Wild West Podcast

Gunfight at the Plaza: The Reverberating Impact of the Masterson-Peacock Feud in Dodge City

May 20, 2021 Michael King
Wild West Podcast
Gunfight at the Plaza: The Reverberating Impact of the Masterson-Peacock Feud in Dodge City
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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers
Ready to take a thrilling ride into the heart of the Wild West? We’ve got a tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A simple dispute over an alleged theft spiraled into a full-blown feud between Jim Masterson and AJ Peacock, altering the lives of those involved and the future of Dodge City forever. We’re bringing you the inside story, complete with the lively saloons and bustling gambling houses where these events unfolded.

Our journey takes us from a tension-filled encounter at the Longbranch Saloon, where a handshake triggers an explosive reaction, to a dramatic showdown in Dodge City Plaza, where bullets fly and tensions reach a fever pitch. You’ll follow Bat Masterson's daring escape from the law, and hear firsthand accounts of these legendary tales that blur the lines between fact and fiction. We're joined by special guests, including the old Texas rancher who, after witnessing the chaos, jokes that Peacock might have his feathers plucked. 

Finally, we explore the aftermath - the devastating impact of this feud on Dodge City and its colorful characters. We chronicle Bat's trial and his eventual departure from the city with his brother Jim, leaving a void filled by Mayor AB Webster who introduced new ordinances that forever changed Dodge City. Join us on this deep dive into the heart of the Old West, as we bring history to life one episode at a time. So, saddle up, partner, because we guarantee this is a ride you don’t want to miss!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Wild West Podcast, where fact and legend merge. The Wild West Podcast presents the true accounts of individuals who settled in a town built out of hunger for money, regulated by fast guns, who walked on both sides of the law, patrolling, investing in and regulating the brothels, saloons and gambling houses. These are the stories of the men who made the history of the Old West come alive, bringing with them the birth of legends brought to order by a six gun and laid to rest with their boots on. Join us now as we take you back in history, to the legends of the Wild West. With summer fast approaching, the spring winds made the prairie an enchanting place.

Speaker 1:

I dreaded the coming of summer, for the heat transformed the prairie into a miserable hell. The burning sun and hot wind seemed to drain every bit of moisture from a man's skin. Today, on the trail, the early spring heat gave me a sense of what lay ahead. I grew tired of riding through the desolate landscape. The thrill of exploration had left me, as had all desire of being alone in this uninhabitable place, like a caged lion prowling within the confines of my prison, an urge to seek a new kind of excitement rolled over me. I decided to ride into Dodge City where I planned to hang around the Longbrain Saloon and visit with a few of my friends. Dodge City stood at the edge of the Flat Arcances River bottom, just under the bare hills to the north, a hundred yards to water and a hundred miles to wood. It was a joyous little town, her means of support being seventeen saloons that furnished companionship to the lonely plains rider cowboy and buffalo hunter. With all of its discomforts, it held embellished pleasures and over extended rowdiness A man could find much hospitality, laughter, generosity and fun. When I rode into Dodge City, the sun was setting low on the western horizon, giving me just enough light to find the livery check in my horse and make my way along the boardwalk into the Longbrain Saloon. Being a Friday night, the cowboys were hard at work enjoying the evening. I entered through the heavy hinged double swinging doors and was greeted by a few friendly cowhands as they stumbled out of the saloon off the boardwalk and onto Front Street. Each of them disappeared into the dark shadows of the night, carrying the remnants of a whiskey bottle full of laughter and a fair share of alcohol.

Speaker 1:

Having the narrow room of the Longbrain dominated by its long, fancy hardwood bar that held the elbows of fifteen or better dressed rowdy cowboys. I made my way through the front section of the saloon through a scattering of tables, all taken by men, and dancehall girls. As I entered the rear of the room, I could not help but notice the moose head with an impressive span of antlers mounted on the rear wall overlooking the whole scene. A chandelier hung in the center of the room with a flickering light of oil lamps positioned along the walls lighting large painting behind the bar. The painting depicted an Indian fight.

Speaker 1:

There, at the back room, in front of the makeshift stage, I ran into an Irishman by the name of Pat Chagru who was celebrating his April 4th election to the city council. Sitting next to Pat was the new Marshal, fred Singer, two ranchers from Texas and another man I did not know. I joined their company. Pat Chagru was a hefty man, made rugged from swinging a blacksmith's hammer. He welcomed me to the table with a smile. What brings you to Dodge, he asked. I thought I would take in a little Dodge City excitement and enjoy the company of a few friends. I replied Well, hell, george, you picked a good time for it, said Pat. If excitement is on your mind, I can give you a bucket full of it. In fact, that's what Tom and I have been talking about. Pat turned and introduced me to the assistant Marshal, Tom Nixon. Pat pointed across the opposite side of the table. There sat one of the legendary Buffalo Hunters of Dodge City, tom Nixon, a well-built, dark-haired man sporting a full-sized circle beard. You remember Tom Nixon, the man who shot over 120 buffalo in just under 40 minutes, boasted Pat. Looking over in the direction of Tom Nixon, I greeted and congratulated him on being appointed to the assistant Marshal's position.

