Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-04-29

feud, when scarcely a month went bv
without the recital Of murder. 10 was
so with the HatfeIdTurner feud in
Kentucky, where judges were murder
ed Cd the bench, and sheritfS were made
targets by men they tried 70 arrest.
These mountain desperadOeS were so
strong as TO set the authority Of govern
ors at defiance, and the story Of their
barbarities presents record as cruel
and brutal as anything recited in the
most lurid history Of Indian maSsacreS.
As the country becomes more settled,
schools will be established and law and
order will take the place Of that vlO-
lence which has so long distinguished
the sparseIy settled portions Of the south
and west.
The western bad man is therefore not
q new character, under a new name,
who finds the method OF murder modi
fed by his environment. A quarter OF
a century ago, or Immediately after the
war, the western deSperadO, who was
Invariably 4 gambler, and at times a
fighter, was, physically, az least, most
picturesque character. William Hay
cock, or "Wild Bill" as he delighted 20
be called, was a fine type Of this class.
While connected with the government
survey ia 1867, met this man at Fort
Riley, Kansas, where he was then en-
plOyed as an Indian scout He was a
most striking looking man, and at this
time was, l think, about twenty-Seven
years Of age. lie was dressed 10 4
fanciful buckskin suit, with the regula-
tiOn string edges, and was over six
feet ia heighth, straight as an Indian,
with long, kark hair, dark eyes, and
easy tiger-like movement which denoted
great strength and activity. Wild
Bill was regarded favOrably by the
officers OF the fort, who believed him
to be brave, law abiding citizen, but
al the same time one OF the best horse
men and rifle shots 20 be found along
the frontier Women, whiSkey aud
faro proved the ruin Of Wild Bill He
drifted out of the government service,
became a gambler and desperate, a
"bad western man." In fact, and died
with his boots Oh" 10 the Black Hills.
II is curious fact that no men who
have become conspicuous on the from
tier and ia the mining camps as outlaws
and deSperadOes are natives OF New
England. Indeed, we find more Irish,
French, Germans and even EngliShmen,
amongst this outlaw class, than we do
or New Engianders. As might be ex-
pected, a majority OF them come from
the southern and western states, where
from childhood they have been accus-
toned 10 carrying firearms, aud whose
early training made them more familiar
with targets than with school books.
10 the early eos there was no man bet
ter known in Texas and along the Rio
Grande as far as Colorado than John
Wesley Harding. Harding was a na-
tive Of Kentucky. and drifted TO the
Southwest while still young man. A
gambler by Instinct, be became a muir
derer by profession. He killed men on
the slightest provOcstiOns, and without
any prOvOcation az all in the most wan
ton and blCOdthlrsty way. Like most
OF his class, Harding was a coward at
heart, and never drew his pistol on q
man unless he had him at his mercy.
Indictments for murder were out against
him 10 all the counties of the frontiers,
and TO escape he went 10 Florida. He
was captured aud taken TO COmanche
County, Texas, tried for murder, and
sentenced 10 fifteen years in the peni-
Tertiary. Had be stolen twenty-three
horses instead Of killing twenty-three
men the chances are that be would have
been lynched before even being brought