William L Brooks Alias Buffalo Bully Brooks
Ohio, born around 1832, was the eldest son of blacksmith Edmund Brooks and his wife, Cynthia, and as a teenager, he found his way to the plains of Kansas. There he joined the great buffalo hunt, which was getting underway. While Billy was in those Buffalo fields, he demonstrated skill with weapons that eventually earned him the appellation "Buffalo Bill."
Billy Brooks - a man of not unusual size, rather slender, with normal-length hair. His pants were baggy with an unbuttoned vest, and he wore a ridiculous hat. If it were not for his displayed white-handled six-shooter and gun belt, he would have looked more like a clown than a dangerous gunfighter.
By 1870, when he reached the age of twenty-one, he took employment with the Southwestern Stage Company as a driver of coaches between EI Dorado and Wichita. It was a tough, demanding job, and Billy soon gained the respect of his employers and the traveling public for his courage, stamina, and dogged dedication to duty.
Billy Brooks - a man of not unusual size, rather slender, with normal-length hair. His pants were baggy with an unbuttoned vest, and he wore a ridiculous hat. If it were not for his displayed white-handled six-shooter and gun belt, he would have looked more like a clown than a dangerous gunfighter.
By 1870, when he reached the age of twenty-one, he took employment with the Southwestern Stage Company as a driver of coaches between EI Dorado and Wichita. It was a tough, demanding job, and Billy soon gained the respect of his employers and the traveling public for his courage, stamina, and dogged dedication to duty.
On many occasions, as a stage driver, he demonstrated his strong will and characteristic virtues. One such time occurred after a torrential storm. Brooks and his stagecoach came on swollen Chisholm Creek, surging from its banks. Most drivers would have turned back, but Brooks drove his mule team forward and carried the mail across the flood successfully.
When the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF) Railroad reached Newton in July 1871, the El Dorado to Wichita stage line was discontinued. Brooks took a new run from Wichita to the burgeoning town of Newton. Like most end-of-track towns of the American West, Newton attracted the debris of the frontier: thugs and saloon loafers, gamblers, and whores; the entire roster of border riffraff. And with them, assuredly, came wanton violence. As residents of the closest railroad shipping point in Kansas for Texas cattlemen, Newtonians braced themselves in the coming 1872 season for another invasion, hordes of trail-tough Texas cowboys. The incident occurred in June of that year when several Texas cowboys were having a drunken spree at a local dance hall. When Books told the cowboys to leave, they turned on him and fired three shots hitting him once near his collarbone and twice in his limbs. The gutsy Brooks continued to pursue the cowboys for about ten miles before finally returning to Newton to have his wounds looked after. Brooks recovered from the gunshots, which were minor, and resigned from his position as city marshal. He then moved to Ellsworth and served briefly as a policeman. |
In early 1873 Brooks appeared in Dodge City, Kansas, where he again worked as a lawman. Though he cleared many of the town's seedier elements in his first year, the citizens felt he was too quick on the trigger. In his first month alone, he was involved in 15 gunfights. In one instance, he killed four men looking to take revenge on Brooks after killing their brother. However, Brooks killed all four instead.
Before long, Dodge City officials began to wonder about several men killed in questionable circumstances, including a man Brooks killed in an argument over a local dance hall girl. After backing down from gunfighter Kirk Jordan, Brooks left the position and returned to his old job as a stage driver for the Southwestern Stage Company.
However, in early 1874, the stage company lost its mail contact with a rival company, and Brooks lost his job. In June, several mules and horses owned by the rival company were stolen, allegedly by Brooks and several other men, to weaken the rival company and get their jobs back. The following month, Brooks and two other men, L.B. Hasbrouck and Charlie Smith, were arrested and jailed to await trial near Caldwell, Kansas. Unfortunately, they would not get their day in court. On July 29th, a lynch mob stormed the jail, and Brooks and the other two men were taken to a large tree to be hanged.
Before long, Dodge City officials began to wonder about several men killed in questionable circumstances, including a man Brooks killed in an argument over a local dance hall girl. After backing down from gunfighter Kirk Jordan, Brooks left the position and returned to his old job as a stage driver for the Southwestern Stage Company.
However, in early 1874, the stage company lost its mail contact with a rival company, and Brooks lost his job. In June, several mules and horses owned by the rival company were stolen, allegedly by Brooks and several other men, to weaken the rival company and get their jobs back. The following month, Brooks and two other men, L.B. Hasbrouck and Charlie Smith, were arrested and jailed to await trial near Caldwell, Kansas. Unfortunately, they would not get their day in court. On July 29th, a lynch mob stormed the jail, and Brooks and the other two men were taken to a large tree to be hanged.
Unveiling the Wild West: The Courage and Chaos of Billy Brooks' Life
Prepare to be transported back to the Wild West as we uncover the life and trials of Billy Brooks, infamously known as Buffalo Bill. Witness the birth of a legend in the plains of Kansas as we follow his journey from being a part of the Great Buffalo Hunt to becoming the first marshal of Newton, Kansas, a formidable man whose name is synonymous with fearlessness and prowess in weaponry. Brace yourself for an exhilarating narrative of a suspenseful encounter in a saloon that ends with Brooks shot in the shoulder.
But the tale of Billy Brooks doesn't end there. We venture further into the lawless town of Dodge City, where he was tasked with maintaining order amid the chaos of buffalo hunters, railroad laborers, and drifters. Immerse yourself in a terrifying shootout in a dance hall and a captivating encounter with a buffalo hunter named Jordan. From high-stakes action to unexpected antics, this episode promises a raw and unfiltered peek into the tumultuous life of Billy Brooks and the indomitable spirit of the Wild West. Be sure to catch this thrilling episode that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
But the tale of Billy Brooks doesn't end there. We venture further into the lawless town of Dodge City, where he was tasked with maintaining order amid the chaos of buffalo hunters, railroad laborers, and drifters. Immerse yourself in a terrifying shootout in a dance hall and a captivating encounter with a buffalo hunter named Jordan. From high-stakes action to unexpected antics, this episode promises a raw and unfiltered peek into the tumultuous life of Billy Brooks and the indomitable spirit of the Wild West. Be sure to catch this thrilling episode that will keep you on the edge of your seat.