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The Non Shorpy Web All Stars.

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18,189
John Slaughter’s Cowboys
Photo from True West Archives

I have a copy of this pic too. Taken in 1885. In his youth Shorty shot off the tip of his pinky while loading a cap & ball pistol, which was a common occurrence.

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18,189
I can see why they called him "Shorty".
When he was 15 yrs old & still living at home before joining Quantrill (under Anderson) Jesse James shot off the tip of his left hand ring finger while loading a cap & ball pistol. As a result his brother Frank made fun of him & gave him the nickname "Dingus" but Frank was the only one to ever get away with calling him that. Throughout his adult life whenever Jesse would sit & pose for the few pictures there are, he would always roll the fingers of his left hand under so the ring finger would not show.
 
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15,276
Location
Somewhere south of crazy
When he was 15 yrs old & still living at home before joining Quantrill (under Anderson) Jesse James shot off the tip of his left hand ring finger while loading a cap & ball pistol. As a result his brother Frank made fun of him & gave him the nickname "Dingus" but Frank was the only one to ever get away with calling him that. Throughout his adult life whenever Jesse would sit & pose for the few pictures there are, he would always roll the fingers of his left hand under so the ring finger would not show.
Knowing Jesse, I would not call him Dingus to his face. That would be the last face you see.;)
 
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18,189
Knowing Jesse, I would not call him Dingus to his face. That would be the last face you see.;)
Jesse's best friend from childhood was Jim Cummins (James Robert Cummins 1847-1929) who lived just down the road from the James farm in the area of Tryst Falls. After hearing Frank call Jesse "Dingus", Jim tried it but only once.

Jim Cummins also rode under Quantrill & was later a member of the gang. He dropped out & disappeared around the time Jesse's cousin Wood Hite was killed by Dick Liddil & Bob Ford. Jesse suspected that Cummins was involved.

Cummins died in 1929 while living in the Missouri Confederate Veterans home.

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18,189
William "Billy" Brooks (1832 - 1874)

Brooks had worked as a buffalo hunter, Stagecoach driver for the Southwestern Stage Co, City Marshal of Newton, KS (Feb 1872) but resigned after being shot 3 times (June 1872), Night Watchman for Dodge City, KS (Late 1872 - March 1874). Often called "Bully" Brooks as he attempted to intimidate others by wearing a pair of Navy Colts and a Bowie knife.

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His final job was riding Shotgun for the Southwestern Stage Co until it hit hard times after losing a mail contract to the Wells Fargo Express Co. In July 1874 Billy Brooks, L.B. Hasbrouck & Charlie Smith were arrested at Caldwell, KS, heading south to Texas with stolen horses & mules belonging to the Wells Fargo Express Co. All three had lost their jobs working for Southwestern Stage Co & were looking to settle the score with Wells Fargo.

On July 29th while awaiting trial Brooks, Hasbrouck & Smith were taken from the jail at Caldwell by an angry lynch mob & swiftly hanged in a nearby tree. The noose around Brooks' neck did not snap his neck as did those of Hasbrouck & Smith, & he was left to strangle to death.

It remains a mystery why a vigilante mob would take action against the three since they were already in jail awaiting trial.
 

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