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The Sharpshooter and the Showman:
May Lillie, Pawnee Bill and their Wild West Show
May Lillie and Pawnee Bill, along with their Wild West troupe, made their way from Baltimore, Maryland, south to Atlanta, Georgia, traveling north again to Michigan, New York, and into Canada. Gordon routinely sent letters to the editor at the Wichita Star that included clippings from the many locations the Wild West show played. The editor would then make mention of Gordon’s correspondence and let readers know how the Lillies were doing and how large the crowds were that the program attracted. “Audiences from Montgomery to Montreal all agree that the Lillie’s shows are worth going a long way to see,” the August 27, 1890, edition of the Wichita Star noted.
Numerous fans of Pawnee Bill attended the program to see the frontiersman they had read about in Dime Novels. May Lillie had many followers as well. The press frequently reported on her appearances in and out of the performance arena and she was highly sought after as a result. While in Ohio with the show during the 1890 tour, May was honored by a civic organization in Cleveland.
The award presented to her was a gold-mounted whip. She and Pawnee Bill were also invited to attend a formal ball which was help to further celebrate her equestrian accomplishments. When she learned a prize would be given for the “handsomest costume” at the gala, she was determined to win. Adorned in an elaborate Indian dress, May arrived at the party riding her horse Hunter. She led the mustang into the ballroom where the most elite of the town’s citizenry had gathered. Her entrance caused a significant stir and most everyone found her style refreshing. May left the event with the prize for her costume and was asked to lead a procession of Cleveland’s high society ladies in an impromptu parade down main street.
May’s admirers came out in droves on October 18, 1890, to watch her perform a death-defying trick. The Lillies’ show was playing a week-long engagement in Atlanta, Georgia, and guests had been invited to meet the cast and tour the canvas-covered homes of the Indians as well as the other troupe members. Visitors had been promised a shooting exhibition by May and she didn’t disappoint. A daring spectator volunteered to help her with the stunt that involved having an apple shot off his head. The apple-shot was fairly common in Wild West shows, but finding someone who had the nerve to risk the unerring aim of the shooter could be a challenge.
All eyes were on May as she took her place twenty-five yards from the volunteer. She raised her rifle, pointed it at the apple, fired, and hit the mark. The captivated audience erupted in applause.
Sharpshooter and the Showman
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To learn more about
May Lille and Pawnee Bill and their Wild West Show read
The Sharpshooter and the Showman.
