A Killing by Mistake?

Jimmy Dolan may have indirectly caused the death of Huston Chapman.

Jimmy Dolan—one of the major players in the Lincoln County War—was accidentally responsible for the killing of attorney Huston Chapman. The lawyer represented the other side in legal proceedings, many aimed at Dolan. On February 19, 1879, the two sides in the war had a peace meeting. Afterward, they began drinking heavily. They ran into Chapman on the street. Dolan gunman Billy Campbell stuck his pistol into Chapman’s chest. For some reason, Dolan fired his gun, probably accidentally. But the noise caused Campbell to shoot Chapman, who died in the street.