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A Dead Man’s
Hand and a Hangman’s Knot Two pairs, aces and eights, was the poker hand Wild Bill Hickok held on the fateful day of August 2, 1876. On this day, a man named Jack McCall walked into a saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota. McCall pulled his pistol and fired a slug into the back of Wild Bill’s head at point-blank range. Wild Bill slumped over dead in his chair, dropping the cards to the floor and revealing the now famous dead man’s hand. Many have heard this part of the story, but do not know that Jack McCall was a political consultant--the Dick Morris, James Carville, or Ed Rollins of his day. A few years before Jack McCall’s cowardly act put his name into the history books, he put his unique political skills to work in the sheriff’s race of Hitchcock County. The election of 1874 was the first held in Hitchcock County in Southwest Nebraska. The man favored to win the job of sheriff was Galen Baldwin, who was one of the first men to settle in this area. The other candidate was a shady character by the name of Grimes. McCall and two other cronies went to work for Grimes to swing the election in his favor. They intimidated people either to vote for Grimes or not vote at all. In his book, Wild Towns of Nebraska, Lamar’s Wayne C. Lee tells the story of McCall’s method of political persuasion. On election day in the town of Culbertson, McCall and his cronies stopped a man named Eban in the street and asked him for whom he planned to vote. Eban responded, "Baldwin." McCall threw Eban on the ground and threatened him at gunpoint until he said he would vote for Grimes. McCall soon discovered Baldwin was in the local store that also served as the polling place. Baldwin was at a distinct disadvantage because he took his wife’s advice. "Baldwin’s wife had insisted that the best way to stay out of trouble was not to carry a gun--so today Baldwin had no gun." (Lee) Baldwin was no fool. Baldwin challenged McCall to come in and get him. Lee described what happened next: "Anticipating this confrontation, Baldwin had found a three-foot two-by-four. He stood beside the door as Curly Jack [McCall] burst in, a gun in each hand. Before Jack could locate his target, Baldwin brought the two-by-four down on Jack’s head and dropped him like a clubbed rabbit." (Lee) In his haste to cast his vote and participate in the election day festivities, it seems the local doctor made a rash judgement and declared McCall dead. Later inspection showed that McCall was still breathing. Despite McCall’s dastardly intentions, Baldwin and his wife took McCall into their home and nursed him back to health. Having nearly lost his life with his first excursion into politics, one would think Jack would have changed professions. But not Jack McCall. You've got to give him credit for sticking to his goals. In the article, Aces, Eights, and Number Ten, the November 96 issue of Historic Traveler reveals that Jack was mixed up in politics again--in Deadwood. Jack’s shooting of Wild Bill was likely done as a preemptive strike by the local mafia to keep law and order out of the town. Wild Bill’s reputation as a gunslinger and marshal of Hays City and Abilene, Kansas preceded him. Deadwood was a wild, lawless town with a budding crime syndicate preying on the miners of the Black Hills Gold Rush. This bunch decided to get rid of Wild Bill before he challenged them. They especially were afraid that the more respectable businessmen would hire Hickok as town marshal. Therefore, the syndicate decided they needed the special skill of McCall to get rid of the man that could make the political winds blow against them. After completing his work, those present at the scene of the crime detained McCall. In true democratic fashion, they organized a court to decide his fate. This proved to be McCall’s finest hour as a "spin doctor." He eloquently gained the sympathy of the court by spinning a tale that Wild Bill had murdered his brother. Instead of the usual necktie party, the court let him go. (Knowing Wild Bill’s reputation, it is possible that McCall told the truth; however, I haven’t found anything to prove it.) Unfortunately for him, this was the end of Jack McCall’s career as a political consultant. Jack suffered the same weakness of many politicians. He didn’t know when to shut up. He went around the Dakota Territory drinking and bragging about his bravery in killing Wild Bill. "He told the story one too many times. Badge-wearing lawmen heard it, arrested McCall, dragged him to Dakota Territory’s capital, Yankton, and had him tried. Found guilty of murder, McCall hanged March 1, 1876 and was put in an unmarked grave." (Historic Traveler) sssssssssss Wayne C. Lee, Wild Towns of Nebraska, Caldwell, Idaho, The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1988, p. 51. http://www.thehistorynet.com/HistoricTraveler/articles/1196_side.htm |
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