In 1900, Miller began offering his services as a paid assassin, committing over six murders.

A gunfighter, gambler, showman, and peace officer, Hickok may have killed more than 100 men. After the murder of Allen Bobbitt, he was arrested and jailed. The two had a history of disagreements, and with no warning Colbert pulled out his pistol to shoot Allison. Jesse … The most famous female gunfighter is probably Belle Starr who was part of the James-Younger gang with Jesse James for a while. He started out by getting caught stealing food, clothing, and guns in 1875, but he escaped his captors and made his way to Arizona. For a short time, Miller was an upstanding citizen and was committed to the Methodist church. Though often portrayed as a cold-blooded killer, history shows that he actually entered a life of crime out of necessity, not meanness. William H. Bonney, was born in 1859 in New York City to Patrick McCarty and Catherine Devine. Allison fought in the Civil War, but was discharged after a blow to the head started causing erratic behavior in him. And while many of the most notorious men (and women) of this era are remembered for their fast tempers and even faster guns, they have come to represent not just what many consider the most violent period of American history, they represent the pioneering spirit that tamed a frontier fraught with inherent dangers. Henry McCarty, aka “Billy the Kid,” Henry Antrim & William H. Bonney (21 kills)  November 23, 1859–July 14, 1881 (reportedly). “Killer” Miller, aka “Deacon Jim” (14 to 50 kills)  October 25, 1866–April 19, 1909. He was buried in Alleyton Cemetery in Colorado County, Texas. It was later reported that the clever Miller had been wearing a metal plate under his shirt, which had blocked Frazer’s bullets. In 1884, Fisher and his friend Ben Thompson attended a play at the Turner Hall Opera House in San Antonio. His father, Nicholas Porter Earp, moved the family to Iowa, where Earp spent most of his childhood. Men such as these were called gunmen, pistoleers, and shootists; the term gunslinger is only a Hollywood creation. Whatever the measure, here are ten men and women who came to define what it meant to be “bad to the bone” during this age when men (and women) lived by the gun. When the group was broken up by law-enforcement officers, the Kid escaped and shot a gambler in a New Mexico saloon. They returned to California around 1911 and settled in Los Angeles, where they became a popular fixture in Hollywood as Earp served as a technical adviser for Old West films. Quickly becoming known for his volatile temper and propensity for violence, he was forced to resign his position with the Agency after becoming linked to the murders of 17 people. James Butler Hickok is one of the most famous gunmen of the Old West. After one of the gang turned informant, Bass and his men were ambushed by Texas Ranger Sergeant Richard Ware and Ranger George Herold in Round Rock, Texas, where the gang attempted to rob the Williamson County Bank.

Myra Maybelle Shirley-Reed-Starr, aka “Belle Starr” (3 to 5 kills)  February 5, 1848–February 3, 1889. All told, Billy the Kid is said to have killed a total of 21 men, one for each year of his life, though this number is often regarded as exaggerated. The son of a Methodist preacher, John Wesley Hardin was named after the founder of the Methodist faith, but from the very beginning of his life, was anything but pious. There they found themselves victims of an ambush. The result was the gunfight at the O.K. In fact, people who knew him called him brave, resourceful, loyal, and possessing a remarkable sense of humor. Belle was herself shot to death on Feb. 3, 1889, two days before her 41st birthday, while riding home from the general store. Stoudenmire had a reputation for being tough and short-tempered when he was drinking. John Wesley Hardin was born in 1853, in Texas, to James Gibson “Gip” Hardin and Mary Elizabeth Dixson.

