Bringing a Bike to a Gunfight?

A hard lesson for a lawman—leave the cyclist alone.

Douglas (Arizona Territory) Constable Ed Scarborough must have been in a bad mood. It was March 1904, and Scarborough was standing next to the main street when bicyclist Rube Shields pedaled by. The lawman—for whatever reason—ordered Shields to get off the road. Shields refused. Scarborough then emptied his six shooter, trying (and failing) to hit the front wheel of the bike. He was reloading with the intent of shooting the rider when Shields intentionally rammed Scarborough, then disarmed him. To add injury to insult, Scarborough was fined for firing his gun in city limits.