Mysterious Dave Mather
Encyclopedia
Dave Allen Mather known as Mysterious Dave, or sometimes as New York Dave, was an American
lawman and gunfighter in the American Old West
. The date and circumstances of his death are not known with any certainty. However, the most plausible account is that he was shot to death in Dallas, Texas
, in 1886 and left on the tracks of a railroad. The body found matched his description, and the bondsman
holding a $3,000 bond on him was released of the obligation that same year on the assumption that the client had died.
Not a great deal is known of Mather's life. The gaps in his life and his taciturn manner may have been what earned him the sobriquet "Mysterious Dave." It is known that he was a lawman in Dodge City, Kansas
, and Las Vegas, New Mexico
, and was a frequent associate of Bat Masterson
and Wyatt Earp
.
. His father was a sea captain who was descended from the famous Mathers of New England
who had included Richard Mather
, Increase Mather
, and Cotton Mather
. Dave seems to have fancied himself a direct descendant of Cotton Mather, but this was in error. Cotton Mather had no male children live to adulthood. Accordingly, Americans born in that era with the surname Mather are most likely descended from Timothy Mather, a farmer, brother of Increase Mather and uncle to Cotton Mather
Dave was the first of three sons born to the Mathers. His brother, Josiah "Sy" Mather was born October 11, 1854. Another brother, George Conway Mather, was born in 1855 and died in 1856. By the time that Dave was 16, both of his parents had died, and Dave and his brother Josiah headed west, settling first in Dodge City, Kansas
.
Ulysseus Mather abandoned his family following the death of his son and the loss of his ship. He died in 1864 at port in Shanghai
after being stabbed by the ship's Chinese cook. Lydia Mather remarried, to a man named George H. Randle, sometime in the late 1850s. When she died in 1868, Dave and Sy ran away to sea. This lasted less than a year before the boys opted for a life on dry land and jumped ship in New Orleans.
along with Dave Rudabaugh
and Milton J. Yarberry
. A warrant was issued for the three after a prominent rancher was murdered and his home robbed. They fled to Decatur, Texas
, in 1873.
Sy reported that he and Dave tried to work as buffalo
hunters on the Llano Estacado
around 1874. The venture did not last long, but it is possible that Mather may have met future associates such as Wyatt Earp
, Bat Masterson
, and Bill Tilghman
, who also tried their hand at hunting.
Dave was a resident of Dodge City, Kansas, in the early 1870s, where he befriended Dr. Thomas L. McCarty. When Dave was badly wounded in a knife fight, McCarty was able to save his life.
In 1878, Mather and Wyatt Earp are said to have come into Mobeetie, Texas
, with a scheme to sell phony gold bricks. The two claimed that the bricks were from a lost mine dating back to the days of the conquistador
es. Before they could get far with their scam they were run out of town by a lawman named Jim McIntire
. Like so many of the stories about Mather, the authenticity of this one is dubious.
What is more historically certain is that Mysterious Dave was one of the Kansas gunslinger
s assembled by Bat Masterson for the Railroad Wars
of 1879-80. The Atcheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad was competing with the Denver and Rio Grande for the rights to build a track through two disputed areas. Other gunfighters working with Mather for the Santa Fe line included Dave Rudabaugh, John Joshua Webb
, Doc Holliday
, and Ben Thompson
.
and the Denver and Rio Grande gaining control of the Royal Gorge
. In 1879, Mather joined John Joshua Webb, Dave Rudabaugh, and several others in the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico
. The group was collectively known as the "Dodge City Gang
" and was led by Hoodoo Brown
.
The gang monopolized the gambling
and prostitution
in Las Vegas while they acquired political power as well. Hoodoo Brown became justice of the peace, and Dave Mather was named deputy U.S. Marshal for the area by Governor Lew Wallace
. Members of the gang, including Mather, were also alleged to have been responsible for several stagecoach
robberies. Mather's career during this time seems to have been a mix of law-enforcement and alleged law-breaking, a pattern common to the famous lawmen of the Old West.
House and Dorsey were captured two weeks later, and brought to the Las Vegas jail
to await trial
. An angry mob broke into the jail and pulled House, Dorsey, and West from their cell, and took them to the windmill on the Plaza to hang, Mrs. Carson opened fire on the men, denying the mob their opportunity to lynch
them. The gunfight, which became known as the Variety Hall Shootout
, was the first substantiated account to which Mather's name could be attached, and it launched him into western fame as a gunman.
and Texas
before settling in Dallas, Texas
, in December. During this period he often used the alias Dave Matthews.
