On March 23, 1848, a western gunman named “Buckskin” Franklyn Leslie was born. Now, even though he was born in Nashville, Tennessee and mostly did his “growing up” split between Texas, Oklahoma and the Dakotas, he mostly made his reputation and claim to fame in a small town known as Tombstone, Arizona.

It was a typical hot sunny day in 1880 when a slight (5’ 7” and about 133 lbs) gunfighter known as Buckskin Frank rode into Tombstone. He was already known as a consummate ladies man and easily recognizable with his long blond hair and always present buckskin fringed jacket. Also always present were a matched pair of six-shooters that he wore on each hip and loved to show off by often shooting flies off the ceilings of the Allen Street saloons. Wyatt Earp was said to have stated “Leslie was the only man who could compare to Doc Holliday’s blinding speed and accuracy with a six-gun.”

Leslie was also known as an ill-tempered and violent man, especially when drinking. He did work some at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, bartend at the Oriental Saloon and work a little in the mines, but much preferred the painted women and gambling halls. One of his favorite ladies was a dark haired beauty named Mae Killeen. She was married, but had recently been separated from her husband Mike. Her husband (being a jealous man) confronted Leslie and was found shot dead, the following day, on June 22, 1880, by Leslie. The killing was officially ruled to have been self-defense. Just one week later, Leslie and the “aggrieved” widow Killeen were married.

 

What really cemented Leslie’s place in history, though, was his involvement with Wyatt and Virgil Earp, his involvement with “Billy the Kid” Billy Claibourne and with the Clanton gang. And, while there is no conclusive proof Leslie had a relationship with either of the Earp brothers before his arrival in Tombstone, it is conclusive he soon became an employee of the Oriental Saloon (which the Earps owned) and also friends with the Earps.

October 26, 1881, is the date of the famous showdown at the OK Corral, which interestingly enough Buckskin was not involved in. However, William Claibourne (locally known as “Billy the Kid”) was there and did witness the gunfight (although it is reported he fled the gunfight when the shooting started). Billy was close friends with another well known gunfighter named Johnny Ringo and also was known to have killed a man named James Hickey in Charleston. He and Johnny were both active members of the Clanton gang.

It was on November 14, 1882, that (after the death of Johnny Ringo and rumors had indicated Leslie was involved in) young Claibourne confronted Leslie in front of the Oriental Saloon. The two men shot it out; Claibourne missed. Leslie didn’t. The Epitaph read: “Billy the Kid takes shot at Buckskin Frank. The latter promptly replied and the former quickly turns up his toes to the daisies.” Billy Claibourne became Leslie’s second victim in Tombstone. The death of Billy Claibourne proved to be the last act of the drama that was the Earp-Clanton feud.

It wasn’t until January 9, 1890, that Leslie finally went to jail for any of his murders; his fourteenth victim, a woman (named Mollie Bradshaw), had been shot in the head by Leslie. Leslie was sentenced to twenty-five years in the Yuma prison.

Just six years later on November 7, 1896, he was paroled for being a model prisoner and devoting is time and abilities to the care of fellow inmates. Governor Franklin had personally crusaded on his behalf, noting his military record and "his exemplary conduct and valuable services" while serving in the prison infirmary. On December 1, 1896, in Stockton, California he married Belle Stowell and they left for the Klondike and the Alaska Gold Rush.

While Leslie’s death is somewhat disputed, it is widely believe he died in the 1930s, in his sleep, drunk and penniless, except for the generosity of a saloon owner who let him sleep in his back room in exchange for work. Leslie would have been about 80-81 at the time of his death.

Posterity remembers Buckskin as a gunslinger, a cohort of the pistol-jerker’s that inhabited Tombstone and another colorful character of the Arizona West. We remember Buckskin as part of our heritage and the reason why we love CAS and remembering our past.