Remarkable gunfight photo 1905

[glenwolde]

This popped up in my Facebook feed, posted in a Texas Historical Photo thread.

Sure looks like he caught the detective in recoil. Must be black powder. There's another officer across the street. They both have bicycles! Which actually makes sense for the time frame.

The caption on the back:

"Gunfight, 7th & South El Paso Streets, El Paso, Texas. City Detective in black suit, back of pole, is firing at a fugitive holed up in (or on roof of) the Popular Saloon."

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Most early "Smokeless" powders still made some smoke. A single 38 special Blac Powder round will fill a room with smoke. I'd he's using a smokeless cartridge.

Ivan

 

[Rudi]

Cool photo. Is he using a 2 hand grip?

 

[StrawHat]

And the crowd stands by to watch.

Kevin

 

[Bald1]

Cowboy boots on a bicycle!!!!!

 

[Chuck24]

Less filling! Tastes great!

 

[Onomea]

And the crowd stands by to watch.

Kevin

Naw. Those boys are just lined up waiting for the saloon to open. (Too thirsty, no doubt, to be payin' attention to the latest fracas.)

 

[glenwolde]

Cool photo. Is he using a 2 hand grip?

Looks like it to me. Plus it looks like he's got his left foot forward.

 

[bullmack]

What's the big white cloud of smoke right under the cigars sign?

 

[Kenna]

Cigars!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Truckman]

In the background is the Bargman Shirt & Overall Company, the first of what became a legacy industry in El Paso......Ben

 

[Rustyt1953]

From the El Paso Community College research library:


"Once the "jeans capital" of the U.S., El Paso has lost most of its apparel manufacturing jobs to overseas plants in the past decade. At one time, factories made denim jeans and other sportswear for brands such as Calvin Klein, Wrangler, Levi Strauss, Sassoon, Billy the Kid and others. This legacy was born during the early 1880s, when the railroad pushed through El Paso. Ranching and the mining and prospecting business produced a demand for work clothes.

The first recorded apparel business in El Paso was the Bargman Shirt and Overall Company in 1902. Several more followed, including the Hillburn Company in 1913, the Hicks-Hayward Company and the Head All Company in 1919."

 

[moosedog]

That pole looks awful skinny.

 

[glenwolde]

What's the big white cloud of smoke right under the cigars sign?

I figure the second cop must have fired but lost his angle?

 

[Onomea]

Could be breeze moving along the smoke from the previous shot.

The other thing I'm noticing is that the cameraman is positioned precariously close to behind the lawman...

 

[Xfuzz]

That pole looks awful skinny.

Bet the Copper FELT the same thing....

 

[Alk8944]

Whoever wrote the comment on the back of the photo was probably just commenting on what he thinks he sees in the photo and was not a witness to the event. The person in the dark jacket across the street isn't likely another officer, he is wearing a derby! His jacket and pants are different colors too.I can see no indication of a gun on him either. He is probably just another of the spectators. Most of your other comments are incorrect.

The officer is using a two-hand hold, when enlarged his left hand can be seen as well as other features of the photo I mention. The pole isn't thin, it is about the same as the width of the officers shoulders, so probably 15-18". That's as large as modern poles. From the position of the gun and the smoke from it he is firing at someone at ground level, not on the roof. Whoever he is shooting at isn't in the building, there aren't any windows and the doors can be seen. Yes, the gun is in recoil! The smoke is definitely from black powder, and the smoke farther left is probably from shots the officer fired before this one. Many if not most calibers were still being loaded with black powder at that time. I have fired enough black powder from many types of guns, I can recognize the density of the cloud. No smokeless propellants generate that much smoke, even then!

It would be nice to know exactly the circumstances of what was going on and the gun/caliber! Oh well, ain't going to happen.

ADDED: From smoothshooter, because I agree with him!

"I think the Officer is shooting a large-caliber .44 or .45 caliber revolver with black powder loads. The muzzle of the gun is elevated from either recoil or the process of thumb cocking the revolver for another shot if needed."

 

[smoothshooter]

Some observations / speculations :
I think the Officer is shooting a large-caliber .44 or .45 caliber revolver with black powder loads. The muzzle of the gun is elevated from either recoil or the process of thumb cocking the revolver for another shot if needed.
The person being shot at is horizontal on the walkway, mostly obscured by the smoke cloud.
The bicycle does not belong to the Officer.

 

[oldbrownhat]

There's a discussion on this picture on The Colt Forum... but no definitive answers. As someone suggested, the local paper may have covered it but that would take some local digging.

 

[glenwolde]

Some other details I left out: The date given was not precise, just "Circa 1905". There was a photo credit given to a known photographer in El Paso by the name of R. G. McKinney. I speculate it must have happened outside his storefront. The cameras of the day weren't highly portable.