Speaker 1:

Pat continued his story, first pulling a large cigar from his shirt pocket. He spun it around a few times between his teeth, struck up a match and lit it up. Rumor on Front Street has it that there's bad blood between Jim Masterson and AJ Peacock. Pat took a big draft off the cigar, blowing smoke in my direction while he continued his story. I'm not sure who'd done it, but one of Jim's friends from Dodge sent a telegram to his brother, pat, in Tombstone. Pat paused, coughed out a few puffs of smoke, then taking another large drag off the cigar. A burning glow from the cigar caused his face to glow and his eyes to glimmer. Pat went silent and settled back into his chair to enjoy the freshly lit cigar.

Speaker 1:

Tom Nixon, sitting across from Pat, reached over to the whiskey bottle sitting in the middle of the table. Yep, right from the start Jim and Peacock didn't get along, said Tom, filling his shot glass to the brim. Al up to Graf, peacock's brother-in-law, is the main bone of contention between them. It seems as if Peacock hired up to Graf to tend bar in the Lady Gay, and it wasn't long before Jim Masterson suspected that up to Graf was skimming money from the till. Tom picked up the shot glass and down the whiskey in one gulp. Jim thought that up to Graf started stealing the profits from the bar and drinking them up as well, said Tom. The story around Front Street is that Jim asked Peacock to fire his brother-in-law. Well, you know how that went, said Pat as he flicked the ashes from the cigar. Peacock refused to fire the drunken thief, leading to hard feelings between Peacock and Jim. Now up to Graf and Peacock are gunning for Jim. In fact, charges were filed on Jim Masterson just a few days ago by Peacock, accusing him of firing off a gun in the Lady Gay.

Speaker 1:

Just as Pat's last words left his mouth, tom pointed out that Mayor Webster had just entered the saloon. I looked over at Webster entering the long branch. He seemed uneasy and anxious. Webster took a hard look around the room as if he was looking for someone. Pat stood up and yelled out over to the crowd hey, webster, over here. The room fell silent hearing Webster's name. Then a cheer broke out from the crowd. Each one in the place raised their glass to Mayor Webster. Hip, hip, hooray, yelled the crowd as the mayor made his way through the throng, making his way to our table. The mayor received slaps on the back and handshakes as he moved through the crowd.

Speaker 1:

One man in the crowd approached Webster to congratulate him on being elected the new mayor. The man extended his right arm in a friendly gesture to shake Webster's hand. Webster immediately recognized and turned on the man. You're the man who spreads lies about me, shouted Webster. Webster's angry voice silenced the room. Webster raised his cane over the man's head, bellowing in annoyance how do you have the nerve to congratulate me when you went about the town telling lies about me? Following Webster's words, the next sound in the room clapped like a bolt of thunder. Every man and woman in the room gassed when Webster's cane was broken in half over the man's head. You can lie about me, but never dare speak to me, even to congratulate me over my election, said Webster, who now stood over the downed man.

Speaker 1:

The once silent room roared with triumphant laughter, drawing only a slight smile to Webster's face. I could see Webster's zeal fade from his eyes, leaving them cold as a winter sky. He then stepped over the downed man holding his head in pain. He approached our table, pulled out a chair to sit beside Marshall Singer, who sat next to Pat. "'that was quite the show, mayor', said Fred Singer. "'you do know how to make a grand entrance'. "'i'm sure with that kind of entrance you'll have less complaints come your way at City Hall'. "'now I'm wondering whom I should arrest for disturbing the peace' sighed Singer as he leaned back, taking a breath and taking it easy after all the excitement. "'what's the worry, Mayor? Do you have trouble on your mind', asked Pat. The mayor leaned in close to Pat and whispered a few words. I only caught a few of them, but I was sure he mentioned Jim in Bat Masterson's names.

Speaker 1:

Webster looked back into the crowd. He was searching every remnant of the saloon as if he looked for a long-lost girlfriend. He wore a troubled expression on his face when he uttered these words "'Have you seen Peacock'. "'i need to find Peacock', he exclaimed.

