The Republican journal., 1872-04-04
Wild Bill

Among the white scouts We're number
ed some of the most noted Of their class.
The most prominent man among them
= was wild Bill" whose highly varied
career was made the subject of an jlus-
trated sketch in one of the most popular
monthly periodicals few yeal. ago
''Nild Biil' was a strange character. iust
the one Which a novelist might gloat over.
lie WAS Plainsman in every sense OF the
! word. Vet unlike any other ut his class
In person he was about six feet one in
height, straight As the >uaighteSt ot the
warriors whose implacahit foe hc was
broad shoulders. wel-tormed chest ana
limbs and a face Stuhinglv handsome; :;
a sharp. clear blue eve. which stared vou
straight in the face when in conversation:
a finely shaped nose, inclined 10 De a0ui-
line, a wel-tumed mouth. with lips only
partially concealed by a handsome nous
tache His hair and complexion were
those OF the perfect blonde. The former
was worn in uncut ring lets. falling care
lessly over his powerfully formed should
ers Add to this figure costume blend
ing the immaculate neatne-s OF the dandy
with the eXtravagant taste and StNle of the
trontiersman, and YOU have wild Bill. -"
then as now the most famous scout on the
Plains
Whether on foot or on horseback he
was one OF the most perfect types OF phy>i-
cal manhood ever saw. OF his courage
there could be no question; 1t had been
brought to the test on too many occasions
70 admit of doubt. His skill in the use
OF the rifle and pistol was unerrlng while
his department was exactly the opposite
of " hat might be eA Apectrd from a man Of
his surroundings. 1t was entirely free
from All buster or bravado. He seldom
spoke OF himself unless requested to do SO.
His conversation strange to say. never
u0rdered either on the vulgar or bla-phe-
NOUS His Influence amor the frontiers
men was uubounded. his Nord was law
and many are the personal IuarrelS and
disturbances which he has checked among
hi comrades by his simple announcement
that "thi> had gone tar enough. " if need
be followed by the ominous warning that
when pre>i>ted in or renewed the quarrel
Ter 'must settle it with me"
l "Wid Bill is anything but quarrel
some man yet no one hut himself can
enumerate the many conflicts ia which he
ma been engaged, ana which almost in-
ya.iably resulted in the death of his ad-
versary. have a personal knowledge O,
AT least hat q dozen men whom he has At
various times Killed. one ot these being NJ
lAa time a member OF my command
Others have been severely wounded.
vet he always escaped uuhurt On the
Plains every man openly carries his brlt
with its iuvariabIe appendage~. knife and
revolver. often two ot the latter ..NHd
Bill" always carries tive Aau some iv ,ty.
handled rrvovers OF the large ~.l~: Id
was never seen without them. Where
this s the common custom. braWls or per-
soNal difficulties are seldom ii ,vcr settle d
~ blows The quarrel is not from i
word to a blow, bat tlpm a word to the
revolver, and he who can draw aul tire
the first is the best man. No civil law
reaches him. none is applied for. In
fact there is no law recognized beyond
the frontier but that of "might max e
right" Should death result from the
quarrel, as it usually does, no coroner
Jury is impannelled to learn the cause OF
death and the survivor is not arrested
But instead OF these old fashioned pro-
ceedings, Il meeting Of citizens takes place.
the survivor is requested ta be pre-eu,
when the circumstances of the homicide
are looked into. ana the uutaiiug verdict
OF "Iustifiable.' 'sclt-detruce. exc. j. pro
nouuced, ana the law stands vindicated.
That Justice j. Ctten deprived ot a victim
there i not doubt. Yet in MI the many
affairs ot this Kind in which "WIId Bil'
has performed part, and which have
come to my knowledge there is not a
single instance in which the virdict ot
twelve tair-tninded men would not tie pro.
nounced in his favor Ny Lite un the
Plains, By Gen. G.. A. Custer. III April
tI4laS4