Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-06-22
HOW WILD BILL WAS KILLED.
The Story OF the Desperado's Murder In q
DendwOOd Saloon.

The Story Of the Desperado's Murder In
DeadwOod Saloon.
Mr.. Adler has known all the pioneers OF
The west and was friend of that pictur-
esque figure in western history, Wild BIZ.
He was within half a dozen PAGES of Bill
when Jack McCaull shot him in the back
of the head in Deadwood saloon. He tells
the story more minutely than it has ever
been told in print.
To paraphrase the quaint wording Of the
old pioneer, the killing fell about In this
way: Bill and McCaull occupied the same
cabin together at Deadwood in 1870. Bill
| came into camp with notoriety he had
been acquiring in all the border towns. He
was q gambler by profession and desper-
| ado by nature, He was the surest shot
with pistol in the west He had been
marshal of Hays City In its palmy days Of
lawlessness, and was afterward marshal OF
| Abilene when that little city had almost as
| hard a name. He had killed 80 many men
| that he had lost re count. So when he
rode into Deadwood, with his long yellow
hair pouring down on his shoulders, his
sombrero cooked sideways on his head and
with the ivory handled pistols in their hol-
sters swinging at either side, people were
naturally very respectful.
But Bill was man TO be feared rather
than respected. He was an inveterate card
player and cheated and robbed at the tables
with the pleasantest grace imaginable. lie
and McCaull became chums and patched
together In a cabin. McCaull had just as
bad character as Bill, but he had never
the opportunities to prove 1t, and If he had
he would probably have been dead before
Deadwood came into existence. At any
rate, he and Bill used to play brace against
every one they could get to put his legs un
der the table with them. While this proc
ess of fleeing was going on Bill and his
, partner pretended to be perfect strangers tc
each other.
One day they were at their usual trick:
with greenhorn in a canvas saloon on The
, main street. McCaull broke out and qui
the game. Directly he came up to Bill ant
, said, "Say, Bill, gimme quarter to buy I
. drink" Bill looked up at him as II he ha'
| never seen him before. Don't know you,
D he said. II guess you're good at the bar.
q McCaull went to the bar and asked for
. drink, but the barkseper, thinking he wa
! Joking, wouldn't let him have 1t.
q ! Then McCaull sulked about the stove TO
y little. Finally he went to Bill again an
said:
"Gimme 30 cents, Bill; I want to get
meal" And Bill, still carrying out his rol
OI Stranger, stiu, VIII rreseh~Su ASoei VI
n to HI for your meal"
McCaull's face flushed. He was not will
enough to see what Bill was driving a
q He went straight out of the saloon down
1t his cabin and got six shooter. When b
"a came back, he had 1t cooked In his Coz
:. pocket with his hand upon it, He wake
- - right up to Bill, and quick as fash stuc
II the muzzle OF the gun against Bips hea
ID end pulled the trigger. There was lea
pr OF fire from the barrel, resounding repo
y and Wild Bill fell over with his face amor
1 the poker chips, stone dead.
er McCaull was arrested and tried before
nt miners court aud acquitted, for the stol
"A he told was plausible one. But one da
- when In his cups, he boasted of the dee
es Detectives investigated his story and -four
do IL false and eventually he was hanged.
ON Denver Republican.