b'Jews continued from page 19disfigured for life. Levy survived, but Casey didn\'t. Levy, arrested for the murder of Casey, was acquitted by a jury that claimed Levy acted in self-defense. Levy, with Tom Casson\'s money in hand, decided then and there that the mining life was not for him. His ability with a gun proved to be more profitable, so he left town, roaming the west for the next few years working as "a professional regulator", i.e., a gunman called upon to do special jobs.It was one of these "jobs" where Levy gained a certain amount of notoriety.In Cheyenne, Wyoming territory, in the spring of 1877, at a gambling table at the Shingle and Locke Saloon Jim Levy got into an argument with another gambler by the name of Charlie Harrison. The verbal fireworks escalated until Harrison uttered an ethnic slur against Irishmen (it is Jim Levy not known whether or not Harrison also uttered an anti-Semitic remark as well). This angered Levy, who told Harrison he wouldn\'t mind it at all if Harrison JIM LEVY (OR LEAVY) - THE JEWISHchose to take their quarrel to the streets. Harrison was GUNFIGHTER known around Cheyenne as an able man with a gun, Very little is known of Jim Levy - in fact, very littlewhile Levy at the time was still an unknown quantity. has been written about him even though he "rubbedArguing more loudly and more profane, the two men shoulders" with Wyatt, Doc, and Bat, and was knownsauntered down the street, passing the Senate saloon, to be friends with both Wyatt and Bat Masterson. Thisand continued on, until they stopped in front of is such a shame as the story of Levy, a very fast andFrenchy\'s Saloon. Then, like a scene in a Hollywood skilled gunfighter was, for the brief time that he lived,western gunfight, they drew their six-shooters and much more fascinating in many ways than that offired. Harrison was the first to get a shot off, but in Wyatt\'s, Bat\'s and Doc\'s. the dust and confusion, his shot went wild. Levy, on the other hand, stood cool and took aim, fired, While some recent sources now question (here we gohis more accurate shot striking home. Like Gasson, again) whether or not Jim Levy, or Leavy was actuallyHarrison lingered on for a week and then died. Once Jewish, there are other sources, including Kathyagain Levy was arrested for murder, but eyewitnesses Weiser\'s insightful "Legends of America" columnnot only claimed that Levy only fired in self-defense and blog that does suggest Jim Levy was born tobut that Harrison fired first - and once more Jim Levy Jewish parents in Dublin, Ireland in 1842 - the familywas acquitted.immigrating to America in 1856, in the wake of the horrific aftermath of the Irish Potato Famine. LevyNews of the Levy and Harrison gun battle spread drifted away from his parents at a young age, goingfar and wide throughout the West, with one to work as a miner in a silver mine in Pueblo (ornewspaper account specifically mentioning Levy as a Pioche), Nevada. "pistoliferous gambler." Down in a dusty, dirty mining town in Southern Arizona called Tombstone two Levy\'s life was inauspicious and uneventful gentlemen who were also known for their dexterity until, when just 19 and minding his own businesswith firearms read the accounts of Levy\'s skill with just outside the doors of the Midnight Star Saloon,a gun and were suitably impressed. One can only he witnessed a heated struggle between two men,imagine their surprise when about a year or two later, Michael Casey, and Tom Gasson that suddenlyJim Levy came to their town and befriended the two erupted in a blaze of smoke and gunfire. Casey more famous gunfighters. n yhad pulled his revolver and shot Tom Gasson in theoT Pchest. The mortally wounded Gasson managed toBut it was both Earp and Masterson who were ehlinger on for about a week, then, on his deathbed,more impressed with Levy than he was of them.promised to bequeath $5,000 to the man who wouldEarp later commented that while Levy seemed to avenge his death. believe that speed was fine but accuracy is final - and2nd Hand StoreLevy, in Earp\'s humble opinion, was the king of the Casey insisted that he had fired his revolver in self- "accurate shot," or as Earp said of Levy, "Take your defense, but Levy, attending the coroner\'s inquest,time. . .in a hurry." We Collect & Deliver disputed Casey, claiming that he indeed had seenYour MerchandiseCasey firing the first shot. The visibly agitated CaseyIt is not known where Levy was in the early afternoon stormed out of the inquest and then followed Levyof October 26, 1881, when Wyatt, his brothers,FREE LOCAL DELIVERY AVAILABLEinto an alleyway where he challenged him to aand Doc walked down Tombstone\'s Fremont662 W. Wickenburg Way gunfight. Levy had been unarmed, but he quicklyStreet past the OK Corral into a little alleywayWickenburgOpen MondaySaturdayassented and procured a gun at a nearby general store.by C.S. Fry\'s photography shop for their long- thepony2ndhandstore.comLevy managed to get off the first shot, hitting Caseyawaited confrontation with the Clantons and the on the side of his head and grazing his skull. CaseyMcLaurys. One might surmise that if Levy had been928-231-2730928-232-2019dived, hoping to get off a clear shot at the youngin Tombstone he would have joined his friends theWe Carry Quality 2nd Hand gunslinger - but it was Levy who was able to shootEarps in what was arguably the most famous, if not& New MerchandiseCasey in the neck, mortally wounding him. As Caseythe most impressive, gunfight in Old West history.Your Home Furniture Supplies Storefell, Levy took the butt of his revolver and smashedIt was fairly known by that time that no one daredSpecializing in AppliancesCasey on the head. Then one of Casey\'s friends, a manconfront Levy face-to-face in a gunfight for he would by the name of Dave Neagle who himself would lateralways get the drop on you and drill you full of leadJane and Peter Kibblebecome a lawman in an Arizona town, opened fireeven if you were able to get one shot off. Jim Levypony2ndhandstore@outlook.com on Levy, his bullet striking Levy in the jaw, knockingcould only be killed if he was shot in the back, and out some of his teeth, and leaving him permanentlythat is exactly what happened to him.continued on page 23ArizonaRealCountry.com September 2023 21'