He met an unimpressive death when he fell from his wagon and broke his neck in 1887. A fellow TMPer asked about a random name generator for the Old West ( TMP link), and that reminded me that I was almost 90% finished with a dice-driven name generator for Gutshot before I got sidetracked and never finished it. Thus he ultimately became known as one of the most feared lawmen in Texas. After a lynch mob of some 40 people stormed the prison, Miller and three other outlaws were dragged to a nearby barn and hanged. The Allison family moved to New Mexico after the war. A short time later he formed a gang and increased his notoriety by shooting down a gambler in a New Mexico saloon. By the early 1870s, Fisher become known as a bandit when he joined a group of outlaws whose specialty was raiding ranches in Mexico. The gunslingers of the American Wild West have become as famous as any figures in American history. Prior to being hanged, Miller–who insisted on being allowed to wear his hat–is said to have shouted, “Let ‘er rip!” and voluntarily jumped off the box to his death. In fact, names like Jessie James, Wyatt Earp, and Billy the Kid are more easily recognizable that the names of many U.S. Presidents. He was pursued by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and the Texas Rangers. He died the next day. Jesse James' nickname was "Dingus". James B. It is quite a unique cowboy name for your little boy. Wyatt moved to California and married Josephine Marcus in 1882. Dec 2, 2018 - Explore Mike Higgins's board "Gunfighters" on Pinterest. Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was born in Warren County, Illinois, on March 19, 1848. “Gus” Bobbitta, a U.S. Marshall. But when his gun bumped the table as he drew, Allison reacted by shooting Colbert in the head. In the 1880s, Horn was popular as a tracker and a bounty hunter; he was hired by the Pinkerton Detective Agency but was forced to resign after he was associated with the murders of 17 men. Origins of Western names. Terms of Service Known for being lightning fast on the draw, Thompson gained a reputation as a gunfighter after killing two men in a shootout on Christmas Eve, 1876. Dallas Stoudenmire was born in Bullock County, Alabama, on December 11, 1845, to Lewis and Elizabeth Stoudenmire. Miller was never convicted for any of the deaths. In Hickok’s hand when he was killed were aces and eights, later known as the “Dead Man’s Hand.”.

The first time, when several cowboys tried to sneak up on the Tewsburys at their camp in 1887, Edwin spied them, shouted a warning and Jim Tewsbury shot and killed one of them. Hardin drifted around, leaving a trail of bodies behind him. The gunfight caused a huge scandal, with compadres of the cowboys soon retaliating, wounding Wyatt’s brother Virgil and killing Morgan. James Butler Hickok is one of the most famous gunmen of the Old West.

All told, Earp is credited with killing between 8 to 30 outlaws (depending on the source), and his exploits remain among the most famous stories in the annals of the American Old West. Mem­ber­ship in any SASS-affiliated shoot­ing sports orga­ni­za­tion requires the reg­is­tra­tion of a unique Cowboy Action Shooting alias under which you com­pete in events. And while many of the most notorious men (and women) of this era are remembered for their fast tempers and even faster guns, they have … Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE, Police arrest a 72-year-old “suburban grandfather” suspected of being the Golden State Killer, “I’m not dead yet”: some Buddhist monks followed self-mummification, Project Azorian: Howard Hughes’ secret mission, 1960s U.S. satellite that started transmitting again in 2013, The “Walk of Shame” in Game of Thrones historical inspiration, The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break, Kurt Gödel became too paranoid to eat and died of starvation, “Little Ease”: One of the most feared torture devices in the Tower of London, The humble English girl who became Cora Pearl, Walt Disney softened the original Snow White story. He was abused by his father, which motivated him to leave home at 16. This marked the beginning of what would become a blood spree perpetrated by Stoudenmire, killing six more men in gunfights over the next year, gaining a reputation as one of the most fearless lawmen in all Texas. He was part of the mission to find Geronimo and was present at his surrender.

Later that year he was deputized during the Lincoln County War and joined lawmen searching for a group of men who had murdered a rancher. When the Civil War broke out, John Wesley attempted to run away to join the Confederate Army. He escaped and killed the men guarding him. 10. His gravestone is said to read: ”Clay Allison. Only three days after signing on, Dallas was involved in one of the West’s most legendary gunfights, the infamous “Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight,” in which he shot four men dead–demonstrating his extraordinary prowess with a six-shooter. One of the darkest and most sadistic figures of the Old West was James “Killer” Miller, a paid assassin and gunslinger known to have killed at least 14 people, though legend has that number closer to 50. In his relatively short life, John Wesley Hardin is credited with killing of no fewer than 42 people. In 1871, Hardin was arrested for the murder of Texas marshal Laban John Hoffman, but he escaped after killing another police officer, Jim Smalley.