Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-11
HOW WILD BILL WAS KILLED,
The Story OF the Desperado's Murder In I,
Deadwood Saloon.

Mr.. Adler has known all the pioneers Of
.he west and was n friend Of that pictur-
esque 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 a Deadwood saloon. He tells
the story more minutely than it has ever
tSen 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 1876 Bill
came into camp with notoriety he had
been acquiring in all the border towns. He
was 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 bad killed so many men
that he had lost le count. So when he
rode into Deadwood, with his long yellow
hair pouring down on his shoulders, his
sombrero cooked sideways on bis 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 batched
together in a cabin. McCaull had just as
bad character as Bill, but he had never
the opportunities TO prove il, 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 I'M
der the table with them. While this proc.
ess of fleecing was going on Bin and his
partner pretended 10 be perfect strangers &c
each other.
One day they were at their usual tricks
with greenhorn in a canvas saloon on the
main street. McCaull broke out and quit
| the game. Directly he came up TO Bill and
| said, say, Bill, gimme a quarter to buy IA
| drink" Bill looked up at him as if he had
never seen him before. Don't know you, F"
he said. II guess you're good at the bar"
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 for
| little. Finally he went 10 Bill again anu
said;
Gimme 30 cents, Bill; want to get n
meal" And Bill, still carrying out his role
OF stranger, said, with pretended heat, "Go
TO hi for your meal"
McCaull's face flushed He was not willy
enough to see what Bill was driving =,
He went straight out of the SALON down to
his cabin and got six sL.,o6ter When he
came Dack' ne har. 10 cooked in his coat
POCKET w-sn his hand upon it. He walked
] r--nt up to Bill, and quick as fash stuck
the muzzle of the gun against Bills head
and pulled the trigger. There was leap
of fire frcm the barrel, a resounding report
and Wild Bill fell over with his face among
the poker chips, stone dead.
McCaull was arrested and tried before a
miners court aud acquitted, for the story
he told was plausible one. But one day
when in his cups, he boasted OF the deed
Detectives investigated his story and found
1t false, and eventually he was hanged -
Denver Republican.