Dan Bogan

Dan Bogan (1860 – unknown) was an American gunfighter and outlaw of the American Old West, is described as one of the most underrated gunmen of the 19th century west in the book "Deadly Dozen", by author Robert K. DeArment.

Early life Bogan was born in Alabama in 1860. His family moved to Hamilton County, Texas while Bogan was still only a boy, and Bogan began working as a cowboy as soon as his age would allow. After moving to Texas, his father died, and his mother would remarry and divorce twice, by the time Bogan was in his late teens. His two older brothers became involved in activities involving horse theft, resulting in one being shot and killed by the Hamilton County Sheriff, and the other receiving a prison term.

Bogan, thus far, had avoided criminal acts, but at the same time he was prone to fight, and often it seemed to many that he wished to do so. On May 2, 1881, while he and friend Dave Kemp were making their way around Hamilton's saloons drinking heavily, an intoxicated Bogan began taunting the patrons of the saloons, daring any who desired to take him on in a fight. Kemp began urging his friend to leave, and led him to where their horses were tied behind the W. T. Cropper General Store.

A few days later, while Gunn was out of town, Bogan again went on a rampage. When Gunn returned, and learned of this, he went looking for Bogan, and warned him that if this happened again, he would arrest Bogan. To this, Bogan replied that he would do as he pleased. Gunn had a reputation, which he had shown on several occasions, as a man who would not back down nor be intimidated, and was known to have killed two men while holding that office. Gunn was a former Texas Ranger, who'd made his way up to Wyoming from Texas. Bogan hated Gunn, who had reprimanded him on several occasions by this point. However, by later witness accounts, Bogan feared Gunn, which probably led to what happened next. or that he already had an unholstered revolver behind his back. Nonetheless, after learning that Gunn was armed, Bogan yelled "then turn her loose" before quickly whipping his gun and shooting Gunn in the stomach. As Gunn fell face down to the floor, Gunn pulled his own pistol, but before he could bring it up Bogan ran over and shot him point blank in the head, killing him. Bogan was so close when he fired this second shot, that the muzzle flash caught Gunn's hair on fire. Bogan brandished his pistol at the shocked patrons, and ran out, mounting a horse belonging to Jack Andrews. However, Deputy Marshal John Owens was quick to respond, and blocked Bogan's only exit from town. Owens fired one blast into the air as a warning, and when Bogan continued riding forward, Owens shot him in the shoulder, knocking Bogan from his saddle and into the street. Joined by fellow prisoners Charles H. LeRoy and Bill Steary, both horse thieves, they made their escape through a ventilator and onto the roof. Within hours a posse was organised in one of the largest manhunts in Wyoming history.