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On this day…in 1869

On this day in 1869, just after midnight, a report led Ellis County Sheriff Wild Bill Hickok and his deputy to respond to an incident involving a local troublemaker named Samuel Strawhun and a group of inebriated companions who were vandalizing John Bitter’s Beer Saloon in Hays City, Kansas.

Upon Hickok’s arrival and his command for the men to cease their actions, Strawhun opted to assault him, resulting in Hickok shooting him in the head. The attack ended in an instant, along with the riot.

Such was the nature of Wild Bill’s somewhat extreme methods of law enforcement. Renowned for his pistol proficiency and composed demeanor in tense situations, James Butler Hickok initially appeared to be the perfect fit as sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas.

The residents of Hays City, the county seat, had grown weary of the chaotic brawls and destruction caused by the hard-drinking buffalo hunters and soldiers who frequented their town at night. They were hopeful that the renowned “Wild Bill” could bring back peace and order, and thus elected him as interim county sheriff in the late summer of 1869.

With a tall and athletic build, along with shoulder-length hair and a prominent mustache, Hickok certainly made an imposing presence. His reputation as a sharp shooter was often enough to deter potential lawbreakers. A visiting cowboy later reminisced how Hickok would stand “with his back to the wall, surveying everything and everybody under his eyebrows–just like a mad old bull.” However, as Hickok began employing more aggressive tactics to maintain law and order, some residents of Hays City began to ponder whether their chosen remedy was worse than the original problem.

Shortly after taking office, Hickok shot a confrontational soldier who resisted arrest, leading to the man’s death the following day. Just weeks later, he killed Strawhun.

While his harsh methods proved undeniably effective, many citizens of Hays City were not particularly impressed that he had felt compelled to kill two men in just five weeks of service in the name of maintaining peace.

During the regular November election later that year, the discontent of the populace became apparent, as Hickok was defeated by his deputy with a vote of 144-89. Although Wild Bill Hickok would eventually hold various law enforcement roles throughout the West, his inaugural attempt at the office of sheriff lasted only three months.

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