Wild West Podcast

Gunfight at the Longbranch Part 2: The Impact of the Loving-Richardson Shootout on Dodge City

March 09, 2020 Michael King
Wild West Podcast
Gunfight at the Longbranch Part 2: The Impact of the Loving-Richardson Shootout on Dodge City
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WARNING SOME CUSS WORDS: Ever wondered how a personal feud takes a deadly turn in the Wild West? Let's transport you back to Dodge City, where we unravel the notorious shootout between Frank Loving and Levi Richardson at the Long Branch Saloon. A tale of disrespect, dueling, and eleven shots fired at an arm's length distance, this episode is packed with gripping details of a confrontation that left an indelible mark on Dodge City's history. We'll walk you through the Ford County Globe's account and individual testimonies of this tragic incident, and even discuss its implications on the dueling system and the urgency of enforcing ordinances against concealed weapons.

Ready to explore the aftereffects of a frontier gunfight? In the second part, we dive into the aftermath of this infamous shootout, and how it shaped Dodge City's culture and development. We dissect the roles of Bat Masterson and Lee Vibrishendon, unraveling their connections to the incident. The legacy of Frank Loving and Levi Richardson is formidable, and we'll uncover how this singular event altered the course of the city's future. This episode is a mesmerizing journey through one of the most defining events of the Wild West, promising to bring its vibrant history back to life.

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Speaker 1:

This is part two of Gunfight at the Long Branch. In part one, loving and Richardson were getting along well until early 1879, at which time Loving, who had married a woman by the name of Maddie, found Richardson acting inappropriately and disrespectfully toward his wife. This led to problems between the two men, resulting in numerous verbal clashes, and the two became involved in a fistfight on Front Street. After the fight, richardson told Loving I'll blow the guts out of you, you cock-eyed son of a bitch, to which Loving, who was not armed at the time, turned and walked away. The arguments between the two men culminated when Richardson walked into the Long Branch Saloon on April 5th 1879, intent on settling things with Loving once and for all. Loving was not in the Saloon at the time, so Richardson waited for him, with Loving appearing sometime after 9pm. Loving seated himself at the hazard table and Richardson went and joined him. The two, by witness accounts, had a conversation which no one could hear. Then, suddenly, richardson stood and said you wouldn't fight anything, you damned son of a bitch. To which Loving calmly replied Try me and see. Richardson drew his gun first, prompting Loving to do the same. With the two men less than an arm's length apart, richardson fired five rounds to Loving's six, with Richardson grazing Loving's hand, but Richardson receiving bullet wounds to his chest, side and arm. Deputy Marshal Duffy took Richardson's gun from him right before he fell to the floor. Count Marshal Charlie Bassett arrived and disarmed and arrested Loving. The following is the Ford County Globe's account of the incident and the individual testimonies of those who witnessed the shooting.

Speaker 1:

Another tragedy Ford County Globe, april 5th 1879. Frank Loving and Levi Richardson fight with pistols. Loving comes out with a scratch and Richardson goes to his grave. There is seldom witnessed in any civilized town or county. Such a scene is transpired at the Long Branch Saloon in this city last Saturday evening, resulting in the killing of Levi Richardson, a well-known freighter of this city, by a gambler named Frank Loving. For several months, loving has been living with a woman to whom Richardson seems to have cherished tender feelings and on one or two occasions previous to this which resulted so fatally, they had quarreled and even come to blows.

Speaker 1:

Richardson was a man who had lived for several years on the frontier and, though well-liked in many respect, he had cultivated habits of bold and daring, which are always likely to get a man into trouble. Such a disposition as he possessed might be termed bravery by many, and indeed we believe he was the reverse of a coward. He was a hard-working, industrious man, but young and strong and reckless. Loving is a man of whom we know but very little. He is a gambler by profession, not much of a rowdy but more of the cool and desperate order when he has a killing on hand. He is about 25 years old.