Speaker 1:

I sat in silence thinking about why Webster was looking for the owner of the Lady Gay Saloon, a saloon Peacock owned in partnership with Jim Masterson, bat Masterson's younger brother. I could only think this was not a coincidence. From Pat's and Tom's stories it had become widely known among Died Cityans that Bat Masterson gave his interest in the Lady Gay to Jim. This was at the time when Bat had lost the Ford County Sheriff's election. Bat left Dodge and Jim ran the Lady Gay along with his partner, aj Peacock. Jim did not care for Peacock and he certainly did not like Peacock's brother-in-law, al Updegraph. Did Webster's appearance in the saloon have anything to do with Bat Masterson? I could only think that Bat had already arrived in town or he was coming to Dodge to settle the dispute between Peacock and his brother, jim.

Speaker 1:

Webster interrupted my thoughts about the conflict between Masterson and Peacock when he pushed his chair back and stood up from our table. Webster gave Fred Singer a hard look. "'you better not let this get out of control, marshal', ordered Webster. Webster replied with a slight grin. "'you know me. I know how to keep the peace around these parts. After all, mayor, I know you always have my back with that nifty shotgun you carry'". Singer's statement took the glare out of Webster's eyes, putting a slight smile on his face. You better keep a close eye on things. Tomorrow it would be best to get Tom Nixon out with a few of your deputies to watch the train station, webster remarked.

Speaker 1:

Webster made his way to the front door of the saloon, shouldering through the crowd and out into the dimlet street. The old Texas rancher looked over at me, shook his head, tipped his hat and smiled. Looks as if Mr Peacock may get a few of his perky feathers plucked. We all fell into laughter at the old-timer's statement. The piano player picked out a new tune, laid down a song striking the ivory keys of the hollow-sounding piano, bolstering the room with music and enjoyment. The dance hall girls moved into the makeshift stage. Looks like we're going to get a little entertainment. Boys laughed, marshall, singer. The high kicks of the dance hall girls filled the rooms with yelps and screams, muffling the Marshall's voice. We all fell silent turning to watch the girls.

Speaker 1:

It was late when we left the saloon. The streets were quiet. The cool air felt good, especially after leaving the smoke-filled warmth of the saloon. We walked down the street in silence. When we reached the Dodge House, pat said quietly Look, kid, forget what Tom and Marshall Singer said about Jim and Bat. Masterson, I know it's in your mind to go warn Jim, but I do not think this is a good idea. I protested. I think Jim needs to know he might be ambushed. Pat Hell, for all you know, jim's probably left town by now. Forget about it. Good night. I said good night and went up to my room.

Speaker 1:

The next morning I climbed out of bed, washed my face and opened the window. My hotel window looked out over the south side of the tracks. The sun began to rise. In the east. The sun's rays cast a yellow-orange hue across the sky. From the window I could see the Santa Fe rails running along Front Street. The rails ran east and west through the town, splitting Front Street just about in half. On the north side of the street, about 50 yards from the tracks, were the more respectable businesses of Dodge City, including several saloons. To the south, also about 50 yards away from the tracks, were the gambling halls and the brawls. The area along the tracks in between, approximately 100 yards wide, was an open sandy ground known as the Plaza. The building in the Plaza was the train station.

Speaker 1:

I took in a deep breath of what I thought would be fresh air. Dodge City, from the very beginnings, was a buffalo hide town. It never carried a pleasant smell On its better day, as it smelled like mold and sewage. On hot day, as the town smelled of decay, a combination of sulfur dioxide and methane, I staggered back a few steps as the smell hit me. The bright round of bad air caused me to take a forced sniff through my nostrils as a gust of wind whirled inside my room. The scent was as unpleasant as the smell of boiled cabbage, cow dung and urine. I thought to myself that nothing smelled as putrid in the mornings as Dodge City, except, of course, a skunk in a man's bedroll.

Speaker 1:

I dressed and left the Cox Hotel about mid-morning. I treated myself to coffee and breakfast at Dr McCarthy's drugstore. The mid-morning stream of people along Front Street on a Saturday began to pick up. I could hear the train whistle as the engineer released some steam. The churning of the giant iron wheels and the clanking sounds they made as they hit the rail joints could be heard in the distance. The clanking wheels slowed down as a steam whistle sounded the train's approach.

Speaker 1:

Sitting at a table near the window, I watched the passengers at the depot getting ready to board. The waiter had just brought me a fresh mug of coffee. Hey, he said, does that man with the derby hat look familiar to you? The waiter pointed in the direction of the train. I looked over to the slowly approaching train.

