White House Gunfighters

Basic Information

Theodore Roosevelt was somewhat more badass than your average President of the United States. He was also real big into law and order and overall strongly pro-police. Roosevelt himself had been the Police Commissioner of New York City from 1895 to 1897. Being someone who enjoyed the outdoors and travel, and contemporary of several genuine Old West Gunfighter Sheriffs, he struck up friendships and correspondence with several such famous badasses.

While in office as President (and even before that, as Vice-President), he handed out government jobs to several of his favorite western lawmen:

• Seth Bullock, former Sheriff of Deadwood - appointed forest supervisor of the Black Hills Reserve, and then later appointed a US Marshal
• Ben Daniels (pioneer) - Rough Rider, lawman from Dodge City - appointed Superintendant of Yuma Prison, and later a US Marshal
• Pat Garrett, former Sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico and the man who killed Billy The Kid - appointed a Customs collector
• Bat Masterson, former Sheriff of Dodge City - appointed as a US Marshal

These appointments were noticed by the press, who called them "the White House Gunfighters". Some of the appointments got tangled up in scandal. The gunslingers had checkered violent pasts on the wild frontier, and the appointments needed to be confirmed by the United States Senate. So there was some heated debate in congress about whether or not these gunslingers should be allowed to represent the government.

Sources

Bibliography

1. History News Network

2. Wikipedia on Bullock

3. Wikipedia on Daniels

4. Wikipedia on Garrett

5. Wikipedia on Masterson

Game and Story Use

• In reality, these badass lawmen served positions across the US in distinct separate states, but if you're willing to fudge history, they'd make one heck of a League of Extraordinary Whatevers.
• A game that cast Roosevelt in a darker light might have him calling in favors from these gunmen to wipe out his rivals.
• "Commissioner Roosevelt" is secretly working with a "Bat¹"-themed Vigilante in Gotham. Sound familiar?
  • The bad guys would be Tammany Hall criminals and the Gangs of Old New York. Mose the Fireboy might take the Bane role.

Footnotes

1. Masterson