DOCUMENTARY: The Death Of Hickok

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By Victor Olubiye




On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok arrived at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, a place he frequented for poker games. By that time, Hickok was already a legend of the Wild West—known for his deadly gunfights, performances in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, and a reputation for having killed as many as 100 men. Yet, despite his larger-than-life persona, that summer day would mark the abrupt and tragic end of his story.

As Hickok sat down to play, he made the unusual choice to sit with his back to the saloon’s entrance—a decision that would prove fatal. Jack McCall, a man angered by losing to Hickok at poker the previous day, entered the saloon armed with a .45 caliber revolver. Without hesitation, McCall approached Hickok’s table, shouted, “Damn you, take that!” and fired a single shot into the back of Hickok’s head.

Hickok fell forward, dying instantly with his hand still clutching a pair of black aces and eights—later immortalized as the “Dead Man’s Hand.” His violent death shocked the frontier community and cemented his place in history as a Wild West icon whose life ended as dramatically as it had been lived.

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