Sam Brewster was an American cowboy from Texas who lived in the Arizona Territory during the 1880s.
Biography[]
Sam Brewster was born in Texas, and he worked as a cowboy in the Arizona Territory during the Wild West era, driving cattle to American military bases after being granted a contract by the US Army. He and his crew became notorious for their rowdy and combative nature; on 1 November 1881, during one of his routine stopovers in Tombstone, he and his fellow herders Link Thompson and Tully Brewster (his son) got into a barfight at the Crystal Palace saloon and were forced by Sheriff Clay Hollister to pay the saloon owner J. Homer Radcliffe $300 to pay for the damage they caused, although Thompson antagonized Hollister before the crew left. However, Tully stayed behind in town as Sam and Link rode out of town, and Sam had Link continue to herd the animals as he returned to town to find Tully. When he arrived, he found that deputy Charlie Riggs had shot Tully at the saloon after Tully drew a gun on him for intervening in his bar fight, and Brewster threatened to tear the town down to find Deputy Riggs if Tully died. He also delivered a grim warning that, if Tully died, he and his crew would return to town without checking their guns. Brewster and his crew rode on, and, on 16 November, Link Thompson, after visting Tombstone again, reported to Brewster that his son had died. Brewster and his crew rode towards Tombstone, only for Sheriff Hollister and Curly Bill Brocius to intercept them. Brewster insisted on riding through to Tombstone to kill Riggs, but Hollister drew his shotgun and warned Brewster that he would be riding into it. Thompson reacted by attempting to unholster his two pistols, leading to Hollister blasting Thompson with his shotgun. Hollister and Brocius then took cover as Brewster ordered his men to ride past them, but the armed townsmen of Tombstone rode out to confront the outlaws, and Brewster recalled that he couldn't fight a town. He then rode off with his crew, foregoing his vengeance.