Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-13
WILD BILL HlCKOX.

Army and Navy club and became reminis-
cent
"Hickox got his nom de guerre of Wild
Bill at Independence, Mo-, when he was
about 10 years old. This was some time
late in the fifties, when Independence was
the busy end of the Santa Fe trail.
'HickOX was mule skinner, freighting
to Santa Fe and back, and in some street
fight which occurred in Independence, in
which Hickox had no original interest, he
conducted himself with such limitless val
or and appeared SO utterly reckless of re-
suits that he was ever afterward called
Wild Bill.
"Wild Bill was, like many Of his sort, a
profound, remorseless gambler. 1t was
utterly useless to talk of work or reputa-
BILE employment to Wild Bill HickoX
Through the war he was a scout for the
Union army He had few convictions,
but being born and bred in Illinois, one of
them was an intense antipathy to seces-
sion. it was thus be became u scout OF
the Union army. Alter the war, wherein
he achieved considerable fame for daring
energy and nerve rs a scout, Wild Bill es-
tablishod himself at Springfield, Mo- 1t
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 convictions in
Springfield who were on the shoot than
there were of Wild Bills. They made up
their minds to run him out or kill him.
He owed Tut some money a. the result of
poker game. Ono night Wild Bill was
playing poker with some friends. Tutt
came up and stood looking on. Wild Bills
gold watch was living on tho table near
him. just as Tutt came up Wild Bill
won jack pot with something like 500
in it.
"'You seem to be nush Bill said Tutt
in half ugly tone. '5Sppose you pay mo
that $40 you owe me.
81 owe you $50, said Wild Bill, and
here it is, turning over three $40 bills to
Tut, who took them, put them in his
pocket and then said, Give me the other
ten
"'That's all owe you, said Wild Bill,
and you have got it,
'Tutt picked up the gold watch that
was lying at Wild Bills elbow, with the
remark, We'll, you still owe me ten, and
I'll keep this watch till you pay it, He
put the watch in his pocket and turned to
go. Wild Bill took it very coolly and said
nothing. Everybody was somewhat
amazed, if not disgusted at the tameness
of the young Union scout.
Just as Tutt went out of the door he
looked back at Wild Bill with a sneer and
the remark: You don't seem to kCcr for
this watch much, Bill. I'd supposed you'd
have set more store by it. If you begin to
feel like you need it, 1 am going to pack
it across the square at noon tomorrow, and
you might be there and get it, if you know
how
"Wild Bill made no reply to what was
understood by all present to be a challenge
to duel and calmly went on with his
poker game, while Tut departed. That
night Wild Bill was found by friend at
his hotel very earnestly cleaning and load
ing his pistols.
"'What are you going to dol? asked the
friend, who was an army officer stationed
at Springfield.
"'I am going to kill Tut tomorrow
noon, said Wild Bill, cor he's going to
kill me-
"The next day at noon about all the
male inhabitants of Springfield were in
the square to see the fun. Tut came into
the square on the east side, while Wild
Bill stood in front of the courthouse, dag
onally across the corner of the square from
Tut. They were fully $50 yards apart,
and all the lines ran diagonal to the line
of fire between them. l mention it be-
cause it makes Wild Bills shot all the
more remarkable The minute Tutt came
in view he pulled his pistol, as did also
Wild Bill. They were too far apart for
Tut, who had no idea that Bill could
reach him at that distance But he didn't
know Wild Bill. He raised his gun and
fred like a flash, and Tut dropped dead
with n bullet in his head, fully $50 yards
away.
"Wild Bill was so sure of his aim that
he never paused but whirled on the crowd
behind him, several of whom were friends
of Tutt and had half drawn their pistols
to revenge him. Wild Bill was too prompt
and quick. He covered the gang in n gen
erll way with both his pistols and re-
marked:
WAS hat on the square, gentlemen"
"The effect of such witchlike skill on
tho nerves Of tho crowd was too much.
The general vicw,seemed TO be that tho
killing of Tut was on the square, and
that ended the business. Wild Bill staid
in Springfield as long as he pleased after
that.
"Back in 1881 met the man who was
playing cards with Wild Bill when he was
killed in the Black Hills. l forget the old
fellows name, but at the time met him
he was captain of Missouri river steam
boat called the Lady Lee running between
Kansas City and st. Louis. The bullet
that killed Wild Bill struck the old cap
tain in the forearm after passing complete
| ly through Hickox's head.
"The old captain told me when Wild
Bill was shot he was dealing the cards.
They were all playing poker at the time.
His assassin shot him in the back of the
head. The bullet crashed clear through
and came out under his eye, striking the
old river pirate in the arm. Wild Bill
never knew what hit him, and his taking
off illustrates that aphorism Of the Bible,
They that live by the sword shall perish
by the sword
"The remarkable thing about it all was
that although Wild Bill was dealing the
cards and had not the slightest notice Of
the shot which took his life, yet when he
was picked up off the floor both his pistols
were in his hands and one was cooked.
| Some medical man, lecturing on the latent
impulses of the nerves, might get good
lecture some time out of the fact that Wild
Bill drew his pistols after he was dead"
II