Why did Jack McCall really kill Wild Bill Hickock?

[thehairlessone]

I imagine everyone has seen Wild Bill. In that movie it said that Jack was upset because Wild Bill killed his step dad after Wild Bill left Jack's mom.

Is that really what happened?

In the Deadwood series on HBO they were playing a poker game and Bill won.

Does anyone know ?

rick

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Maybe for the notariety?...........Buck

[Silver Creek Slim]

I don't know if anyone knows fer sure.

Slim

[St. George]

Even at the time - there was controversy - but these threads are consistent.

McCall states during his trial in Deadwood on August 3, 1876:
"Well, men, I have but few words to say. Wild Bill killed my brother, and I killed him. Wild Bill threatened to kill me if I ever crossed his path. I am not sorry for what I have done. I would do the same thing over again."

He was found 'Not Guilty' at that trial - but the verdict was ruled void when it was found to have been rendered in Indian Territory.

From the Black Hills "Pioneer".

A Deputy United States Marshal, with a posse of five men, has started in pursuit of John Varnes, now on the "new stampede," who is charged with having procured the death of Wild Bill by paying a sum of money to Jack McCall, alias Sutherland, for committing the deed.

It appears that some time ago, Wild Bill and Varnes had a difficulty in Denver, and the animosity between the two was augmented by a dispute over a game of poker at the Senate saloon, in this city, a short time previous to the death of Wild Bill, at which time Bill interfered in a dispute between Varnes and another man. Bill covered him with his pistol, and arrogated to himself the position of umpire, after which friends interfered and ended the difficulty.

It is not necessary to speak of the arrest and trial of the murderer McCall. Suffice it to say he was arrested by the United States authorities at Cheyenne and taken to Yankton for trial. It appears that he now desires to turn state's evidence, and charges Varnes with having paid him money to murder Wild Bill.


"TRAVELER", SEPTEMBER 13, 1876 - FRONT PAGE.

Jack McCall, or Sutherland, the man who killed Wild Bill at Deadwood, has been arrested in Laramie City by Deputy Marshal Balcombe. He was taken to Cheyenne for examination before U. S. Commissioner Bruner, when, if the evidence against him be sufficient, he will be held to await a requisition from the governor of Dakota, and be taken to Yankton for trial for his crime.

McCall admits that Wild Bill never killed a brother of his, but that he killed Wild Bill because he snatched a card from him during the progress of a game between them.

Lorenzo Butler Hickok traveled from Illinois to attend the trial of his brother's murderer and was gratified by the guilty verdict.
On March 1, 1877, Jack McCall was put to death by hanging. 
As to McCall's  earlier claim of having shot Hickok out of revenge for his brother, it was later discovered that Jack McCall never had a brother.

Television and film are primarily entertainment.
The stories related sometimes bear a superficial likeness to the truth - but events and personalities are 'adjusted' as needed to ensure continuity and watchability.
It's called 'creative license'...

Real research - as opposed to the "John Ford Reference Library" - done in Public Libraries, Historical Societies and on the Internet will many times give a 'truth' that Hollywood never even came close to - much less touched upon.

As far as Hickok is concerned - go to a Search Engine like www.dogpile.com or www.google.com and type in 'Hickok Murder' and see what you get.

Good Luck.

Scouts Out!

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

The following is from the book Wild Bill Hickok: Gunfighter, by Joseph G. Rosa:

   "...In a report to the Denver News (and copied by the St. Paul, Minnesota, Pioneer Press and Tribune of September 8, 1876) Leander Richardson declared that:

"'There were a dozen or more men in Deadwood who wanted to kill Wild Bill because he would not 'stand-in' with them on any 'deadbeat' games, but not one man among them all dared to pick a quarrel with him.  They were all waiting to get a chance to shoot him in the back.  And it was this clique who got Sutherland (McCall) clear of the charge, whereupon he took the first opportunity of getting out of town.  The man charged with the murder has a most repulsive visage, and it would require no very keen imagination to picture him as the twin brother of Darwin's Missing Link.'"

