Kitty Leroy
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Kitty Leroy (1850 - December 7th, 1878) was a gambler, saloon owner, prostitute, trick shooter and alluring personality of the Old West.
Leroy was born in Michigan, but by the age of 10 she was dancing professionally. By the time she was a teenager of 14 she was working in dance halls and saloons, performing. She also had developed shooting skills that few could match, to include shooting apples off people heads. A good looking young woman, she'd married for the first time by 15, but the marriage was shortlived, as she was promiscuous, and difficult to tame. She ventured west seeking a wilder lifestyle, settling for a time in Dallas, Texas. By the age of 20 she'd married a second time, and was one of the most popular dancing attractions in town. She soon gave up dancing to work as a faro dealer, and became known for dressing in mens clothing, and at times like a gypsie. By this time Leroy had developed into a skilled gambler.
She and her second husband headed to California, where they hoped to open their own saloon. Somewhere along the line, she left him for another man, marrying for a third time. However, this marriage was extremely short lived, as before they married, the two became involved in an argument during which she attacked him. When he refused to hit her because she was a woman, she changed into mens clothing and again challenged him. Legend tells that when she drew her gun, he did not, and she shot him. As he did not die right away, she called for a preacher, and the two married. He died within days after. That legend has never been confirmed, and it is unclear as to whether it ever actually happened, or if the two simply left one another. Leroy made her way to Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876, where she worked as a prostitute for Mollie Johnson, who owned a brothel there, traveling up on the same wagon train with Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. She opened the Mint Gambling Saloon, and married for a fourth time to a German prospector. However, when his money ran out, they began to argue often, culminating in her hitting him over the head with a bottle one night, and throwing him out.
Her saloon was successful, with her at times working as a prostitute, but mostly managing her own girls, as well as the gambling income brought in by the business. On June 11th, 1877, Leroy married for the fifth and final time, this time to prospector and gambler Samuel R. Curley. This marriage, as her others, was volatile, with the couple fighting often. Curley was alleged to have been extremely jealous, and Leroy did not help matters, as she had numerous affairs, one of which was with her latest ex-husband. On the night of December 7th, 1878, Curley shot and killed Leroy in the Lone Star Saloon, then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. The pair were laid in state in front of the saloon the next day, then buried together. She is mentioned in the HBO series Deadwood, portrayed as a beautiful murder victim.
