Today in Wild West History, Vol 4: Bill vs Bill
How Bill Tilghman single-handedly apprehended the notorious Bill Doolin
Bill Doolin was an American outlaw and one of the most sought-after train robbers of the late 1800s. He began his criminal career as a horse thief and eventually founded the Doolin-Dalton gang, aka the “Wild Bunch”, the most dominant gang of outlaws operating in the late Wild West period. The gang was known for robbing banks and trains, and opening fire on anybody who got in their way.
Many lawmen had tried to capture Doolin, but all had failed — some died trying. It was widely assumed that a large posse would be required to take him down, dead or alive. So when on January 15, 1896, an inexperienced young deputy marshall named Bill Tilghman, a relative unknown, single-handedly captured him alive, many were in disbelief.
Doolin had been on the run for several years and was wanted for multiple crimes, including multiple murders. His one weakness was rheumatism, which had bothered him since being shot in the leg years earlier. He traveled to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a destination famous for the healing powers of its hot spring mineral baths. It was there that Deputy Marshal Bill Tilghman laid his trap.
A Clever Plan
Tilghman had been tipped off to Doolin’s arrival and knew the outlaw wouldn’t recognize him, as they had never met, but feared that Doolin may be spooked by the rather large Colt .45 on his hip. So Tilghman concocted a clever plan. He hired a local carpenter to construct a wooden box that would disguise his shotgun — the contraption could be opened with the flick of a switch. While the carpenter was at work, Tilghman retired to a bathhouse to relax.
Tilghman never found out if his sneaky plan would have worked because there in the bathhouse he stumbled across the unsuspecting Doolin. He was able to get the drop on the outlaw with his Colt 45 before Doolin could go for the gun in his vest.
Bill Tilghman escorted Bill Doolin out of the bathhouse in handcuffs before boarding the train to Stillwater, Oklahoma. Doolin was tried and convicted of murder in connection with the Ingalls shootout. That’s not the end of the story for Bill Doolin, but we’ll save his other adventures for a future installment of VendettaDAO Wild West History.
Today in Wild West History is an ongoing series from the VendettaDAO Web3 Gaming project. We want to help our community stay engaged and educated in the compelling lore of the Wild West. Who knows? Some of the stranger-than-fiction characters you read about may turn up in the Chalk River Metaverse.
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