Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-14
Arkansas VIM.
THE EXCITING STORY OF A TERRIBLE WEST
rRS pEsPERApo's LAST ENCOUNTER.

= l.
ERR DEsPERADo's LAST ENCOUNTER.
From the Detroit Free Press,l
There are dozens of men in Michigan
Who will remember meeting Arkansas
William. tie Great Gulch terror in jules
burg. Col, Denver, Laramie, and other
places in the territory dozen years ago.
He was shooter, slasher, an Indian
killer, a government scout, cleaner-out
of mining camps, tornado when he
struck a town, and double-jointed son
of 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.
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 howling bears be-
tween Omaha and Frisco. True, We
never saw him shoot, nor cut, nor slash,
nor knock down, nor drag out, but 1t
be him because he said it was 1t was an
impressive sight to see him stalking
around with a rifle, two revolvers and
bowie strapped to him, and, heavens
how he could yell 1t was enough to
make every mule at the post tremble to
hear Arkar sas William utter his war
whoop-the same one he uttered, he told
Us. when he rode down 200 Pawnees and
scattered them to the four winds. How
many of us bought his tin-types at 81
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 hankerng to lay
in a winter supply of go scalps, seven
barrels of gore and barnfull 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 hGd there When they trembllngly
answered they had none at all, and that
all the men were in the best of health,
the terror mounted barrel, Tapped his
arms and cried out:
''No graveyard here No place In
which to lay my victims Whoop! I'm
the Graat Gulch terror Tn the gigan
tic grave yard starter of the Big West
I'll tie both hands behind me and fight
your whole town"
They tried to coax him not to. They
even offered him 15 cents to go softly
away and leave them alone. Indeed,
they offered to write him variety play
in which he, as the hero, should kill 155
men inside 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 want
cd blood and must have it, a weazen-faced,
flat-chested, thin WASTED man from Csss
county, Mich, who weighed about 120
pounds, offered himself as a sacrifice.
He had never fought anything or any
body, and he was SO tame and humble
that the men used to wipe the grease off
their knives on lis brick-colored hair
after the close Of meal. He crawled
out of his tent and said he'd as soon fight
as not. He had just received a 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 a
second p roared Arkansas William, as he
caught sight of his victim.
Itb, liz AOulu up tliut Vel di.o
that would start & graveyard. He threw
down his rifle, put off his revolvers and
croyed for blood The little man didn't
crow any, but he lugged out wicked
big knife, drew a 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
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 want
cd was fight TO the death, and he didn't
care how he got it. Arkansas William
started up the trail, but halted and re-
turned and said
"Boy, Tn the Great Gulch terror, and
I've put 1893 white men and over COO In
dams under the sod But I'm no mon
ster 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 1t.
He didn't want to live since his wife went
back Oh him, and, moreover, lie was mad
for the first time i'll his life, and wanted tc
see how he would act in a fight
Every well-get ready to diel'' 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 rash, and expected every minute
to hear his yells, but they came not
Three-fve-ten minutes slipped away
and then they investigated Arkansas
William was nowhere to be found, bu
they saw man mile away heading fol
Deadwood, aud making the earth ache al
be passed over it.