Were gun silencers used during the Old West era?

Were gun silencers used during the Old West era?

Ray Munkittrick
Chicopee, Massachusetts

The first silencer or suppressor was developed in 1902 (and patented seven years later) by Hiram P. Maxim, the son of the inventor of the Maxim Machine Gun. He came up with the idea as a way for hunters to shoot without making so much noise. It later became a weapon of choice for gangsters and mob hit men. So no, it was not an Old West tool.