Edward O’Kelley – The Man Who Killed Bob Ford
The annals of the American West are rife with tales of outlaws, lawmen, and the often blurred lines between them. Amidst this tapestry of violence and frontier justice, the name Edward O’Kelley emerges, forever etched in history as the man who, with a single blast from a shotgun, extinguished the life of Robert Ford – the very man who had, years prior, assassinated the infamous Jesse James. This act, committed in the bustling silver mining town of Creede, Colorado, on June 8, 1892, propelled Edward O’Kelley into a notoriety that would shadow him until his own violent demise.
Edward Capehart O’Kelley was born on October 1, 1857, in Harrisonville, Missouri, a state that had already begun to bleed from the deep wounds of sectional strife that would soon erupt into full-blown civil war. His mother, Margaret Ann Capehart, married Dr. Thomas Katlett O’Kelley in July of the same year. However, whispers and speculation persisted throughout Edward’s life regarding his true parentage, suggesting that Dr. O’Kelley may not have been his biological father. This uncertainty, perhaps, contributed to the turbulent nature of the man Edward O’Kelley would become.
Growing into adulthood, O’Kelley, like many restless souls of the era, gravitated westward, drawn by the promise of opportunity and adventure in the burgeoning territories. He settled in Colorado, a land of majestic mountains and burgeoning settlements, where he surprisingly found employment as a lawman, despite possessing a notoriously volatile temper. He served as the town marshal of Bachelor City, a rough-and-tumble mining outpost where the enforcement of order was a constant challenge. Later, he took on the role of deputy sheriff in Hinsdale County, further solidifying his position as a figure of authority, even as his own internal struggles simmered beneath the surface.
However, the badge did little to temper O’Kelley’s explosive nature. In 1891, a year before his fateful encounter with Robert Ford, O’Kelley demonstrated the darker side of his personality in Pueblo, Colorado. He shot and killed a black man named Ed Riley, the motive being a seemingly trivial offense: Riley had accidentally stepped on O’Kelley’s toes. This act of violence, fueled by unchecked anger and prejudice, foreshadowed the cold-bloodedness that would later define his most infamous deed. This incident reveals a darker aspect of the man known as Edward O’Kelley.
The stage was set for the confrontation that would cement Edward O’Kelley’s place in Western lore. In 1892, Robert Ford, seeking to reinvent himself after the infamy of his betrayal of Jesse James, was operating a tent saloon in the booming silver mining camp of Creede, Colorado. Creede was a wild and lawless place, a magnet for fortune seekers, gamblers, and outlaws. The town itself was nestled in a narrow canyon, with buildings clinging precariously to the steep slopes. Saloons, gambling dens, and brothels lined the muddy streets, catering to the insatiable desires of the miners and adventurers who flocked to the area.
On the morning of June 8, 1892, Ford was in his saloon, preparing for the day’s business. The details of the saloon itself are scant, but one can imagine a rough-hewn structure with canvas walls, a makeshift bar, and a scattering of tables and chairs. The air would have been thick with the smells of sawdust, whiskey, and unwashed bodies. As Ford attended to his morning chores, a figure emerged from the dusty street and entered the saloon. It was Edward O’Kelley, armed with a shotgun.
O’Kelley, with a grim determination etched on his face, called out, "Hello Bob." Ford, unsuspecting and perhaps momentarily lulled into a false sense of security, turned to face the voice. In that instant, O’Kelley raised his shotgun and fired, the blast tearing through the saloon and striking Ford in the neck. The force of the shot was devastating, and Ford died instantly, collapsing behind the bar. The echoes of the shotgun blast reverberated through the narrow canyon, signaling the end of Robert Ford’s turbulent life and the beginning of Edward O’Kelley’s own descent into further notoriety.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting was chaotic. O’Kelley was quickly apprehended, and the town of Creede erupted in a mixture of shock and excitement. While some undoubtedly mourned Ford’s passing, others saw O’Kelley as a vigilante who had avenged the death of Jesse James, a figure who, despite his criminal past, still held a certain romantic allure in the eyes of many.
The question of O’Kelley’s motives has been debated ever since. While he had known the James family in Missouri, the extent of his association with the notorious James Gang remains unclear. Some historians and contemporaries believed that O’Kelley was driven by a desire for revenge, seeking to avenge the betrayal and murder of Jesse James. Others theorized that O’Kelley was simply seeking fame and recognition, hoping to capitalize on the notoriety of killing the man who had killed Jesse James. Regardless of his true motives, the act solidified his name in the annals of Western history.
Following his arrest, O’Kelley was tried and convicted of Ford’s murder. On July 12, 1892, he was sentenced to life in prison at the Canon City Penitentiary, a harsh and unforgiving institution that housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the state. For a decade, O’Kelley languished behind bars, his future seemingly bleak.
However, fate, or perhaps the enduring allure of the Jesse James legend, intervened. In October 1902, after years of lobbying by friends in Missouri, O’Kelley was granted a pardon and released from prison. His freedom, however, proved to be short-lived.
Just months after his release, on January 30, 1903, O’Kelley was arrested for drunkenness and vagrancy in Pueblo, Colorado, a clear indication that he had failed to find a path to redemption. After his release, he drifted to Oklahoma City, where he encountered a police officer named Joe Burnett on January 13, 1904. The details of the altercation remain somewhat murky, but it quickly escalated into a deadly gunfight. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, O’Kelley was shot down by Officer Burnett, bringing a violent end to the life of the man who had killed Robert Ford.
Edward O’Kelley’s life was a testament to the turbulent and often unforgiving nature of the American West. He was a man of contradictions – a lawman with a violent temper, a possible avenger of Jesse James, and ultimately, a victim of his own volatile nature. His legacy remains intertwined with the legends of Jesse James and Robert Ford, forever casting him as a minor, yet significant, figure in the drama of the Old West. His story serves as a reminder of the complex and often morally ambiguous characters who populated this iconic era of American history.