The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-10-19
the MURDER OF WILD BILL
Judge Shannon Of Canton Tells
he True Story.
First Reliable Account of the Trial an,
Subsequent. Proceedings - 9use,
verdic. OF the Jury Me.
Calls I'D for Lif..

Sioux Falls, 8. d.. Oct. lift was ii
1875 tina; Wild Bill. whose real name was
William Hitchcock, was murdered II
Deadwood by Jack Mccall.
Nearly everyone has heard the stor.
of Wild Bill, but 1 am of the opinion
that the story OF the trial of Mccall by
a lynch court and his marvellous escape
has never appeared in print"
So said Judge shannon of Canton. IL
was early In the 70s when the judgs
came to Dakota under appointment by
General Grant as territorial chief jus
ltice. and probably no man Is SO familiar
with the thrilling incidents connected
with the early settlement by the whites
Mccall was afterwards tried before
me- he continued, found guilty OF
murder in the first degree, sentenced to
the gallows and subsequently hanged al
Yankton. During his trial all the incl
dents of the murder and his escape were
brought out.
Wild Bill was playing cards when
Mccall walked up behind him and shot
him dead. The assassin was instantly
seized by these present and a mob soon
assembled that cried for his blood.
1t was finally decided to organize q
court and give him a trial for his life.
~ JuuSS was SSlcGtcu, d JURY VI lWSlSF
was empanneled n counsel were up
pointed both for the prosecution and the
defense.
The prosecution made out a strong
case of cold blooded, deliberate muir
der. When it came to the defense, Nc
Call, who was a man of some education
and ability, addressed the jury himself.
He struck the only chord that was like
II, tn yihyo ia TN h.S interact whan ha said
he had known Wild Bill down in Texas,
that they were friends and that he had
introduced him into his family. Wild
Bill, he stated, had abused his friend
| ship and betrayed his sister. For that
crime he had visited vengeance on him.
That began to put a new phase on mat
tiers. While they condemned him for
shooting a man without giving him q
chance for his life, they regarded the
killing as justifable. But just there
the attorney for the prosecution came
N. He asked for proof of McCalPs
story, and alleged that McCalis evil
dence should have no weight. Mccall
said he had been hunting for Wild BIZ
even since the occurrence and that he
had no proofs of hts statements beyond
his own words and that no sane man
would walk up in a crowd and shoot
another down unless he had cause TO!
so doing.
THE jury took the case and deltberat.
ed on it for some time and finally re-
t ned with one of the queerest verdicts
that has ever been heard Of by anyone.
They were o sure of his guilt, SO
they had decided to give him a chance
for his life. They put him o. a fast
horse, filled his pockets with bread and
cheese m gave him one minutes start
after which they would kill him IL they
could. They We're all around with Win
chester rifles and revolvers and We're eX-
cellent horsemen and excellent shots.
when the word was given Mccall
started for his life. Before the minute
was up he began throwing himself rap.
idly from one side to the other to divert
the aim of his pursuers. AT the end OF
the fateful minut the word was given
and the pursuit and fusilade began.
ut seems almost incredible, but he
escaped without injury. He ran into
Wyoming and after about three weeks
turned up in Cheyenne where he was
arrester by a United States marshal and
turned over to a marshal in Dakota.
ION trial it was shown hat the story
of the seduction of his sister vas a false,
hood cunningly devised to save his neck
He murdered Wild Bill for the notorie.
ty Of having killed the famous scout.
and thoroughly deserved the execution
that followed his conviction. But the
verdict of the lynch jury was unique anG
original in the history of crimina
trials"