Speaker 1:

I saw a man wearing a black derby hat riding on the outside of the first passenger car. He hung on to the iron grab bar with his left arm dangling just above the tracks. It was the only glimpse I had before. The man wearing a dark suit and the derby hat swung to the ground. I stood up and went to the entrance of the drugstore. I looked out to see if I could spot him. Once again, the man appeared. He had dismounted the train. The slow-moving train cars clattered past him. The train rolled on by and the caboose cleared, revealing a well-dressed man walking in the direction of the station. I could now see the distinct figure of this man. He walked briskly along the sand-filled plaza, sporting a black derby hat and swinging a cane. The shaft of the cane was made from black beech wood and sported a brass knob handle notifying Dodge City of Baton Masterson's arrival. Everyone in town knew Baton Masterson by the cane he carried. The cane made him a famous figure as much as the fast and deadly gunfighter he was known to be.

Speaker 1:

Bat started carrying the cane after he had been struck in the groin by a bullet. At the time of the incident, bat had been hauling goods to Mobeady, texas. A jealous Sergeant, melvin King, drew down on Bat when he was dancing with Molly Brennan in the Lady Gay Saloon. It seemed that Sergeant King, who was stationed at nearby Fort Elliot, had a fancy for the dancehall girl. When Sergeant King pulled out his revolver, molly threw herself between the two men. The first shot from the Sergeant's revolver narrowly missed her and struck Masterson in the abdomen, tearing through his body and shattering his hip. King's second shot hit Molly squarely in the back and she crumpled to the floor in a heap. Bat got off the third round. King was mortally wounded by Masterson's unbalanced quick draw fire and fell forward over the dying dancehall girl, giving Sergeant King the last dance of the evening. After the Mobeady shootout, bat used the cane while his leg mended from the bullet wound.

Speaker 1:

I looked over at the waiter next to me. He was frozen with a look of surprise. I'll be damned, I said in a tone of disbelief. It is him. I believe you're right, replied the waiter. We both stood together, looking across the plaza.

Speaker 1:

I gazed out in the direction where I had seen BAT and saw two men walking from the opposite direction toward the station. Instantly I recognized one of them as AJ Peacock, the man Mayor Webster was looking for the night before, the same man who had threatened Jim Masterson. The other man was Al Updegraff. Bat saw both men appear in front of the depot and called out to them. Bat told him to stop, but he wanted to talk to them.

Speaker 1:

Peacock and Updegraff looked surprised at seeing BAT and the plaza. They hesitated for a second, then turned and ran for the nearby jail, a sturdy blockish building constructed of heavy timbers. As they sprinted for cover, one of the men yanked out his gun and sent a ball of lead in BAT's direction. From where I stood I could see BAT had his gun out. The blast from Updegraff's revolver must have whipped a bullet past BAT's head. Bat ducked while he snapped a shot off in the direction of Peacock and Updegraff, sending both of them in a dead run, ducking for cover behind the jail.

Speaker 1:

Bat, now in trouble for the lack of protective cover, looked frantically for the nearest structure. He found himself exposed out in the open. The nearest building in the plaza was the train station. Bat appeared confused for a second, looking to his left and then to his right. Peacock and Updegraff, behind the corner of the jail, hurled a fuselot of blazing bullets in BAT's direction. One shot after another in quick succession emptied both six guns. When the bullet started whipping around him, bat hit the dirt. He fell out of sight behind a railroad embankment. The embankment was high enough and gave him a decent protection from the flying lead, but he couldn't stand up to move around without risking being hit. The embankment only shielded his body and I could still see his black derby hat From the sheltered position. He would rise up and fire off a few shots. The shots flew in the direction of the jail where Peacock and Updegraff were hiding. He then ducked back down again with his hat in plain view.

Speaker 1:

I looked around once more. Front street had been peaceful before the gun flay erupted. The busy pedestrian boardwalk was now abandoned. A lot of bullets were flying through the air back and forth across the railroad tracks. The shots flew easy into the buildings on either side of the street. Customers in the saloons and stores on each side of front street were making a hasty retreat towards the rear doors of the establishments. One bullet flew past me just above my ear before it hit and shattered the big window in Doc McCarthy's drugstore. I dug for cover as well. All the front street was under the assault.

Speaker 1:

The men in the buildings on the south side of the street were looking out to see the human targets, peacock and Updegraff, as the brisk firing continued. Curiosity won out over caution and some of the men in the saloons on the north side crawled up to the broken windows to risk a quick look. They could see the railroad track embankment and, slightly above it, a black derby hat bouncing up and down. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. The feud between Masterson and his opponents had erupted into a full display of gunplay. Someone spotted the figure lying behind the railroad embankment and shouted Bat, it's Bat. Masterson Bat.

