Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-09
"Doc" MIDDLETON.
A ceiisss. Bred Outlaw Released
From Prison Life.
SOME INCIDENTS OF MS CAREER.
How He Was Captured by Shrewd D.,.e-
tives, But Not Before Seriously Wound.
ing One Of the Party-A For.
tune Not Found.

OMAHA, NEB., July s-The other day
doc" Middleton Was released from the
Nebraska Penitentiary after having served
| out q fiye-year sentence. The early ex-
ploits Of Middleton are interesting. About
seven or eight years ago he shot two sol.
diers in the town Of Sidney, some 800 miles
| west Of this city on the Union Pacific
road, and at that time distributing point
for the Black Hills country. A large mum.
Der OF murders had been committed in that
village and life vas considered worth but
little. The respectable and law.abiding
citizens determined 70 break mp the Law.
1sssness tha, d . part Of every new Western
town, and organized . vigilance committee
for that purpose. In the same place, .
dsnce-house, where
Middleton KILLED HIS MAa"
a short time previous, Q soldier had been
murdered and his body propped up in .
corner while the participants and Others
went on with the dance til daylight with
the dead body in blue in plain view.
The affair that Middleton took part In,
and which made him an outlaw, was Que
OF those instances where the man who
got the drop was considered safe.
Either Middleton or the blue.coats had TO
20, and the former came of victorious.
,rhe fact Is the soldiers picked the fight.
and Doc" acted in self.defensc. lie knew
the feeling Of the community, however.
and thought best 10 make his escape which
he did.
At that time he was q wild. reckless
young fellow, who had graduated from .
well.known
Eastern College.
and came West 10 make his fortune. Like
many Others, he got into bad company and
hence his disgrace. lie operated in aud
around the Black Hills country for year
or so in holding up the stages, stealing
cattle, horses, etc. Drifting to the Mo.
brara country in Northern Nebraska, he
became terror Gold Tooth" as he was
called by the Indians, eluded the most
competent detectives Of the West, and had
such a hold upon the various communities
that in O'Neil City and other towns In that
sections some OF the most influential ciu.
zeps we're his friends. He would ollsn
visit those villages and have big time
with his friends, leaving "by the light 10
the moon" for the pra!ries.
Alhinus Nance, at that time Governor OF
Nebraska offered $500 reward all the law al
lowed for the
Capture OF Middleton.
dead or alive) while some OF the heaviest
cattle men OF the Niobrara secretly increAs.
ed the amount 10 several thousand dollars.
They feared to offer publicly any assistance
to the authorities. as they had been threat.
enrd with either death or destruction OF
property by the chief and his powerful
band.
The large sum offered brought TO the sur.
face w. II. II. Llewellen. OF Omaha, and
one lIazen, o( Bel leview, Sep., who, in
some manner. succeeded In getting into
communication with Middleton. lie knew
Of the schemes that were on the tapis for
his capture, and becoming tired OF his avo.
cation, had signted desire 10 surrender u
| Governor Nance would
Pardon Him Internationally.
In some way LIcwellcn and llazen secured
pardon with the signature 0f the Gov.
ernOr and the State seal and arranged 10
meet Middleton near the line OF NsbrAska
and Wyoming Territory on certain day.
Middleton eIscted an agreement that Lew
ellen should be the only person 10 repre-
sent the government, aud that he should
come unarmed. At the time appointed
Lew" mounted on magnificent horse.
rode up to q half dozen men, the leader
being the famous Doc. Middleton, and
shook bands all around. They continued
on their journey 10 the place where the
papers were TO be signed. exchanged, etc,
and were, apparently. on the hest OF terms.
Suddenly "ciCk," click" was heard
10 come from n clump Of bushes close by.
and sim al taneously Middleton drew bis 70.
volyer and covered Licwellen, who, seeing
that danger threatened him began 10 par.
lew The time thus consumed allowed
Hazen. who was secreted In the bushes
from whence came the warning sounds, TO
remove the cartridges that had refused To
explode In his Winchester, and replace
them with others.
shoi Him Dows.
lie th0t Middleton through the bowels
without further delay. Llevellsn at once
drew SIX shooter which he had concealed
ia lis bosom, and after airing several sbots
md eng that bis enterprise was psitiH
failure. AMI that he was liable tp gct hts
saGy perforated, put tspurs 10 bis horse spd
Tear h'd Port Laramie, whore he gny. The
alarm end secured the seryiceTUf about Ip
soldiers to re'urn TO the held of STRIFE.
Middleton IN the meantime, having been
Dnl Grsei true TO the training lac hal u"
.,iy,a. tiagrrred toward the clump ~
ushcs End shot Hazen several times In
tIo bo1y--ths lattsr's gun refusing - sct
after the one shot Middleton
leaving Ills Antagosist for Dead.
then sought shelter in the house Of n
freud not far away, where be was taken
prisoner by the returning soldiers, and
Encr recovering from his wound was tried,
convicted, sentenced, and Is now once more
free man.
Hszen was restored 10 almost perfect
hsnith. and Is now q detective N Council
BluHs, Iowa. Liewellen was appointed
lndisn Agsn, at or near Wilcox, A. T., ana
10 still there.
Middleton, at the time Of his conviction.
threatened the lives OF both mon who were
instru mental In his capture, he ever
lived through bis imprisonment, sDd w.
in the future either one or both parties
pass in theIs chips In mysterious manner
Inc dead can be located. IIsweIlen has de-
cInred that he would never stop 70 organize
o debating sbcisty with Middleton shoaid
they ever meet.