Mart Duggan - Early Life

Early Life

Duggan was born Martin J. Duggan, in County Limerick, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States as a child, with his parents, and was raised in the Irish slums of New York City. In July, 1863, following the New York Draft Riots, Duggan left New York headed west. He drifted through the mining camps of Colorado, finding work as both a miner and a mule skinner. It is known that during this period, he was involved in numerous fights with Indians, alongside other miners and cowboys, although details of those events are sketchy at best. In 1876, having seen little success as a miner, and having developed into a strong man, Duggan began working as a bouncer in the Georgetown, Colorado saloon Occidental Dance Hall & Saloon.

Not long after accepting the position, Duggan disarmed a drunk who was brandishing his pistol, beating the man over the head with his own gun. The man threatened to Duggan that had it been a standup gunfight, Duggan would not have fared so well, Duggan accepted the challenge. Duggan threw the mans revolver into a corner, then walked outside and across the street to await the man joining him in the street. The man walked outside, and the two faced one another many saloon patrons standing by to witness. In the gunfight that followed Duggan killed the man, who had not been in town long enough to even pass his name along to others, thus it being unknown as to what his name was. Duggan was cleared in the shooting, it being ruled self defense.