John Bull (gunman)
Encyclopedia
John Bull was a little known yet nonetheless deadly gunman of the American Old West
. He is featured in the book "Deadly Dozen", written by author
Robert K. DeArment as one of the twelve most underrated gunmen of the 19th century west.
, little more is known of his early life. It also is not certain as to when he ventured to the United States, but is believed to have been some time during the 1850s. He first appeared, in historical texts, in 1861, as a professional gambler that made his way around mining boomtown
s.
On August 25, 1862, he was involved in a gunfight while in the mining camp of Gold Creek, located in Montana Territory
. He entered the town stating his name was John Bull, and that he and his companion, a man named Fox, were on the trail of horse thieves who had stolen six valuable horses in Elk City, Idaho
. The thieves, C.W. Spillman, Bill Arnett, and B.F. Jermagin had preceded Bull and Fox in entering the camp by about three days.
Bull and Fox captured Spillman with no incident, and placed him in the custody of several miners while the two continued to search for the others. Locating them in a large tent used as a saloon, Bull stepped inside with a double barrel shotgun, and demanded both men throw up their hands and surrender. Arnett immediately grabbed his pistol laying on the table beside him, at which point Bull shot him with one blast from his shotgun in the chest, killing him instantly. Jermagin surrendered, and he and Spillman were tried the next morning in a makeshift court
. Jermagin was able to successfully argue that he played no part in the horse theft. However, Spillman was convicted and sentenced to hang. The next morning he was executed.
At this time mining camps in Nevada Territory were booming, most promionent Aurora, and then Austin. John Bull settled at the silver camp of Austin, in the center of the Territory. Early in 1864 there came about a nationalistic dispute over who was “chief” in Austin - Irish vs. English. In deference to the late editorial against dueling with pistols and knives, the use of those weapons was rejected by involved parties. It so happened another talent of Johnny Bull was fisticuffs. The issue was finally settled between Bull and a particular Irishman. They met up late at night on February 21, in a saloon at the corner of Main and Cedar Streets. Inside within the presence of an excited crowd, the two combatants (with their seconds) came to an agreement in regards the rules of pugilism to be allowed:
"…They thereupon adjourned to the street. Mac Waterhouse was selected by the Englishman as his second, and George Loney by the Irishman, and after these preliminaries had been gone through with, the mauling commenced about twelve o’clock. Twenty-one rounds were fought and for a time the battle was very hotly contested, both giving and receiving very hard knocks and showing no signs of yielding. But Johnny Bull’s endurance was too much for Irish grit, and the victory was decided in favor of the Englishman. It is claimed however, that the result was entirely owing to the instructions Mac gave his man during the twenty-first round; that is, to feint with his left, take one step back, and give an uppercut with his right. This direction was followed and gained the fight. Both men were severely punished. A large crowd witnessed the contest, many being present in dishabille [state of casual attire], not having time to dress themselves when they jumped out of bed to see what was going on. We are making fine progress in “muscular Christianity.” A prize fight in our public thoroughfare. Who can beat it?” [Reese River Reveille – Feb. 23, 1864]
By 1865 Bull had partnered with Langford Peel, they moving together next to Belmont, Nevada. [Montana Post - Aug. 4, 1867]
. By this time he was partnered in a gambling operation with fellow Englishman Langford M. Peel, known as "Farmer" Peel, a former soldier. During this time, famed writer Mark Twain
became friends with Bull, writing later of how well they had gotten along, and particularly of a joke that Bull had once pulled on Twain during the winter of 1866.
Bull and Peel, by early 1867, had moved their operations on to Belmont, Nevada
, and then to Salt Lake City, Utah
. While in Salt Lake City, the two argued, and for a time separated. However by the summer of 1867 the two were working together again, by this time in Helena, Montana
. On the night of July 22, 1867, Peel and Bull were seated at a table in the "Greer Brothers Exchange Saloon", and for some reason the argument they had previously had was rekindled. Both men jumped to their feet and became arguing loudly.
Peel slapped Bull in the face with one hand, and pulled his gun with the other. Bull raised his hands, stating "I am unarmed". Peel responded that he should go and arm himself, then return. Bull retreated to his room, quickly wrote down a makeshift will
for the disposition of his property in the event of his death, then took his gun and returned to the saloon.
By the time Bull had returned, Peel had left the saloon, and moved down the street to the "Chase Saloon", and was talking to his girlfriend, prostitute Belle Neil. Peel then escorted Neil, the two retiring to his room. As they walked outside onto Helena's Main Street, they were met by Bull. Immediately Peel went for his gun, as did Bull. Bull shot Peel with his first shot, and as Peel attempted to draw his own pistol, Belle Neil unintentionally, due to her shock, tugged at his arm hindering him from drawing. Bull fired again, with Peel falling face down into the street. Bull then walked up calmly, and fired a third round into Peel's head, killing him.
