Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-08-01
WILDCAT BILL.

cat Bili tho RattleSnakc or Bender'S FIAT.
Not that that was his name, Of course, or
that his name was Bill or even william, or
that, so far as know, no had ever seen II
wildcat or would have known n rattle
snake II he had met one, and am certain
there was no such place ms Bendcr's Flat,
but this Is what no was pleased to call
himself. In point Of fact, his name was
Ernest WilberfOrce or something Of that
sort, and he came originally from Bnldins-
willie, Conn, or some such mild wildcat
less and nonrattlcsnako neighborhood.
ellis finances became reduced and tho
time came when something had tn be done
lilo determined To take up the vocation of
desperate In purely commercial way. il
IN unnecessary to say that no had never
shot man or shot at u man or shot In tho
direction of where any man or other NOM
her of tho human race WAS or hnd been or
expected to DO. Indeed you couldn't prove
IL by mo thnt he had over shot Oft gun
or knew trigger from u chjectory. Badg-
er Rock was nj That time u small town en-
gagged chiefly In tho business Of transfer
ring pcople from the rnilrond station to tho
stages which run to certain gold and silver
mines A grcnt many EASTERN people,
capitalists and no forth, passed through It,
but few stud In tho place moro than u few
hours.
como day, hnlf hour before tho train
from the enst WINS duo, the clerk of tho hotel
wns ast0nishcd TO SEQ this man enter Clad
in most striking cowboy costume, wearing
belt with two rcvolvnrs and u knife In II
and carrying n heavy, double barrclcd
shotgun with the barrels sawed Oft, 40 TINT
they were not more than n foot long mnk
ing u weapon such as liz sometimes affected
10y desperate characters, treasure coach
guards, deputy shcriffs or other individuals
engaged In turning thoir hands against
thor fellow mon.
at IL II piece Of ordnance which ~ sup
posed to DO londod with inordlnnte charges
If powder ana irru2ulnf slugs of loud. 1t
makes nm excellent companion for ono
gentleman to walt around tho corner with
iornnothor gentleman who has been tollinB
about town that no Ohio first Rontlcman)
" n liar
'Io tho surprised inquiries Of tho hotel
olork Wibcrforco explained that no was
now Wildcat BIZ, the RnttlesnnkO of
isondor's Fiat, and that Nil he asked was
tho simple prlviloR" OF waiting behind the
half open door Of tho Office for Peto Smith
of Patohrn's ranch. Tho olork had mover
honrd any of thoso names before, but ns
thcro was no rulo against II no consented
ut was not long before tho train mr.
rived and mn elderly and correct appear
ing man alightod ana mndc his why to.
ward tho hotel. Ilo was, In fact, prom
inont Boston capitalist and this was his
first trip to tho somewhat extensive region
west of the Connecticut river. Az no on
laR al. ,I,I
tho muzzlo of tho shotgun, with It's two
oavornous SHIFTS, apparently about tho sizo
Ut sewer pipe, which objected mn inch be-
You'd tho edge of tho open door. \ glance
pehind showed u most murdcrous indIvld
ual, breathing short aud with his finger
moving noryousy ON both Triggers. Tho
Boston man stepped quickly To tho clork
and whispered:
'Who--who IL that mnnp'
"'Thnts Wildcat Bin, tho RnttIcsnalle
nf i'onder's Fiat, nns worcd tho clerk.
Whnt-whnt Is ho doinRY'
Waiting for Pete Smith of pmchun's
ranch, replied tho clcrk
Will-,will no shoot himY'
" Jlo viii blow hin, into pieces, unless
pOtO shoots first
Is th"--thc-kc gentleman expected
HnonY' went ON tho MN from tho liuh,
"'Pcte comes I'm nj 9;ib for II drink
"Tho visitor ronhnltod his watch and
found IT. was 80.
" " there no way 10 stop such u terri
bio thingf he inquired earnestly
"Tho clerk shook his head No. he
replied 'liill has shot - men, aud You
aoo hos not u three torncrrd flo In his
mouth now to file the twenty third notch
In his six shooter aftr he gots through
with Poto. But, adted tho clerk cont
hentnlly perhaps ho could be hired to
postpone tho operation for u Tow hours,
say TIL nttor you have left for the mincs.
"Tho upshut of it, WIS that for $40 tho
Rnltlcsnnkc agreed nrt To- shoot poto till
after O'clock, and tho Boston man again
drew n full breath
NATURALLY SO easy aud rapid u way Of
making money could lOt he left uncultl
vatnd, and Wildcat Brl bccnno regular
thing behind the hotel door ut tmintimc
ilc divided profits with tho clork, and they
did thriving business His terms for
consuming tn postpoIa temporarily tho
awful slaughter of his enemy varied from
10 to $50, according to The means or terror
Of the subject, Only one attempt proved u
total failure This WAS In the case of u
mllicklnR youth FROM Louisville, who sat
down and announced That he was goinEto
walt and sco tho fun. He was finally tired
out Ivy the incXphcahlo failure Of Pete
saith to arrive,
"Tho game was KEEP. up several years
and would perhaps haN been still going
on Ind II not boon for az unfortunate acci
dent Ono day man came into tho office
with black ebony canc. Having u Nnliso
in either hand, he was carrying this cane
III u horizontal position under his arm.
When the end of II pokod around the door,
Wildcat liill, the RattlcSnnkc of Bender \
Flat, mistook II for the muazlc or some
sort of n weapon, uttered an aRoniHcd cry,
dropped his own gun, lcnpcd through u
window and ran ~ half mile for safety. 1t
unncrvcd him 10 such m extent that he
mover returned To his profession and final
" dropped out of sight "--rruc Flag
One Woman. Pocket.
a lady In IN omnibus travelling from
,.t.. - u.