The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-24
ssWiId Bilr'-His Adventurous Life and
Tragic Death.

Says the Kansas City Times: Last
evenings kilograms brought confrma-
tory reports of the death of William
Hickok, a well known frontier charac-
ter. 1t appears that Bill died in just
the way and manner he did not wish TO
die-that is, with his boots on. His life
during the past five or six years has
been one of constant watchfulness and
expectation, as more than one reckless
frontiersman had coOlly contracted to
take his life. But Bill was never off
guard, and woe unto the wretched devil
who failed to "get the drop" on the
long-haired William. More than one
fool has had a bullet sent crushing
through his brains from the ever-ready
pistol of this-cool and silent desperate.
William spent many months in this
city after he left Hays City, where he
spent season with the lamented Gen.
Custer. But on account of a deadly
feud between himself and the friends of
a Texan he had killed in Abilene some
years before, he ever after kept out of
the way of the Texas roughs who had
sworn to take his life While in Kansas
City he made his headquarters about
the saloons on Main Street, between
Fourth and Missouri Avenue But be-
coming obnoxious to the police, and
having no visible means of support, he
was arrested by Marshal Speers as
vagrant. He left here and went to Clin-
ton and Springfield, Mo-, where he met
with some trouble, got away with his
life (but was reported killed in the city
papers). He wore his hair long, allow
ing it to hang in curls down upon his
shoulders. He was tall, good-looking,
and every inch the frontier hero as
painted by the yeIlow-back novelists.
This fact led to his engagement by Ned
Buntline to play in some of his sensa-
tional melodramas with Bill Cody (Buf-
falo BnD, j. w. Crawford Captain
jack, and "Texas Jack" Hickok
made little money playing scout upon
the stage, and last. fan turned up in
Cheyenne, where he became a regular
nightly ornament at 'fMcDaniel's"
and the other fast "dives" about
town. % erAgaiuI he UwasY notified
by the city authorities to leave
town. but by the intervention of friends
he was permitted to stay. 1t was while
Bill was the hardest.up and tAey world
was frowning its coldest upon him that
his brightest streak of luck came on. 1t
was in the coldest, clustering days of
last March when Mrs. Lake, the wife of
the well-known circus man, came on
from California, and on the day of her
arrival made William her husband. 1t
was a pure love scrape on her part. She
had fallen in love with Bill years be-
fore, and had correspnded with him
ever since the death Of her husband, who
was killed in Southwest Missouri about
four years ago. But domestic life did
not suit such rover as 'Wild Bill"
Notwithstanding Mrs. Lake lavished all
her available funds upon her handsome
husband, he was not content. BE went
East to raise Black Hills expedition,
but did not succeed very well. Late in
the spring he started for the new min
ing regions in the DeadwOOd dis
trict of the Black Hills This
proved to be his last journey.
On the I'd of this month he met
with one of the men who had sworn
ne NeuuSJJd against MN, anu WAS SnOI
in the head and killed instantly. 1t is
that the name Of the man who
killed him is Switzerland, and that he
is the brother of a man killed by him
in Abilene some years ago, while he
was Marshal of that then turbulent
town.
William Hickok was quiet, courte-
Gus gentleman when sober, and seldom
allowed himselft to drink to excess. He
dressed well, carried small, fancy
cane in bis hand, and rather avoided
than sought company. While he was
a frOntierSman in every sense. of the
word, he was not an Indian scout. He
was well known in ne irly. every from
tier town, and seldom went out on the
trail. Gen. Custer speaks we'll of him
in his Three Years on the Plains"
He has many warm friends in this city,
as we'll as all over the West, who will
regret to hear of his tragic end, the end
he has SO long been expecting.