The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-15
Arkansas william, G. G. 7.

THERE are dozens of men in Michigan
who will remember meeting Arkansas
William, the Great Gulch Terror, in
Julesburg, Colo, Denver, Laramie and
other places in that territory dozen
years ago. Hewas shooter, a slasher
an Indian killer, Government scout, q
cleaner-out of mining-cam a tornado
when he struck town. All this he told
us and sought to impress on our minds,
and it came to pass by and by that
whenever he crowed we all cackled.
We'd have bet all the horses in the First
Cavalry against an Indian dog that Ar
kansas William was a match for any
four tribes of Indians on the plains, and
we'd have backed him against all the
other terrors, tarantulas, wild cats,
Rocky Mountain lions and bowling bears
between Omaha and Frisco. True, we
never saw him shoot, nor cut, nor slash,
nor knock down and drag out, but it
must be in him, because he said it was.
1t was an impressive sight to see him
stalking around with rifle, two revolv-
ers and bowie strapped to him, and
heavens! how he could yell! 1t was
enough to make every mule of the post
tremble to hear Arkansas William utter
his war-whoop-the same one he uttered,
he told us, when he rode down on 200
Pawnees and scattered them to the four
winds. How many of us bought his
tin types at 80 apiece will never be
known, but he was more eager to sell
them than to take the war path. When
the Michiganders left Colorado William
was hankering to lay in winter supply
of 250 scalps, seven barrels of gore and
a barn full of ears and noses, and his
wild war-whoops followed the regiment
for more than two miles.
The other day something was heard
to drop in the Black Hills, and Arkansas
William, the Great Gulch Terror walked
in upon mining camp, and in thunder
tones inquired what sort of graveyard
they had there. When they tremblingly
answered that they had none at all, and
that all the meD were in the best of
health, the Terror mounted a barrel,
Topped his arms and cried OUT
"No grave-yards here! No place on
which to lay my victims! Whoop! I'm
the Great Gulch Terror! I'm the gi-
gantic graveyard starter of the Big
" GSG! i IL lI6 UOGu U6uluu lie
and fight the whole town."
They tried to coax him not to. They
even offered him fifteen cents to go
softly away and leave them alone. In
deed, they offered to write him variety
play in which he, as the hero, should
kill one hundred and fifty-fve men in
side of an hour and half, but he would
not go. Arkansas William could not be
bought with gold, and he had fame
enough.
Well, when they realized that he
wanted blood and must have it, a weaz-
ened-faced, flat-chested, thin-waisted
man from Cass County, Mich, who
weighed about one hundred and twenty
pounds, offered himself as a sacrifice
He had never fought any thing or any
body, and he was so tame and humble
that the men used to wipe the grease off
their knives on his brick-colored hair af-
ter the close of meal. He crawled out
of his tent and said he'd as soon fight as
not. He had just received letter from
home to the effect that his wife had run
off with blonde tin-peddler, and now
he didn't care to live longer.
Him! He! That man! That tooth
pick! Why, I'll make hash of him in
second!n roared Arkansas William as
he caught sight of his victim.
Yes, he would do that very thing, and
that would start graveyard. He
threw down his rifle, put off his revolv-
.ers, and crowed for blood. The little
man didn't crow any, but he logged out
a wicked big knife, drew hair across
the edge of it, and said he'd do the best
he could The Terror crowed again
and told how many men he had killed,
but the weazen-faced man cut another
hair with his knife. The Terror finally
offered to let him off on account of his
consumptive look, but he wouldn't be
let off. He wanted to die then and there.
Then the Terror wanted a fair show.
He wanted to go up the trail and come
down to the attack on the run. That
was his best hold, and the way he had
always fought. The little man was
perfectly willing. All he wanted was a
fight to the death, and he didn't care
how he got it. Arkansas William start
ed up the trail, but halted and returned
and said:
"Boy, I'm the Great Gulch Terror,
and I've put one hundred and ninety
eight white men and over six hundred
Indians under the sod. But I'm no
monster Something in your face
touches my heart. I'll give you one
more chance to draw off and live on"
The Cass County man wouldn't take
it. He didn't want to live since his
wife went back on him, and, moreover,
he was mad for the first time in his life
and wanted to see how he would act in
fight.
every getready to diet" yelled
the Terror, as he backed up the trail.
He was backing and splitting on his
bowie-knife and getting an awful look
on his face when last seen. The miners
waited for the rush, and expected every
second to hear his yells, but they came
not. Three-fve-te minutes slipped
away, and then they investigated. Ar
kansas William was nowhere to be
found, but they saw man mile away
heading for Deadwood and making the