The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-28
HOW WILD BILL WAS KILLED.
Tho Story of the Desperado's Murder In a
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Tho Story of the Desperado's Murder In
Dcadwood Saloon.
Mr. Adler has known all the pioneers of
the west and was friend of that pictur
esaue figure in western history, Wild Bill.
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 infinitely 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 ard McCaull occupied the same
cabin together at Deadwood in 1875. Bill
came into camp with notoriety he had
been acquiring in all the border towns He
was a 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 palniy days Of
lawlessness, and was afterward marshal of
Abilene when that little city had almost as
hard a name He had killed so many men
that be had lost the 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. He
and McCaull became chums and patched
together in cabin. McCaull had just as
bad a character as Bill, but he had never
the opportunities to prove it, 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 tricks
with a greenhorn in canvas saloon on the
main street McCaull broke out and quit
the game Directly he came up to Bill and
said Say Bill, gimme quarter to buy a
drink" Bill looked up at him as If he had
never seen him before. Don't know you,
he said ~ guess you're good at the bar. VI
McCaull went to the bar and asked for a
drink, but the barkeeper, thinking he was
joking, wouldn't let him have it,
Then McCaull sulked about the stove fol
little. Finally he went to Bill again and
said:
"Gimme 80 cents, Bill; want to get a
meal" And Bill still carrying out his role
of stranger said, with pretended heat, TIC
to HI for your meal"
McCaulls face flushed. He was not willy
enough to see what Bill was driving at
He went straight out of the saloon down tc
his cabin and got a six shooter When he
came back, he had it cooked in his coat
pocket with his hand upon it. lie walked
right up to Bill and quick as a flash stuck
the muzzle of the gun against Bills heat
and pulled the trigger. There was leaI
of fire from the barrel, resounding repor
and Wild Bill fell over with his face among
the poker chips, stone dead.
McCaull was arrested and tried before
miners court aud acquitted, for the stor.
he told was a plausible one, But one day
when in his cups, he boosted of the deed
Detectives investigated his story and fouuC
it false, and eventually he was hanged
Denver Republican.