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The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

Late in the summer of 1884, a pair of wild-eyed, trail-stained strangers wandered into Dodge. Both were heavily armed when they entered the Long Branch Saloon. The bartender noticed their guns and informed the men the weapons weren’t allowed in town. The men announced to all in earshot that they hadn’t any intentions of surrendering their guns and defied the law to take their six-shooters from them. The two grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses and proceeded to a nearby table where they started drinking. In between drinks the pair loudly threatened to kill anyone with a badge who came near them.

Marshal Bill Tilghman’s reputation as an effective peace officer had reached beyond Dodge City, and the belligerent customers dared the well-known lawman to square off against them. “We hear tell he’s fast on the draw,” they shouted. “He’s got a chance now to prove it. Somebody go tell him that if he’s tired of living, we’re ready to help him end it.”

A man named Sampson let the marshal know what was going on and, in spite of the informant’s warning to stay away, Tilghman picked up his pistols and headed out of his office. As he left, he told Sampson if he didn’t go, gunslingers from all over the Territory would ride into Dodge ready to oppose him.

When Marshal Tilghman entered the saloon, patrons and employees scattered. The resolute lawman made his way to the mouthy drifters and instructed them to give up their guns. “They’re not allowed in town,” he told them. The three men eyed one another for a few brief moments and then one of them quickly drew his weapon. Before he could get off a shot, Tilghman had drawn and fired his gun at the man. The second of the duo pulled his pistol but he didn’t get far. He was on the floor with a bullet in his chest before the smoke from Tilghman’s first shot had cleared. The marshal retrieved the dead men’s weapons and ordered a handful of cowboys who were taking refuge behind the bar to help carry the bodies to the mortician’s office.

To learn more about Marshal Tilghman read

Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

Enter now to win a copy of

Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him

Author and historian Art Burton phoned last evening to let me know how much he liked the book Tilghman: The Legendary Lawman and the Woman Who Inspired Him. Art is a retired college professor and one of the leading authorities on U. S. Marshal Bass Reeves. I’ve admired Art’s work for some time and it was an honor to have him call and share his thoughts on Tilghman. We both agreed that Tilghman as well as Cherokee lawmen Sam Sixkiller and Zeke Proctor have not received the attention they so richly deserve. He offered to write a review of the Tilghman book and I can’t wait to post it. Thanks, Mr. Burton, you made my month.

“Chris Enss delivers the goods on Machine Gun Kelly, who moved from the upper middle class and college to become an infamous Prohibition-era gangster with his moll, Kathryn Thorne. Thoroughly researched with exciting new details!” —Meyer Lansky II, grandson of Meyer Lansky and author of The Lansky Legacy: The Life and Letters of Meyer Lansky

Meet the Kellys: The True Story of Machine Gun Kelly and His Moll Kathryn Thorne is published by Citadel a Kensington Publishing imprint and is scheduled for released in May 2025

An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood’s Most Notorious Bordellos

won the silver medallion in the category of Western Nonfiction

at the Will Rogers Medallion Award Ceremony

Can’t wait to celebrate the win with my sweet friends at Deadwood History, Inc.

It is indeed an honor to learn the story penned for the Tombstone Epitaph about

Sarah Herring Sorin, The Attorney Teacher won the  

DOWNING Journalism Award.

Thanks to editor Mark Boardman for publishing the article,

Linda Wommack who chairs the award,

and Women Writing the West.