Speaker 1:

Both, or either of these men, we believe, might have avoided this shooting if either had possessed a desire to do so. But both being willing to risk their lives, each with confidence in himself, they fought because they wanted to fight, stated in the evidence below they met. One said I don't believe you will fight. The other answered try me and see. And immediately both drew murderous revolvers and at it they went. In a room filled with people, the leaden missives flying in all directions. Neither exhibited any sign of a desire to escape the other, and there is no telling how long the fight might have lasted had not Richardson been pierced with bullets and Loving's pistol left without a cartridge. Richardson was shot in the breast, through the side and through the right arm. It seemed strange that Loving was not hit except a slight scratch on the hand, as the two men were so close together that their pistols almost touched each other. Eleven shots were fired, six by Loving and five by Richardson. Richardson only lived a few minutes after the shooting. Loving was placed in jail to await the verdict of the coroner's jury, which was self-defense, and he was released.

Speaker 1:

Richardson has no relatives in this vicinity. He was from Wisconsin, about 28 years old, together with all the better class of our community. We greatly regret this terrible affair. We do not believe it is a proper way to settle difficulties and we are positive it is not according to any law, human or divine. But if men must continue to persist in settling their disputes with firearms, we would be in favor of the dueling system, which would not necessarily endanger the lives of those who might be passing up or down the street attending to their own business. We do not know that there is cause to censure the police, unless it be to urge upon them the necessity of strictly enforcing the ordinance preventing the carrying of concealed weapons. Neither of these men had a right to carry such weapons. Gamblers as a class are desperate men. They consider it necessary in their business that they keep their fighting reputation and never take a bluff. On no account should they be allowed to carry deadly weapons.

Speaker 1:

Adam Jackson, bartender at the Long Branch, testified as follows. I was in the Long Branch Saloon about eight or nine o'clock Saturday evening. I know Levi Richardson. He was in the saloon just before the fuss, standing by the stove. He started to go out and went as far as the door. When Loving came in at the door, richardson turned and followed back into the house. Loving sat down at the hazard table. Richardson came and sat near him at the same table. Then Loving immediately got up making some remark to Richardson. Could not understand what it was. Richardson was sitting on the table at the time and Loving standing up. Loving says to Richardson If you have anything to say about me, why don't you come and say it to my face like a gentleman, and not to my back? You damn son of a bitch? Richardson then stood up and said you wouldn't fight anything. You damn Could not hear the rest. Loving said you try me and see. Richardson pulled his pistol first and Loving also drew a pistol. Three or four shots were fired when Richardson fell by the billiard table. Richardson did not fire after he fell. He fell on his hands and knees. No shots were fired after Richardson fell. No persons were shooting except the two mentioned. Loving pistol snapped twice and I think Richardson shot twice before Loving's pistol was discharged. Aa Jackson, Charles E Bassett testified.

Speaker 1:

When I first heard the firing I was at Bady and Kelly's Saloon, ran up to the lone branch as fast as I could Saw Frank Loving, levi Richardson and Duffy. Richardson was dodging and running around the billiard table. Loving was also running and dodging around the table. I got as far as the stove when the shooting had about ended. I caught Loving's pistol. Think there was two shots fired after I got into the room and positive there was one. Richardson fired that shot. To the best of my knowledge, did not see Richardson fire any shots and did not in him have a pistol. I examined the pistol which was shown me as the one Richardson had. It contained five empty shells. Richardson fell while I was there. Whether he was shot before or after I came in I am unable to say. I think the shots fired after I came in were fired by Loving at Richardson. Richardson fell immediately after the shot. I heard. Did not see any other person shoot at Richardson. Did not see Duffy take Richardson's pistol. Do not know whether Loving knew that Richardson's pistol had been taken away from him. There was considerable smoke in the room. Loving's pistol was a Remington number 44 and was empty. After the shooting, charles E Bassett, william Duffy testified.

