In the summer of 1876, the dusty, bustling mining town of Deadwood in the Black Hills of South Dakota, drew characters of all sorts, each seeking their fortune. Among them was a 39-year-old White male named James Butler Hickok, more famously known as "Wild Bill." A legendary figure of the American West, Hickok had built a reputation as a skilled gunfighter and lawman.
He arrived in Deadwood in July, accompanied by Colorado Charlie Utter and Calamity Jane, and quickly became a fixture at the poker tables of the local saloons.
On the afternoon of August 2, 1876, Hickok was engrossed in a poker game at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10. Breaking his usual habit of sitting with his back to a wall to avoid being caught unawares, he was seated in a chair that faced away from the door, having twice unsuccessfully asked another player to switch seats. It was a decision that would prove fatal. Around 4:15 p.m., a young, unsuccessful gambler by the name of Jack McCall entered the saloon. He walked up behind Hickok, drew his. 45 caliber revolver, and without a word, shot the unsuspecting gunman in the back of the head, killing him instantly. The bullet exited through Hickok's right cheek and struck another man, Captain William Massie, in the wrist. The hand of cards Hickok was holding at the moment of his death—two black aces and two black eights—would forever be known as the "Dead Man's Hand."
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, chaos erupted in the saloon. McCall attempted to fire his weapon again at others in the crowd, but miraculously, the remaining cartridges in his pistol misfired. He fled the scene but was quickly apprehended. An impromptu miners' jury was assembled in Deadwood to try McCall for the murder. During this hastily arranged trial, McCall claimed he had acted in revenge for Hickok killing his brother. This defense, though its veracity was questionable, was enough to secure him an acquittal.
However, McCall's freedom was short-lived. He left Deadwood and began bragging about his deed. Because Deadwood was located in unorganized Indian country, the miners' court had no legal standing. Federal authorities soon rearrested McCall. He was taken to Yankton, the capital of the Dakota Territory, to stand trial for a second time. This new trial was not considered double jeopardy due to the illegitimacy of the first. At his federal trial in December 1876, a jury found Jack McCall guilty of the murder of James Butler Hickok. On March 1, 1877, McCall was hanged for his crime, bringing a final, legal conclusion to the brazen murder that had cut short the life of a Western legend.
