The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-02
TO WRITE A STORY
CAPTAIN JACK THE POET SCOUT,
VISITS WICHITA.

he Came to See william Mathewson and by
His Pen Give Him a Fixed Place in
Frontier History-Tardy Justice Will
be Done to the Original Buffalo Bill at
! Last-Captain Jack Recites His Latest
Verses to an Eagle Reporter and Tells
Something About His Life-What He
| Looks Like
81 am glad to meet you, sir" said
| Captain Jack Crawford, the poet-scout,
at the Manhattan hotel last night
Yes, indeed, 1 remember the Eagle
very we'll; it is the paper that printed
a letter of mine that caused so much
trouble in the camps of Buffalo Bill"
Captain Crawford is in Wichita on a
visit to County Attorney John Davis
/ southwestern fronLiersmen. and the or
/ iginal Buffalo Bill. Captain Jack and
John Davis originally came from the
same town in Pennsylvania; both of
them worked in the mines as boys, and
naturally there is a warm friendship
between them
For a great many years Captain
Crawford has itenaciously held that
William Mathewson is the original
Buffalo Bill. He is here to interview
him, or rather to have a few days talk
with him about the early history of the
Kansas frontier and "reminiscences of
border life. AS Captain Crawford is a
fine writer and in touch with the top
journals, it is not improbable that he
will permanently fix and establish Will
lam Mathewson's place in pioneer his
tory
Captain Crawford is an Irishman.
There is no denying that, for he has
still a refreshing touch of the rich
brogue in his accent. Although it is
very slight, 1t is Enthusiastically there,
and ii adds very much 10 the captain s
graceful manner of telling stories. He
is quite a, distinguished looking gentle
man, with long, flowing hair, a gotee,
bright eyes and a striking face. He is
nearly fifty, but he is still active not
withstanding the fact that he carries
Indian bullets in many pOntions of his
body.
The reporter having heard of the cap
'tain'S latest piece of poetry and being
curious TO hear a man recite piece of
his own creation, requested him to
story in rhyme. entitled and so we'll
known as Dot Little Crippled Boy VOt
Died" Captain Jack responded by re-
citing the entire piece, and be it said
that the lines had charm about them
that the Eagle reporter never observ-
ed before. The piece was written on
board the ship that carried Captain
Jack to Europe recently and III is a. tale
founded on facts, for John Davis knew
the German cobbler referred TO in the
lines. When Captain Jack arrived in
London he recited ct at a dinner party
given in his honor, and it was so well
received that the publisher of Tid-Bits
gave him ten guines for III. The words
are as follows:
1 dond vas feelin' good Won bit,
A great big lump vas in my neck,
Und Ven | try TO sValler il,
1t seems yust ike my heart would break
Sometimes my eyes vas like spoud
Nit tears l somehow dond could hide,
IND ust sit and fret aloud
Dot little cripple boy vat died.
He used to come my shoe shop in
Und watch me ven i drive dem pegs,
Und it just make my heart ache ven
l see dem little crippled legs,
But he vas always shmilin' NIT
Dem big blue eyes so open vide,
Und never mind dot pain Won bit
DOT Ettle cripple boy NOL UleO.
1 toll i'm Deutschland shotries, und
He laugh yust like dem angel dings
Vat NIT der picture books goes round
Up yonder mia der shnOw-wh.te wings,
IND how my eyes vas ali In ShWlm
Nit tear drops dot | dond could hide
Because l got some love nit him,
Dot little cripple boy vat died.
Some days he dond would come. und den
l feel all ofer black init blue,
Und signs would shake my bosom ven
tried TO cobble nit a shoe.
Den i would go out by my door
IND look about nit efery side,
My old heart yust vas ahin' for
Dot little cripple boy vat died.
Won time he dond vas come for more
As most a veek-I dond know Wy
Urd Won day sthandin' NIT my door
/ see some funerals go by.
/ ask Won little bOotblack who
In dot Vtte hearSe vas took a ride?
Und he say, 'Dutchy, doEd you know
Dot little cripple boy vas died?'
1t feeled y,lst Ike my heart vas sick.
Und nefer want to beat some more.
l close my shop up pOoty quick,
Und hang some black sthuff NIT der door
Und den l t'ink, ''SCmeday | go
Nit angels by dot under side,
Und how den vas l goin' to know
Dot little cripple boy vat died?'
Does little legs viii all be straight
In dot bright land so far away,
Und ven | go in by der gate.
We're all der little angels blay,
I vonder if L ind him oud?
Maybe he run away ind hide
Well l dond t'ink / shtay midoud
Dot little crippled boy vat died.
Captain Crawford related many stor-
les of frontier life during his converse
ton with the reporter, but in a very
modest way.
In the old DAYS of the six-shooter
the Poet Scout often had a rough time.
One night in a lawleSs town he had 10
meet Wild Will-James b. Hiscock-
one of the greatest scouts America ever
knew. a man who once killed seven men
in five minutes. They were guerillas
during the war, and belonged TO Jack
McCanilas' gang, and they got round
Wild Will to murder him. and II was
their lives or his, and he accounted for
seven on his own on the occasion
when he and Bill were in the bar a from
tier rough came in all over siX-Shoot-
ers. and yelled. I'm a wolf, you thar.
and I'm on the howl tonight. Up 10 the
bar with You, and red liquor for the
lot"
The company obliged. and the rad
iidlTor-OtherwiS ''TaranseIler' piZen.
otherwise whisky-was served But
Wild VIII and Captain Jack sat sill
Here" said the stranger. aren't you
going TO drink" No" replied Cap
tain Jack. i've never had a drink in
my iife."s Then. 10y thunder. you'll BE-
gin now Very we'll then. I'll take
a lemonade lemonade " damned,
Red liquor. and down with Il. Or
And ne drew his revolver. And then
Wild VIII rose, and With one blow OF