Hello readers and welcome back to Pale Horse Revelations. where we explore significant people, places, and events in Old West history. While I make no promises, don't be surprised if some of these places, people, or events find their way into future Pale Rider adventures.
This week we'll meet one of the most interesting women that you've probably never heard of. In a time when gender equality was unheard of, she defied social norms and excelled in roles traditionally reserved for men. Though her life was tragically cut short, she made the most of her years on this earth and lived a life worthy of being remembered. Get ready to meet Kitty Leroy, the lady gambler.
Leroy was born in 1850 (the exact date is unknown). It is generally accepted that she was born in Michigan, though even that is not certain. What all sources agree on is that she was a natural born performer. By the age of ten she was already performing as a dancer. By fourteen she was performing in dance halls and saloons. It was places such as these where she learned the skills usually associated with men. Chief among these were proficiency with weapons and gambling. Few could match her shooting skills, which included shooting apples from atop people's heads.
She married for the first time at the age of fifteen. According to some, her husband was one of the only men willing to let her shoot apples from his head. Despite this endearing quality, Kitty soon became board with him and took off for Texas, leaving the poor man behind.
She settled in Dallas for a while. By the age of twenty she had become the most popular entertainer in town. It was around this time that she gave up dancing in favor of dealing faro. She soon became known both for her proficiency at gambling and her unconventional attire. She sometimes dressed as a man and at other times wore extravagant gypsy style attire. She also built a reputation for being well armed, never going to the faro tables without several revolvers and knives.
While in Texas she married for the second time. Shortly thereafter, she and her new husband departed for California. Somewhere along the way, Kitty left him for another man. Her third marriage was her shortest and by all accounts was the result of a guilty conscience.
There are two versions of this story, and I will share them both with you. In one version this was the same man she left her second husband for. In the other, he was an admirer who became too ardent in his affections. Where the two versions merge is that Kitty challenged him to fight. When he refused to fight a woman, she dressed as a man and challenged him again. The two faced off in the street in the kind of dual that occurred most often in fiction and legend. Kitty drew first and shot him. According to some accounts, he refused to draw. The man was mortally wounded but took several days to die. Kitty, racked with guilt, called for a preacher and the two were married.
After husband number three died, Kitty made her way to Deadwood, Dakota Territory in 1876. She travelled there in the same wagon train as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. She soon opened the Mint Gambling Saloon. There she met a German prospector who became husband number four. It seems the main attraction for Kitty was his rich gold strike, because when the gold ran out, her interest waned. She ended the marriage by breaking a bottle over his head and kicking him out of their home.
One disputed aspect of Kitty's life was whether she worked as a prostitute. Some accounts seem to take it for fact while others state emphatically that there is no evidence to support such claims. These sources do, however, acknowledge that she may very well have acted as a madam.
On June 11, 1877, Kitty married her fifth, and final husband, a prospector and gambler named Samuel R. Curley. Curley was said to have been hot tempered and extremely jealous. Though Kitty might not have been a prostitute, stories of her infidelity were widespread. Her affairs allegedly included her latest ex-husband and Wild Bill Hickock. This was too much for Curley and on the night of December 6, 1877, he shot and killed Kitty in the Lone Star Saloon. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Oddly enough, the two were buried together. Kitty Leroy was twenty-eight at the time of her death.
Thus ends the tragic story of one of the Old West's most fascinating women. And that brings us to the end of another edition of Pale Horse Revelations. I hope you found it to be both interesting and entertaining. As usual, I have tried to provide some interesting historical information while trying not to bog the casual reader down with too much detail. I encourage anyone interested in learning more to dig in and do a little research of their own.
As a reminder, I would love to hear your suggestions for topics to focus on in future editions of Pale Horse Revelations. If there's a particular location, person, or event that you would like to know more about, please let me know. Just fill out the Contact form found on the "Contact the Author" page of this website and indicate your desired topic in the message box at the bottom of the form. I look forward to hearing from you all.
Please be sure to check back next week for the next installment of Pale Horse Revelations and thank you for your continued interest and support.
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