Out West
Jack eventually wound up in Kansas in the late 1870s. He went to Tombstone, Arizona (Arizona Territory), from Dodge City, Kansas, where he possibly previously knew the Earps and also perhaps Doc Holliday. He was listed by Virgil Earp as special policeman (i.e., deputy city policeman) June 22, 1881. This is the day of the large Tombstone fire of 1881, with which Virgil had to cope as acting city marshal; the date suggests that Jack is one of the extra men Virgil hired to help cope with looting, during and after the disaster.
The origin of Texas Jack, Vermillion's nickname, is unknown, but he is first listed by this moniker on a wanted poster, for shooting a man during an argument at cards. When asked about why he was called Texas Jack, he replied "Because I'm from Virginia."
Read more about this topic: Texas Jack Vermillion
Famous quotes containing the word west:
“You know how you smoke out a sniper? You send a guy out in the open, and you see if he gets shot. They thought that one up at West Point.”
—Samuel Fuller, U.S. screenwriter. Zab (Robert Carradine)
“When choosing between two evils, I always like to pick the one I never tried before.”
—Mae West (1892–1980)