Two men faced each other cross the town square in Springfield. There had been bad blood between the two for some time. Gambling, women, and the recent war combined to leave one of them dead and the other facing the hangman. The one who survived was a former scout and spy for Missouri’s Unioon troops during the Civil War. He had killed before, but only in wartime or self-defense. This was the first time he had killed out of hatred. His name was James Butler Hickock.
