Chunk Colbert (died January 7, 1874) was an

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

gunman, known for having been killed by noted gunfighter

Clay Allison Robert A. Clay Allison (September 2, 1841 – July 1, 1887) was a cattle rancher, cattle broker, and sometimes gunfighter of the American Old West. He fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Allison had a reputation for violence, having s ...

. From west

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, Colbert had earned a reputation as a "gunfighter". He is said to have killed seven men in Texas,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

, and

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

. However, the only confirmed killing is that Charles Morris in Cimarron, New Mexico, a man he believed was involved romantically with his wife. On January 7, 1874, Colbert and Allison entered the Clifton House, an

Inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

Colfax County, New Mexico Colfax County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,750. Its county seat is Raton. It is south from the Colorado state line. This county was named for Schuyler Colfax (18231885), sevent ...

. They had finished a friendly quarter-mile horse race. Nevertheless, there was distrust between the men, since Allison was said to have mistreated Colbert's uncle, Zachary Colbert, a ferryman who had tried to overcharge Allison's family when they crossed the Brazos River. In the middle of their meal, Colbert suddenly tried to draw his revolver. However, the barrel struck the table. Allison quickly drew and fired, striking Colbert in the head. Asked why he had accepted a dinner invitation from someone likely try to kill him, Allison replied: "Because I didn't want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach". Colbert was buried in an unmarked

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grav ...

behind the ''Clifton House''.

References

Further reading