Speaker 1:

I was at the Long Branch Saloon. I know Levi Richardson who is now dead. I know Cock-Eye and Frank Loving. Both were there at the time. I heard no words passed between them. They had fired several shots. When Frank fell by the table, by the stove, I suppose he was shot. I then scuffed with Richardson to get the pistol and threw him back on. Some chairs Succeeded in getting the pistol. There might have been a shot fired by one or the other while we were scuffling. I cannot say whether Richardson had been shot previous to that time, but I think he had as he was weak and I handled him easily. Richardson then got up and went toward the billiard table and fell. I can't swear whether any shots were fired at Richardson by Loving after Richardson was disarmed. Don't think Loving knew I had taken the pistol from Richardson. It was a few seconds after I took Richardson's pistol that he fell.

Speaker 1:

Twenty-eight years old, levi Richardson was buried on Sunday April 6th 1879. One more person to die with his boots on James Richardson of Port Andrews, wisconsin, was in Dodge City two weeks later looking after his brother's estate. Levi's father would arrive a while later. One more family to mourn a relative killed on the frontier. Cock-eyed Frank Loving, was produced before a coroner's jury without any impediment. This magnificent body of frontiersmen attended to the evidence.

Speaker 1:

It then promptly reached the inevitable conclusion Levi Richardson had been killed by Frank Loving in self-preservation. The fact that Richardson's gun had five empty shells in it was all the confirmation the jury needed to reach its determination. There was nothing remarkable about it. What was remarkable was that between them, richardson and Loving had fired eleven shots in the close confines of the Long Branch Saloon. Three bullets had struck Richardson. The other eight slugs had gone into the walls of the saloon and done no harm except to paint and plaster. Considering how crowded the place was and how wildly the two men had been firing, it was remarkable, even surprising, that no one else had been struck by any of the lead that was flying around. Following the gunfight, loving left Maddie and his children.

Speaker 1:

Frank Loving's profession as a gunman following the fight with Richardson was short and not so gentle. Only three years later, in 1882, he was liquidated in a gunfight with Jack Allen at Trinidad, colorado. Loving must have used up most of his luck evading the bullets fired by Richardson in the Long Branch. When he won up against Allen, his luck ran out altogether. But in Dodge City they still spoke about how two rivals shot up the Long Branch in contention over a woman named Maddie. Not much in the way of redemption, but for Levi Richardson and Cokide Frank Loving it would have to do.

Speaker 1:

Well, a duffy started appearing at least in the newspapers in Dodge City in any kind of official capacity. Well, official or otherwise, in about the summer of 1878, he was apparently early in his tenure in Dodge City. He started serving on the police department as a sheriff's deputy as well. By all accounts he was a very effective officer. Mentioned in several accounts in the Dodge City papers of his partnership released his working relationship with Bat Masterson. They worked apparently very well together, not just in tracking down horse thieves but various different miscreants and criminals, for whatever reason. Duffy also seems to have excelled at the transportation of prisoners, whether from Dodge City up to Hayes, to Leavenworth and back again, so that the higher ranking officers did not have to do it.

Speaker 2:

That seemed to be Duffy's forte Levi was not very well liked in town. The only person that really liked him was Bat Masterson. So can we break down his character, personify his personality?

Speaker 1:

Well, richardson was. I think he had just stayed in Dodge City a little bit too long. The reason that I think he was largely not liked is his just overall persona, who he was. What he did was much more suited to the early days of Dodge City. We're talking the pre-law years, before things were more organized, more I don't want to necessarily say settled, because as we see here in the story, dodge was certainly still very wild and wooly but there was more True law enforcement. There was a little more civilization in Dodge City by 1878, 1879. It was becoming a little more metropolitan. There were more families, school churches, that sort of thing. They were talking about shutting down Bood Hill, for Pete's sake. Richardson has sort of outlived the culture of Dodge City. He was still the part of the rougher element that they were already starting to try to weed out a little bit. And because I think BAT was part of that early days of Dodge City as well, he appreciated that about Richardson or, as some of the other aspects of the city did not.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, according to our research, BAT Masterson and Lee Vibrishendon spent time out on the Buffalo field hunting. Buffalo.

