Jake Hoyt (1842-) was an American lawman of the Wild West. In 1883, he arrived in Tombstone, Arizona with the objective of taking the job of sheriff from Clay Hollister, hoping to acquire the prestigious title by encouraging popular demand through shooting dead troublesome outlaws.
Biography[]
Jake Hoyt was born in 1842, and he settled in the American West and acquired a reputation as a "shoot-first, ask questions later" gunslinger. On 23 August 1883, while sitting in the Tombstone saloon, Hoyt watched as Sheriff Clay Hollister attempted to apprehend Buck Favert and Leroy Collins for the murder of an express agent in Pantano, and also took notice of their associate Brad Ellis enter the saloon with a pistol aimed at Hollister's back. Before Ellis could shoot Hollister, Hoyt was quick on the draw and shot Ellis dead, saving Hollister's life. Hollister thanked Hoyt, and Hoyt introduced himself and said that he was surprised that a lawman with Hollister's reputation could find himself "mousetrapped". The saloon's owner, J. Homer Radcliffe, later introduced himself to Hoyt and asked him if he had been a peace officer before, and Hoyt said that he had been in the Dakota Territory and Wyoming. Radcliffe then asked why Hoyt came to Tombstone, and he told Radcliffe, "My specialty is taming tough towns. I want the sheriff's job." Radcliffe asked Hoyt what he would have done in Hollister's case if he was sheriff, and Hoyt said that he would have shot the two outlaws dead and save the county the expense of a trial. Hoyt then opined that, if a lawman wanted to be serious about keeping the peace, he would have to prove that he was tougher than the rest of the town. Radcliffe invited Hoyt to work alongside other city officials, revealing that he was one of the county commissioners, and that he was concerned about crime in the town. Radcliffe agreed to take up the matter of Hoyt becoming sheriff with the other commissioners, but he warned that they might find trouble from Harris Claibourne, the editor of the Tombstone Epitaph, who was a strong "Hollister man". Radcliffe agreed to convince Claibourne to support Hoyt taking over as sheriff, suggesting that Hollister wasn't tough enough; the townspeople came to admire Hoyt for his heroism, but Claibourne refused to join Radcliffe's plan to reduce Hollister to being Hoyt's deputy.
Hollister confronting Hoyt
Hollister later confronted Hoyt as he played cards at the saloon, and Hoyt assured Hollister that he didn't spend all of his time gambling, as he was working for Radcliffe. Hollister proceeded to ask him if he only shot Ellis on order to make himself famous, causing Hoyt to accuse Hollister of ingratitude and state his intent to take Hollister's job, suggesting that he would make it easier if he only resigned. When Hollister asked Hoyt why it was so important to him, Hoyt said that Tombstone was the last of the "wide-open towns" and because of public demand (including Radcliffe being 100% behind him). Hollister told Hoyt that Radcliffe only wanted someone he could control, and he suggested that Hoyt get out of Tombstone. Hoyt said that he hoped it wouldn't come to gunplay between the two men, so Hollister simply responded, "So don't force it." Hoyt warned Hollister that he wouldn't have a chance, as Hollister had a conscience, and he said that he was always ready to kill, while Hollister's conscience slowed him down. Hollister, in turn, warned Hoyt, saying that facing fast guns was part of his job, and he was still around. Hoyt noticed that Hollister didn't scare easy, but he warned him that, if they did tangle, Hollister would be dead before his gun reached the holster.
Radcliffe talking with Hoyt on the street
Shortly after, Radcliffe told Hoyt that Tucson just wired Hollister to take the outlaw Al Cokely off the noon stage, and Radcliffe said that he saw Hollister ride out of town at a time when he was needed most; he was unaware that Hollister intended to intercept and take down Cokely before he could threaten the townspeople. Radcliffe called on a meeting of the commission to provoke an immediate ouster of Hollister, but Hoyt volunteered to take down Cokely, and Hoyt agreed that Hoyt could perform a citizen's arrest. He then identified Cokely as a dark man with a square jaw, stood six feet tall, was lean, wore a black suit, and was clean-shaven. Hoyt waited at the entrance of town, and, when he noticed a man fitting Cokely's description leaving a stagecoach, he ordered the man to halt. When the man turned away, Hoyt responded by shooting him three times, killing him. The man was later identified as George Butler, a traveling salesman, and Claibourne and Hollister were enraged upon discovering this, especially as Hollister brought the real Cokely into the jail. Hollister discovered from Claibourne that Radcliffe must have informed Hoyt, and he grew angry that an innocent man was slain because a gunslinger wanted to be sheriff. Hollister confronted Radcliffe at the saloon, where Radcliffe said that he made an honest mistake, but Hollister demanded to know where Hoyt was, as he intended to have Hoyt stand trial for murder. Radcliffe had a saloon attendant warn Hoyt to get out of town to spare Tombstone more gunplay, but Hoyt told the attendant that he intended to shoot Hollister in self-defense since he was gunning for him, and said that he wasn't taking orders from Radcliffe.
Hoyt after being shot
The next day, Hoyt walked down Allen Street to search for Hollister and gun him down. Deputy Charlie Riggs warned Hollister that Hoyt was looking for him on Allen Street, and the two men came across each other. Hollister told Hoyt that he would give him a chance to submit to arrest, but Hoyt said that nobody had arrested him, and warned Hollister about his fast draw. Hollister warned him that he would draw on him if he did not surrender, and, when Hoyt drew, Hollister shot him once in the chest; a falling Hoyt shot the ground as he fell. Hollister then approached Hoyt and found that he was still alive, and had him jailed before facing murder charges. Claibourne then exposed Radcliffe's partnership with Hoyt to punish him for his involvement in the violent affair.