Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-02-01
EARLY DAYS IN DEaDwooD.

The Alarming Features of Life In a
Western Mining Camp-How wild
Bill was Killed.
A party of old timers were sitting in
well known resort last evening, says the
Denver Tr,bune-Republlcan, discussing
past events and celebrated characters of
those days. The conversation drifted on
various affairs from the days of '49 in
California to the exciting events which
occurred in Nevada, Montana, Dakota,
Wyoming and Colorado. The camps
which had sprung from small colleo-
ton of tents and cabins to prosperous
cities, only perhaps to be deserted at the
end of the season, where spoken of in
turn, and the personal "reminiscences
were many. When the Black Hills ex-
citement was reached one of the gentle
ment spoke up as though that part OF
the conversation was of particular inter-
est to him, and he knew whereof he was
talking
II tell you, boys, the early days of
Deadwood were hard to beat. I've iol-
lowed mining excitements for about
thirty years; been in all of 'em, in fact,
and IN all my experince / never ran
across nothing like it"
The, speaker was interrupted by gen.
eral words OF assent.
"Ihe day that Wild Bill was killed
there was the day Of days. What an
excitement! On the night before there
had been o killing at Gayvllle, near by,
and there was great excitement about
the lynohing that was sure to follow
The news being brought to Deuawood
was the first excitement of the day.
During the forenoon a man was cruelty
butchered in the street, and this event
was followed, a few hours later, by Nc
Caull assasinatlng Wild Bill in saloon.
The population OF the town was wild
when the news spread, and there Is no
telling what would have been the re-
suit of the day had not matters been
strangely turned. Citizens were aesem-
bled 10 the street discussing the Wild
Bill affair." and AN old fellow, standing
on carpenters bench, was harranguing
the crowd, when man on horseback
came dashing down the street swinging
something in his hands. When
the mad horseman drew up, the
something was found to be an Indian
bead, and 1T was being swung about by
the heavy top knot of hair. The
haranguer stopped talking and the ecrowd
surrounded the man on horseback. The
bead was reeking with blood. and the
horsemanss hands CORY looking The
fellow explained that in fight just had
with the Indians the whites had been vic.
torions, and this was trophy of the bat
tie. Well, a victory over the Indians
was good news for the people of Dead
| wood, and for time the Wild Bill and
other excitements of the day was lost
sight of A crowd of men were seen
going from saloon to saloon, bearing the
indians head with them, celebrating the
victory, although it was poor victory,
for more whites were killed than In-
dians. The head was set upon the bar
and the men drank their liquor to toaets
| to the men who had slain the Indians
Had this little incident not occurred it
| Is pretty safe to cay that the man that
shot Wild Bill would have been visited
| by the vigilantes."
"rhere is good deal that has not been
told about the killing of Wild Bill,
continued the speaker, after a pause. SIT
was o cold blooded murder, and Nc.
| Caull deserved lesson from the vigil
antees. He didn't even know Bill, and
| Killed MIN Ike ruthan. Bill had pas,
sion Tor playing seyen-np with pilgrims
| Tor the drinks and lying to them about
his exploits. He could lie about as fast
as horse could trot about some things
Well he was playing his tavorite game
one afternoon in Angust-Bill was killed
| August Is, 1876, you know-when Nc
| Caul entered aud shot him in the bach
OF the head, the same ball also wound
ing Saptain Massey, who was playing
with Bill, In the arm. Massey, yot
Know, claimed great reputation as
hghter, but when the shot was fired ht
look to his heels, and guess never die
stop running. Bill fell on his face
dead on the instant. Iom Mnlqueen
now OF Denver, was the first man to q
INTO the saloon after the shooting, hav
ing been on the sidewalk IN front at th
time. he turned Bill over on his back
but, findlng him dead, he turned his at
tentlon 10 the murderer, who drew. hi
revolver down on Tom and ordered hin
to keep away. Tom was not armed a
the time, but he went and got rifle
and he and another man started ou
| after the murderer They expected Nc
Caull would resist and they went pre-
pared Tor a nght. McCaull was ioun'
on the street, ana lom GOT the drop OF
him with arihe. The fellow sqneale'
like pig under q gate and asked tina
his lite be spared. lie was taken Il
custody without trouble. he was give
trial before mlner.s Jury In Jac
Langrlshss theater. lie got on b
lying to the mlners, telling ther
that Bill hac Killed his brother 10 Te1a
, two years ago, and he had been houno