The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-03
A WILD CAREER.
William Il. Belts Strangely
Checkered Life.
How a Southern Gentleman
Fell from his High Posi-
ton and became a
Murderer and an
Outlaw.

Outlaw.
The subject Of the FLOWING
sketch was well known 10 Utah, he
having been clerk OF the Third Dis
trlct Court, coming here with Chief
Justice White in 1875:
West Point, Ca, July 27.-Hl cor
Belts" ssid an old citizen this
morning, as he read the brief tele-
gram from Washington announcing
the death of William II. Belts IN
that city. sPoor Bettsl He is bet
ter off now, and he was a mighty
good shot in his day." And thereby
hangs a tale of strangely checkered
career, full of incidents of wild adj
venture, and showing how bad com
pany and unrestrained indulgence
can blight a life which other wise
might have been full OF honor, "a
by citizen who had known BetSa
long and well.
William 81. Belts was q member
Of one of the most respected taml,
lies of Alabama. He was inDued
with all the sentiments Of chlValry
prevalent among southern youths
previous to the war, ready to resent
an insult almost before Ii was given
and at the same time ready to lay
down his life for friend, or TO sur
fer martyrdana for sentiment. In
those DAYS gambling was a polite
oooonnIjshment in which rearly
everybody INDUCED, yet to have
called these gentlemen by SUCH q
rude name as gambler would nave
been quickly resented, notWltn
standing the partition which di'
yided the gentlemanly gambler
from the professional was very thin
Among the fast young men VINO
fiourished in Columbus and Mont
Comerv none was faster than the
Brilliant Belts, end the allurementi
of the game soon led him across the
line. and the professionals had thell
hooks firmly fastened into him anf
thus led him alorg in the course
which proved to be one OF eve
J downward grade.
When the war called the youni
men of the country to the cefeng'
of the State, it found William d
Belts as colonel Of an Alaoami
regiment. It was while statlone
st Pensacola, Fla, that his first &C
of violence Of which record exlsI
was committed. Colonel Belts ha
his wife with him, and one evenin
the lady complained to her husban
of The manner of one o. the men l
camp. Colonel Belts asked ms WI
to promenade around the camp VII
him, 0When you see the man polr
him out, said ne. Not suspectln
her husbands determination, pres
emily she said: There he IS.
\ Almost Immediately q tullet wei
y whIzzing from the revolver OF u
husband, who coolly continued b
nromenade. AS the killing vi
n done in defense of his Wlfe's non
Y no trouble followed to him, and
"a the events of life on the field q
" affair was soon forgotten exec
among those naost intimately co
e cerned in it.
VIXEN the war closed, Belts foul
himself, without money cast amo
reckless men in Columbus, ana
soon became recognized as a profet
sionsI gambler He had rooms WIFI
were elegantly fitted up,considerl
The times, and vt was his WONT
entice therein uneuspeeting cou
trymen who had just disposed
their cotton. When he had won
a victims money and wanted TO
d rid of him he would ask him if
ever saw a sshoodoo." Ofcourse
victim had not. Drawing ssld
n curtain which had a closet IN
W room. there stood a full.sizad mal
VA Kin, with a candle dimly burn
Il inside the skull, which thus g.
Fm light to the eyes. The stran
I'M would be only too willing to leave
ears horrible a place. Two OF be
/; we intimate friends at this time "
9e'' Milt Maine, who had murde
Err. three men, for the last OF which
IS soe was convicted and sentenced
death, and Penn Bedell, who
%. killed policeman Raspberry In
lanta. Malone committed suicide
v day on which he was to have I
a hanged, and thus gained a nom
victory over the law. Bedell
". shot dead. Itmay readily be In
ined that where three such
. tbrived they had things pretty n
their own way. 1t was the pc
QS inst previous TO reconstruct
100 There was no law,and an officer
attempted to make criminals t
de- there was was not long in disco
ing his mistake. One day one o
DULLES of the town was iRposin
a little boy. which so angered
I BY that he let him have lively 1
tx OF ade, only wounding him, how
=. de- AS Colum bus was growing
i per; for Belts, he next made his : p
ceased ance in this city, where, "
essars choice lot Of spirits, he carrie
81 .9d his gambling operations with
= Eat sn.u ness and dash. SO open did the
Filth come that the authorities {
mined to wind them up. Tn
z, GERS surrounded the rendtzv
Imuud the gamblers and found the