Bat Masterson

William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) spent the first half of his life in what is remembered as the "Wild West." During that period, he distinguished himself as a buffalo hunter, Indian fighter during the celebrated Second Battle of Adobe Walls, civilian scout for the U.S. Army, and gunfighter and lawman in Dodge City, Kansas and elsewhere. The "Wild West" phase of Masterson's life was essentially over by the mid 1880s when he was still in his early thirties. Masterson moved to Denver and established himself as a leading "sporting man," or gambler. He took an interest in prizefighting and became a leading authority on the sport. He would attend almost every important match and title fight in the United States from the 1880s until his death in 1921. He knew, and was known by, all of the Heavyweight Champions from John L. Sullivan and James J. "Gentleman Jim" Corbett to Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey. He moved to New York City in 1902 and would spend the rest of his life there as a reporter and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph. Masterson's column not only covered boxing and other sports, but also gave his frequent opinions on crime, war, politics and other topics . He became a close friend of President Theodore Roosevelt and became one of the "White House Gunfighters" (along with Pat Garrett and Ben Daniels) who received federal appointments from Roosevelt. He was known throughout the country as a leading sports writer and celebrity at the time of his death in 1921.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat Masterson
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