"[40] Hart subsequently cast a lookalike as Masterson in his biographical film Wild Bill Hickok, which was released in 1923. . He was a contemporary associate and personal friend of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Charlie Bassett, Dave Rudabaugh, Buffalo Bill Cody, Billy Dixon, Luke Short, and Jim Courtright. King (real name Anthony Cook) allegedly because he was with a woman named Mollie Brennan. Wife of Bat Masterson, US. The new manager was longtime patron Bat Masterson, the celebrated former lawman who now made his way by gambling and following the sport of pugilism. Bat Masterson, one of the most heralded of gunfighters, was more than a legend. (Robert Mitchum) saves a cow town from a land-grabber and wins back his wife (Jan Sterling). Bat Masterson for the rest of his life. [6], On February 1, 1878, Sheriff Masterson captured the notorious outlaws Dave Rudabaugh and Ed West, who were wanted for an attempted train robbery. Bat Masterson Dead Men Don't Pay Debts. Tom Sizemore, an actor known for his work in hit films like "Saving Private Ryan," "Natural Born Killers" and "Heat," has died, his representative Charles Lago confirmed to CNN on Friday. Bat Masterson's legend began at a backwater hamlet in the Texas panhandle when young Bat and a disgruntled 4th Cavalry soldier engaged in a deadly gunfight. Bat was an expert with a gun and on July 27, 1874, was the youngest of twenty-nine defenders at the Battle of Adobe Walls, a fight between buffalo hunters and the Plains Indians. On February 8, 1881, he left Dodge City and joined Wyatt Earp in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, where he met Luke Short for the first time. W. MOULTON AND WIFE IN RUNNING COSTUME. "Alfred Henry Lewis Lived in Action He Penned. Charlie married Nancy Cooper back in 1896, and over time she filled the role of business manager. Directed by Writing Credits ( WGA) Kevin Jarre . Ben Thompson: You don't owe me anything. I was so sad to hear he was a piece of shit but it immediately killed my crush. Participants juggled and swung bowling-pin shaped clubs, and skilled practitioners developed choreographed routines of considerable artistic merit. When Bat learned of his appointment as a deputy marshal, the Mastersons were both in Hot Springs, where Emma had been living for several months. Masterson's Colorado activities did not go over well with the voters of Ford County, Kansas. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bat-masterson-42940.php. He claimed to have traveled to the Montana goldfields but could not have stayed long, as he competed at the Minnesota State Fair in 1867 and the following year challenged anyone in the state to run against him. In North Platte, Masterson was provided with assistance by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who promptly offered to help. He has been in Denver for some time, and when times are dull and suckers few, he spends his time gambling. Lewiss article The King of the Gun-Players: William Barclay Masterson was published in Human Life magazine. However, Masterson's rescue of Doc Holliday, as well as his nightly "moonlighting" as a faro dealer, spelled doom for his career as city marshal of Trinidad. She is said to have been born in Ireland. Bat was well aware of Emmas talents and put her on his first bill. She may have noticed headlines on July 19, 1922, reporting the death of Stanford Universitys respected longtime track coach, Edward W. Dad Moulton. (2011). The St. Paul Daily Globe praised her wonder ful club swinging and reported that she sang cleverly. In 1888 she went on the road to perform in Kansas City and the mining town of Leadville, Colo. That April she began a lengthy stay at Denvers Palace Theatre, an elegant establishment comprising a 750-seat performance hall and a palatial gambling room. A dressed-up dandy (derby and cane), gambler, and lawman roams the West, charming women and defending the unjustly-accused. You may have gotten your wife to back down on the swinging after all this hit the fan starting back with your visit to Hedonism II, (if it's at all true that you are still monogamous) but she will cheat. [11], The 1880 Dodge City census shows that, at that time, Masterson was living with Annie Ladue, age 19 (described as his "concubine"). Masterson, W.B. Masterson was the second child of Thomas Masterson (or Mastersan), who was born in Canada to an Irish family, and Catherine McGurk (or McGureth), who was born in Ireland. Apart from the prizes, he could usually count on plenty of wagering and side bets. Ed was in demand both as a trainer and participant. He was 67 years old. Within weeks, a group of gunfighters recruited by Masterson and Earp descended upon Dodge City to resolve what became known as the "Dodge City War." Bat Masterson was born on November 26, 1853 in the Eastern Township of Quebec, to Thomas Masterson and