Lawman and frontier gambler James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok added to his already formidable reputation on September 27, 1869. Serving as sheriff in the notoriously rough outpost of Hays City, Kansas, Hickok was summoned to John Bitter’s Beer Saloon, where Samuel Strawhun and several drunken companions were reportedly smashing property and causing a disturbance.
Hickok and his deputy, John Lanihan, entered shortly after midnight to restore order. Accounts differ on the precise confrontation that followed, but Strawhun reportedly threatened or moved toward Hickok during the melee. Hickok drew his pistol and shot Strawhun in the head, killing him instantly.
A coroner’s jury later found the shooting justifiable homicide, despite conflicting witness testimony. The incident reinforced Hickok’s reputation as a swift and uncompromising frontier lawman—though, like much of his legend, the details have been shaped by later retellings.
Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
