The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-11-27
MATT RILEY.
j Once Active Person Who Shot Ton Mon
IN Ten Minutes Single Handed.

itsied an accoun OF the shooting OF
eight Texans by Matt RileyinK Kansas
some years ago. The article concluded
with the statement that Riley some
years after the tragedy described, was
attacked with paralysis and died in
the Eastern States. 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 por-
ton OF the time since his celebrated
adventures in Kansas caused a sensa-
ton throughout the Southwest. Matt
Riley, or Matt Foster-the latter be-
ing ms right name-was at the date
OF the occurrence referred to one OF
the most noted and desperate OF
the professional fighters and gamblers
OF the West. He was about thirty
years old and in Observation-Disclosures
part OF the redoubtable John l.. OF
Boston. His whole life has been
passed in scenes of rough adventure.
When a boy he entered the civil! war
on the Coniederateside beng anative
OF Arkansas, and finally graduated as
a f~ull-tledgcd bushwhacker. At the
burning OF Lawrence, Kan, he OBJ
tanned considerable share of booty,
and, growing tired OF fighting for his
party, concluded to do something for
himself. At that time the sparsepop-
ulatlon and peculiar conditions OF life
IN Kansas offered great inducements
to a desperate man, and Riley made
the great state his abode. He filed
several positions-was sheriff of ELS
worth and was deputy marshal at
Newton at the time of the sensational
adventure with the Texans. McCluskv.
the marshal OF the town, was RiIev's
partner.
Riley had formed McClusky's &C
quamtance at Laramie, where he met
nm IN company with some of the
los desperate characters that ever
infested the West. Subsequently Nc
liusky and Riley met on the Atchison
and Topeka road, and they Became
partners i'll the preservation of the
peace, and the proprictors of Il hurdy-
gardy and gambling house Mt Newton.
On the day OF McCiusky's death Riley
had been out hunting a horse thief.
and got back in the afternoon.
While standing outside the dance
house talking to some one he noticed
that the place was doing a lively bust
ness. There was eight women dancing
on the floor and as many more ped
ding drinks, and the cowboy element
was numerous and u%proarious. Nc
Clusky was sitting on a char with his
back to the wall looking at the pro-
ceedlngs, when of a sudden a party OF
Texans who had planned to kill him
sprans forward from the crowd
and began to shoot at him.
McClusky had killed one OF
their men some time before, but
was wholly unsuspicious OF an attack,
and he was riddled with bullets before
he could draw his pistol. The desper-
ate character of the man asserted it.
sell in the death agony, and his last
movement was to cock his pistol and
point it at his nssa;lants. III had not
strength to press the trigger, however,
and fell on his face, dead.
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 a
glance, and in an instant hehad seized
the nearest Texan by the neck. and,
holding him up before him as u living
target, opened a fusillade on the as,
sassins. When the firing ceased there
We're nine men lying on the floor dead
and wounded. When Riley loosened
the grasp OF his h%erculeau arm from
the neck of his human shield hetenth
victim OF the terrible encounter drop
ped llieless to the boards. He had
been dead eforetheencounterha had well
begun but if he had not succumbed
to n pistols of his comrades
there was Il cartridge in Riley's third
pistol athis service. Eight of the dead
and wounded men we've of the party OF
Texans who had murdered McCluskv.
The other two men who had been
killed in the ARRAY were railroad
hands and on-lookers atthetragedv. 1t
spoke volumes for the closeness of the
shooting that only two bullets had
flown so wide OF the intended marks
as to bring down innocent victims in
the crowded dance hall. RILEY re.
mained in Newton threedays afterthe
sensational ARRAY, and then found it
eXpedient to leave for parts unknown.
He subsequently liguredin several DIES
peratc affairs on the line of the Union
Pacific railroad, and through Color
ado, Utah, 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
Blut1sto Omaha. He put oTSullivan,
but Riley refused to leaye the train, and
IN the struggle which ensued the captain
was Knocked senseless by q blow from
the d~esperado's pistol. After this the
Of the Union Pacific were I'M
comfortable for Riley, and he moved
his headquarters. His partner, Sulli-
van, like almost every partner he ever
had, met a tragic death, another gam
bier, named Duval, shooting him in
Chicago.
After parting with Sullivan, Riley
a partnership with the noto-
rious Jack Virgins, and opened n
saloon in Salt Lake CITY. On
the opening night a Mormon known
as Dutch John, who figured us q de-
angel, entered the saloon and
to Virgins, that 10 Gentle
would be allowed to run such an es-
5ablismn,n in the city. Some hot
wordsfollowing, the destroying angel
seized a bottle and hurled it through
large mirror behind the bar, shiv-
the glass into fragments. Wig.
,lns had his pistol out almost before
he destroying angel swung the bottle,
md the crash of glass was drowned in
he report of Il shot that sent Dutch
John to eternity. For the inauspi-
,lous incident OF the opening night
was arrested and sentenced to
With that lofty consideration which {
distinguished Mormon i,1stice VVig1;ns