In Dallas, Mather had his only recorded romance of any length. He was involved with an African American
woman named Georgia Morgan who worked as the madame of a brothel
called the "Long Branch". The romance lasted until January 1881 when Dave abandoned his lover, taking some items of property belonging to her. She pursued him with a butcher knife but was arrested before she could do anything.
, a dispute between saloon owners who were friends of the mayor of Dodge City and Luke Short
, owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Several gunfighters including Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp gathered to support their friend Short. The show of force was enough to cause Short's enemies to back down, and violence was avoided. Mather also served during this time as a Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff
Patrick F. Sughrue. On September 29, 1883, Mather led a posse
in pursuit of train robbery
suspects, capturing two the same day in which the posse left town.
While in Dodge City, Mather became owner of the Opera House Saloon, became active in politics as a Democrat
, and may even have gotten married, but that is unconfirmed. Though the evidence is marginal, he may have been married to a woman named Josephine. Mather became involved in a feud with a rival saloon owner named Tom Nixon. Tom was the owner of the Lady Gay Saloon and was a friend of the mayor. An ordinance had been passed that restricted all saloons in town, except the Lady Gay. Dave's resentment grew when he was replaced as deputy by Tom Nixon.
On July 18, 1884, Mysterious Dave and Tom Nixon had an altercation in front of the Opera House Saloon. Nixon drew a pistol and fired once, missing Mather. Nixon posted a bond for assault with intent to kill in the sum of $800, but Mather himself elected not to file a complaint. The Dodge City Democrat published an article on the shooting which states plainly that by all indications, the situation was "by all appearances not yet at an end". The article could not have been more accurate. Three days later, Mysterious Dave walked up to Nixon and shot and killed Nixon. He then surrendered himself to authorities and was exonerated of murder. The common consensus at the time was that because of Nixon's previous attempt on Mather's life, Mather was acting in self defense.
On May 10, 1885, Mather was arrested again. This time he and his brother Josiah (called Sy) were accused of killing a gambler named Dave Jones over a game of cards, inside the Junction Saloon. The gunfight also resulted in Dave Mather being wounded by a bullet that grazed his head, and it has been reported that his brother was killed, but in fact he did not die until 1933. There was a preliminary hearing on the shooting, during which it was revealed that Dave Mather never fired a shot, and that Dave Jones had fired on Dave Mather, grazing him, only to be shot dead by Josiah Mather. The shooting and the aftermath were well publicized at the time, due mostly to the notoriety of Dave Mather. The results of that hearing were posted in the Dodge City Democrat on May 22, 1885. There were several witness statements included in that article.
The brothers made bail and left town, though the details of how are unclear. One account says that Marshal Bill Tilghman
ran Dave out of town after an armed standoff, another says he slipped away disguised as a woman. Neither are believed to be true, and it is most likely he simply left town, and for all practical purposes disappeared from historical record.
, in Barber County
, where he remained for nearly a year. He had skipped out of Dodge City under a $3,000 bail, which he never paid. Short of the report that he worked in New Kiowa, there were no more reports of his whereabouts, short of one sketchy report, the most probable, of a man matching his description being found dead in Texas
.
According to reliable accounts, Dave migrated north to Vancouver
where he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
and served with them until at least 1922.
once said there were three types of lawmen in the Old West:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawman and gunfighter in the American Old West
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...
. The date and circumstances of his death are not known with any certainty. However, the most plausible account is that he was shot to death in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, in 1886 and left on the tracks of a railroad. The body found matched his description, and the bondsman
Bondsman
Bondsman may refer to:* A bail bondsman.* A bondservant. See indentured servant....
holding a $3,000 bond on him was released of the obligation that same year on the assumption that the client had died.
Not a great deal is known of Mather's life. The gaps in his life and his taciturn manner may have been what earned him the sobriquet "Mysterious Dave." It is known that he was a lawman in Dodge City, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
, and was a frequent associate of Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
and Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
.
Early life
Dave was the son of Ulysses and Lydia Mather (née Wright) of ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. His father was a sea captain who was descended from the famous Mathers of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
who had included Richard Mather
Richard Mather
Richard Mather , was a Puritan clergyman in colonial Boston, Massachusetts. He was father to Increase Mather and grandfather to Cotton Mather, both celebrated Boston divines.-Biography:...
