The true northerner., 1886-10-28
WILD BILL HICKOK's ROMA.cs
Tho One Love of His Life-How He Fig
ured the Chances Of His Death.

ured the Chances OF His Death.
about year before he died / met
Wild bill' Hickok on a train on this
road" said ex-State's Attorney Luther
Latin Mills, as we were borne south
ward over the Chicago and Alton Road
one afternoon. Bill and l had an en-
tire sleeping-ca to ourselves from Kan
sas City to Chicago. When l intro
duced myself TO him L was little sur
prised and quiet pleased to learn of his
identity. He was fine-looking man,
past 40 years OF age, with remarkable
eyes-quick and restless as a grey
hounds, bright and clear, and the color
OF cold, blue steel. He was a vain fell
low, and Justly proud of his hands,
which were small, white, and sbapely.
"Of course / talked to him about
himself. L asked him how many men
he had killed. He replied that he had
killed thirty-two in private fights
and he didn't know how many he had
killed in the war of the rebellion and
in frontier skirmishes. He related
many OF his shooting expe fences, and
added, impressively, that he had never
killed man unJustly-that in his
fights he had always been in the right.
L said Certainly, Mr.. Hickock; had
no doubt of it. You can readily see
that l did not care to take issue with
him on that question.
He said he was born and raised in
LaSalle County, H., and had gone
West when he was young man, twen-
ty-tive years before. he was at the
time marshal of d bilene, kas., a very
bad town, where he had, in his o cial ad-
| faf,. Ill uav
months. He was compelled to do this,
he said, to restore order, as the cow
boys had taken possession of the town,
and the good people of Abilene had
made him marshal. knowing that ne
loved peace and would have it.
Il asked him ii he had ever visited
Chicago. He said he had, few years
before our meeting, and then he told
me the one gentle romance of his life.
General Phil Sheridan and party
had engaged Bill as a guide on a buff
talo-hunting expedition. Sheridan took
q liking to Bill, and insisted upon his
returning to Chicago with him and
making visit. Bill came, and re-
NAMED for some time at Sheridan's
house. The first Sunday after got
to Chicago said Bill, Sheridan said
to me that he was going to church, and
would like to have me go along. L said
| hadn't been to church for twenty
| years, but I'd just as lief go. So we
went to Plymouth Church, down on
! Wabash or Michigan avenue. The
feller at the door knew Sheridan, and
he took us away up In front, near the
! preacher. About the time the sermon
began an old, white-haired man and
young woman came into the pew in
front of us. l could see only the side
of the woman's face, but / felt sure L
knew her. L didn't hear the sermon at
all; | just kept looking at the young
woman all the time, with q strange
sort of feeling as if L was haunted, and
my thoughts kept going back to when
/ was boy down in La Sale County.
We'll, when we all got up to re-
ceive the benediction l saw the young
woman's face, and my heart como
rght up into my neck for / knew her.
There was the only woman / ever
loved, and had loved her ever since L
was a boy down in LaSalle County.
she was Maria Baldwin. and the
man tn her was her father, Herman
Baldwin. l won't tell you why dn't
marry her, but my love for her was
one of the reasons why L went out
West.
"'When L saw her face and knew
who she WIS l just bolted down the
aisle agd stood guard at the door, wait
ing for her When she came out
went up to her and said: Maria, do
you know meY
"She looked ct me o minute, and
said:
"'No, sir, do not
Well said l, kind o bracing up,
Il am w lie Hickok.'
"'Well, you should seen her. The
tears come in her eyes, and she took
my hand in both of hers and held it.
She told the old man who l was, and
the old man said "Why, Bill, is that
you?" and he shook my hand and was
glad to see me. Then both of them in
sisted on my going to dinner with them,
and / went. We talked al afternoon
and away into the night about old
times down in La Sale County, and L
tell you it was the happiest day Of my
life. But L COUNT stand it to stay in
Chicago any longer, and | started for
the West the next day
81 was much interested in this story"
resumed MIR. Mills, "for / knew Mr..
Baldwin, and / felt more kindly toward
~ lid Bill / asked him If he expect
ed to return to the West after his visit
to Chicago. He said he did, and that
when he left me he would bid me good
by forever. He had great many des-
perate enemies. and from his calcula-
ton of the law of chances he could not
live more than year. He expected to
be shot and to die with his boots on.
Sure enough, within ten months of the
time / met him on the train he was
shot in the back aad killed in a saloon
out West"
Loves Gratitude.