Ellis Alfred Swearengen (1845 - 1904)

Born 8 Jul 1845 in Oskaloosa, Mahaska, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Odelia Turgeon — married 3 Jul 1889 (to after 7 Jul 1890) in Deadwood, Dakota Territory

Died 15 Nov 1904 at age 59 in Denver, Colorado, United States

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Biography

Al Swearengen is Notable.

Ellis Albert "Al" Swearengen (July 8, 1845 – November 15, 1904) was an American pimp and entertainment entrepreneur who ran the Gem Theater, a notorious brothel, in Deadwood, South Dakota for 22 years during the late 19th century.

Swearengen originally owned and operated a canvas-and-lumber saloon in Deadwood known as the Cricket, which featured gambling and hosted prizefights. Shortly after, he closed it down and opened a larger saloon known as the Gem Theater. The Gem functioned as a saloon, dance hall and brothel. Swearengen lured desperate young women to Deadwood, then forced them into prostitution through a combination of bullying and physical brutality committed by himself and his henchmen. Calamity Jane, who was one of his first dancers at the Gem, procured 10 girls from Sidney, Nebraska for him on one occasion. The results were highly lucrative: the Gem earned an average of $5,000, and sometimes as much as $10,000, in a single night (equivalent to $225,000 in 2016). The Gem burned down on September 26, 1879, along with much of the town, but Swearengen rebuilt it larger and more opulent than ever, to great public acclaim.

Swearingen was killed

Aged 59 years Twin brother of Lemuel. Son of Daniel & Keziah

He was found lying between a couple of tracks in a suburb of Denver and a wound was found on his head, showing that he had been struck heavily by some large object. The deceased was working in some mining interests near Denver and he was accustomed to going to and from the city on the motorcars that run near his place. It was supposed that he was attempting to board a moving car and was struck on the head by some part of the car. The body was thrown to the side of the car where it was found some time after death by some track workers going to their work. The hat of the man was found seventy feet from where the body lay.

The man might have fallen from the car as it was moving swiftly and have sustained the same injuries. In addition to the cut on the forehead, there were numerous scratches on the side of his face.

In the end, he did finally go home to Oskaloosa and was buried next to his mother and father. He was fifty-nine years old.

Now, new research and a recently discovered obituary have changed the perception of how Swearengen died. According to Adams Museum and House Director Mary Kopco, he was most likely murdered.

Jerry Bryant, who serves as the museum's historical archeologist, has discovered Swearengen's obit and spoke with Bob Harrison of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who shares his interest in the old rogue. They have studied newspaper accounts and other documents to trace Swearengen's life and death. That has led to his determining that Swearengen's death was almost assuredly no accident, Bryant said. "It's groundbreaking new research," Kopco said.

Sources

Ames, John Edwards (31 August 2004). The Real Deadwood. New York: Penguin Group US. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-101-07811-2.

Griffith, T. D. (8 December 2009). Deadwood: The Best Writings On The Most Notorious Town In The West. TwoDot. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1-4617-4754-3.

Fifer, Barbara C. (1 April 2008). Bad Boys of the Black Hills: And Some Wild Women, Too. Farcountry Press. pp. 116–119. ISBN 978-1-56037-548-7.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Swearengen

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21679122/ellis-albert-swearingen

http://www.bhpioneer.com/article_3415292f-37d1-550c-9fcc-e3a25a2e58b6.html