   "Richardson's comments received support from others, among them the editor of the Black Hills Pioneer who declared on Aughst 10, 1876, that Wild Bill was probably "the only man we have yet had in our midst who had the courage and other qualifications to bring some semblance of order to the lawless element of our camp.  The fact that he was killed by one of the sorriest specimens of humanity to be found in the hills is significant."

Now, here's my question.  What kind of handgun was used to kill Wild Bill, and was he really holding "aces and eights" when he was shot?

[jd45]

To Capt. Hamp Cox, in reply to your question as to what gun Jack McCall used to backshoot J.B. Hickock,.......according to Wickipedia, he used a double-action, .45 caliber revolver. I just found this out, when I Googled his name. Judging by how old this thread is, you may have long since found this out for yourself, though. BTW Howdy to all, I'm new to Cas City, & glad to be here, jd45

[Mick Archer]

  Howdy Pards! 

   A double action .45 in August 1876?

   According to eye witness Carl Mann:

   "I looked up and saw defandant raise a pistol and fire it at Wild Bill's head.  I saw where a bullet came out on his face before he fell.  The pistol was from one foot to eighteen inches from Bill's head.  It was a navy size revolver.  The same bullet hit Capt. Massie in the arm."   
   (William Massie's left wrist actually.)

   IMHO, the reports of the entry and exit wounds, and Massie's injuries are more consistant with a .36 Navy round.

   Others' mileage of this mysery, will vary...

    Mick Archer
    Not a CSI Posse

[jd45]

Mick, that's a very good point.........Colts first one didn't come out til a couple years later, come to think of it. Well, I guess I should take what I read in Wickipedia with a grain of salt. Thanx, jd45

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Wickipedia tends not to be a good source on a lot of things. Too much access and no research.................Buck

[St. George]

Wikipedia is a 'do it yourself' dictionary - and until very recently 'facts' could be posted without any sort of provenance - and anonymously, at that.

Do 'not' use it as a reference source, unless you want to deal with someone refuting you, and I'm betting that you don't have time for that...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Mick Archer]

 Howdy Pards!

  Although, I could be sneaky and give him a Starr Model M1858 Army or a Pettengill Army in .44.....  ;-)  :-)

  Mick Archer

[Delmonico]

To many non-shooters and those who do who have little knowledge of the terms a single-action is often called by them, a double-action.  Why, cause you have to pull the hammer back and then pull the trigger, two actions.  Wish I had a dollar for everytime I've seen that.

[Ozark Iron John]

Wikipedia is a 'do it yourself' dictionary - and until very recently 'facts' could be posted without any sort of provenance - and anonymously, at that.

I don't know about no provenance, but my old Pap told us kids Wild Bill Hickock was killed for bein' a Kansas Jayhawker from Illinois and ridin' for Gen. Blunt against Missouri in the War.  They didn't like Wild Bill Hickock where I was from.  They said he was a no good back shootin' double dealin' son of a gun and he deserved to be bushwacked and left on the road for the buzzards to eat.  But then, my old Pap was known to be full-o-crap sometimes.  Especially about JayHawkers and people from Illinois.

[St. George]

Some stories are just that - stories.

Even the accounts of the time can't truly explain McCall's actions, but they're probably closest, and the Civil War had no bearing on them.

'Provenance' - as opposed to wishful thinking - is the key factor in research.

The last thing this post's going to do is to take a political turn...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Ozark Iron John]

Some stories are just that - stories.

I ain't sayin' its true about McCall killin' him cause of it.  Lord knows, my old Pap was full-o-crap and he saw Jayhawkers everywhere.  But I think it is true that Hickock rode with Gen. Blunt and learnt his killin' in Missouri during the Late Great Unpleasantness and I'm pretty sure, them grudges ran deep back then.