Speaker 1:

Under the cover of the embankment, continued to fire at Peacock, while up to Graff reloaded behind the block building. The bystanders from the south side had a hard time seeing who Peacock and up to Graff had pinned down in the plaza. I'm not sure why, but the men on the south side of the track started to get into the action. A few shots from the south side of the streets rang out. Then, for no reason at all, a lot of them opened up with pistols and rifles. They directed their shots toward the man behind the embankment, bat Masterson. Many of the shots from the south side began hitting the buildings on the north side of the street. The dirt in and around Bat's cover jumped as bullets hit flinging dirt and dry grass all over the black derby hat, causing Bat to hunker lower behind the embankment. It was like a hail storm of lead raining through the air, all within a short distance above his hat. For a short time it looked as if this derby hat became the shooting gallery target for the best shot in town.

Speaker 1:

From where I stood watching out over the water barrel. The gunfire from both sides of the street became a comedy of errors. Like Bat Masterson's hat became a target. Seconds later, the firestorm grew worse as the man in the buildings along the north side of the street joined the fray. It's a good bet that most of the belligerent aggressors on both sides didn't really know what they were shooting at, but the lack of knowledge didn't stop them. For me, the avalanche of gunfire lasted in eternity.

Speaker 1:

As I hid behind a water barrel with at least two bullet holes, streaming a stagnant water on and around me, suddenly a figure stumbled away from the cover of the jail, pressing one hand to his chest while the pistol on the other hand slipped from his fingers. The man pitched face first into the ground after a couple of steps, but not before. I recognized him as Al Uptograph, peacock's brother-in-law and the man whose hollow leg and light fingers had started this whole mess. A second later, the hammer of Bat's gun clicked on an empty chamber. The revolver was empty again and now Bat was out of cartridges. The shooting on both sides began to die away, as the men who had been firing wildly a moment earlier took in the stark picture of Uptograph laying there in the dusty plaza For all they knew he was dead, and it was a sobering sight.

Speaker 1:

A sturdy figure emerged from one of the buildings on the north side and dashed toward Bat, shotgun in hand. Bat turned to watch him coming and recognized AB Webster, the mayor of Dodge City. Webster came up to Bat, red-faced from the effort of running, and pointed the twin barrels of the shotgun in the general direction of the former sheriff of Ford County. You're under arrest, bat Webster said breathlessly give me your gun. Bat climbed to his feet and hesitated before complying with the mayor's order. The gun he held was empty, the barrel still smoking. Bat asked what happened to Jim, whether or not his brother was dead. Webster assured Bat that Jim was unharmed. The relieved Bat allowed himself to be arrested.

Speaker 1:

Bat ended up at the office of Fred Singer, the new city marshal. Tom Nixon, the assistant marshal, put him behind bars while he waited for trial. Late that afternoon Bat Masterson appeared before the judge. The criminal complaint against Bat Masterson stated WB Masterson did unlawfully and feloniously discharge a pistol upon the streets of said city. During the hearing the judge inquired about the health of Uptograph and found him alive and still hanging on to life. Additionally, al Uptograph stated that Bat Masterson was not the person who shot him. Uptograph reported we were then fired at by parties from the saloon doors of the city and from one of which I was shot through the right lung.

Speaker 1:

The hearing judge found it difficult to charge Bat with a shooting of Uptograph, so he charged Bat with illegally discharging a firearm in the city limits and Bat pleaded guilty. The fine for such an offense came to $8 and $2 for court costs. After paying the fine, bat suggested to Jim that it might be a good time for Bat to be arrested. After paying the fine, bat suggested to Jim that it might be a good time for both of them to leave Dodge City. Jim agreed and went to find AJ Peacock.

Speaker 1:

A gunfight was one thing, but business was another. On the next day, april 17th 1881, mayor Webster posted this warning to the Dodge City gang about one of the moral ordinances supported by the new anti-licker city councilman. Do all whom it may concern All thieves, thugs, confidence men and persons without visible means of support will take notice that the ordinance enacted for their special benefit will be rigorously enforced on and after tomorrow. Webster was now rid of part of the gang as he fired Jim Masterson on April 6th at City Martial, giving the job to Fred Singer, a bartender in one of his saloons. The Mastersons were forced out of town, leaving an opening for Webster to create and pass new ordinances that would soon change the future of Dodge City forever.

Wild West Legends and Exciting Dodge City
Webster's Encounter With Bat Masterson
Gunfight in Dodge City Plaza
Bat Masterson's Escape From Dodge City