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The soldiers were attacking, so 'Poker' Alice grabbed a gun
Local law officers arrested Poker Alice and six employees, but the state's attorney said she was justified in defending her property and life.
On Monday, July 14, 1913, Poker Alice shot members of the U.S. Army's 12th Cavalry in Sturgis, South Dakota, after soldiers arrived with the 'avowed intention of starting a rough house.'
After being refused entry, soldiers cut utilities and threw stones at the establishment, prompting Alice to defend her property and her life.
One trooper was shot in the head, another near the lung, and three or four others were wounded; the local state's attorney declined prosecution, citing 'absolute conviction that the woman was justified in the shooting.'
While Alice avoided prosecution, six women she employed were fined $15 each for frequenting the house, and Fort Meade's commandant banned soldiers from visiting Sturgis.
Poker Alice, a colorful Old West figure, died February 27, 1930, in Rapid City; national correspondents noted she could fire a revolver accurately at 100 yards.