Town Marshal John Xavier "X" Beidler took Bull into custody. That night, a lynch mob gathered, intent on hanging Bull, but Beidler backed them down. In the trial that followed, the jury failed to convict, and Bull was released. He immediately left Helena, traveling to Cheyenne, Wyoming
. Langford Peel had been known to have killed at least four men prior to Bull killing him, thus Bull was treated as a man with somewhat of a reputation since it was he that killed Peel. In fact, he was treated as somewhat of a celebrity while in Cheyenne.
In 1868, now again in Utah
, Bull married to a woman described as having been extremely pretty and lady like, but ill suited for his lifestyle. Bull thus moved with her to Chicago, Illinois, and there the two had two children. She died of illness in 1872, and Bull placed his children in foster homes. By the following year he was in Omaha, Nebraska
, again operating as a gambler.
Shortly before midnight, on July 12, 1873, while in the company of gambler George Mehaffy, Bull and Mehaffy stabbed railroad employee Samual Atwood outside the "Crystal Saloon" in Omaha, due to Atwood warning others that Bull was a crooked gambler running a crooked game. Town Marshal Gilbert Rustin gathered several policemen and went in search of the two men, locating Bull inside "Sullivan's Saloon". When Rustin approached him, Bull produced his pistol, refusing to be arrested, causing Rustin to withdraw. Bull then ran all the patrons out of the saloon, and calmly sat down in a chair, falling asleep. When awakened, he quietly submitted to arrest without resistance.
Atwood was still alive, but in serious condition, thus a mob of supporters were threatening to hang Bull. Mehaffy by this point had also been captured, and both were being held in the local jail. Atwood, when interviewed, implicated Mehaffy as the one attacker he could identify, thus Bull was released. Mehaffy was later freed on bond following Atwood's recovery, and again began working with Bull in their gambling arrangement. Bull began to move around frequently through the small western towns of the day, often in the company of other gamblers, and often taking part in crooked games meant to heist money from unsuspecting amateur gamblers. He also began dabbling in professional boxing
, as a promoter.
In 1874 he and Mehaffy were arrested for armed robbery, citing that they had robbed a man named Wilkinson in a gin mill. In 1875 those charges were dropped, after Bull had gotten released on bond and jumped bail. Due to him having worn out his welcome in that area, Bull moved on to Deadwood, South Dakota
in 1876, another boomtown. By 1879 he had settled in Denver, Colorado
, and over the next few years his name appeared often in police reports, often being arrested for public drunkenness and disturbing the peace. While in "The Slaughterhouse" saloon, he was once arrested for disturbing the peace, at which point he resisted knocking one policeman unconscious with a walking stick, after which several other officers beat him into submission.
On the night of October 14, 1880, Bull, now partnered with gambler Jim Moon, became involved in an altercation with two city policemen. Moon's wife and another woman who had been dating Bull also became involved, throwing chinaware at the officers, causing them to retreat. Bull and Moon met the officers, who returned with more policemen, at the front door, pistols drawn, but after seeing that they could not win, both Bull and Moon surrendered. Less than a month later, Moon killed a man named Sam Hall by beating him on the head with his pistol. He was acquitted on the grounds of self defense in the trial that followed. Seven months later, Moon, a jealous man, attacked a gambler named Clay Wilson, believing Wilson was paying too much attention to his (Moon's) wife. Wilson shot Moon twice, killing him.
Bull moved on to Denver, where, in January, 1882, gambler and associate Jim Bush shot Bull in the foot after an argument. Bull refused to press charges, and let the matter drop. Shortly afterward he again moved on. In 1898, he was in Spokane, Washington
, and attended a show in the "Peoples Theater" with friend Frisky Barnett. As the two men walked out, Barnett for unknown reasons jammed his lit cigar into Bull's eye, which caused Bull to scream in pain, then draw his pistol. Barnett jumped behind a woman, and drew his own pistol. The two men began firing, both emptying their pistols. One of Bull's shots hit the woman, another took off one of Barnett's fingers. Bull had been shot four times, once in the neck, once in the groin, once in the chin and once in the left arm.
The woman recovered, but Bull was forced to allow his arm to be amputated. Barnett was fined $10 for discharging a firearm in city limits, and released. Bull was expected to die, but hung on for several weeks. He recovered, still carrying a bullet in his neck. In 1921, when the bullet began to bother him, he had it removed in Excelsior Springs, Missouri
. He died in 1929, at the age of 93.
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. He is featured in the book "Deadly Dozen", written by author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Robert K. DeArment as one of the twelve most underrated gunmen of the 19th century west.
