Jack McCall – Cowardly Killer of Wild Bill Hickok
The annals of the American West are filled with figures both celebrated and infamous, their stories woven into the very fabric of the nation’s identity. Among the shadowy characters lurking in the dimly lit saloons and dusty streets, Jack McCall occupies a unique, if unenviable, position. He is not remembered for bravery, skill, or cunning, but rather for a single, cowardly act: the assassination of the legendary Wild Bill Hickok. Were it not for this fateful deed in the rough-and-tumble town of Deadwood, South Dakota, Jack McCall would likely have faded into the obscurity of the countless other drifters and opportunists who populated the frontier.
Jack McCall, often referred to as "Crooked Nose" Jack, was born John McCall around 1850 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. His early life offers few clues to the dramatic turn his existence would later take. Raised alongside his three sisters, he received a basic upbringing before succumbing to the allure of the West, a magnet for young men seeking fortune or simply a fresh start. By 1869, he was working with a group of buffalo hunters along the Kansas-Nebraska border, a harsh and unforgiving environment that likely hardened him in some ways, while simultaneously failing to instill any sense of morality or restraint.
From the plains of Kansas and Nebraska, McCall’s journey continued westward, eventually leading him to Wyoming. It was here, amidst the wide-open spaces and burgeoning settlements, that he adopted the alias "Bill Sutherland," a common practice among those seeking to conceal their past or simply reinvent themselves. This penchant for assuming different identities hints at a life lived on the fringes, a life where honesty and transparency were often sacrificed for expediency. It’s possible that under these assumed names, Jack McCall engaged in more nefarious activities than those he was ultimately known for, deeds lost to the sands of time, obscured by his later notoriety.
Descriptions of Jack McCall paint a picture of an unremarkable man, physically at least. Newspaper accounts of the time describe him as having thick chestnut hair, a small, sandy mustache, a pronounced double chin, and noticeably crossed eyes. These details offer a glimpse into the man behind the legend, a man far removed from the heroic figures who typically dominate tales of the Wild West. His appearance, coupled with his known proclivities for drunkenness and general scoundrelism, suggest a character who was often overlooked, underestimated, and perhaps even ridiculed. This perception, however, proved to be a fatal misjudgment on the part of Wild Bill Hickok.
The stage for the pivotal moment in Jack McCall’s life was set in Nuttall and Mann’s No. 10 Saloon in Deadwood on August 1, 1876. The saloon, a hub of activity and vice, was filled with miners, gamblers, and other denizens of the burgeoning town. Hickok, already a legend in his own time, was engaged in a poker game at a table filled with eager players. McCall, fueled by alcohol and perhaps a simmering resentment, watched Hickok intently. As the game progressed, McCall managed to join the table, only to quickly lose all his money to the more skilled and experienced Hickok.
In a gesture that would ultimately seal his fate, Hickok, known for his sense of fairness, offered McCall some money to buy himself a meal, advising him to refrain from gambling until he could afford to cover his losses. While seemingly a charitable act, McCall interpreted it as a profound insult, a public humiliation that festered in his drunken mind. This perceived slight, combined with whatever other demons haunted him, would prove to be the catalyst for his act of ultimate cowardice.
The following afternoon, Wild Bill Hickok returned to Nuttall & Mann’s Saloon. Finding his usual seat occupied by Charlie Rich, he reluctantly took a seat with his back to the entrance – a decision that would prove fatal. McCall, having spent the previous night nursing his resentment and likely further indulging in alcohol, saw Hickok’s arrival as an opportunity for revenge. Seizing the moment, he approached Hickok from behind, drew his .45 caliber revolver, and fired a single shot into the back of Hickok’s head, yelling, "Damn you, take that!" Hickok, holding a hand of Aces and Eights – forever immortalized as the "dead man’s hand" – slumped forward, dead before he hit the floor.
The aftermath of the shooting was chaotic. McCall, driven by a combination of panic and adrenaline, fled the saloon and attempted to escape on a nearby horse. However, his efforts were thwarted when the saddle, having been loosened, caused him to fall to the ground. He continued his escape on foot, seeking refuge in a butcher’s shop, but his attempts were futile. A large crowd quickly apprehended him, bringing his brief reign of terror to an end. The murder of Wild Bill Hickok sent shockwaves through Deadwood and the wider West, instantly transforming Jack McCall from an obscure nobody into a notorious figure.
In the absence of formal legal structures, the mining camp of Deadwood convened a miners’ court at the McDaniels/Langrishe Theater to try McCall for murder. Despite lacking legal jurisdiction, the court appointed a defense attorney, prosecutor, and judge, proceeding with a trial that was more a spectacle of frontier justice than a legitimate legal proceeding. McCall, in his defense, claimed to have shot Hickok in revenge for the alleged killing of his brother in Abilene, Kansas, maintaining that he would do it again if given the chance. This claim, however, would later be proven false, adding another layer of deceit to his already tarnished character.
Surprisingly, the jury returned a "not guilty" verdict in less than two hours, a decision that drew widespread criticism and ridicule. The Black Hills Pioneer newspaper famously quipped that if one were ever unfortunate enough to kill a man, they should ensure their trial takes place in a mining camp in the Black Hills. This outcome highlighted the lawlessness and moral ambiguity that often prevailed in these frontier settlements, where personal vendettas and mob rule could easily override justice and reason.
Emboldened by his acquittal, McCall lingered in Deadwood for several days, until California Joe, a well-known figure in the town, suggested that the air might be detrimental to his health. Taking the hint, McCall left Deadwood, believing he had escaped punishment for his crime. He traveled to Wyoming, boasting about his deed to anyone who would listen, reveling in the notoriety he had gained from killing Wild Bill Hickok. This boasting, however, would ultimately prove to be his undoing.
Less than a month after the Deadwood trial, a U.S. Deputy Marshal in Laramie, Wyoming, overheard McCall’s bragging and arrested him on August 29. Charged with murder, he was taken to Yankton, South Dakota, to stand trial in a court with proper jurisdiction. Lorenzo Butler Hickok, Wild Bill’s brother, traveled from Illinois to attend the trial, determined to see justice served for his slain sibling.
The trial began on December 4, 1876, and concluded on December 6 with a guilty verdict. The jury, unlike its Deadwood counterpart, recognized the gravity of McCall’s crime and the need for a legitimate legal consequence. This second trial underscored the importance of due process and the rule of law, contrasting sharply with the kangaroo court proceedings in Deadwood.
On March 1, 1877, Jack McCall was led to the gallows in Yankton, the first person to be legally executed in Dakota Territory. He knelt with a priest, his arms and legs bound, before having a black hood placed over his head. He reportedly asked the marshal for a moment of prayer before the noose was placed around his neck, allegedly saying, "Draw it tighter, Marshal." At 10:10 a.m., the trap was sprung, bringing his life to an ignominious end. His earlier claim of killing Hickok in revenge for his brother’s death was exposed as a fabrication, solidifying his image as a liar and a coward.
McCall was initially buried in the southwest corner of Yankton’s Catholic cemetery. However, when the cemetery was relocated in 1881 to make way for the Territorial Insane Hospital, his body was exhumed. It was discovered that he had been buried with the noose still around his neck, a grim reminder of his execution. His remains were reburied in an unmarked grave in the Yankton Cemetery, but the exact location has been lost to time. The final resting place of Jack McCall, the cowardly killer of Wild Bill Hickok, remains unknown, a fitting end for a man whose life was defined by deception and violence.