The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1886-05-06

Z Tie most scurriloMs libel that even
long-suffering Medora has ever endured,
is contained intthe following Bismarck
telegram to q Chicago paper, dated
April is: "At Medora last evening, ~
the cowboys Of the Bad Lands ~ in
dulged in dance Of a leading hotel and
although no one was killed, the event
was worthy Of notieelA The Marquis
de Nores, having returned from the east,
has started operations at his Medora
ranch( and the cowboys were rejoicing
eyer their source Of financial supply.{5)
The hotel was filled: with transients, ,B)
most Of whom were called to the place
by business relationships with the Mar
quislD The dance was at its height at
midnight. The female population Of
the, Bad. Lands was present and tile cow
boys were deternine TO show theirr; met
tie and worthlD At midnight, revoly-
ers were drawnN and from that time
until morning (lO) the fusillade drowned
the music of the orchestra.Q13 Every
bedroom in the hotel was shot into(12)
and that no one was killed, is looked
upon as 'miracle.u3) DR.. Williamson
of this city, occupied a room near the
,ball-roomQ4) and his door was perforat-
edQ5) SO that it resembled the lid of
pepper-box.16) In the morning, he
picked up numerous bullets in bis room,
d. enough, according to one story, to
fill a quart cup(18t tand he believes
that his life was saved by the mattress,
under which he remained during the
night.Qg Every guest was paralyzed
with fear(20) and from the number of
bullets shot into their rooms(2D all feel
grateful that they escaped with their
lives.(2a) Not once during the night did
the dancing cease ,(2S women and men
cheering and yelling,(24) as each volley
was fired.(25r Whether the author of
the above was actuated by malice or
craving for the sensational. it is hard to
decide. Certain it is that there are
in the above article, twenty-five separate
and distinct lies. 1t might be best to
show them; by. mentioning the exact
facts. The ball was held on the evening
of April IL, and was managed by Fred
A. Willard and Moses Ryder, sufficient
guarantee, if there had been any need of
it,, that there would be no disturbance
whatever. The dance was not given in
honor Of the opening up of any new
work here, for the seasons work has not
as yet opened up in any of its branches,
but was given in honor of the stockmen
who were present for the purpose of at
tending the election and the stockgrow-
ers' meeting. The dance was attended
by the stockmen and citizens, with their
wives and daugAterss ara the low-minded
filings at the female population of the
Bad Lands" who were cheering and
yelling as each volley was fired" are
enough to make the blood of every man
who knows the facts, boil with indigna-
tion. Nowhere can be found truer or
more perfect women than are found
right here In the Bad Lands. To init
mate that they would in any way ap-
prove Of such ruffianly trait Us the dis
charging Of revolver inside of house,
or any 'bad man" shooting outside, is an
insult hard to be borne by the husbands
and fathers in the Bad Lands. There
was one shot and one only. fired in the
hotel that night and for that matter, the
only one that has been discharged there
since Mr.. Boyd assumed the manage
ment. This one was fired by some
drunken tenderfoot in the hall in front
Of DR.. Williamson's room, which by the
way, was the farthest removed in the ho-
tel from the dining-room, which was
used for dancing, Although no one at
the dance was in the slightest degree in
toxicated, we say that this man was
drunk because he made considerable
noise in the halls by colliding with DR..
Williamson's door, before discharging
his revolver. That the man was ten
derfoot is shown by the fact that his was
38-calibre revolver, which made so lit
tie noise that only few who were III
the Office of the hotel, heard the dis.
charge and after discussing its probable
whereabouts, concluded that it Was
fred near the depot. From extensive in
quiry, we are satisfied that this was thu
only shot fred in Medora during thu
evening. The bullet went through tn,
plastering in the hall and reboundet
from the brick to the floor, where it wa,
picked up in the morning by DR.. Viii
Hanson on coming out of his room
Not shot that or any other night, eve
went through doorsin the hotel. I
the Bismarck perjurfFwill come her
and show US solitary hole shot through
DR.. Williamson's or any other guest
door, we will fill it with diamonds an
give to him in token of the clearness an
beauty Of that truth which he SO rarel
Estumbles upon. The most of the bfam
for this criminal libel on Medora is no,
laid to DR.. Williamson, who undoubtedl
; took a highly colored account of the al
fair to Bismarck. We think we can pu
our finger on the man who sent the telt
gram to Chicago and who will probabl
be called on in suit for libel to ex plai
his version of the matter. Our column
. are open to DR.. Williamson to vindicat
himself from connection with what h
knows to Oe an entirely unjust commel
tary on Medora, slander on the citizeI
OF the Bad Lands and an insult to ever
woman here. g =