Early life
Born John Edwin Bull, in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, little more is known of his early life. It also is not certain as to when he ventured to the United States, but is believed to have been some time during the 1850s. He first appeared, in historical texts, in 1861, as a professional gambler that made his way around mining boomtown
Boomtown
A boomtown is a community that experiences sudden and rapid population and economic growth. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although the term can also be applied to communities growing very rapidly for different reasons,...
s.
On August 25, 1862, he was involved in a gunfight while in the mining camp of Gold Creek, located in Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
. He entered the town stating his name was John Bull, and that he and his companion, a man named Fox, were on the trail of horse thieves who had stolen six valuable horses in Elk City, Idaho
Elk City, Idaho
Elk City is an unincorporated census-designated place in Idaho County, Idaho, United States. Elk City is located at the eastern end of Idaho State Highway 14 and is east of Grangeville, the nearest city. Elk City has a post office with ZIP code 83525. As of the 2010 census, its population was 202....
. The thieves, C.W. Spillman, Bill Arnett, and B.F. Jermagin had preceded Bull and Fox in entering the camp by about three days.
Bull and Fox captured Spillman with no incident, and placed him in the custody of several miners while the two continued to search for the others. Locating them in a large tent used as a saloon, Bull stepped inside with a double barrel shotgun, and demanded both men throw up their hands and surrender. Arnett immediately grabbed his pistol laying on the table beside him, at which point Bull shot him with one blast from his shotgun in the chest, killing him instantly. Jermagin surrendered, and he and Spillman were tried the next morning in a makeshift court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
. Jermagin was able to successfully argue that he played no part in the horse theft. However, Spillman was convicted and sentenced to hang. The next morning he was executed.
At this time mining camps in Nevada Territory were booming, most promionent Aurora, and then Austin. John Bull settled at the silver camp of Austin, in the center of the Territory. Early in 1864 there came about a nationalistic dispute over who was “chief” in Austin - Irish vs. English. In deference to the late editorial against dueling with pistols and knives, the use of those weapons was rejected by involved parties. It so happened another talent of Johnny Bull was fisticuffs. The issue was finally settled between Bull and a particular Irishman. They met up late at night on February 21, in a saloon at the corner of Main and Cedar Streets. Inside within the presence of an excited crowd, the two combatants (with their seconds) came to an agreement in regards the rules of pugilism to be allowed:
"…They thereupon adjourned to the street. Mac Waterhouse was selected by the Englishman as his second, and George Loney by the Irishman, and after these preliminaries had been gone through with, the mauling commenced about twelve o’clock. Twenty-one rounds were fought and for a time the battle was very hotly contested, both giving and receiving very hard knocks and showing no signs of yielding. But Johnny Bull’s endurance was too much for Irish grit, and the victory was decided in favor of the Englishman. It is claimed however, that the result was entirely owing to the instructions Mac gave his man during the twenty-first round; that is, to feint with his left, take one step back, and give an uppercut with his right. This direction was followed and gained the fight. Both men were severely punished. A large crowd witnessed the contest, many being present in dishabille [state of casual attire], not having time to dress themselves when they jumped out of bed to see what was going on. We are making fine progress in “muscular Christianity.” A prize fight in our public thoroughfare. Who can beat it?” [Reese River Reveille – Feb. 23, 1864]
By 1865 Bull had partnered with Langford Peel, they moving together next to Belmont, Nevada. [Montana Post - Aug. 4, 1867]
Life and reputation
Bull was next heard of in 1866, when he arrived in Virginia City, NevadaVirginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
. By this time he was partnered in a gambling operation with fellow Englishman Langford M. Peel, known as "Farmer" Peel, a former soldier. During this time, famed writer Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
became friends with Bull, writing later of how well they had gotten along, and particularly of a joke that Bull had once pulled on Twain during the winter of 1866.
Bull and Peel, by early 1867, had moved their operations on to Belmont, Nevada
Belmont, Nevada
Belmont is a ghost town in Nye County, Nevada, United States. The town is a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is Nevada Historical Marker number 138.-History:...
, and then to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. While in Salt Lake City, the two argued, and for a time separated. However by the summer of 1867 the two were working together again, by this time in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
. On the night of July 22, 1867, Peel and Bull were seated at a table in the "Greer Brothers Exchange Saloon", and for some reason the argument they had previously had was rekindled. Both men jumped to their feet and became arguing loudly.
Peel slapped Bull in the face with one hand, and pulled his gun with the other. Bull raised his hands, stating "I am unarmed". Peel responded that he should go and arm himself, then return. Bull retreated to his room, quickly wrote down a makeshift will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
for the disposition of his property in the event of his death, then took his gun and returned to the saloon.
