The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-10-14
WILD BILL HICKOX.

He leaned back in an armchair at the
Army and Navy club and became reminis-
cent
"Hickox got his nom do guerrs Of Wild
Bill at Independence, No. when he was
about 10 years old. This las some time
late in tho fifties, when Independence was
the busy end of the Santa He trail
"Hiokox was mule skinner, freighting
10 Santa Fe and back, and In some street
fight which occurred in Independence, in
which Htckox 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 mary Of his sort, a
profound, remorselcss 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 seccs7
sion. IT was thus he became q scout of
the Union army After thb war, wherein
he achieved considerable fame for daring
energy and nerve as scout, Wild Bill es-
tablished himself at Springfield, Mo. It
was there he killed Tut, who had been
chief Of scouts In Prices army.
1Tutt, like Wild Bill, was 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 hs the result Of
poker game. One night Wild Bill was
playing poker with some friends. Tutt
came up and stood looking pn. Wild Bills
gold watch was lying on the table near
him. Just as Tut came up Wild Bill
won jack pot with sonnet hing like 800
in 1t. L@ A
"'You seem TO be flush, Bill, said Tut
In half ugly tone. Suppose you pay me
that $40 you owe me-
"'I owe you $780,, said Wild Bill, sand
here it is,' turning over th Rec $40 bills to
Tutt, who took them. put them in his
pocket and then said, 'Givb mo the other
ten.'
'"That's all owe you, said Wild Bill,
'and you have got it,
tTutt picked up tho gold watch that
was lying at Wild Bills elbow, with the
remark, Well, you still owe mo ten, and
I'll keep this watch till you pay it, He
put the watch In his pocket and turned to
~. Nhu oil boOh 1b very pOuily anu bhlu
nothing. Everybody was somewhat
amazed, If not disgusted, at the tameness
of the young Union scout.
"Just as Tut went out df the door he
looked back at Wild Bill with sneer and
the remark: You don't seem to keer for
this watch much, Bill. I'D supposed you'd
have set more store by It, Tf you begin to
feel like you need 1t, am going to pack
1t 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 I'd be a challenge
to duel and calmly went on with his
poker game, while Tutt departed. That
night Wild Bill was found by friend at
his hotel very earnestly cleaning and lead
ing his pistols.
"'What are you going I'd do?' asked the
friend, who was an army officer stationed
at Springfield.
"'I am going to kill 1rutt tomorrow
noon,' said Wild Bill, 'or he's going to
kill me-.
1.-THE next day at noon about all the
male inhabitants of Springfield were In
the square to sec 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 1850 yards apart,
and all the lines ran diagoh hal to the line
of fire between them. mention 1t be-
cause 1t 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 top 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
fired like a fash, and Tut dropped dead
with bullet In his head, fully l50 yards
away.
wild Bill was so sure 6f his aim that
he never paused. but whirldd 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 gem
eral way with both his pistols and re-
marked:
"'Was that on the square, gentlemenp,
1.-THE effect of such witchlike skill on
the nerves of the crowd was too much
The general view seemed to be that the
killing of Tutt was on tie 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. | forget the old
fellows name, but at the time met him
he was captain of Missouri river steam
boat called tho Lady Lee ru nning between
Kansas City and st. Louis. The bullet
that killed Wild Bill struck the old cap
tain In tho 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. Tho bullet crashed clear through
and came out under his ere striking the
old river pirate In the arm. Wild Bill
never knew what hit him, and his taking
off illustrates that aphorisrh of the Bible,
They that live by the sword shall perish
by the sword
1.-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 ore was cooked.
Some medical man, lecturiHg on the latent
impulses of the nerves. might get a good
lecture some time out of tho fact that Wild
Bill drew his pistols after he was Dead,
Alfred Henry Lewis.
Bogus English Estates.