Speaker 1:

And Richardson was one of those guys that did everything to hunt Buffalo ranch. Bartended was known to be quick with a gun, not necessarily the speed in which he pulled the trigger, but his temperament went to drawing a gun, as we see here. That resulted in the end of his life.

Speaker 2:

Let's talk a little bit about Cockhead. Frank Loving let's talk a little bit about him.

Speaker 1:

I think, had this incident probably not happened the way that it did, we would have heard a lot more about Frank Loving in Dodge City. He was one of the gambling elements that Dodge City excelled in, the likes of Luke Short, that type of crowd Frequented. This loons, of course, on both sides of the railroad tracks, by rumor at least, a compatriot, briefly, of Doc Holiday. There are even stories that Holiday was present at the table as well during this particular gunfight. I don't necessarily believe that, but accounts several years later reported that he was.

Speaker 2:

But there was something going on at this point in time in history where Bat Masterson had actually left Ford County and gone out to the Royal Gorge to help out there, and that was during this time. In fact, Bat didn't even get back until April 9th. We were in the store. So a lot of these characters that may have been there in town may have also been with Bat Masterson out in the Royal Gorge Ward at that time.

Speaker 1:

Exactly, and Duffy was one of those as well. Another incident out there in the Royal Gorge War was around Trinidad, and Trinidad, colorado, was another one of those sites where a lot of the Dodge City gang went in back and forth. Bat had secured an appointment as a United States Deputy Marshal. Even at the time he was sort of persona non grata in Dodge. After the bungling, I would say, of the Cheyenne prisoners, cheyenne autumn, the big Cheyenne migration, the previous fall Bat was on his way out in Dodge anyway, at least in a legal capacity, so he had to take it upon himself to go flash his gun around and try to get a little bit more money for the western end of the railroad. And of course a lot of the guys who were Bat's cronies went with him in and out and comparatively it's not like they were really that far away. So it could easily be riding in and out, but the dates are a little fuzzy of who was going in and out there.

Speaker 2:

But we can give back now to Frank Loving Anything else you want to say about him before we move on to Charles Bassett.

Speaker 1:

Well, I'm sorry he died. He seems like he would have been an interesting character to get to know a little bit better.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and of course he went out to Trinidad, colorado, right after this.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 1:

The Ampler, and then something went wrong there and he was shot dead by by Frank Allen I think his name was in almost the same situation and, of course, his friendship with the Mastersons, especially Jim. In this case, jim Masterson had gone off and was the City Marshal of Trinidad, colorado, and Jim and Cock-Eyed Frank being friends from the Dodge City days, jim was trying his dead level best to save Frank's life. He kept taking his gun away, frank kept rearming himself and going after this Allen character and Jim was just chasing him all over town taking Frank's gun away, sitting down. Frank shut up I'll take care of this but always one step behind and Frank got his lights blown out and there was nothing Jim could do about it.

Speaker 2:

There ends the story of Cock-Eyed Frank loving. I was always wondering about why they called him Cock-Eyed Frank in our story.

Speaker 1:

It's because he could look in two directions at one time One of his optics looked off in a northeasterly direction to the other. I think it was the old quote from the time. I've always loved that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, All right. Our last character is going to be Charles Bassett, which is huge in history man. This guy, Charles Bassett, was quite the law man.

