Trinidad Gunfight
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Trinidad Gunfight (April 16th, 1882) was a gunfight of the Old West that took place in Trinidad, Colorado, between two professional gamblers, Frank Loving and John Allen.
[edit] The gunfight
On April 15th, 1882, an argument over a game of cards led to both Frank Loving and John Allen drawing their pistols on one another in downtown Trinidad, on Main Street. Friends intervened, before it became violent. However, the next morning Loving entered the Imperial Saloon where Allen worked, with his pistol drawn. Allen drew and fired one round at Loving, missing, to which Loving responded by firing a shot at Allen, also missing. When people began to scramble in an attempt to leave, the gun was accidentally knocked from Loving's hand.
Shielding himself behind another man, Allen fired another shot at Loving, missing, then as Loving bent over to retrieve his revolver Allen fired yet a third shot, again missing. Allen headed for the rear door of the saloon, with Loving in pursuit, firing until his own revolver was emptied, missing. Allen ran into the alley behind the saloon, then took refuge a few doors down in Hammond's Hardware Store.
By that time, James Masterson, a former Dodge City, Kansas Marshal, had arrived. Masterson was at the time working as a town deputy marshal in Trinidad. Loving was disarmed by Masterson, who then went looking for John Allen, but could not find him. When Masterson returned to the Imperial Saloon, he found that Loving had obtained two more revolvers and went looking for Allen. Masterson went after him, catching him at the Catholic Convent, at which point Masterson again disarmed Loving, for the second time, then again Masterson went looking for John Allen.
Masterson heard a shot come from Hammond's Hardware Store. Responding, Masterson and local Town Marshal Lou Kreeger found that Frank Loving had entered the store to replenish his ammunition, only to be shot in the back by Allen, who was hiding in the back of the store. The two lawmen arrested John Allen, who was tried for murder, but was acquitted. Allen eventually moved to Dodge City, where he became a preacher.