By the time Bull had returned, Peel had left the saloon, and moved down the street to the "Chase Saloon", and was talking to his girlfriend, prostitute Belle Neil. Peel then escorted Neil, the two retiring to his room. As they walked outside onto Helena's Main Street, they were met by Bull. Immediately Peel went for his gun, as did Bull. Bull shot Peel with his first shot, and as Peel attempted to draw his own pistol, Belle Neil unintentionally, due to her shock, tugged at his arm hindering him from drawing. Bull fired again, with Peel falling face down into the street. Bull then walked up calmly, and fired a third round into Peel's head, killing him.
Town Marshal John Xavier "X" Beidler took Bull into custody. That night, a lynch mob gathered, intent on hanging Bull, but Beidler backed them down. In the trial that followed, the jury failed to convict, and Bull was released. He immediately left Helena, traveling to Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
. Langford Peel had been known to have killed at least four men prior to Bull killing him, thus Bull was treated as a man with somewhat of a reputation since it was he that killed Peel. In fact, he was treated as somewhat of a celebrity while in Cheyenne.
In 1868, now again in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Bull married to a woman described as having been extremely pretty and lady like, but ill suited for his lifestyle. Bull thus moved with her to Chicago, Illinois, and there the two had two children. She died of illness in 1872, and Bull placed his children in foster homes. By the following year he was in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, again operating as a gambler.
Shortly before midnight, on July 12, 1873, while in the company of gambler George Mehaffy, Bull and Mehaffy stabbed railroad employee Samual Atwood outside the "Crystal Saloon" in Omaha, due to Atwood warning others that Bull was a crooked gambler running a crooked game. Town Marshal Gilbert Rustin gathered several policemen and went in search of the two men, locating Bull inside "Sullivan's Saloon". When Rustin approached him, Bull produced his pistol, refusing to be arrested, causing Rustin to withdraw. Bull then ran all the patrons out of the saloon, and calmly sat down in a chair, falling asleep. When awakened, he quietly submitted to arrest without resistance.
Atwood was still alive, but in serious condition, thus a mob of supporters were threatening to hang Bull. Mehaffy by this point had also been captured, and both were being held in the local jail. Atwood, when interviewed, implicated Mehaffy as the one attacker he could identify, thus Bull was released. Mehaffy was later freed on bond following Atwood's recovery, and again began working with Bull in their gambling arrangement. Bull began to move around frequently through the small western towns of the day, often in the company of other gamblers, and often taking part in crooked games meant to heist money from unsuspecting amateur gamblers. He also began dabbling in professional boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, as a promoter.
In 1874 he and Mehaffy were arrested for armed robbery, citing that they had robbed a man named Wilkinson in a gin mill. In 1875 those charges were dropped, after Bull had gotten released on bond and jumped bail. Due to him having worn out his welcome in that area, Bull moved on to Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
in 1876, another boomtown. By 1879 he had settled in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, and over the next few years his name appeared often in police reports, often being arrested for public drunkenness and disturbing the peace. While in "The Slaughterhouse" saloon, he was once arrested for disturbing the peace, at which point he resisted knocking one policeman unconscious with a walking stick, after which several other officers beat him into submission.
On the night of October 14, 1880, Bull, now partnered with gambler Jim Moon, became involved in an altercation with two city policemen. Moon's wife and another woman who had been dating Bull also became involved, throwing chinaware at the officers, causing them to retreat. Bull and Moon met the officers, who returned with more policemen, at the front door, pistols drawn, but after seeing that they could not win, both Bull and Moon surrendered. Less than a month later, Moon killed a man named Sam Hall by beating him on the head with his pistol. He was acquitted on the grounds of self defense in the trial that followed. Seven months later, Moon, a jealous man, attacked a gambler named Clay Wilson, believing Wilson was paying too much attention to his (Moon's) wife. Wilson shot Moon twice, killing him.
Bull moved on to Denver, where, in January, 1882, gambler and associate Jim Bush shot Bull in the foot after an argument. Bull refused to press charges, and let the matter drop. Shortly afterward he again moved on. In 1898, he was in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, and attended a show in the "Peoples Theater" with friend Frisky Barnett. As the two men walked out, Barnett for unknown reasons jammed his lit cigar into Bull's eye, which caused Bull to scream in pain, then draw his pistol. Barnett jumped behind a woman, and drew his own pistol. The two men began firing, both emptying their pistols. One of Bull's shots hit the woman, another took off one of Barnett's fingers. Bull had been shot four times, once in the neck, once in the groin, once in the chin and once in the left arm.
The woman recovered, but Bull was forced to allow his arm to be amputated. Barnett was fined $10 for discharging a firearm in city limits, and released. Bull was expected to die, but hung on for several weeks. He recovered, still carrying a bullet in his neck. In 1921, when the bullet began to bother him, he had it removed in Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Excelsior Springs is a city in Clay and Ray counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 11,084 at the 2010 census. It is located approximately northeast of central Kansas City, Missouri.- Geography :...
. He died in 1929, at the age of 93.