Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-09-05
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DAR-
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
The Most Remarkable Exploit of
"Wild Bill' HlckoX-An Excit-
ing Story of Abduction.

command" 1t wasN
retired army officer who was talking,
says the Washington Star. He leaned
back in an arm chair at the Army and
Navy Club and became reminiscent.
"Hickox got his nom do guerre of
Wild Bill at Independence. Mo-, when
he was about nineteen years old. This
was some time late in the fifties, when
Independence was the busy end of the
Santa Fe trail.
'Hickox was q mule skinner, freight
ing to Santa Fe and back, and in some
street fight which occurred in Inde-
pendence, in which Hickox had no or
iginal interest, he conducted himself
with such limitless valor and appeared
SO utterly reckless of results that ho
was ever afterward called wild
Bill
''He was n natural born pistol shot
and could shoot in the dark by ear.
In fact, he could hit any object once
he had located it, and he aimed pis-
tol by fashion of nervous instinct
rather than by sight. He could hit
dime tossed in the air and shot with
his left hand as we'll as he did with
his right. He stood on Market Square
on one occasion in Kansas City, just
after the war, and with q pistol in
each hand put twelve bullets in one of
the Os in an Il. o. o. F. sigu which
was tackled to the third story of the
building in the centre Of what was
called Battle Row. He fired both pis-
tolls together and the twelve shots
sounded like six.
"The most remarkable exploit ac-
credited TO Hickox was after he Ind
become Wild Bill and was keeper of
stage station somewhere out in Kan
sas on the Santa Fe trail. He had had
trouble with semi-outlaw by the
name of Jake McCandlas McCandlas
wns one of the border fighters from
Missouri and occasionally raided
through Kansas, while the border war
was in progress, just before the six
ties. He had it in for Wild Bill.
Gone day Wild Bill had gone over
to visit the wife OF q friend who had
died. On his way he shot n wild tur-
key with his pistol and carried it
along. While sitting talking with the
lady, out across the prairies he saw a
band of men coming and knew them
for the McCapdlas 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 directed the lady to
go into II 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
rough piece of lead in lieu Of bullet
Then he barricaded the doors and win
dows.
"'Wild Bill Hickox is inside. said
McCandlas, as he rode up. Il know it
by the cuss' horse, Black Nell.
"There were eleven men in the Nc
Candlas party. Their leader demand
ed that Wild Bill surrender. Tie lat
ter jauntily applied some opprobrious
epithets to McCandlas, who was dead
game, ran at the window and came
crashing in-glass, sash and all. He
fired II shot Just as he broke in the
window, but missed Wild Bill. Nc.
Candlas fell on the floor and never got
up, for Wild Bill shot him through the
head with rifle. The other ten all
assailed the house at the same time
with McCandlas They we're breaking
in windows on all sides and shouting
as they came.
'Wild Bill could never tell the de-
tails of the fight. He says he recol-
lects killing six men with his six
shooter, with rapidity like the tick
ing of clock. Ho then drew nine
inch bowie knife aud succeeded in
slaughtering the last one of the eleven.
When the corpses were collected one
mans arm had been broken in some
fashion, either by wrench which
Wild Bill gave him-for he was very
powerful manor from some acci-
dental blow received 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 managed to get the door
open and staggered to tub of rain
water ut the corner of the house
to get drink.
"He tainted away and fell with his
head in the tub, and would have un-
doubtedly drowned had it not been
for the widow, who came out of the
storm-cellnr and rescued him. They
got Wild Bill over the several prairie
miles to the stage station, and that
afternoon he was started for Kansas
City on the stage. He was several
months recovering, and was attended
by woman who still lives in Kansas
City"
Thrilling Story of Abduction.
A well.known ex-detective told me