"Broken Nose" Jack McCall - Yankton, SD - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Jack McCall was an old west folk figure who is best known for killing Wild Bill Hickok as he played poker in a Deadwood, South Dakota Saloon. On April 1, 1876, McCall, Hickok and a couple of others were playing poker in the Nuttal & Mann's saloon in Deadwood. McCall who was drunk and quickly lost his stake and was forced to drop out of the game. Hickok, practiced the philosophy that you never leave a man completely broke, tossed McCall enough money for a meal and told him he shouldn’t play if he couldn’t afford to lose. McCall took this as an insult and left the saloon. The Next day on August 2, 1876, Hickok was once again playing card in the Same Saloon. He has ask another player to change seats with him so that he would not be sitting with his back to the door. The man refused and reluctantly Wild Bill took the empty seat facing away from the saloon door. Hickok did not see McCall enter the saloon an ordered a drink just a few feet away from Wild Bill. McCall still angry from the events of the day before, took a few steps toward Hickok, drew his gun and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok was holding a pair of Aces and Eights which became known as the dead man’s hand. McCall ran from the Saloon but was captured a short time later. He was tried in what amounted to a “Miners Court” and found not guilty, claiming that his actions was out of revenge for Hickok, killing his brother in Abilene, Kansas a few years back. McCall left the Dakota Territory and moved west to Wyoming. In Wyoming, the drunken McCall bragged about killing Hickok in a Fair Fight. Shortly after arriving in the Wyoming Territory, federal authorities arrested McCall for the Murder of Hickok. They refused to recognize the first trail as legitimate claiming that because the Dakota’s was a territory, a trial in federal court was required. The Federal Court in Yankton, South Dakota agreed, ruling that double jeopardy did not apply and order that he stand trial. The trial began on December 4, 1876. Two days later, on December 6, 1876, a guilty verdict was returned. Judge Granville Bennett sentenced him to hang. The sentence was carried out in Yankton, South Dakota at 10:15 am on March 1, 1877, in Yankton, South Dakota. He was buried in Yankton’s Sacred Heart Cemetery.

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Description: Little is known about Jack McCall’s early life. He is believed to have been born somewhere around 1852 or 1853 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. As a teen he drifted west where he became a buffalo hunter and developed a reputation for being a short tempered drunk. When gold was discovered in the Black Hill, McCall headed to the Dakota’s and staked a claim. He struggled, only finding enough gold to allow him to play poker in the miner’s saloon and to keep him in whiskey. On April 1, 1876, a drunken McCall was playing card in Deadwood’s Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon. One of the participants in the game was James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok. McCall quickly lost his stake and was forced to drop out of the game. Hickok, practiced the philosophy that you never leave a man completely broke, tossed McCall enough money for a meal and told him he shouldn’t play if he couldn’t afford to lose. McCall took this as an insult and left the saloon. The Next day on August 2, 1876, Hickok was once again playing card in the Same Saloon. He had asked another player to change seats with him so that he would not be sitting with his back to the door. The man refused and reluctantly Wild Bill took the empty seat facing away from the saloon door. Hickok did not see McCall enter the saloon. McCall walk behind Hickok to the bar and ordered a drink. McCall still angry from the events of the day before, took a few steps toward Hickok, drew his gun and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok was holding a pair of Aces and Eights which became known as the dead man’s hand. McCall ran from the Saloon but was captured a short time later as he tried to steal a horse. A few days later he was tried in what amounted to a “Miners Court” and found not guilty, claiming that his actions were out of revenge for Hickok, killing his brother in Abilene, Kansas a few years back. McCall left the Dakota Territory and moved west to Wyoming. In Wyoming, the drunken McCall bragged about killing Hickok in a Fair Fight. Shortly after arriving in the Wyoming Territory, federal authorities arrested McCall for the Murder of Hickok. He argued that he had already been tried and found not guilty and could not be tried again. The Authorities refused to recognize the first trail claiming that because the Dakota’s was a territory, a trial in federal court was required. The Federal Court in Yankton, South Dakota agreed, ruling that double jeopardy did not apply and order that he stand trial. The trial began on December 4, 1876. Two days later on December 6, 1876, a guilty verdict was returned. Judge Granville Bennett sentenced him to hang. The sentence was carried out in Yankton, South Dakota at 10:15 am on March 1, 1877, in Yankton, South Dakota. He was buried in the original Sacred Heart Cemetery. When the cemetery was moved to its current location in 1881, McCall’s coffin had rotted and when his remains were place in a new coffin for reburial, onlookers claimed that he still had the hangman’s noose around his neck. Date of birth: 01/01/1852 Date of death: 03/01/1877 Area of notoriety: Historical Figure Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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