Catherine McGurk. In a five-day siege on June 27, 1874 in Adobe Walls, Masterson was engaged in one of the most celebrated fights in the Wild West. "Gentleman Jim" Corbett to Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey. director of photography Film Editing by Casting By Lora Kennedy Production Design by Catherine Hardwicke Art Direction by Chris Gorak Kim Hix Mark Worthington ", Earp, Wyatt. Jim had demanded that Peacock fire Updegraff, but Peacock refused. Gene Barry, the ruggedly handsome actor who made a career of playing dapper and debonair lead characters on television beginning with the western series "Bat Masterson" in the late 1950s and. On June 6, 1877, Masterson tried to prevent the arrest of Robert Gilmore, who was known to the locals as "Bobby Gill." In its account of the incident, the Rocky Mountain News described Masterson as one "who pleases the ladies", and Nellie McMahon Spencer as "a beautiful woman, with a fine wardrobe and a sweet voice. He returned to New York City later as a columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph. He was raised in family farms in different places, including Quebec, New York, Illinois, and Missouri. As an adult he began going by William Barclay Masterson. 1900 United States Federal Census Record, Arapahoe, Denver, Precinct #3; text summary: William Masterson, birthplace of Missouri and birth-date of 1854; holding an occupation as Athletic Club Keeper. "[13], Masterson spent the remainder of 1880 in Kansas City and Dodge. Thirty-Five years ago [1872], that immense stretch of territory extending from the Missouri River west to the Pacific Ocean and from the Brazos River in Texas north to the Red Cloud Agency in Dakota, knew no . William Barclay Masterson, best known simply as Bat, was a frontier legend when he left the West behind in the early 20th century. Masterson was born on November 26, 1853,[a] at Henryville, Quebec, in the Eastern Townships of what was then known as Canada East. In September 1900, Masterson sold his interest in the Olympic Athletic Club and made another visit to New York City. Cockrell then regaled the reporter with the story of Ed Masterson's death and how Bat responded fearlessly and heroically against his brother's killers. "Bat." The reporter would have been surprised to learn just what an adventurous and unconventional life Emma had led before settling down with Bat. "[25], Masterson returned to Denver for several more years. ", This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 00:02. He was 61. [17]:5657 Masterson also had a concealed revolver. His character was essayed by Gene Barry. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . Whether legally wed or not, Emma now settled into a quieter and more settled existence as Mrs. Masterson. [17]:4041 Emma was not divorced from her first husband, Edwin Winford Moulton, until November 9, 1893. In the mid-1880s, Masterson was in his mid-30's and moved on to Denver to establish himself as a "sporting man", aka a gambler. On March 28, 1883, a local paper noted: "There are now two 'bankers' running for city offices Mr. Taylor of the Las Animas County Bank, and Mr. Masterson of the bank of 'Fair O.' They were photographed standing together on the roof of the New York Morning Telegraph building and went back to Masterson's office where he asked Hart to sit in his chair and pose for a second photo with him. Masterson explained to his audience what he felt were the best properties of a gunfighter. Earp, Short, and Masterson worked as faro dealers, or "look outs", at Tombstone's Oriental Saloon. Before disbanding on June 10, 1883, Short, Masterson, Earp, and five other notable men from frontier history posed for a group portrait that was soon labeled "The Dodge City Peace Commission." Their parents, brother, and two older sisters had been killed and scalped. "Hell's Belles: Prostitution, Vice, and Crime In Early Denver". Cockrell about man-killers. Months later, while pregnant, his wife dies from typhus. Records suggest the couple settled in the Philadelphia area, but Ed continued to travel widely in pursuit of prizes. He had hardly settled into his $75-a-month marshal's job when Wyatt Earp requested his help to prevent the extradition of Doc Holliday from Colorado to Arizona. The woman, the report continued, was greatly embarrassed, but she stood the ordeal wonderfully well. ", DeMattos, Jack. Her hair had been cut short, and her sex was not discoveredat the door. Bat Masterson and his brothers left their home to become buffalo hunters in the Great Plains. He was the designated timekeeper for Kilrain and came under fire from some sources for how he handled his role. By the time of his death in 1921, Masterson was known throughout the country as a leading sports writer and celebrity. They met Luke Short, and started working as faro dealers or look outs for Tombstones Oriental