"Little Sureshot"

As it must to all men, Death came to Mrs. Annie Oakley ("Little Sureshot") Butler, 66, most marked markswoman in history, at Greenville, Ohio, after long illness. She had directed that they cremate her remains; bury her ashes in Darke County, Ohio, where she began handling firearms at a tender age to supply her widowed mother with game.

It was 25 years since, smashed in a train accident, she had suffered almost complete paralysis of one side of her body, but only 24 years since she set one of her best records, at a trapshooting meet in New Jersey: 25 clay birds straight, 10 live birds straight, 25 straight bullseyes on the rifle range. Four years ago she broke 100 straight clay birds at Pinehurst, N. C.

Rabbits, ducks and partridge had trained Annie Oakley's hand and eye to such precision by her 16th year that her performance against a highly rated shooter, Frank Butler, both broke and stole his heart. Soon they were married and she later said, "Frank really reared me." They toured as partners until one day in Texas a cowhand yelled at Mr. Butler, "Git outa the ring and give the girl a chance." Annie Oakley broke glass balls to the crowd's contented amazement. Thereafter Mr. Butler was only her manager.

Late in the '70s, Buffalo Bill

Cody watched her shoot for a few minutes, engaged her for his Wild West show on the spot. He always called her "Missie" and there was no written contract between them. They toured Europe. She hunted deer with the Emperor of Austria; won a running-deer shoot from Grand Duke Michael of Russia for $350. At an exhibition in England, five ruling monarchs were present. A man who was to rule as Wilhelm II of Germany, expressed a desire to have the ash removed from his cigaret by a bullet. Annie Oakley obliged. Queen Victoria sent her a signed photograph. Prince Edward (VII) of Wales presented her on the grounds of the London Gun Club, where she was the first woman ever allowed to shoot, and gave her a medal inscribed: "You are the greatest shot I ever saw." His son, George V, himself a crack marksman, later tendered a similar medal.

Of the hundred thousand dollars worth of mementos she collected, none were more valuable to her than the personal effects willed to her by Sitting Bull, famed Sioux chief, who named her "Watanic Cicilia" (Little Sureshot). She could hit pennies tossed in the air or larger discs (in the centre or on the edge as requested) ; shoot holes in playing cards or tickets fluttering in the air; stand on one foot, throw three eggs aloft, hit each with her rifle before it squashed.

It was the ticket-shooting trick that gave free passes to baseball games and other exhibitions their slang name of "Annie Oakleys." President Ban Johnson of the American Baseball League once caught a man who had rented out his season pass. The pass was found to be full of holes, whereupon President Johnson made a remark, the aptness of which his subordinates never forgot: "Looks like Annie Oakley'd been shootin' at it!"*

-Another version of the nickname's origin : 37 men presented themselves at Madison Square Garden one night that Annie Oakley was performing, demanded free admission because they were all her brothers; got it.