The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-09-04
Arkansas william.

Detroit Free Press.

| gan who will remember Arkansas
| William, the Great Gnlch Terror in
Julcsburg, Col, Denver, Laramie and
other places in that Territory, a dozen
years ago. He was shooter, a
slasher, an Indian killer, govern
ment scout, q cleancr-out of mining
camps, q tornado when lie struck d
town, and double,jointcd son Of a
dynamite generally, All this he told
us and sought to impress it on our
minds, and it came to pass, by and
by, that whenever he crowed we all
cackled. Wed have bet all tho horses
in the First Cavalry against an In
dian dog that Arkansas William was
match for any four tribes ON the
plains, and we'd have backed him
against all the other torrors, taran-
tulas, wild cats, Rocky Mountain
lions and howling bears between
Omaha and Frisco, True, we never
saw him shoot, nor cut, nor slash, nor
knock down, nor drag out, but it must
be him because he said ii was. Ii
was an impressive sight 10 see him
struthing around with rifle, two re-
yolyers and a bowie strapped 10 him,
and heavens, how he could yell ! II
was enough to make every mule at
the post trcmble to hear Arkansas
William utter Ills war-whoop---the
same one he uttered, he told us, when
he rode down 200 Pawneos and scat
tered them to the four winds. How
many of us bought his tin types at
~ apiece will never be known, but
he was more eager to sell them than
10 take the war-path. When the
Michiganders left Colorado, William
was hankering to lay in winter sup
ply Of $50 sealps seven barrels Of
gore and a barn fnll of ears and noses,
and his wild warwhoops followed the
regiment for more than two miles.
The other day something was heard
to drop in the Black Hills, and Ar
kansas William, the Great Gulch
Terror, walked in upon mining
camp and, in thunder tones, inquired
what sort Of a graveyard they had
there. When they tremblingly am
swered that they had hono at all the
men were in the best of health, the
Terror mounted barrel, Tapped his
arms, and cried out
"No graveyard herci No place I'M
which to lay Jny yictimsl Whoop!
Fin the Great Gulch Terrorl I'm the
gigantic graveyard starter Of the Big
Westl I'll tic both hands behind me
and fight your whole town!n
They tried 10 coax him not TO. They
even offered him fifteen cents to go
softly away and leave them alone.
Indeed, they offered to write him a
variety play in which he, as the hero,
should kill 1855 men inside Of an hour
and d half; but he would not gn. Ar
kansas 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
weazen-faced, fiat-cllested, thin-waist-
ed man from Gass county, Michigan,
who weighed about 100 pounds, Of
fered himself as . sacrifice. He had
never fought anything or anybody,
and he was 50 tame and humble that
the men used to wipe grease of their
knives On bis brick-colored hair after
ihe close cf d 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 q blonde tin poddlor,
and be didn't care to live longer.
"lIiml be! that mani that tooth
pick! Why, III make bash Of him in
q. second roared Arkansas William,
as he caught sight Of his victim,
Yes, ile would do that very thing,
and that would start d graveyard.
lie threw down Ills rife, put Of bis
.rcyolyers, and csowcd for blood The
little man didn't crow any, but he
luggcd ont d wicked big knife, drew
q hair across the edge Of il, and said
he'd do the best be could. The Terror
croMcd again, but the weazcn-faccd
man cut another hair with his knife
The Terror wanted to let him Off on
account Of his consumptige look, but
he wonldn't be let of. He wanted
70 die then and there. Then the Ter
rof wanted d flir show lie wanted
Ii fir sliow, Iie wanted III go pp