Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-04

Loaded With Bread and Cheese, &
Murderer Was Ordered to Skip.

From the Minneapolis Journal.
ut was in 1876 that Wild Bill William
Hickok) was murdered in Deadwood by
Jack Mccall. Nearly every one has heard
the story of Wild Bill but 1 am of the
opinion that the story of the trial of Nc
Call by a lynch court, and his marvellous
escape, has never appeared in print" So
said Judge Shannon of Canton the other
day 1t was early in the seventies when the
judge came TO Dakota under appointment
by Gen. Grant as territorial chief justice,
and probably no man is so familiar with
the thrilling incidents connected with the
early settlement by the whites. Mccall
was afterward tried before me- he con-
tnued, found guilty of murder in the first
degree, sentenced to the gallows. and SUBJ
sequently hanged at Yankton. During his
trial all the incidents of the murder and his
escape We're brought out Wild BIZ was
playing cards, when Mccall walked UP be-
hind him and shot him dead. The assassin
was instantly seized by those present, and
a mob soon assembled that cried for blood.
1t was finally decided to organize court
and give him trial for his life. A judge
was selected, jury Of twelve men empan-
eled, and counsel was appointed for both
the prosecution and the defense.
1.-The prosecution made out strong case
of cold-bloodsd deliberate murder. When
1t came to the defense, Mccall, who was
man of some education and ability, adj
dressed the jury himself. He struck the
only chord that was likely to vibrate to
his interest when he said he had known
wild BIZ down in Texas; that they were
friends and that he had introduced him to
his family. wild Bin,' he stated, had
abused his friendship and betrayed his sis
ter. For that crime he had visited VEN
geance on him. That began to put new
phase on matters. While they condemned
him for shooting n man without giving him
chance for his. life. they regarded the
killing as justtiable. But just then the at
torney for the prosecution came in. He
asked for proof of McCalrs story, and al
legged tnat McCalis evidence should have
no weight. Mccall said he had been hunt
ing for Wild Bill ever since the occur
renee and that he had no proofs of his
statements beyond his own words, and that
no sane man would walk up in crowd
and shoot another down unless he had
cause for so doing.
The jury took the case and deliberated
on it for some time, ana finally returned
with one of the queerest verdicts that mas
ever been heard of by any one. They were
not sure of his guilt. SO they decided to
give him a chance for his life. They put
him on fast horse. filled his pockets with
bread and cheese and gave him minute
start, after which they would kill him if
they could. They were all armed with
Winchester rifles and revolvers, and were
horsemen and excellent shots.
when the wo:d was given, Mccall
started for his life. Before the minute was
up, he began throwing himself rapidly
from one side to the other, to divert the
aim of his pursuers. At the end of the
fatal minute the word was given and the
pursuit and fusilade began. 1t seems al
most incredible, but he escaped. He ran
into Wyoming, and after about three weeks
turned up IN Cheyenne, where he was ar
rested by a United States marshal and
turned over to a marshal in Dakota. On
trial il was shown that the story of the
seduction of his sister was a falsehood
cunningly devised to save his neck. He
murdered Wild BIZ for the notoriety of
having killed the famous scout, and thor