Saloon, an upscale bar at that time. His stay in Dodge City was sensationalized by violence. Marshal, gambler, and gunman ( Masterson 's life as a writer and bon vivant occurred long after the time-frame featured in the series) was broadcast by NBC-TV from 1958 to 1961. In February 1874 he was named one of the top three sprinters in the country over 100 yards. Dr. Cockrell pointed to a young man nearby and said it was Masterson and that he had killed 26 men. Actor Tom Sizemore's condition hasn't improved in more than a week since he suffered a brain aneurysm, as he remains in a coma in a Los Angeles ICU, his manager said Monday. He later frequented boxing and other sports, picking up a keen interest in them. Thereafter the family became associated with the "Wild West" idea . John Walter was a teamster who became an early casualty in the Civil War, dying of typhoid fever. Bat's poker game also involved Harry Fleming, Jim Duffy and Corporal Melvin A. Marshal for the Southern District of New York. Sizemore . Bats friend Jake Kilrain stood bail for her, but many years later she still recalled the day she had spent in jail. Fellow wagerers harbored well-justified suspicions of race fixing, and in later years Ed confessed to sometimes running under a false identity and also to throwing one race under threats from a gang. Marshal. BAT MASTERSON'S Colt SAA | Colt .45 LC Revolver. Denver directories re- cord Bat renting 1937 Arapahoe St. from 189294, and 1825 Curtis St. from 18951901. His life has been the subject of many television series, books, comics, and other popular media. At the same time the New York Clipper, a weekly entertainment journal, ran the following ad: LOOK HERE. As she dropped, she inadvertently grabbed a kettle of scalding water and pulled it over herself. The journey takes them to Dodge City, Trinidad, Cheyenne, Denver, Leadville, and Los Angeles. It is unclear to what extent Emma traveled with Ed. Emma was devastated and a month later wrote, I hope I will die soon to be with him.. Stars Gene Barry Allison Hayes Allen Jaffe See production, box office & company info Watch on MGM+ S2-3 with Prime Video Channels More watch options Add to Watchlist [21] In 1889, the two were involved in election scandal involving fraudulent registration ballot casting. A month later, when his brother Ed was killed on duty by a cowboy Jack Wagner, Bat fired his gun and killed Jack. DeArment, Robert K. (1982) "Knights of the Green Cloth: The Saga of the Frontier Gamblers". [39], On July 2, 1921, Masterson attended his last heavyweight championship fight, the so-called "Million Dollar Gate", promoted by George "Tex" Rickard, in which Jack Dempsey defended (and retained) his title of heavyweight champion of the world. A newsreel featuring the then 61-year-old Masterson's introduction in that role was included in a documentary called Legendary Champions 18821929. In the fight, Masterson was arrested, and released with a fine. The sources given included Emma herself and Bats surviving brother, Tom, who gave that same date to another writer. TV Shows Ace has an exclusive preview of the dramatized true story of Charlie Russell below, and in it, his wife Nancy is shown to be a formidable negotiator. Bat comes to the rescue of two Dutchmen caught up in a sandstorm while hunting for a Spanish galleon lost in the Colorado River; two . This is the reason why he used a cane. Description: This is a new in the box Sheriff Bat Masterson Commemorative rifle. Marshal William Henkel announced on February 6, 1905, Bats appointment as a deputy U.S. marshal for the Southern District of New York. His first name, Bartholemew, does NOT appear on his gravestone, which is inscribed "William Barclay Masterson" (see photo), appears above his epitaph on the large granite grave marker. He made the transition from the western frontier to become a metropolitan newspaperman and a prize ring pundit. All four sisters were recovered alive by Miles' force over a period of about six months.[3]. His funeral was attended by over 500 people. Without telling his wife, Cody gave Masterson her new phaeton buggy and a well-bred horse to transport Billy out of Nebraska. Moulton has an engagement for three weeks at Belmont & Hansons rink to give exhibitions with the Indian clubs, in which the lady is decidedly expert. Emma performed in Denver again in May 1885, but most of her known appearances over the next few years were within reasonable traveling distance of the Twin Cities, suggesting the Moultons were living in Minnesota. Bat soon got bored with theater management. He maintained his interest in fights, supporting champions, placing bets, and serving as a timekeeper. The August 17, 1879, Chicago Daily Tribune reported the scandal: The champion club-swinger Emma Moulton is charged with running away from her husband, E.W. Ed Moulton was by then training other promising athletes. Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He returned to Dodge City in 1884, and started a newspaper Vox Populi. Citizens ran for cover as bullets ripped through the Long Branch Saloon. Masterson was grabbed by friends of Deger and pistol-whipped by the lawman. An NBC television series Bat Masterson is loosely based on his life. [b] The other six Masterson children were Edward John (18521878), James Patrick (18551895), Nellie E. (18571925), Thomas (18581941), George Henry (18601889), and Emma Anna "Minnie" (18621884). 1855 d. 1895 tuberculosis) Wife: Emma Walters (actress, m. 21-Nov-1891) The New York Morning Telegraph Columnist He later settled in Denver, and got involved with the crime honcho Soapy Smith. The three become friends and work together hunting buffalo, with the two brothers working as Wyatt's skinners. [1] Some sources list Bat Masterson's birthdate as 26 or 27 Nov 1853, and claim his birthplace as Henryville, Quebec, Canada. About the same time Bat was embroiled in a bitter feud with boxing promoter Otto Floto and grew disillusioned with Denver. "Those Guns of Bat Masterson,", DeMattos, Jack. A Look at the Damage from the Secret War in Laos. His character was included in many of American Westerns, including The Woman of the Town (1943), Trail Street (1947), and Santa Fe (1951). Masterson's biographer has raised the possibility that they were married on November 21, 1893, two weeks after Emma's divorce from Edwin Moulton. He was an absolutely fearless man of resolute character and a seriously respected shootist. Records show that Emma had appeared in Leadville with a comedian named Ed Sheehan, but further details are lacking. In her reply Emma said she had been very sick and come near being with my dear Bat. She explained to Lake that she didnt know Mr. Masterson in those days, that there were no notches on either of Bats guns (which she had since given away) and that to her knowledge the only person Bat had ever killed was the man who had shot down his brother Ed in Dodge City, Kan., in 1878. Bat Masterson The Desert Ship. Clifton pleads not guilty, of course, but Moulton says he can prove that they roomed together for a week at No. On June 6, 1895, a Denver paper quoted a friend of Masterson's, who observed that "Bat has at last fallen into a dead easy game. The trouble began in a Denver theater on September 18, 1886, when a comedian named Lou Spencer, who was performing on stage, spotted his wife, Nellie, seated in the audience on Masterson's knee. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. Emma was locked up for violating city ordinances, and it was reported that her husband, a prominent resident of Denver, was at a local hotel. [26] On April 6, 1897, serving as a deputy sheriff of Arapahoe County, he got into a dispute on election day with a Tim Connors. He was baptized under the name Bartholomew Masterson. Soon, he signed to be a U.S. Army Scout, and participated in gunfights along with Colonel Nelson Miles. [citation needed], In August 1874, Masterson signed on as a U.S. Army scout with Colonel Nelson Miles, who was leading a force from Fort Dodge to pursue Comanche and Apache war parties across the Cherokee Strip and into Texas. According to Masterson, he and Billy Thompson "were given a royal welcome and were immediately taken in charge by Colonel Cody, who found a safe place for us to remain until he could outfit us for the trip across the country to Dodge City. Mitchell was knocked cold in three rounds. In July 1872, Ed and Bat Masterson were hired by a subcontractor named Raymond Ritter to grade a five-mile section of track for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. By the mid-1880s, Masterson had moved to Denver, Colorado and established himself as a "sporting man" or gambler. Emma later became an Indian Club swinger and toured theatres, also clog dancing and singing. Go to https://curiositystream.thld.co/biographicsmar for unlimited access to the world's top documentaries and nonfiction series. Subscribe for new videos . Tom Sizemore died at the age of 61 after suffering a brain aneurysm. To try to find the real Bat Masterson, he and his wife, Emma - a former showgirl who works as a costumer and confidante among the dancers in Florenz Ziegfeld's Follies - take a train trip back West, where both spent their salad days. because be refereed a prize fight in Denver where one died just of ter the battle. In 1882, he was appointed City Marshal of Trinidad, Colorado. The actor was hospitalized after suffering a brain aneurysm in mid-February, Lago told CNN . ", Penn, Chris. "[16] Three days later, Nellie filed for divorce and the Denver papers were quick to report that Nellie had "eloped" with Masterson. [4]:346347, On April 9, 1899, Masterson became a partner in a boxing club called the Colorado Athletic Association. [10], Santa Fe Railroad officials had wired Sheriff Bat Masterson asking him to recruit men to battle the forces of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, which were contesting the right-of-way through the Royal Gorge near Pueblo, Colorado. Masterson says his sites specialize in "severe" spanking, and in an effort to re-create for his audience the same sensation he felt when he first viewed the black-and-white schoolgirl photo -- the . Masterson's epitaph states that he was "Loved by Everyone".