Tombstone: Gold Dollar

I wrote this two years ago and thought this Wild West bad girl deserved a second round.

There are many tales about the remarkable people who once walked the dusty streets of Tombstone, Arizona. One such story is that of a Crystal Palace dancer and murderer named, Gold Dollar. She was first known to town’s folks as Little Gertie, but with her long golden hair, fair complexion, and earning a gold dollar as payment for service bestowed, she was given the nickname of “Gold Dollar”. She was tiny in stature, feisty and very protective of her man, Billy Milgreen, a local gambler. The petite prostitute threatened bodily harm to any woman of Tombstone who flirted with her man. Most were afraid of her, except one.

Trouble came to town in the name of Margarita, an attractive Mexican woman who worked as a soiled dove at the Bird Cage Theatre. With her creamy bronze skin, this mysterious woman with long black hair immediately set her dark eyes on Billy. Many of the men were mesmerized by her beauty, and Billy was no exception. Margarita was aware of Gold Dollar’s temper and her threats, but it didn’t stop her allured behavior towards the inspiring gambler. Gold Dollar got wind of her flirtations and marched over to the Bird Cage Theatre. She threatened to cut Margarita’s heart out if this behavior didn't end. Margarita was not intimidated by Gold Dollar and wouldn’t back off under pressure.

Billy promised Gold Dollar he would not let Margarita’s aggressive flirting get to him if she would let him gamble. She trusted her man and let him head off to the Bird Cage for a high stakes poker game. Margarita was determined to grab his attention by swaggering gracefully across the floor, strutting around the table, and then finally dropping in his lap overwhelming him with kisses. Gold Dollar went to the Bird Cage to check up on Billy and saw Margarita sitting in his lap. She grabbed a fist full of hair and pulled her off. There are a couple different stories of what came next. Gold Dollar stabbed her with a 4 inch stiletto and either plunged it in her in the side or in her chest and almost cut her heart out. Either way, Margarita died of her wounds in a pool of blood. The Sheriff was called and Gold Dollar ran out of the Bird Cage with the bloody stiletto in hand.  She hid the stiletto behind the building and since the murder weapon was never found, murder charges were never filed against her. She ended up quietly leaving town, and was followed by Billy months later. It is not known exactly how many years later the stiletto was found, but it was discover behind the Bird Cage Theatre.