Bill Longley (gunfighter)
| Bill Longley | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
William Preston Longley October 6, 1851 Austin County, Texas |
| Died | October 11, 1878 (aged 27) Giddings, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Wild Bill |
| Criminal penalty | Death by hanging |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Parent(s) | Campbell and Sarah Longley |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
William Preston Longley (October 6, 1851 – October 11, 1878), also known as Wild Bill Longley, was an American Old West outlaw and gunfighter noted for his ruthless nature, racist beliefs, speed with a gun, quick temper, and unpredictable demeanor. He is considered one of the deadliest gunfighters in the Old West.
Bill Longley was born on Mill Creek in Austin County, Texas, the sixth of ten children of Campbell and Sarah Longley. His family moved when he was two years old and he was raised on a farm near Old Evergreen, Texas, in present-day Lincoln, Lee County, Texas, where he spent a large part of his childhood learning to shoot. He received an average education for the time. He was six feet (183 cm) tall with a thin build, jet black hair, and was just reaching adulthood when the American Civil War ended in 1865.
By 1867, Texas was fully under the control of the Union due to the Reconstruction Act. The military acted in all capacities, including law enforcement, which caused considerable resentment throughout the state. Around this time, Longley dropped out of school and began living a wild life, drinking, and running in the company of others of a similar disposition.
In 1867 the Longley family farm was just one mile from the Camino Real, an old Spanish royal highway that joined San Antonio and Nacogdoches, Texas.
In mid-December 1868, three former slaves named Green Evans, Pryer Evans, and the third known only as Ned, rode through Evergreen, intending evidently to visit friends further south. Longley, accompanied by a couple of friends, forced the three men at gunpoint into a dry creek bed. Green Evans panicked and spurred his horse to escape. Longley shot at him several times, killing him.
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Wikipedia