The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-10-21
a DEAD SHOT.
Killing Ten Mem IN Ten Minutes Single
~ Handed. 30
Tie Career o. aatt RiIey-covering Dance
House Floor With BloOd-His Own
Pistol Thrust Down
His Throat.
san Francisco CALI

was attacked with paralysis and died in the
Eastern States. The statement is true as far
az it describes the paralysis, but in all other
particulars IS erroneous. Riley did not die
IN the East, but on the contrary, is alive and
a resident of San Francisco, where he has
lived the greatest portion of the time since
his celebrated adventures in Kansas caused
q sensation throughout the Southwest. The
manner in which the eight Texans were
killed differed considerably from that des-
cribed by the Eastern writer. Matt Riley
or Matt Foster-the latter being has right
name-was, at the date of the occurrence
referred 10, one OF the most
NOTED AND DESPERATE
of the professional fighters and gamblers OF
the West He was about thirty years old,
and in physique the counterpart of the re-
dOubtable John T., of Boston. His whole
life has been passed in scenes Of rough adj
venture. When boy he entered the civil
war on the Confederate side, being native
of Arkansas, and finally graduated as a full
fiedged bushwhacker. At the burning of
Lawrence, Kas., he obtained considerable
share of booty, and growing tired of fighting
for his party, concluded TO do something for
himself. At that time the sparse population
and peculiar conditions of life in Kansas Of
feTed great inducements to a desperate man,
and Riley made the great State his soiOurn-
ing place. He filled several positions-was
Sheriff OF Ellsworth and was Deputy Marshal
at Newton at the time of the sensational adj
venture with the Texans. McClusky, the
Marshal of the town, was Riley's partner.
Riley had formed MeClusky's acquaint-
ance at Laramie, where he met him in COM
pany with some of the most desperate char
acters that ever infested the West. Suisse
fquently McClusky and Riley met on the
AtchisOn and Topeka Road, and they be-
came partners in the preservation of the
4. peace, and the proprietors of hurdy-gurdy
and gambling house at Newton. On the day
a al ont
hunting hOrse-lhief, and got back in the
afternoon. While standing outside the
dance house talking 10 some one he noticed
that the place was doing a lively business.
There were eight women dancing on the
. floor and as many more peddling drinks,
and the cowboy element was numerous and
uproariOus. McClusky was sitting on a
chair with his back to the wall looking at
the proceedings, when of a sudden party of
Texans who had planned to kill
and began to shoot at him. McClusky
had killed one of their men some time ago,
Dut was wholly unsuspiciouS of an attack
and he was riddled with bullets before he
could draw his pistol. The desperate charac-
ter of the man asserted itself in the death
agony, and his last movement was TO cock
his pistol and point il AT his aSsailantS. lie
had not strength to press the trigger, how
ever, and fell on his face, dead.
HIS MURDER WAS NOT LONG UNAyENGED,
At the first report of the Texans pistols
Riley started for the dance-house. His quick
eye took in the tragic situation of his partner
at glance, and in an instant he had seized
the nearest Texan by the neck, and, holding
him up before him as a living target opened
a fUsiiade OH tire assassins. When the firing
ceased there were nine men lying on the floor
dead and wounded. When Riley loOsened the
grasp of his herculean arm from the neck of
his human shield the tenth victim of the ter
rfh 70 fha
boards De had been dead before the en-
counter had well begun, but If he had not
succumbed to the pistols of his comrades
there was a cartridge in Riley's third pistol
at his service. Eight OF the dead and
wounded men were of the party of Texans
who had murdered McClusky. The other
two men who had been killed in the afiray
were railroad hands and on-lookers at the
tragedy. II spoke volumes for the closeness
of the shooting that only two bullets had
flown so wide of the intended mark as to
bring down innocent victims in the crowded
dance hall. Riley remained in Newton three
days after the sensational affray, and then
found il expedienI to leave for parts I'M
known. He subsequently figured in several
desperate affairs on the line of the Union Pa
citic Railroad and through Colorado L tah.
New Mexico and Nevada. Orders had
been issued on the Union Pacific Railroad to
allow no monte gamblers to ride on the
trains, and in obedience to this command
Captain Payne of the Omaha depot police,
tried TO eject Riley and his PARTNER Sullivan
while travelling from Council Bluffs to Oma-
La. He Put off Sullivan, but Riley refused
10 leave the train, and in the struggle which
Cnsued the Captain was knocked senseless by
blow from the desperado's pistol. After
this the trains of the Union Pacific were I'M
comfortable for Riley and he moved his
headquarters from Council Bluffs. His part
ner, Sullivan. like almost every partner he
ever had, met a tragic death, another gam
bier, named Duyal, shooting him in Chi
eagO.
After parting with Sullivan Riley formed
partnership with the notorious Jack Wig
gins, and opened large saloon in salt Lake
City. On the opening night a Mormon
known as Dutch John, who figured as de-
strOying angel. entered the saloon and init
mated to Virgins that no Gentle would be
allowed TO nun such an establishment in
The city. Some hot words following,
THE DESTROYING ANGEL SEIZED BOTTLE
and hurled it through the large mirror be-
hind the bar, shivering the glass into frag-
ments. Virgins had his pistol out almost
before the destroying angel swung the bot
tie and the crash of glass was drowned in
the report of a shot that sent Dutch John to
eternity. For the inauspiciOus incident of
the opening night Virgins was arrested and
sentenced to death.
With that lofty consideration which dis
tinguished Mormon justice, Virgins was
given the choice OF death by hanging or
shooting He chose the rope, although ex-
horted by his rough friends to select the
bullet as the most expedient and respectable
agent of extinction. When reasoned with
by Riley, he stated that he preferred to be
hanged, for" said he I've seen many
good man shot and / want to see one
hanged"
few days before the day of execution
Riley managed 10 secure an opportunity for
Virgins to break Jail, and which that wor-
thy improved with alacrity. The fugitive
was concealed for eight DAYS in the cellar
under the Walker House. Riley had sold
his saloon and spent all his money to secure
the escape Of Virgins He had hired no
tOriOus character by the name of Bill
Bean 10 take the fugitive to
EvansOn, WyO. T., ON horseback. as from
that point he could get East in safety. On
the night when Bean was 10 have taken
Virgins away the latter asked Riley TO
give him bis pistol, as he had only two
Of his own, and he wanted another for
Bean. whom he expected to fight for him