The Murder of Wild Bill Hickok
On August 1, 1876, Wild Bill was gambling at Nuttal and Mann’s Saloon when a drunken Jack McCall joined the game and began losing heavily. When McCall lost most of his money and could no longer cover his bets, none of the other players would extend him any credit. Hickok told him to get something to eat and offered him some money to pay for a meal. Although McCall took Hickok’s money he apparently considered the manner in which it was offered to be insulting. Hickok and the others continued the game. McCall sulked over his perceived insult until the following day.
The next day Hickok was drinking at the bar in Nuttal and Mann’s when he was invited to join another game, at which the only open seat had its back to the door. Hickok’s habit was to face the door, and he twice asked to exchange seats with another player, who refused. While they were playing, McCall entered the saloon and shot Hickok once, in the back of his head, with the bullet exiting through the victim’s cheek. McCall fled, tried to steal a horse but fell from it, and was found hiding behind a butcher shop. Hickok was killed instantly, although some attempts were made to revive him. He had been playing stud poker, and his four displayed cards were black aces and eights, but there are varying reports of what his hole card had been. Nuttal and Mann’s later became Saloon #10.