The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-05

Kickapoo Sam, - and the Texans went on
mile or two farther and drove away an
inoffensive German who was not game
man. and did not carry a big pistol. Bill
and MoIlie's claim was first class bottom
land, well timbered and worth a good
deal of money.
Bill proved up all right and built nice
little house on his claim. Just about this
time deputy marshals We're in demand,
and Bill was pointed out as a game"
man who would be likely to make a good
one. So Bill Snow moved to town and
began to wear high heeled boots, drink
liquor with the boys, dance with the girls
at the dancehouses and incidentally to
serve some warrants for the United States
marshal. Over in the POttawatomie
country he killed an Indian for whom he
had a warrant, and later on he had a
shooting match with a half breed Mexican
over pretty girl.
This latter affair came to the ears of
MolIie, his wife, and she concluded to fol-
low Bill some night. By this time Bill
had become SO popular that he had spent
the 81, 600 nest egg, sold his claim Oh the
Canadian and was about through with
the proceeds of that He had advanced
from the stage where they call a man
game and had become noted as kill
err AS he remem bered the dime novel
days in Illinois he wished some of his old
chums could hear of his exploits, so he
had local writer give him ''sendoff.' -
This newspaper notoriety stirred up
other bad men" with records, and Bill
had to defend his title with his pistol,
with the result that he killed man
named Dennis over in the Chickasaw
country. When he returned to Oklahoma,
he was more of hero than ever But his
money was almost gone, and he had an
extravaganza girl on his hands, the former
mistress of the Mexican whom he had
killed. Added to this, he went into poll
tics and tried to be elected sheriff. His
record as a '.killer'' was not in his favor,
and he was defeated by the better class of
people.
About this time his wife, Mollie, follow
ed him to questionable house in company
with a man, friend of BilI's They
came upon the killer unexpectedly in
the hall, and Bill, mistaking the reason
for his wife's presence in the house, shot
the man with her. He was arrested and
thrown into Jail. By this time many peo-
pie who were afriad of him conspired to
see that he got justice and was hanged.
His wife, Mollie, was almost the only
friend he had left. With all the money
at her disposal she managed to arrange
matters SO that Bill escaped before the
time set for his trial. All he had left was
his six shooter, his reputation as kill
err and horse which he stole from the
sheriff. Every ones hand was now against
him, and he rode south into the wild
country arand the Wichita mountains and
then joined the Rogers gang
He had now gone through all the stages
from 'tenderfoot boomer to a game
man." and thence to a recognized ''kill-
er, and now he had landed in the '.des-
perado'' ranks He held up stages and
robbed express cars. He got all the noto-
riety his nature craved. Still his Illinois
wife chung to him, and year ago she even
visited him at his retreat in the hills. But
the officers followed her and became so
hot on her husbands trail that she had TO
leave. a few weeks ago an Indian scout
| caught Snow mapping and shot him full
of holes. Mollie learned of his fate and
committed suicide-her hero, the game
man, the killer" and, lastly, the .'des-
perado'' was dead.