Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-02
THE STORY OF RUSSIAN BILL.
How the Shakespeare Citizens Got Rid
of Bad Gang.


+ His looks would have attracted alton.
/ ton anywhere, but dressed in the fancy
i COWBOY garb, he was particularly notice
able. His clear cut features. long droon-
/ ing moustache, and curly, blonde hair.
Whlcn lell IN curls on his shoulders. made
RUSSIAN Bill an object of special interest
/ 10 strangers. Three wears AGO. when tho
writer first saw him, Russian BiII was
/ known through Southwestern New Mex
leo as one of the San Simon ''rustlers."
/ gang OF thirty or forty outlaws that
made periodical raids through Western
Arizona, Northern Mexico and Southern
New Mexico, Stealing cattle and horses and
driving them to the San Simon Valley.
where they were kept until an OppOr-
tunlty offered itself to dispose of them.
/ When not otherwise engaged. the crust
lefs" sought amusement in the frontier
I towns and held the inhabitants i'm n state
OF terror by their deeds of reckless dar
ing. Russian Bill was a man of GOOD
education: he spoke four languages
iiuently, and delighted, whenever oppor-
tuhlty onered- In discussing literature,
s@ence or art. OF his past nothing was
known, save that he was from Russia.
and, as 1t would have been resented as an
insult by any of the rustlers to have asked
questions about so delicate a subject. no
one attempted to discover why man of
such mental attachments had Joined a
{
No crimes outside of cattle-stealing
were known to have been committed by
Russian Bill, but the man himself claimed
to have ''killed his man" on several Oc-
caslons. His best friends, Curly Bill, the
leader of the rustlers, denied these state
ments as vain boasts. Curly Bill himself
was known as the most desperate member
OF the band. Eight murders were posi-
/ lively laid at his door, while he himself
I hngGtnn of Ill 1.
lie often SAID that the only time he was
| ever arrested was when he killeA Marshal
W hIte, OF Tombstone, Arizona The
jury IN that case was afraid to convict
nm, and he was acquitted, although his
/ only plea in self-defense was that his re-
VolVer would not remain cooked. and
when he pulled back the hammer to
| frlghten the officer it came down without
any pressure on the trigger. Russian
Bill's chief boast, however, was that he
held complete power over Curly Bill, and
could prevent the latter from shooting if
he chose. His reputation was not that of
a bad man." but of being a braogart
whose heart was really kind and whose
courage was doubtful.
About two years ago the residents of
Shakespeare, New Mexico, resolved to
free themselves of the rough element that
had for long time ruled that place. \
vigilance committee was formed and
resolutions were passed that all of the
resident bad characters should leave in
side OF q hours, and that the first mothers
son who came in should be hanged. The
next morning II men were asked to
leave, and when Russian Bill arrived in
town couple of days later, accompanied
by another rustleT named Sandy King.
the citizens decided that the two men
should die as an example to their COM
panlons in crime. Accordingly, at about
midnight, a dozen men entered the room
of the StrattOrd Hotel occupied bv the
rustlers. Before Sandy King and, Russian
Bill could offer any resistance they were
tied securely, ropes We're thrown over the
beam above their beds, and they were
pulled up and left hanging until they
Were dead. The next morning COrOner's
jury held an Inquest aud brought in YER
dict that the men had committed suicide
by hanging.
short time ago the Sheriff of Grant
county, New Mexico, received a letter
from the American Consul at St. Peters
burg, saying that the Countess Telfnin
was very anxious to learn the where
abouts of her son, who had been banished 1
for political reasons, but who possessed
large estates. The letter inclosed a pho
tOgraph of Russian Bill. Word was sent
that the Count had committed suicide at
Shakespeare two years ago, and the true
facts We're kept from the knowledge of
his mother