The Dead Man’s Hand

On this day in 1876, Jack McCall murdered Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, South Dakota. The so-called ‘dead man’s hand” Hickok was holding isn’t entirely known. Two black aces and two black eights are accepted. The fifth card, if even dealt, is not.

First, something about Hickok: he was a folk hero known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, cattle rustler, gunslinger, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement in gunfights. Some fictionalized, some not. He was, though, a legend during his life.

Back to the fateful hand dealt him. Even the black aces and eights have been called into question by a man claiming to have retrieved the cards. The man gave the cards to his son, who told another person the cards were the ace of diamonds, the ace of clubs, the two black eights, clubs and spades, and the queen of hearts. But there was no evidence to support the claim.

Hickok’s biographer, Joseph Rosa, wrote about the hand in which the fifth card was the queen of clubs, along with the black aces and eights. The two pairs, black aces and eights, became known as the dead man’s hand, but they weren’t associated with Hickok until 50 years after his murder in yet another book.

The fifth card is open to speculation. The nine and jack of diamonds come up often. The fifth card has been described as a bullet to the brain from behind because, for Hickok, it was.

The story of Wild Bill has fascinated me since I was a child. I watched the television show in the 1950s featuring him and his fictional sidekick, Jingles, played by Guy Madison and Andy Devine]. I had the lockbox from the show and a fringe coat like the one Jingles wore. My parents got me the Wild Bill outfit, including two six-guns and a holster. That is another story in itself.

Later, I followed the path of Wild Bill from Illinois to South Dakota, where he died at 39 years of age in Saloon No. 10, and read up on the trial of Jack McCall. McCall was found not guilty but tried a second time; the defense of double jeopardy failed on technical grounds. From trial and appeal, McCall was hanged in just under three months. That is speedy justice and interesting to read about.

I played some poker at Saloon No. 10 and won a small amount of money playing blackjack, but it was enough to get my photo taken with the lovely lady dealing cards. I still have the photo somewhere.