[DogByte6RER]

Wild Bill...we hardly knew ya.

39 is just too young.

[DogByte6RER]

A few more links about Wild Bill Hickok:

http://www.linecamp.com/museums/americanwest/western_names/hickok_james_butler/hickok_james_butler.html

http://www.historynet.com/magazines/wild_west/3026831.html

http://www.theoutlaws.com/outlaws8.htm

[DogByte6RER]

Wild Bill Hickok

[DogByte6RER]

"Dead Man's Hand"

[Daffynition]

Thanks for posting this article. I didn't know the origin of the term "The Dead Man's Hand."

[Vaquero]

The most famous gunfighter in the history of the West died with his Smith & Wesson revolver in his holster there was some discrepancy whether or not JB Hickock was toting 2 Colt Navy .36 caliber cap and ball revolvers, 2 Colt Navy richards cartridge conversion, or 2 Colt open top cartridge guns....

......but as much as I like S&W too, he was NOT carrying these when Jack McCall perforated Wild Bill's skull from behind.

[battlegearboat]

Several times he was arrested for vagrancy

In view of his celebrity status, if he lived in today's world, he'd been in and out of rehab, been acquitted of murder in a sensational trial, dated Anna Nicole, and have his own reality show whose ratings soar when he cuts his hair and announces he is gay.

[incredulous joe]

“On this day in 1876, Hickok was playing cards with his back to the saloon door.”

First mistake.

I loved the old stories of the west when I was a kid; Kit Carson, Custer and Wyatt Earp!

[Turret Gunner A20]

Where were the Gun Control weenies when they were needed??

[MinuteGal]

"39 is just too young".

By today's standards, yep.

At the time Wild Bill demise was triggered the average life expectancy of a male was somewhere around that age, give or take a few years.

So we may say that he lived to a ripe old age before he bit the bullet.

Leni

[reagan_fanatic]

He looked much older than 39 in his photos, but I guess that kind of life will do that to ya.