Bat Masterson’s Cane

So did Bat Masterson really carry a cane, like he did in the TV series starring Gene Barry?

One legend says he needed one after an 1876 Texas shootout in which he killed Sgt. Melvin King—and was himself wounded in the leg.  But there’s no evidence of that.

However, sporting men like Masterson—professional gamblers—often did carry canes as a style statement.  So the Canadian, born William Barclay Masterson, had a cane but didn’t need it for his health.