The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-14
THE DEATH OF WILD BILL.
Leander Richardson's RecoIIections
of a Famous western Character.

Leander Richardson's RecoIlections
of a Famous Western Character.
Deadwood City, full to overlooking
with thieves, assassins, skin gamblers
and other elements of disorder, was rap
idly coming to the point where some
sort of government was necessary. At
such times on the frontier there is al
ways struggle and usually hand-to-
hand combat between the lawless and
the orderly classes. Wild Bill had been
marshal in other and similar places,
and people began to talk of him for
marshal of Deadwood. That outcome,
everybody knew, would mean short
Shrift for crooks and disturberS.
In the town there was a man named
Jack Mccall, living under an alias. He
was in the condition technically known
as ''stone broke" The agitation of the
marshaiShip was growing warm. The
thieves and skins saw their inevitable
end drawing near. 1t began to go
around that Wild Bill could never hold
office in Deadwood City A rumor
reached Utter that the big plainsman
who had ruled half a dozen towns was
to be assassinated. That evening he
came over to camp looking serious.
BILL" said he, after supper, its
pretty dull around here, don't you
think SOP
Wild Bill nodded, looking into the
fire
"Ive been considering" resumed Ut
ter, that we might as well take a
move"
''Well, it might be a good scheme to
organize a little party" continued
Utter, persuasively, ''and go over to
Standing Rock and cut out some po-
Mes
BY cutting out ponies" Utter meant
the swooping down of a few white men
upon herd of Indian ponies, driving
| them off and selling them-a plan
which, in the easy morality of the
prairie. is perfectly legitimate where
Indians are concerned.
Bill was silent.
Joe will go along" resumed Utter
urgently, and so will Richardson, q
wasn't so sure about thaO and a dozen
others. Will you go?''
Not a id foot"
''Why not?'
.eWeil, those fellows over across the
creek have laid it out to kill me, and
they're going to do it, or they ain t.
Any way, 1 don't stir out of here, I'M
less I'm carried out"
That was when I saw the quick flash
of ferocity in Wild Bits eyes.
The conversation ended at this point.
Everybody knew it was useless 10 ar
que with Wild Bill when his mind was
set, and so everybody went on about
his business as before. Two days
afterward chose fellows over across
the creek carried out their PROPOSE
ton.
Five men, among them Wild Bill
were playing poker in a shanty saloon
Standing about were a dozen others
Hooking on. Bits back was toward the
door. Seated next him to the left was
an elderly man with his back against
the wall Something had been said
about his changing seats with Bill and
after that hand the exchange would
have occurred. Human life hangs or
slender threads. With his back TO the
wall Wild Bill would have been safe
enough, because few men would
have dared to attack him openly.
Suddenly, without a word of warn.
ing, without even the knowledge Of
those standing nearest him, an under
sized man right behind Bills chair, 6
man whom Bill had never seen in al
his life, showed a six shooter to his
head and fired. There was muff1eG
report, Bill partly Strengthened up, anG
then fell over sidewise dead. The under
sized man ran out. The elderly player
flashed through the door and UP The
sue Ol lie SuICu, SIOuliuS MuTueF.
The town was in an uprOar. There wa!
"a miners jury" consisting almos
solely of skin gamblers, to sit on the
lease. To them the assassin told a pre-
larranged story of how his only brother
had been shot by Wild Bill, and how
he had nobly avenged that brother.
, death. It was all a wild farce, tina
trial, just as Utter and his friend.
knew it would be, and the murderer wa.
set free. Until now he had been abso
lutely without money In a few day.
he turned up in Laramie City will
plenty of free gold in his possession
and boastfully declaring that he haC
slain Wild Bill in single combat. Wher,
did he get the gold?
Mccall was arrested and taken tt
Yankton. Utter pursued him to tn,
very scaffold, furnished the witnesses
paid their expense out of his own peck
ct and fairly convicted the wretchec
coward, who snivelled and whined lik,
J a horsewhipped hound when it cams
faithful to his old friend to the last
Wild Bill was buried at Utter's ex
pense. 1t is a late day to plaster tn,
mud of falsehood over the memory O
this fallen giant of the frontier
A lock of the dead mans hair wa.
cut off after his body was prepared TO
burial Utter took half of the lon,
brown strand and I have the other hal
to this day. 1t is as glossy as spun
glass and as soft as down. Near tn
roots there is just a touch Of roughnes
J where the life blood of a brave, grea
; hearted American man gushed out a
the assassin's bullet crashed through
his brain.-Leander Richardson in tn