, Increase Mather
Increase Mather
Increase Mather was a major figure in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay . He was a Puritan minister who was involved with the government of the colony, the administration of Harvard College, and most notoriously, the Salem witch trials...
, and Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather, FRS was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer; he is often remembered for his role in the Salem witch trials...
. Dave seems to have fancied himself a direct descendant of Cotton Mather, but this was in error. Cotton Mather had no male children live to adulthood. Accordingly, Americans born in that era with the surname Mather are most likely descended from Timothy Mather, a farmer, brother of Increase Mather and uncle to Cotton Mather
Dave was the first of three sons born to the Mathers. His brother, Josiah "Sy" Mather was born October 11, 1854. Another brother, George Conway Mather, was born in 1855 and died in 1856. By the time that Dave was 16, both of his parents had died, and Dave and his brother Josiah headed west, settling first in Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
.
Ulysseus Mather abandoned his family following the death of his son and the loss of his ship. He died in 1864 at port in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
after being stabbed by the ship's Chinese cook. Lydia Mather remarried, to a man named George H. Randle, sometime in the late 1850s. When she died in 1868, Dave and Sy ran away to sea. This lasted less than a year before the boys opted for a life on dry land and jumped ship in New Orleans.
Great Plains
Mather's life through most of the 1870s is poorly documented. He seems to have operated as a cattle rustler and outlaw in ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
along with Dave Rudabaugh
Dave Rudabaugh
David Rudabaugh , was an outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" on account of his alleged aversion to water, no evidence has emerged to show that he was ever referred to as such in his own lifetime.-Early life:Rudabaugh was born as David...
and Milton J. Yarberry
Milton J. Yarberry
Milton J. Yarberry was an outlaw, gunman and lawman of the Old West, best known for having been the first Town Marshal for Albuquerque, New Mexico.-Early life:...
. A warrant was issued for the three after a prominent rancher was murdered and his home robbed. They fled to Decatur, Texas
Decatur, Texas
Decatur is a city located in Wise County, Texas, United States. This city was named after Stephen Decatur, Jr. The population was 5,201 at the 2000 census. A July 1, 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 6,432. It is the county seat of Wise County...
, in 1873.
Sy reported that he and Dave tried to work as buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
hunters on the Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
around 1874. The venture did not last long, but it is possible that Mather may have met future associates such as Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
, Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
, and Bill Tilghman
Bill Tilghman
William Matthew "Bill" Tilghman was a lawman in the American Old West.-Early life :Bill Tilghman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on July 4, 1854. He became a buffalo hunter at age 15 and claimed he killed over 1000 bison over his five years of activity...
, who also tried their hand at hunting.
Dave was a resident of Dodge City, Kansas, in the early 1870s, where he befriended Dr. Thomas L. McCarty. When Dave was badly wounded in a knife fight, McCarty was able to save his life.
In 1878, Mather and Wyatt Earp are said to have come into Mobeetie, Texas
Mobeetie, Texas
Mobeetie is a city in northwestern Wheeler County, Texas, United States, just across the Sweetwater Creek from Texas Route 152. The population was 107 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, with a scheme to sell phony gold bricks. The two claimed that the bricks were from a lost mine dating back to the days of the conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
es. Before they could get far with their scam they were run out of town by a lawman named Jim McIntire
Jim McIntire
James McIntire was a gunfighter and Texas Ranger in the old west of the United States. He is best known for his autobiography, written in 1902 following a near death experience....
. Like so many of the stories about Mather, the authenticity of this one is dubious.
What is more historically certain is that Mysterious Dave was one of the Kansas gunslinger
Gunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
s assembled by Bat Masterson for the Railroad Wars
Railroad Wars
The Railroad Wars were a series of conflicts between two competing railroads in the Old West of the late 1870s.In 1878, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the smaller Denver and Rio Grande were competing to put the first line through Raton Pass. Both railroads had extended lines into...
of 1879-80. The Atcheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad was competing with the Denver and Rio Grande for the rights to build a track through two disputed areas. Other gunfighters working with Mather for the Santa Fe line included Dave Rudabaugh, John Joshua Webb
John Joshua Webb
John Joshua Webb was a noted lawman turned gunfighter and outlaw of the American Old West.- Early life :Webb was born February 14, 1847, in Keokuk County, Iowa, the seventh of twelve children born to William Webb Jr and Innocent Blue Brown Webb. Webb moved about often in his youth. The family...
, Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday
John Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
, and Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...
.
Las Vegas
The "war" ended with the Santa Fe established in Raton PassRaton Pass
Raton Pass is a mountain pass on the Santa Fe Trail along the Colorado-New Mexico border in the United States. Raton Pass is a federally designated National Historic Landmark...
and the Denver and Rio Grande gaining control of the Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
. In 1879, Mather joined John Joshua Webb, Dave Rudabaugh, and several others in the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
. The group was collectively known as the "Dodge City Gang
Dodge City Gang
The Dodge City Gang were a group of Kansas gunfighters and gamblers who dominated the political and economic life of Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. This came at a time when Las Vegas was booming and was thought to be the future metropolis of New Mexico...
" and was led by Hoodoo Brown
Hoodoo Brown
Hyman G. Neill, better known as Hoodoo Brown, was the leader of the Dodge City Gang in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. According to Harold Thatcher, curator of the Rough Rider Museum in Las Vegas, Hoodoo was "the baddest cowboy of them all"...
.
The gang monopolized the gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in Las Vegas while they acquired political power as well. Hoodoo Brown became justice of the peace, and Dave Mather was named deputy U.S. Marshal for the area by Governor Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
. Members of the gang, including Mather, were also alleged to have been responsible for several stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
robberies. Mather's career during this time seems to have been a mix of law-enforcement and alleged law-breaking, a pattern common to the famous lawmen of the Old West.
Variety Hall Shootout
On January 22, 1880, Las Vegas Marshal Joe Carson was shot and killed by four cowboys in the Close and Patterson's Variety Hall during a shootout. Whether or not Mather was actually deputized has never been confirmed. The account told most often has him going in with Carson, with some accounts listing him as Carson's deputy, while others simply say they were together that day. Cowboys T.J. House, James West, John Dorsey, and William Randall had been going around town that day, in and out of saloons, generally making trouble. A "no guns in town limits" rule was in effect, and Marshal Carson demanded that the cowboys relinquish their weapons, to which they refused. A shootout between Carson and the cowboys started, with the marshall falling dead. Dave Mather drew his gun and returned fire. When the gunfire died down Mather was still standing. William "Big" Randall was mortally wounded, and James West was too badly injured to escape. The other two men, John Dorsey and also wounded T.J. House, managed to make their way to the stable and escape.House and Dorsey were captured two weeks later, and brought to the Las Vegas jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
to await trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
. An angry mob broke into the jail and pulled House, Dorsey, and West from their cell, and took them to the windmill on the Plaza to hang, Mrs. Carson opened fire on the men, denying the mob their opportunity to lynch
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
them. The gunfight, which became known as the Variety Hall Shootout
Variety Hall Shootout
The Variety Hall Shootout, also called the Las Vegas Saloon Shootout, was a gunfight that took place in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It launched gunman "Mysterious" Dave Mather to fame....
, was the first substantiated account to which Mather's name could be attached, and it launched him into western fame as a gunman.
Dodge City Gang ends
By March 1880, public sentiment had turned against the Dodge City Gang; they broke up to head their separate ways. Mather seems to have spent time in various places in New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
before settling in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, in December. During this period he often used the alias Dave Matthews.
In Dallas, Mather had his only recorded romance of any length. He was involved with an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
woman named Georgia Morgan who worked as the madame of a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
called the "Long Branch". The romance lasted until January 1881 when Dave abandoned his lover, taking some items of property belonging to her. She pursued him with a butcher knife but was arrested before she could do anything.
Dodge City
In May 1883, Mysterious Dave returned to Kansas and became assistant town marshal during the so-called Dodge City WarDodge City War
The Dodge City War was a bloodless conflict that took place in 1883 in Dodge City, Kansas. It came at the close of the first 10 years of the city's history at a time when whiskey and saloons were fading as a dominant force in the city's politics....
, a dispute between saloon owners who were friends of the mayor of Dodge City and Luke Short
Luke Short
Western frontiersman Luke L. Short was a noted gunfighter, who had worked as a farmer, cowboy, whiskey peddler, army scout, dispatch rider, gambler and saloon keeper at various times during the four decades of his life.- Early life :...
, owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Several gunfighters including Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp gathered to support their friend Short. The show of force was enough to cause Short's enemies to back down, and violence was avoided. Mather also served during this time as a Deputy Sheriff under Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Patrick F. Sughrue. On September 29, 1883, Mather led a posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
in pursuit of train robbery
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
suspects, capturing two the same day in which the posse left town.
While in Dodge City, Mather became owner of the Opera House Saloon, became active in politics as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and may even have gotten married, but that is unconfirmed. Though the evidence is marginal, he may have been married to a woman named Josephine. Mather became involved in a feud with a rival saloon owner named Tom Nixon. Tom was the owner of the Lady Gay Saloon and was a friend of the mayor. An ordinance had been passed that restricted all saloons in town, except the Lady Gay. Dave's resentment grew when he was replaced as deputy by Tom Nixon.
On July 18, 1884, Mysterious Dave and Tom Nixon had an altercation in front of the Opera House Saloon. Nixon drew a pistol and fired once, missing Mather. Nixon posted a bond for assault with intent to kill in the sum of $800, but Mather himself elected not to file a complaint. The Dodge City Democrat published an article on the shooting which states plainly that by all indications, the situation was "by all appearances not yet at an end". The article could not have been more accurate. Three days later, Mysterious Dave walked up to Nixon and shot and killed Nixon. He then surrendered himself to authorities and was exonerated of murder. The common consensus at the time was that because of Nixon's previous attempt on Mather's life, Mather was acting in self defense.
On May 10, 1885, Mather was arrested again. This time he and his brother Josiah (called Sy) were accused of killing a gambler named Dave Jones over a game of cards, inside the Junction Saloon. The gunfight also resulted in Dave Mather being wounded by a bullet that grazed his head, and it has been reported that his brother was killed, but in fact he did not die until 1933. There was a preliminary hearing on the shooting, during which it was revealed that Dave Mather never fired a shot, and that Dave Jones had fired on Dave Mather, grazing him, only to be shot dead by Josiah Mather. The shooting and the aftermath were well publicized at the time, due mostly to the notoriety of Dave Mather. The results of that hearing were posted in the Dodge City Democrat on May 22, 1885. There were several witness statements included in that article.
The brothers made bail and left town, though the details of how are unclear. One account says that Marshal Bill Tilghman
Bill Tilghman
William Matthew "Bill" Tilghman was a lawman in the American Old West.-Early life :Bill Tilghman was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on July 4, 1854. He became a buffalo hunter at age 15 and claimed he killed over 1000 bison over his five years of activity...
ran Dave out of town after an armed standoff, another says he slipped away disguised as a woman. Neither are believed to be true, and it is most likely he simply left town, and for all practical purposes disappeared from historical record.
After Dodge City
There are only a few reliable reports of Mather's life following his departure from Dodge. Mather's friends said that he had to stay away from town because of a vengeful mob that wanted to kill him, but they did not disclose his whereabouts. However, one newspaper of the day reports his appointment as a Deputy Marshal in New Kiowa, KansasKiowa, Kansas
Kiowa is a city in Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,026.-19th century:Kiowas was the city where anti-saloon advocate Carrie Nation vandalized her first saloon.-Geography:...
, in Barber County
Barber County, Kansas
Barber County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,861. Its county seat and most populous city is Medicine Lodge...
, where he remained for nearly a year. He had skipped out of Dodge City under a $3,000 bail, which he never paid. Short of the report that he worked in New Kiowa, there were no more reports of his whereabouts, short of one sketchy report, the most probable, of a man matching his description being found dead in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
According to reliable accounts, Dave migrated north to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
where he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
and served with them until at least 1922.
Legends
There are several legends that are told about Mysterious Dave which cannot be firmly placed at any specific point in his career. Whether they are accurate stories, distortions of actual events, or fabrications is difficult to determine.- Drinking In Dodge - Dave Mather would periodically retrieve his pistol from the bartender and fire at a bell on the street outside. If he missed the bell he would conclude that he was getting drunk and go home. One night, the bartender replaced the bullets in Dave's gun with blanks. When his shot missed Dave headed home. On the way he saw a coyoteCoyoteThe coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
crossing the street and fired several shots at it. Dave was terrified when the animal seemed impervious to bullets and the incident left him feeling nervous for days. - The Henry Bunch - Dodge City Marshal Tom Carson was gunned down in the Long Branch Saloon by seven outlaws from the "Henry Gang." The marshal staggered outside and collapsed on the street. As he lay dying, his deputy, Dave Mather mysteriously appeared from nowhere. Dave swore to the dying lawman that he would avenge him, then entered the saloon and gunned down all seven of the outlaws. Accounts of this shooting can be verified by a check of the local press. The next day, Mather was back in his familiar chair on the porch.
