Ed Masterson

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Ed Masterson (September 22nd, 1852-April 9th, 1878) was a lawman and the brother of old west personality and gunfighter Bat Masterson, as well as James Masterson.

[edit] Lawman career

Ed Masterson was born in Henryville, Ontario. His family moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1866. Ed Masterson, as reported by those who knew him, never possessed the strong personality and presence of his more famous brother, Bat, or his other brother James. He was generally thoughtful and well liked, but not assertive during his service as a lawman, which historians often state as a factor in his death. [1]

Prior to beginning his lawman career, he and his two brothers worked as Buffalo hunters in the northwest. During his service as the marshal and Deputy Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, Ed Masterson was shot twice, and during both instances he killed his assailant. The first incident occurred in mid-1877, when he was shot in the chest by Bob Shaw in the Lone Star Dance Hall. Shaw was also shot during that incident by Ed, dying later. After Masterson's recovery, he replaced Town Marshal Larry Deger as Marshal. On March 15th, 1878, Masterson assisted his brother Bat, who was the Ford County Sheriff at that time, and lawman Charlie Bassett in the capture of two train robbery suspects. [2]

Later that same month, Masterson announced publically that he had a new plan to rid Dodge City of vagrancy and street violence, which included the disarming of gun-carrying men inside the city limits, and that it would be implimented immediately. On April 9th, 1878, while attempting to disarm a drunken cowboy, Masterson was shot once in the chest. He returned fire, shooting the cowboy, Jack Wagner, in the hip. Bat Masterson ran across the street and shot Wagner, and his employer Alf Walker. Ed Masterson died shortly thereafter, after walking into the street and collapsing. Wagner died the next day. [3]

[edit] References

• Bat Masterson Biography
• http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Quebec/bat_masterson.htm
• http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWmastersonE.htm