Jim Leavy facts for kids
James H. Leavy (born in 1842) was an Irish gunfighter from the American Old West. He is known for being involved in at least two famous quick-draw duels. During his time, Leavy was one of the most well-known gunmen. He often challenged other gunmen to a fight.
A historian named Erik J. Wright says that Leavy's name was spelled "Leavy." This spelling appears on many old papers from when he lived in Nevada and Arizona.
Early Life
Jim Leavy was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1842. When he was young, his family moved to the United States. Some historians have wondered if he was of Jewish background, but there is no proof of this. All old records spell his name "Leavy."
Famous Gunfights
The First Duel
In the spring of 1871, Leavy arrived in Pioche, Nevada. This town was known for being very rough. Many violent events happened there. Leavy started working as a miner.
A man named Michael Casey and his three friends came to Pioche around the same time. They helped some mine owners get back their mining claim. This claim had been taken by other men. Casey and his friends got a loan of $60,000 for their help.
On May 30, 1871, Casey went to the bank. He met Tom Gossen there. Gossen said Casey owed him $100. Casey told the bank teller to give Gossen the money. But Gossen then asked for extra interest, which made Casey angry.
The two men argued. They both pulled out their pistols. They walked out of different doors of the bank and faced each other. They shot at each other. Casey shot Gossen. Gossen died the next day. Before he died, Gossen offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who killed Casey.
Casey's friends said Gossen shot first. Gossen's friends said Casey shot first. Casey found Leavy in a store and argued with him. Casey said he shot Gossen to defend himself. But Leavy said that was not true. Casey got very angry and insulted Leavy.
Leavy told Casey he was only brave because Leavy did not have his gun. Leavy was still wearing his mining clothes. Casey told him, "Go get your gun and come a-shooting."
Leavy went to his cabin to get his gun. He came back to the store. Casey's friend, David Neagle, was waiting outside. But Leavy came from a side alley and surprised Casey. The two men shot at each other. Leavy shot Casey in the neck.
As Casey fell, Leavy hit him with his pistol, killing him. Neagle then shot Leavy. The bullet broke Leavy's jaw and knocked out some teeth. Leavy shot Neagle, killing him too. Leavy was badly hurt and changed forever.
Leavy was arrested but later found not guilty. The court decided he acted in self-defense. Leavy then collected the reward money. He stopped being a miner. For the next 10 years, he traveled to many towns. These included Virginia City, Nevada, Cheyenne, Wyoming, Deadwood, South Dakota, Leadville, Colorado, and Tombstone and Tucson, Arizona Territory. He worked as a gambler and a gunman.
In 1873, it was said that Leavy had another gunfight with a man named Thomas Ryan. This happened before Leavy left Nevada. Again, Leavy was found not guilty. It is believed that Leavy was in over sixteen shootouts during this time and survived them all.
The Second Duel
On March 9, 1877, Leavy was in a saloon in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He heard a man named Charlie Harrison say something bad about another Irishman. Leavy got upset. He started to pull out his pistol. But Harrison stopped him. Harrison said he was not armed. He promised to come back with his gun.
Harrison went to his hotel room and got his pistol. He met Leavy in front of another saloon. Harrison was known as a dangerous gunman in town. But people did not know much about Leavy's past gunfights. Many thought Harrison would easily win.
Both men pulled out their pistols at the same time. They fired seven shots. One of Leavy's shots hit Harrison. Leavy then went up to Harrison, who was on the ground, and shot him again. Harrison was badly hurt. He was taken to a hotel for treatment. He died from his wounds a week later. Leavy was put on trial for murder but was found not guilty.
The Third Duel and Death
On June 5, 1882, Leavy was in Tucson, Arizona. He had an argument with a man named John Murphy. Murphy was a dealer for a card game called faro.
Leavy was playing at Murphy's faro table in the Fashion Saloon. He lost about $100 and got angry. He said that the dealer, William Moyer, was cheating. Murphy was very angry when he heard Leavy's claims. He told Leavy's friends that Leavy needed to say sorry.
Leavy came back to the table with a friend. He said he had not said anything like that. The police chief, Adolph G. Buttner, and another officer heard there might be trouble. They stepped in. The chief heard Leavy tell Murphy, "nothing but a fight will do me." Leavy kept threatening Moyer and Murphy. He said he would "shoot their checks from the table."
They argued more, and the words got worse. Leavy told Murphy they would go to the Mexican border and fight there. Murphy agreed. Leavy borrowed $50 to buy a pistol and rent a wagon. The men agreed to drive to Calabasas the next morning.
Murphy likely knew how good Leavy was with a gun. He decided to surprise Leavy. Murphy got two friends to help him. They killed Leavy as he was leaving the Palace Hotel. The three men were arrested right away.
The three men gave up and were put in jail. They were later represented by a lawyer named Tom Fitch. Fitch had also represented Wyatt Earp in a famous hearing.
According to Erik Wright, the three men who killed Leavy later escaped from jail. They were caught again. Murphy and Gibson were found in California. They were living under different names. They were tried again for the murder but were found not guilty. Moyer was caught in Denver. He was sent to prison for life but was set free in 1888.
Murphy lived the rest of his life as a gambler in Arizona. Gibson continued to work in mining. Moyer worked as a hired gun at times. He was involved in another fight in Nevada in 1895. He was last seen in Alaska around the year 1900.
Legacy
Even though many people do not know about him today, Leavy was a very famous gunfighter in his time. Both Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp spoke about him and his skills. Wyatt Earp praised Leavy for being practical in a gunfight. He said Leavy did not try to be fancy with quick draws. Instead, he focused on being calm and accurate.
Jim Leavy is listed in the book Deadly Dozen by Robert K. DeArment. This book names him as one of the twelve most important but less-known gunmen of the 19th century.
