Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson, born Bartholomew Masterson on November 26, 1853, in Henryville, Quebec, Canada, is a notable figure in American Western history, known for his roles as a gunslinger, lawman, and later a sports writer in New York City. He was one of several Canadian-born brothers who served as lawmen in the American West, gaining fame for his connections with legendary figures like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. His early life included a move to the United States, where he worked as a buffalo hunter and engaged in his first gunfight in Texas in 1876, sustaining injuries that resulted in his lifelong use of a cane. Masterson served as sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, and later as city marshal in various locations, dealing with the complexities of law enforcement during a tumultuous period in American history.
Despite his lawman status, Masterson had numerous brushes with the law, including gambling-related incidents and violent confrontations. He transitioned to a successful career as a sports columnist after moving to New York in 1902, where he became friends with prominent figures like Theodore Roosevelt. His life inspired various forms of media, including a comic book and a television series. Masterson's legacy represents the multifaceted nature of individuals in the American West—men who navigated the law while embodying a spirit of self-made success. He passed away on October 21, 1921, leaving behind a complex legacy intertwined with the mythology of the Wild West.
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Subject Terms
Bat Masterson
Law officer, sports writer
- Born: November 26, 1853
- Place of Birth: Place of birth: Quebec, Canada
- Died: October 25, 1921
- Place of Death: Place of death: New York City
Significance: The most famous of several Canadian-born brothers who became lawmen in the American West, Bat Masterson earned a reputation as a gunslinger and gambler before settling into a career later in life as a New York–based sports writer.
Background
Bat Masterson was born Bartholomew Masterson in the town of Henryville, Quebec, Canada, on November 26, 1853. He began using the name William Barclay Masterson as a young adult, but no record has been found formalizing the change. Historians have several theories as to why he was known as Bat, including the most obvious—it was a nickname for his given name, Bartholomew. Another theory is that the nickname stemmed from the cane he often used after he was wounded in a gunfight—a cane was sometimes referred to as a bat.
Masterson was the second of five sons and two daughters born to Thomas and Catherine Masterson. The family moved to the United States and settled in Illinois after the birth of the youngest child in 1862. Thomas Masterson supported the family as a sharecropper. The children were not educated beyond what they received in the small town schoolhouses where they grew up, although Masterson would later claim that he was born and raised and received a high school education in Illinois. Historians believe that he did this to conceal that he remained a Canadian citizen throughout his life but took part in American elections and held elected offices in the United States.
Life’s Work
The Masterson family moved to Kansas in the early 1870s. Masterson and his older brother, Edward, worked for a time grading roadbeds for the Santa Fe Railroad near what became Dodge City in 1872. A few months later, during a hunting trip with his brothers, Masterson met famed lawman Wyatt Earp, who would become a lifelong friend.
During the summer of 1874, Masterson made his way to Texas and was part of a group of twenty-nine buffalo hunters trapped at the trading post of Adobe Walls by hundreds of Native Americans from several tribes. The hunters were better armed and therefore were able to fend off the attack.
While in Sweetwater, Texas, in January 1876, Masterson was involved in his first known gunfight. He and Melvin A. King, a member of the 4th Calvary, argued over a saloon dancer named Mollie Brennan and weapons were drawn. Brennan was shot accidentally by King, and Masterson shot King but not before King shot Masterson in the groin. This injury would result in Masterson’s lifelong use of a cane. Both Brennan and King died, and it was determined that Masterson acted in self-defense.
Later in 1876, while still recovering from his wound, Masterson returned to Dodge City where he began a career in law enforcement alongside his friend Earp. He served as a special police officer and was elected sheriff of Ford County, Kansas, by a slim margin of three votes in 1877. His brother Edward also served as a marshal in Dodge City around the same time. Masterson’s younger brother James served as a deputy in Dodge City, and at one time the three Masterson brothers made up most of the law enforcement in the area. During Masterson’s tenure as sheriff, he was involved in several violent encounters; he chased down train robbers with Edward alongside him and was in a shootout in Dodge City during which Edward was killed and two of his attackers wounded.
Masterson was not re-elected sheriff in 1879. However, he continued to be active in law enforcement in various ways, including a stint as city marshal of Trinidad, Colorado, in 1882. His friend Earp called on him to appeal to the governor of Colorado to prevent the extradition of John Henry "Doc" Holliday, and Masterson was successful. Masterson later served as deputy marshal of Arapahoe County in Colorado in 1897.
Around the same time, Masterson became very interested in prizefights. He owned a Denver boxing club for a time and also edited the sports section of a Denver paper. Masterson left Denver and moved to New York City in 1902. He became friends with Alfred Henry Lewis, the editor of the New York Morning Telegraph, who gave him a job as a columnist. Masterson continued writing his sports-focused column, Masterson’s Views on Timely Topics, until he died of a heart attack on October 21, 1921. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York.
Impact
Masterson was representative of the hard-living men of the American West who walked on both sides of the law. He was a lawman, yet he had several scrapes with the law for cheating at cards and his involvement in shootings. However, despite taking part in illegal activities, Masterson is emblematic of the many self-made men of the era; Masterson was an undereducated buffalo hunter in the West who became a respected writer in the East.
During his life, Masterson was associated with some of the most famous men of his time, including Earp, Holliday, and "Wild Bill" Hickok. When he moved east, he was introduced to famous actors such as John Barrymore and even became close friends with President Theodore Roosevelt. His life and exploits were featured in a self-titled comic book from 1960 to 62 and a television series that ran from 1958 to 1961. He also inspired the character Sky Masterson in the Broadway play Guys and Dolls, written by his friend Damon Runyon, and he was portrayed in at least ten films, numerous television shows, and several novels.
Personal Life
Shortly after he moved to Denver, Colorado, in the early 1890s, Masterson met a woman named Emma Moulton. She was married at the time, but she divorced in 1893. Masterson later claimed that they were married in 1893, but no official record has been found; it is believed to have been a common law marriage. They had no children.
Bibliography
"Bat Masterson: Topics in Chronicling America." Library of Congress, 2024, guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-bat-masterson. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
DeArment, Robert K. "Bat Masterson." HistoryNet. HistoryNet, 6 June 2006. Web. 2 May 2016.
DeArment, Robert K. Gunfighter in Gotham: Bat Masterson’s New York Years. Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 2013. Print.
King, Gilbert. "When New York Tamed the Feared Gunslinger Bat Masterson." Smithsonian.. Smithsonian Institution, 3 Apr. 2013. Web. 2 May 2016.
"William Barclay ‘Bat’ Masterson." Kansapedia. Kansas Historical Society, n.d. Web. 2 May 2016.