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Richard Bullock

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Richard ″Dick″ Bullock
Born20 August 1847
Died7 February 1920 [1]
Thorncroft Sanatorium, Glendale, California
NationalityBritish
Other namesDead-eye Dick
Deadwood Dick
Occupation(s)miner
guard
stockbroker
Known forGuard on the Deadwood stagecoach

Richard Bullock (20 August 1847 –7 February 1920) was a Cornishman who once sang in a Methodist choir and later became a legendary figure of the Wild West Cowboy era. His quick-shooting deeds working on the Deadwood stage gained him the nickname "Deadwood Dick".[2]

Biography

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Early in life Bullock's family moved to nearby hamlet of Retew where his father, Captain John Bullock, became the manager of a local clay-works. He and his brother shared many common traits: each very strong, ardent Free Methodists, and great sporting shooters—-a skill that brought him many trophies.

In his mid-twenties, Bullock immigrated to America. He began working in the Black Hills of South Dakota first as a miner, and then as a bullion guard for the Homestake Mine, which at that time was owned by Senator George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst. A bullion guard is somebody who protects gold shipments being transported by stagecoach. Around the age of 35, Bullock began to achieve fame. It is claimed that Bullock had a part in the death of Black Hills outlaw Cornelius Donahue (also known as "Lame Johnny"), although some sources dispute this.[3] In later years Bullock was a stockbroker in Lead, South Dakota. He died at Thorncroft Sanatorium, Glendale, California, on February 7, 1920 at the age of 72.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "'Deadwood Dick' Dies in Los Angeles, Aged 75", Chicago Daily Tribune, February 8, 1920, p1
  2. ^ a b Bullock, Fred. ""Deadwood Dick" A Famous Cornishman". The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies. Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  3. ^ Senn, Edward L. (1939). Deadwood Dick and Calamity Jane: A Thorough Sifting of Facts from Fiction. Deadwood, South Dakota: Edward L. Senn.