But Rayner had a dark side. He had an officious manner and frequently butted into matters that were none of his business. More troubling, he imagined himself a Southern gentleman and a dangerous man with a gun. When drinking, his confidence turned to braggadocio. Drunk, he inevitably looked for a fight. On at least two occasions, he was arrested for assault while drinking. The problem was serious enough that he tried to deal with it, and for a time he stayed sober. But many local citizens still gave him a wide berth, and on the night of April 14, 1885, their worst fears came true.

Subscribe Today

• Did you enjoy our article?
• Read more in Wild West magazine
• Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!!
 

El Paso was still a wide-open town despite its size, and it enjoyed a reputation for fast living. Its proximity to the Mexican border and Paso Del Norte (now Juarez) made it a haven for hard cases and ne'er-do-wells. Early in 1885, a local peace officer was killed in one of the many brothels, and the accused were transferred to Presidio County for trial on a change of venue. The trial required the presence of both El Paso's marshal, Sam Boring, and the county sheriff, J.H. White, as well as most of El Paso County's law enforcement officers. On the evening of April 14, the only lawman in El Paso was a jailer named Charles M. Buck Linn. Linn was a former Texas Ranger and a friend of Will Rayner's. He was generally well behaved but, like Rayner, had a mean disposition when drinking. That night he was drunk.

Linn was nursing a grudge against a man named Sam Gillespie who had voiced the opinion around town that Linn should be indicted by the grand jury for beating a prisoner in his charge. Drunk and informed of Gillespie's remark, Linn sent word to Gillespie that he intended to kill him. Gillespie was game. He armed himself, and when Linn appeared he wasted no time pulling his pistol in full view of the intoxicated jailer. Linn quietly withdrew, sobered enough by the sight to have second thoughts, and disappeared into the Gem Saloon, where he met Rayner. The two men were soon touring the town's saloons, drinking heavily and making a nuisance of themselves wherever they went.

Near midnight, Rayner and Linn returned to the Gem. At some point in the evening, Rayner had learned that a man named Harry Williams, who fancied himself a bad man, had just arrived in town. When Rayner and Linn entered the Gem, Rayner waved his pistol and shouted: I hear a fighting man named Harry Williams came to town today. Where is he? I will make the damn bluffer wade the Rio Grande! George Look noticed the boisterous behavior of the pair and mentioned it to his partner, J.J. Taylor, with the remark that they were likely to have trouble with Rayner.

Look sought out Tom Ashton, a friend of Williams and a well-known confidence man, and warned him to keep Williams out of the way until Rayner sobered up. At first, Ashton nonchalantly remarked: Let them go at it. I don't care. But he kept Williams in his room that night. Look and Taylor watched Rayner and Linn for a few minutes, then walked into the theater, which was filled with black soldiers from the 10th Cavalry who were passing through El Paso en route to Arizona. Look and Taylor sat down near the back of the theater, and had been there only a few minutes when Rayner strolled in, drew his revolver, waved it over his head, and shouted, Where is that SOB who came to town tonight?

Rayner's display caused quite a commotion among the soldiers, but when he turned around he saw Look and Taylor. Quickly, he holstered his pistol, took off his hat, bowed low, and said, Excuse me, gentlemen, excuse me.

fter leaving the theater, Rayner returned to the bar and swaggered along a row of spectators' chairs against the wall, slapping a pair of gloves against his leg and goading the customers, one by one, even striking several on the face with the gloves. Among the patrons sitting there was Wyatt Earp, by then well known in sporting circles and among the six-gun set. Earp was in town to visit his old friend from Tombstone, Lou Rickabaugh, who now ran a gambling hall in El Paso.

Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to