Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-09-01
WILD BILL HICKoX.
Rv Alfred Henry Lewis.

talking. He leaned back IN an arm
chair at the Army and Navy Club and
became reminiscent "HickOX got his
nom de guerre of Wild Bill at indie
pendence. No. when he was about
nineteen years old. This was some
time late in the ffties. when Independ-
ence was the busy end of the Santa Fe
trail.
"HickOx was mule skinner freight
ing to Santa Fe and back, and in some
street fight which occurred in indie
pendence. in which HickOX had no
original interest, he conducted himself
with such limitless valOr and appeared
so utterly reckless of results that he
was ever afterward called Wild Bill
"The most remarkable exploit ac-
credited to HickOx was after he had
became Wild Bill and was keeper of
stage station somewhere out in Kan
sas. on the Santa Fe trail. He had had
trouble with a semi outlaw by the name
of Jake McCandlas. McCandlas was
one of the border fighters from Mis-
souri, and occasionally raided through
Kansas while the border war was in
progress. Just before the sixties. He
had il in for Wild Bill.
zone day Wild Bill had gone over to
visit the wife of a friend who had died.
On his way he shot a wild turkey with
his pistol and carried it along. While
sitting talking with the lady, out across
the prairies he saw band of men COM
ing and knew them for the McCandlas
gang by some of the horses. His own
horse. Black Nell. was standing out in
front of the house. Wild Bill realized
that trouble was at hand. He direct
ed the lady to go into a storm cellar,
where she would be safe from stray
bullets. A Hawkins rifle was hanging
on the wall.
"Ts it loaded? asked Wild Bill of the
widow.
"She said it was. He took it down
and then proceeded to load the empty
chamber of his siX-shOoter, using a
rough piece of lead in lieu of a bullet.
Then he barricaded the doors and win
dows.
wild Bill HickoX is inside, said
McCandlas. as he rode up. I know it
by the cuss's horse, Black Nell.
There were eleven men in the Nc
Candlas party. Their leader demand
ed that Wild Bill surrender. The lat
ter jauntily applied some opprobrious
epithets to McCandlas, and told him TO
come and get him. McCandlas, who
was dead game. ran at the window and
came crashing in-glass, sash and all.
He fired a shot just as he broke in the
window. but missed Wild Bill. Nc
Candless Fell on the floor and never got
up. for Wild Bill shot him through the
head with rifle The other ten all as
sailed the house at the same time with
NcCandlas. They were breaking in
windows on all sides and shooting as
they came.
"Wild Bill could never tell the de-
tails of the fight. He says he recOllects
killing six men with his six shooter
with a rapidity like the ticking of a
clock. He then drew a nine inch bowie
knife and succeeded in slaughtering
the last one of the eleven. When the
corpses were collected one mans arm
had been broken i'm some fashion, eth
er by a wrench which Wild Bill gave
him-for he was a very powerful man
or from some accidental blow re-
ceived from his own party. Wild Bill
was covered with wounds. both from
knife thrusts. and lead. He was all
but fainting at the wind up. but man
aged to get the door open and staggered
to a tub OF rain water at the corner OF
the house to get a drink.
"He tainted away and fell with his
head i'm the tub and would undoubtedly
have drowned had it not been for the
widow. who came out of the storm cell
lar and rescued him. They got Wild
Bill over the several prairie miles 10
the stage station and that afternoon he
started for Kansas CITY on the
stage. He was several months recover
| ing. and was attended by woman who
still lives i'm Kansas City.
"Wild Bill was, like many OF his
sort. q profound remOrseless gambler.
Ii was utterly useless to talk of work
| or reputable employment to Wild Bill
/ Hickox. Through the war he was a
/ scout for the Union army. He had few
| convictions but. being born AID bred
| i'm Illinois. one of them was an intense
antipathy to secession. It was thus he
| became a scout of the Union army.
After the war, wherein he achieved
| considerable fame for daring. energy
/ and nerve as scout, Wild Bill estab-
/ lished himself at Springfield Mo. II
was there he killed Tut, who had been
chief of scouts in Prices army.
"Tutt. like Wild Bill. was a gambler
and they often met, and while they were
/ in no degree in love with each other,
| they managed to get along. Still, there
were more men Of TUFTS political convic-
/ tions i'm Springfield who were on the
/ shoot than there were of Wild Bills
/ They made ND their minds to run him
ont or kill him. He owed Tut some
/ money as the result of a poker game
| One night Wild Bill was playing poker
I with some parties. Tut came up and
stood looking on. Wild Bits gold
watch was lying on the table near him.
! Just as Tut came up Wild Bill won a
Jack pot with something like a hun
! dred dollars in it.
q" You seem to be flush. Bill said
| Tut I'm a half ugly tone. Suppose you
/ pay me that $40 YOU owe me-
II owe YOU $50 said Wild Bill, and
| here il is turning over three ten-dOllar
/ bills to Tut. who took It. put it in his
pocket and then said, Give me the 9TH
| err ten
That's all owe YOU said Wild Bill,
/ and YOU have got it,
"Tutt picked ND the gold watch that
was lying at Wild Bills elbow. with the
remark. We'll. YOU still owe me ten, and
Inn keen this watch till you pay it, He
nut the watch in his pocket and turned
TO go. Wild Bill took it very coolly
and said nothing. Everybody was
somewhat amazed if not Disguised, at
the tameness of this Young Union scout.
"Just as Tut went out of the door
he looked back at Wild Bill with
.ronr md The rarnarlz. Won don't saam