Mysterious Dave Mather – Lawman or Outlaw?
David Allen Mather, a figure shrouded in enigma and better known as "Mysterious Dave," entered the world on August 10, 1851. Born to Ulysses and Lycia Mather, his lineage was steeped in a tradition of maritime law enforcement, tracing back to rugged English sailors who navigated the vast expanse of the Seven Seas. This heritage instilled in him a profound sense of duty and a yearning for adventure, setting the stage for a life lived on the edge of the American frontier.
The Mather family’s roots in Massachusetts ran deep, with several members preceding Dave in the field of law enforcement. These men, upholding the law in the burgeoning settlements of the East Coast, served as role models for the young David, igniting within him a burning desire to follow in their footsteps. This aspiration would eventually lead him westward, to a land where the lines between law and lawlessness blurred, and where his actions would forever be debated.
Physically, Mysterious Dave Mather was not an imposing figure. A man of modest stature, he possessed a square but somewhat fragile build. His most striking features were his dark, piercing eyes, which seemed to hold a depth of untold stories, and a neatly trimmed mustache that added to his air of quiet intensity. It was this taciturn nature, his tendency to observe and listen rather than speak, that earned him the moniker "Mysterious Dave," a label that would cling to him throughout his life.
While Mather harbored aspirations of becoming a respected lawman, his life, like that of many other officers in the Old West, was characterized by a complex duality. He often found himself straddling the fence between upholding the law and consorting with outlaws. This moral ambiguity, coupled with his enigmatic personality, has fueled the ongoing debate surrounding his true nature: was he a dedicated servant of justice or simply an opportunist who used the law to further his own ends?
By the age of sixteen, tragedy struck, leaving Mather and his brother, Josiah, orphaned. Undeterred, the two brothers embarked on a journey westward, seeking fortune and opportunity in the vast and untamed territories. Around 1873, Mather’s name first surfaced in connection with cattle rustling activities in Sharp County, Arkansas, marking the beginning of his descent into the shadowy world of outlawry.
In 1874, Mysterious Dave Mather made his initial appearance in Dodge City, Kansas, a town that would become synonymous with his name and reputation. Dodge City, a bustling hub of commerce and entertainment, was a magnet for both lawmen and outlaws, creating a volatile atmosphere where fortunes could be made and lives could be lost in the blink of an eye. Mather would return to Dodge City numerous times throughout his career, sometimes as a badge-wearing officer of the law, other times as a shadowy figure lurking in the saloons and gambling dens.
During this period, Mather was a frequent presence in the saloons of Denver, Colorado. He was always armed with twin Colts concealed beneath his coat. He would keenly observe the players at the faro, blackjack, and poker tables, but he never gambled himself.
By 1878, Mather had drifted further south, arriving in Mobeetie, Texas. Here, he crossed paths with the legendary Wyatt Earp. One account claims that the two men engaged in a confidence scheme, peddling fraudulent "gold" bricks to the unsuspecting residents of Mobeetie. While the veracity of this claim remains uncertain, it further contributes to the mystique surrounding Mather’s early years and his propensity for operating outside the boundaries of the law.
The year 1879 saw Mather aligning himself with Dutch Henry Born, the leader of a notorious horse-stealing ring that operated across a vast area encompassing Kansas, eastern Colorado, New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle. Mather’s involvement in this criminal enterprise led to his arrest alongside Born. However, he was eventually released, only to be apprehended again shortly thereafter for alleged complicity in a train robbery near Las Vegas, New Mexico. Although he was acquitted of these charges, the accusations further tarnished his reputation and solidified his image as a man with questionable morals.
Following his acquittal, Mather’s fortunes took an unexpected turn when he was appointed as a Deputy Las Vegas Marshal. This appointment placed him within the ranks of the infamous "Dodge City Gang," a group of lawmen known for their ruthless tactics and their propensity for terrorizing the citizens of Las Vegas. Mather’s association with this gang further blurred the lines between law and lawlessness, casting doubt on his commitment to upholding justice.
On January 22, 1880, a violent confrontation erupted in Las Vegas, resulting in the death of Marshal Joe Carson and further cementing Mather’s reputation as a man of action. T.J. House, James West, John Dorsey, and William Randall, were causing trouble at the Close & Patterson Variety Hall. When Marshal Joe Carson asked them to check their guns, they refused. A wild gunfight ensued, and Carson was killed immediately, while Deputy Mysterious Dave Mather killed Randall and dropped West. John Dorsey, though wounded, and T.J. House managed to escape.
Following Marshal Carson’s death, Mather was appointed as the Las Vegas Marshal. However, his tenure in this position was short-lived. He soon moved on again after being accused of "promiscuous shooting." Next, he was known to have served for a short time as Assistant Marshal in El Paso, Texas. However, after an altercation in a brothel in which Mather was slightly wounded, he returned to Dodge City, where he was hired as Assistant City Marshal.
By the time Mather returned to Dodge City, the town was embroiled in a bitter conflict over the existence of gambling, drinking, prostitution, and dance halls. The "Dodge City War" in the spring of 1883 was followed by pressure from the Santa Fe Railroad to clean up their town. The reform-minded and status quo factions were still feuding when David Mather accepted the Dodge City Assistant Marshal position. Before long, Mather also became the co-owner of the Opera House Saloon on Front Street.
Because of its prominent downtown location, the city council objected to Mather’s decision to turn the Opera House Saloon into a dance hall and soon passed an ordinance banning all dance houses. However, the council took no action against another dance hall owned by Thomas Nixon, allegedly because of its remote location. For several months, Nixon and Mather battled to put each other out of business.
In 1884, the city government replaced Mysterious Dave Mather with Nixon as the Assistant Marshal, and the feud brewing for several months came to a head. On the evening of July 18, 1884, Nixon drew a gun and fired at Mather but only sprayed him with a few splinters. Three days later, Mather approached Nixon from behind and fired four bullets into his back, killing him instantly. Later, Mather was heard to say, “I ought to have killed him six months ago.”
Although Mather was acquitted of Nixon’s murder, he killed another man the following year and was run out of town by Marshal Bill Tilghman. After serving as city marshal in a few small towns in Kansas and Nebraska, Mysterious Dave moved to San Francisco, California, where he took a ship to Vancouver.
Some reports say he soon enlisted in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, proving his prowess by showing what he could do with a pair of six guns and a horse. Allegedly he was still seen in the royal blue and red as late as 1922, but those reports have been refuted, and his true fate is unknown.