<Tr> <Th> Relatives </Th> <Td> James Masterson (brother) Ed Masterson (brother) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Signature </Th> </Tr> <P> Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853--October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th - century American Old West . Born to a working - class Irish family in Quebec, Masterson moved to the Western frontier as a young man and quickly distinguished himself as a buffalo hunter, civilian scout, and Indian fighter on the Great Plains . He later earned fame as a gunfighter and sheriff in Dodge City, Kansas, during which time he was involved in several notable shootouts . </P> <P> By the mid-1880s, Masterson moved to Denver, Colorado and established himself as a "sporting man" (or gambler). He took an interest in prizefighting and became a leading authority on the sport, attending almost every important match and title fight in the United States from the 1880s until his death in 1921 . He moved to New York City in 1902 and spent the rest of his life there as a reporter and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph; Masterson's column not only covered boxing and other sports, but frequently gave his opinions on crime, war, politics, and other topics as well . He became a close friend of President Theodore Roosevelt and was one of the "White House Gunfighters" who received federal appointments from Roosevelt, along with Pat Garrett and Ben Daniels . </P>

What u.s. legend of the old west became a sports editor for the new york morning telegraph