Jim Levy - The Jewish Gunfighter

OLD WEST LEGENDS

Jim Levy - The Jewish Gunfighter

Jim Levy was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1842 of Jewish parents. He was still a young boy when they immigrated to the United States. When he was old enough, Levy headed west, where he landed in Pioche, Nevada and worked as a miner. However, his life would change on May 30, 1871 when he witnessed a shooting in the street. Michael Casey shot a man named Tom Gasson, wounding him severely. Lying on his deathbed, Gasson bequeathed $5,000 to the man who would avenge his death. At the coroner’s inquest, Casey said that the killing had been in self-defense. But, Levy testified that he had seen it happen and that Casey had fired the first shot.

Early Pinoche, Nevada

Afterwards, Casey tracked down Levy at a local store and challenged the unarmed miner to a gunfight. Accepting the challenge, Levy rushed off to obtain a weapon and returned a short while later. In the alley behind the store, the two squared off. Levy called to Casey, then opened fire, grazing Casey’s skull with his bullet. When Casey dived at Levy, Jim fired again, hitting his opponent in the neck. As the wounded man began to fall, Levy hit him over the head with his revolver. In the meantime, a cohort of Casey’s shot Levy in the jaw before running away. Though terribly disfigured and losing several teeth, Levy survived and was arrested for Casey’s murder. However, he was acquitted and released. He also collected on Gasson’s deathbed bequest of $5,000.

After this affair, Levy gave up mining and decided to make his living as a professional “regulator” and gambler. For the next decade he traveled from Virginia City, Nevada; to Cheyenne, Wyoming; Deadwood, South Dakota; Leadville, Colorado ; and Arizona -- to Tombstone, and Tucson. The terrible scarring did nothing for Levy’s already bad temper and during these years, it is estimated that he survived some sixteen shoot-outs. One newspaper described him as a "pistolferous gambler."

On March 9, 1877, the Levy-Harrison gunfight occurred when Levy argued with another gambler and gunfighter by the name of Charlie Harrison. Gambling in Shingle & Locke's Saloon in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the pair began to argue and as it escalated, Harrison, insulted Levy, telling him that he hated Irishmen. Levy quickly took offense and challenged Harrison to take it outside. Harrison was known in Cheyenne for his gunfighting skills but Levy was not. Most thought that Levy would be shot dead in minutes. Both the on lookers and Harrison underestimated Levy. The pair moved outside, continuing their verbal dispute, moving in front of the Senate Saloon before finally stopping in front of Frenchy's on Eddy Street. There, they squared off and as the two pulled their six-guns, Harrison's shot went wild. Levy, on the other hand, took more careful aim and kit Harrison who fell to the ground. Though, severely wounded, Harrison was alive and taken to his room at the Dyer's Hotel. However, a week later, he died.

Levy soon left Cheyenne, continuing to move around and by 1882 had landed in Tucson, Arizona. On June 5, 1882, he was playing faro in the Fashion Saloon when he began to argue with the faro dealer, John Murphy. After exchanging a number of insults, the two began to talk about shooting it out, but Levy was unarmed and his friends, trying to keep him out of trouble, wouldn’t loan him a gun. In the meantime, Murphy’s supporters were trying to urge him to back off, as they were aware of Levy’s reputation as a gunfighter. Without his gun, Levy challenged Murphy to meet him the next day to “settle” their differences in a gunfight.

However, as Levy left the saloon, he was met by Murphy and two friends, Dave Gibson and Bill Moyer, who sprang from the shadows and gunned him down. All three were arrested and tried. Murphy and Moyer were found guilty and sent to the Yuma Territorial Prison. Gibson, was acquitted, based on the fact that by the time his bullets hit Levy, he was already dead.

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