305:. Thompson was unpopular in San Antonio, since he had earlier killed a popular theater owner there named Jack Harris. A feud over that killing had been brewing since between Thompson and friends of Harris. Fisher and Thompson attended a play on March 11 at the Turner Hall Opera House, and later, about 10:30 p.m., they went to the Vaudeville Variety Theater. A local lawman named Jacob Coy sat with them. Thompson wanted to see Joe Foster, a theater owner and friend of Harris's, and one of those fueling the ongoing feud. Thompson had already spoken to Billy Simms, another theater owner, and Foster's new partner.
280:, Texas. The Hannehans resisted, and Fisher shot and killed Tom. Jim then surrendered and was taken into custody along with the stolen loot from the robbery. For years after Fisher's death, Tom Hannehan's mother would travel to Fisher's grave on the anniversary of Tom Hannehan's death. She would build a fire on top of the grave and then dance around it. According to reporter Carey McWilliams, when asked about how many notches he had on his gun (how many people he had killed), he replied, "thirty-seven, not counting Mexicans."
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volley of gunfire erupted from another theater box, a hail of bullets hitting both
Thompson and Fisher. Thompson fell onto his side, and either Coy or Foster ran up to him and shot him in the head with a pistol. Thompson was unable to return fire and died almost immediately. Fisher was shot thirteen times, and did fire one round in retaliation, possibly wounding Coy, but that is not confirmed. Coy may have been shot by one of the attackers and was left crippled for life.
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Fisher and
Thompson were directed upstairs to meet with Foster. Coy and Simms soon joined them in the theater box. Foster refused to speak to Thompson. Fisher allegedly noticed that something was not right. Simms and Coy stepped aside, and as they did Fisher and Thompson leapt to their feet just as a
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feelings of alleged lack of reprisal or defense by authorities, the Texans formed more groups of bandits. This activity only fueled disputes and ill will from the
Mexican side and generated substantial problems for Texas Ranger battalions, who were trying to quell Mexican bandit raids into Texas. The
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Fisher was arrested several times for altercations in public by local lawmen and had been charged at least once with "intent to kill". The charges were dropped after no witnesses came forward. Although well known as a trouble maker, Fisher was well liked in south Texas. He married the former Sarah
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erupted. Fisher is alleged to have clubbed the nearest one to him with a branding iron, then as a second drew a pistol Fisher drew his own pistol and shot and killed the man. He then spun around and shot the other two, who evidently had not produced weapons and merely sat on the fence during the
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During this time, King Fisher rarely committed acts of violence or theft against other Texas settlers, instead opting to raid and rustle cattle across the
Mexican border. This was a time of massive raids, pillaging, looting, raping, and murder by United States and Mexican bandits. In response to
244:. The Rangers also raided the Fisher Ranch and arrested Fisher. However, he was released after a "gentleman's agreement"' was reached that his cattle rustling into Mexico would end. Pressure from the Texas Rangers caused Fisher to retire from this trade, and he began legitimate ranching.
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activities. As a result of his successes in this arena, he fancied himself as a gunman. Fisher began to dress rather flamboyantly and carried ivory handled pistols. He became quite proficient with a gun and began running with a band of outlaws which carried out frequent raids into
213:, and Fisher immediately pulled his guns and managed to kill three of the bandits in the ensuing shootout. He then took over as leader of the gang, and over the course of the next several months killed seven more Mexican bandits. In 1872, he bought a ranch on the
177:, Texas, where they were joined by his paternal grandmother, who helped her son raise his children. King Fisher was restless, handsome, popular with women and prone to running with a tough crowd. His father sent him to live with his brother James
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Foster, in attempting to draw his pistol at the first of the fight, shot himself in the leg, which was later amputated. He died shortly thereafter. The description of the events of that night is contradictory. There was a public outcry for a
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of those involved. However, no action was ever taken. The San
Antonio police and the prosecutor showed little interest in the case. Fisher was buried on his ranch. His body was later moved to the Pioneer Cemetery in
154:, Texas, to Jobe Fisher and the former Lucinda Warren. His brothers were Jasper and James Fisher. Fisher's mother died when he was two years old, and his father married a woman named Minerva. After the
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With his new family, he began a more settled life by working in the cattle business. Between 1881 and 1883, he served as a deputy sheriff and later acting sheriff of
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King Fisher's four daughters were: Florence (1877-1952), Eugenia "Ninnie" (1879-1915), P.L. (1882-1883) and Mittie
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Jobe Fisher was a cattleman who owned and operated two freight wagons. After the death of his stepmother
Minerva, the Fishers moved to
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on the
Mexican border. He used this ranch as his gang's base of operations and even was so brazen as to place a sign that read
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However, after only a short time, a dispute arose over how the spoils of their loot would be divided. One of the men drew his
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and sentenced to two years in prison. However, because of his youth, he was released after only a short time that same year.
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By the late 1870s, Fisher had a reputation as being fast with a gun. In 1878, an argument between Fisher and four
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Fisher is portrayed by Robert Yuro in "King of the Uvalde Road," a 1970 episode of the
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in the 1959 episode "Incident in Leadville" of the television series
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Vivian on April 6, 1876, and the couple had four daughters.
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400:. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1966.
105:Sarah Vivion Fisher (married 1876-1884, his death)
227:"This is King Fisher's road. Take the other one."
580:Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture
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122:(October 1853 – March 11, 1884) was a
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146:Fisher was born during October 1853 in
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431:"Texas Gunslinger, Outlaw and Lawman"
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687:Gunslingers of the American Old West
657:People from Williamson County, Texas
396:Fisher, O.Clark and Dykes, Jeff C.
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677:Outlaws of the American Old West
672:People from Uvalde County, Texas
652:People from Collin County, Texas
682:Lawmen of the American Old West
398:King Fisher: His Life and Times
385:Flintlock: A Time For Vultures
374:plays Fisher in the 2001 film
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336:Jack Lambert (American actor)
539:Texas Rangers (2001) - IMDb
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702:Deaths by firearm in Texas
383:In William W. Johnstone's
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142:Early life and education
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334:Fisher is portrayed by
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368:as host and co-star.
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692:Ranchers from Texas
97:Rancher, Gunslinger
72:Cause of death
16:American gunslinger
697:American cattlemen
329:In popular culture
294:In 1884, while in
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481:Handbook of Texas
360:Death Valley Days
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562:King Fisher
296:San Antonio
278:Real County
183:horse theft
150:, north of
64:San Antonio
631:Categories
545:2023-04-26
524:2023-04-26
503:2023-04-26
404:References
353:syndicated
346:Gene Barry
318:indictment
315:grand jury
270:stagecoach
219:Eagle Pass
215:Rio Grande
173:, west of
128:U.S. state
124:gunslinger
610:(acting)
478:from the
344:starring
325:, Texas.
156:Civil War
126:from the
451:Archived
254:vaqueros
236:, under
175:Victoria
110:Children
647:Cowboys
603:Sheriff
300:gambler
162:, near
89:, Texas
483:Online
323:Uvalde
274:Leakey
211:pistol
204:Mexico
195:cowboy
171:Goliad
164:Austin
152:Dallas
102:Spouse
87:Uvalde
51:, U.S.
364:with
221:, in
217:near
199:posse
179:circa
132:Texas
49:Texas
57:Died
38:Born
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578:at
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