Speaker 1:

I cannot sing the praises of Marshall Charlie Bassett enough. He's not generally given the credit that he is due in popular culture. I think that has come about again. Very briefly, there's been a couple of movie references mentioned by us that Bassett was a hell of a character. I do think one of the best pop culture references that I've ever seen to Marshall Bassett actually came from the. I think it was the first episode of season two of the Life and Legend of Wyatt Erk with Hugh O'Brien, and Wyatt arrives in Dodge City and he sees these law men riding off. He's being introduced to them and one of the other characters in the episode mentions with his voice in a tone of total reverence that's Charlie Bassett. And if the music swells, with great respect, yeah, and back in 1956 he was recognized as a character. Of course, most of that show comes from Stuart Lake's book anyway, so there was more name dropping than other references. Charlie Bassett was not just the first law man in Dodge City or in Ford County. He was about the first law man in Southwest Kansas.

Speaker 2:

And there wasn't much law out here. There was.

Speaker 1:

In 1872.

Speaker 2:

And how did he get his appointment? That's an interesting story because of the vigilantes here in 1873 in Dodge City and there was no law.

Speaker 1:

None, none, whatsoever. Well, it took several months for Dodge City to be incorporated.

Speaker 2:

Right, and it was August of 1870. Well, actually I say several months several years Right, it was 1875. 1875.

Speaker 1:

Okay, ford County itself was not established or organized, rather as the appropriate term, until 1873. Okay, quite literally just to legalize the liquor sales that were going on in Dodge City. Of course the railroad fought that tooth from now, but that's a different story altogether. Bassett was in Dodge not quite from day one, but we'll call it day four or five, maybe he arrived early. He is believed to have helped found the saloon that became known as the Long Branch Saloon.

Speaker 2:

And that's in part one of the story.

Speaker 1:

We did make mention of that.

Speaker 2:

Yes, the loss of the Long Branch, helling the Long Branch.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

It's one of the first owners of the Long Branch.

Speaker 1:

The Chocley Beeson, of course, is probably the one who made it the most famous, but Bassett is credited with starting this alone. Wanted Sheriff of Ford County in 1873 when it was organized, and then in 1875, when the city, the municipality of Dodge City, gained a legal status, to start appointing its own city law, bassett was was the first choice. Well, you mentioned that by this point he's a little on the frustrated side, and I think that's accurate because he's been doing this job longer than anybody by far. In the early years, as I say about the first lawman in Southwest Kansas, at that time, ford County had, for judicial purposes, the law in all of Southwest Kansas, from the edge of the state line down to no man's land in the south.

Speaker 1:

So he had a lot of territory to cover as Dodge got more civilized and part of that civilization also means Dodge City was getting more political. Bassett was starting to have enough, like many of the others in in Dodge City law enforcement After the fall of 1878, which was not just involved with, of course, the Cheyenne raids in their migration north. The Dora Hand incident played a major, major role in the disillusionment of many Dodge City peace officers in October of 1878. So by the spring of 1879 they were coming in, looking toward another, another summer season of the. The swelling of the cattle trade. All the gamblers moving back in Dodge was was gonna get wide open and just explode again as it always did in the summer months.

Speaker 1:

I think he was looking past, being frustrated, not looking forward to what was coming. He was kind of, I believe, looking towards maybe, retirement. As time went on Bassett became more hands-off, more of an administrator, especially after, again, the fall of 1878. He's got underlings. Let them go do the job while I all fill out paperwork and tell them what to do.

Speaker 2:

That's it for now. We hope you enjoyed our show and remember you can check out all of our Wild West podcast shows on Player FM series Wild West Podcast, itunes Podcast, spotify, amazon AnyPod or at wildwestpodcastbuzzsproutcom. We would like to conclude our show by reminding our listeners to check out our up and coming digital bookstore by visiting boothillproductionscom and select publications. We would also like to thank our sponsors, boothill Distillery and if you would like to sponsor our show, just send us an email at wildwestpodcastgmailcom. Thanks for listening to our podcast. This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribute Non-Commercial License. You can learn more about the Legends of Dodge City at worldfamousgunfightersweeblycom or by visiting our new Facebook page at wwwfacebookcom. Wild West Podcast.

Gunfight at the Long Branch Saloon
Frontier Gunfight in Dodge City