[42][43]. In the brief film clip, he doffs his hat, smiles for the camera, and dons his hat. 1852, d. 1878 murder) Brother: James P. Masterson (lawman, b. [8], Masterson was appointed city marshal of Trinidad, Colorado, on April 17, 1882. ", Palmquist, Bob. His family, including brothers Edward and James, moved to the United States and farmed in New York and Illinois before moving to Sedgwick, Sedgwick County, Kansas in 1871. It is one of just nine ordered by Bat, and only one of four shipped to. "A Note on Bartholomew Masterson,", Penn, Chris. By W.R. (Bat) Masterson in 1907. In 1905, Alfred Henry Lewis published The Sunset Trail, a fictionalized biography of Masterson. From the 1959 film "Bat Masterson". President Roosevelt arranged for Masterson's appointment as deputy U.S. She was born Emma Walters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 10, 1857. The force was eventually engaged to recover four sistersranging in age from 9 to 15who had been captured by a group of Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. Ed was summoned to defend himself, with notices to that effect appearing in the Rocky Mountain Sentinel in August and September. She retired from the stage in 1892 and contented herself with being his wife. Masterson soon settled in Dodge City. William Barclay 'Bat' Masterson: Just my life. It was his first marriage. He also claimed Emma had expressed the hope he would write up Bat when finished with Earp. Post-fight news accounts reported that a woman in disguise had tried to slip into the all-male audience. Finally, they were arrested, fined, and released a short time later. Lewis remained a close friend to Bat. He had also latched on to the increasingly popular firemens tournaments, at which trained hose teams competed against each other, transporting their apparatus over a fixed distance and getting it into operation as quickly as possible. Ex-wife of Edward Moulton My father's role in Hiroshima. He was later pistol-whipped and had to pay a heavy fine for it. Bat is well known as a young man of nerve and coolness in cases of danger. The news and statements it contains seem to be of a somewhat personal nature. ", Masterson, W.B. Wyatt Earp had his O.K. She attended motion pictures, stage plays and vaudeville shows with him in New York, but she could never be a part of much of his life, necessarily spent in sweaty gymnasiums, smoke-filled boxing clubs, and bars and cafs., On October 25, 1921, Emma was waiting for Bat to return home for lunch when a messenger from the Telegraph brought news that her husband had collapsed at his desk and died from a massive heart attack. They were a part of the scandal involving fraudulent ballot casting in 1889. A loud cheer then went up from a large crowd which had witnessed the event. [7] Ed Masterson was mortally wounded by a cowboy named Jack Wagner, who was unaware that Bat Masterson was in the vicinity. "Wyatt Earp's Tribute to Bat Masterson, the Hero of 'Dobe Walls,", Lewis, Alfred Henry. That's the trouble with these mush-headed coppers. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Masterson was however, elected as county sheriff of Ford County, Kansas. It could be that Faran was outright lying about what was said. American army scout, lawman, gambler, and journalist (18531921). The marriage was dissolved on 9 November 1893. Before her marriage to Bat Masterson, Emma was married to Edward Moulton on January 13, 1873 when she was 15 years old. Three times a week, for 18 years, his column entitled "Masterson's Views on Timely Topics" appeared. William Olds accidentally shot himself in the head as he was descending a ladder. However, the rediscovery of two court cases in which Bat Masterson testified under oath that he had shot both men adds credence to the idea that Bat had avenged his brother. On the night of January 24, 1876, Bat Masterson joined a poker game at the Lady Gay Saloon there in Sweetwater. Moulton obtained a letter of introduction to the chief of police in that place, went there and, after locating his better half, fleeced the head of the police department out of $50 and departed for home. This was in the bare-knuckles era, and Masterson would be intimately involved with every heavyweight championship fight until his death in 1921. Bat was now immersed in boxing and attending fights nationwide, sometimes as a referee, sometimes as the manager or backer of a fighter.