Feature

April 1998

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BAT MASTERSON

He was born Bartholomiew Masterson in Canada in 1853. Later he changed his name to William Barclay Masterson. The second of seven children, Bat, at age 17, and his older brother Ed, left home to seek adventure. The brothers took up buffalo hunting and met Wyatt Earp at one of the camps and learned the art of gambling.

On July 27, 1874, 20-year old Bat was the youngest of 29 defenders at the famous Battle of Adobe Walls.

As a result of a gunfight that notched his only fatality, Bat used the cane that may have inspired his famous nickname. In 1877 Masterson became sheriff of Dodge City and Ford County. Bat had developed a reputation as a gunfighter, & consequently he rarely had to fire his guns during an encounter.

He accepted appointment as a deputy U.S. Marshal in January 1879..

At the age of 27, Masterson had fought in his last shoot-out. Later he became increasingly active as a sportsman.

In the late 1890's he became a sports editor for a Denver newspaper. Considered a drunken relic of the Old West, he was asked to leave around 1902.

Bat then moved to New York City where President Roosevelt appointed him deputy U.S. marshal in New York at a handsome annual salary of $2,000. Upon becoming sports editor of the New York Morning Telegraph, he resigned his deputy's commission.

On the morning of October 25, 1921, while working on his column, he slumped over his desk with pen in hand and died of a heart atta