Joseph Lowe

Joseph Lowe (1845-1899), aka "Rowdy Joe" Lowe, was a gambler and saloon keeper and owner of the Old West. Although sometimes described as a gunfighter, he did not historically fit into that category.

Originally from Illinois, Lowe and his wife Katherine, aka "Rowdy Kate", moved to Kansas following the Civil War. They opened a saloon in Wichita, Kansas which at first was extremely profitable. On October 27th, 1873, Lowe shot and killed fellow saloon owner Edward Beard after Beard stormed into his saloon shooting at one of Lowe's "girls". Beard hit another girl with one shot, and a patron with another before Lowe shot him. This gave Lowe somewhat of a reputation.

However, after numerous complaints of cheating and under handed card deals, Lowe's business began to suffer. The couple moved to Texas, where they rode, on occassion, with the Sam Bass gang. On February 11th, 1899, Lowe was drunk in the Walrus Saloon in Denver, Colorado. He began insulting a man named E.A. Kimmel due to his disapproval of Kimmel being a police officer policeman]]. Kimmel, knowing Lowe had a reputation as a gunman, drew his pistol shooting and killed Lowe, who was unarmed.

References

• Rowdy Joe Lowe

Lowe, Joseph Lowe, Joseph Lowe, Joseph