- Mysterious Dave and the Sky Pilot - Once in Dodge City a traveling preacher came into town and was holding a Revival meetingRevival meetingA revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body, to raise funds and to gain new converts...
. One evening Mather walked into the revival, drunk. The pastor recognized Mather and began to harangue him to repent of his sinful ways. Finally Dave stood up and announced that he had seen the light. Drawing his pistols he announced that, being assured of HeavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
, he was ready to die. He invited anyone who was certain of their salvationSalvationWithin religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
to die with him and began to shoot out the lights. When the preacher and the crowd fled, Dave pronounced them all hypocrites and went home.
Legacy
Louis L'AmourLouis L'Amour
Louis Dearborn L'Amour was an American author. His books consisted primarily of Western fiction novels , however he also wrote historical fiction , science fiction , nonfiction , as well as poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into movies...
once said there were three types of lawmen in the Old West:
- the Bat Mastersons, who were concerned with your rights and would give you a chance to surrender
- the Wild BillsWild Bill HickokJames Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...
, who would "post you" out of town, putting your name on a list on a tree in public warning you to be out of town by sundown, and after that, would shoot on sight. - the Mysterious Dave type. He simply killed his enemies on sight. No warnings, no postings, no talk, just shooting. While he did not garner the publicity of other famous gunmen/lawmen of the day, he is regarded as one of the most dangerous. In L'Amour's own words, "Dave Mathers didn't wait for you. If you came to town talkin' loud about what you intended to do, Dave would find you and shoot you before you even got started." (From "The Empty Land", Bantam Books, 1969)
Popular culture
- Bosh and Moonshine, a musical play by Mike CraverMike CraverMike Craver is an American composer and lyricist. He was born in North Carolina.-Biography:Mike Craver graduated from the University of North Carolina. He was also, for 12 years, a member of the band, Red Clay Ramblers. He has appeared in Sam Shepard's "A Lie of the Mind". He has toured, with the...
performed by the Boot Hill Repertory Company featured Mysterious Dave as a character. - "Fools Gold", by Matthew Baugh is a short story featuring Dave Mather and Wyatt EarpWyatt EarpWyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
. It appears in Hell's Hangmen a collection of horrorHorror fictionHorror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
-westernWestern (genre)The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
stories compiled by Ron Shiflet. - The main character of "Mysterious Dan's Legacy" by Matthew Baugh is also patterned on Dave Mather. The story appears in the Arkham TalesArkham TalesArkham Tales is a 2006 Cthulhu Mythos anthology published by Chaosium. It is a shared universe anthology, meaning all the stories occur in the same fictional universe. The stories all take place in the fictional city of Arkham, Massachusetts, spanning a time period from 1873 to the present day...
horror anthology published by ChaosiumChaosiumChaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
. - Merkabah Rider: The Mensch With No Name (by Edward M. Erdelac, 20102010 in literatureThe year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device....
, ISBN 978-1-61572-190-0), a weird western in which Mather joins the titular character and Doc HollidayDoc HollidayJohn Henry "Doc" Holliday was an American gambler, gunfighter and dentist of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and his involvement in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...
in a hunt for two thousand dollars in stolen cash, and winds up fighting an invisible monster. In the book, he sports a tattoo of an Elder SignElder SignThe Elder Sign is an icon in the Cthulhu Mythos, first mentioned in H. P. Lovecraft's The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, written in 1926.-Description:...
, and alludes to having sailed in his youth on board The Hetty, one of the ships of Obed Marsh. - Two stories of the Italian comic TexTex WillerTex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series Tex, created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters of Italian comics, with translations to numerous ...
featured Dave Mather as the sheriff of Vegas, a town in New Mexico. Mather is also the head of a criminal gang and is killed by his former friend (and Tex's colleague) Kit CarsonKit CarsonChristopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
in a duel.