prosecute the case, before they had been destroyed by fire or flood). There was no question about what happen when Jack was set free and left town, what really happened to Wild Bill was more of a mystery, as it was of very little importance that day. (Someone died almost every day, this man had just arrived, had few friends and very little money or possessions... the information about his murder in the paper rated a small column on page six). His horse and personal belongs at the tent went to Charlie Utter, and some of it was later returned to his wife, (Charlie also put up the money for his marker). His rifle went to the man who prepared his body for burial and very little is known about what happened to any money he had in the bar!

Around the poker game area of the bar, immediately following the shooting, there was much confusion I am sure, two people had been shot, one killed... Tending to the needs of the wounded man and removing the body would have been first, (right after it was determined which of the players had how many of those chits on the floor)! I personally think the table went over at the time, and everyone found themselves on the floor. (You re-create the event... fire a large caliber six-gun at close range, with people sitting around a table, see what happens... everyone will dive down and away from the sound of the shot). I have also seen what a body does when shot through the brain, Wild Bill may have crushed the table, if it was still there... but for sure it would not have remained in place by the end with other player kicking around on the floor. The hand being played at the time was null and void, the players could not finish it due to a violation of the rule preventing them from switching any card in their hand. It is a possibility the game may have been called, unless there was another good deck handy... 

As far as that story about black aces and black eights, there is something mysterious about this hand continuing to appear more often than the computer says it should to this day in Deadwood poker games. There was much more superstition in town then, more than now too, it is possible it was not mentioned out in the open for so long after that for good reason. I also do not think these cards were removed from "Wild Bill's cold dead fingers" either, it is more likely he would have gone limp, and fell like a sack of potatoes! I think those cards were face up, and among the ones scattered on the floor with the chips, and I think if there is some truth to this part of the story, those seeing all black aces and eights anywhere together on the floor, (even if was by chance, or someone else's hand), saw it as a "sign" of death, and said very little more about it at that time. I also think maybe later on, after people had gone through a world war and a depression they were more curious than afraid, and were more incline to want to hear/repeat/exaggerate information about such things. The people of Deadwood are more than happy to tell anyone asking "all about it," and these stories will go on forever... who knows, they may even get better!