Jim Gray lives and breathes the history of Ellsworth, one of the most famous Kansas cowtowns. This story is taken from his book, Desperate Seed: Ellsworth Kansas on the Violent Frontier, pages 94 - 95. Thanks, Jim, for allowing us to share this piece on one of our cemetery's most famous residents.
Horse racing was one of the most popular sports of the day and no town could be complete with out a "track." Just outside of town on a grassy flat, speulators and sightseers could be found at the horse races. Ellsworth's track was merely a straight course allowing for races of a quarter-mile, six hundred yards, or half a mile distance.
Bill Tilghman, who would later gain fame as a U. S. Marshal, recalled a summer day in Ellsworth when he was a young buffalo hunter eighteen years of age. Tilgman led an extra horse into Ellsworth to have it shod at one of the blacksmith shops. While the blacksmith was tending to his horse, Tilghman heard a voice from behind. "Mister would you let me ride your horse out to the track?" Tilghman turned to find an Indian boy of perhaps fourteen. There were four races that day and everyone wanted to be there.
Tilghman liked the lad and tossed the halter rope his way. After settling up with the blacksmith the two mounted up to take in the races. Tilghman noticed how well the young man handled his horse. "What's your name?"
"Charley," was the reply.
Tilghman had developed an affinity for a particular lady's pies and the thought occurred to him that the young Indian boy just might like them too. "As they passed the pie shop, he bought an applie pie. Breaking it, he handed the larger piece to Charlie. The boy's eyes glowed." Charley told Tilghman that he had quit a wagon train that morning and hadn't had anything to eat.
Charley was looking forward to the horse races. "I can ride races," Charley eagerly told his new friend.
At the races one of the jockeys was kicked and would not be able to ride. The owner of the horse inquired for a rider and Tilghman quickly recommended Charley. Tilghman recalled, "Though he rode with only a blanket, he stuck like a burr as his mount made the lightning whirl to start. Charley's services were henceforth in demand."
What Tilghman didn't know was that he had just participated in an age-old horse racing deception. The owner of the horse was actually Charley's grandfather. Charley was Indian alright, but his father was white. He had grown up spending his time both on the Kaw reservation at Council Grove and his grandfather's home in Topeka.
Charley had been racing since he was eight years old. The injured jockey was merely a ploy to get a young, seemingly inexperienced Indian boy into the race. The bets literally soared as gamblers placed their money.
Charley also became well known in later life. His biography does not refer to the scam but simply states that Charley went on a tour.
...on at tour of Western Kansas as far west as the notorious cattle town of Ellsworth. Here Charley and Carrie won a very profitable race, and the mixed-blood became an instant hero with the cowboys, saloon keepers, and prostitutes.
I never knew how much money our crowd actually won but I know it was a very large sum and the gamblers and the madam insisted on taking me to her house and then up town and bought me a new suit of clothes, boots, hat and all, and the madam had a new jockey suit made for me. I was proud of my good luck, the suit was a good one. They gave me money and bought me candy and presents and they came to our camp every day...I had never been so petted in my life and I loved it.
Charles Curtis was Shawnee County attorney, U. S. Congressman and Senator, and eventually Vice President of the United States. He is buried, alongside his wife and near his sister, in Section 80, Lot 254. He is pictured below, at right, with President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge.
.jpg)
.jpg)