, 1897-09-28

Inc Law or the tIOnller-
P~andemonium was a respectable and
scaniiiied resort compared VIII Abilene.
Kansas. in the early 70s during the cat
tie season. From late spring. when the
frs; herders arrived from their weeks
OF tranping and horseback riding, until
the BEGINNING Of winter. when no more
stock could be handled, the cowboys
ran the town. The business men OF the
place finally appointed Wild Bill Hick>
or two men in western Kansas. and had
a record OF a dozen or more scalps Sc,
cured by his unerring aim. He had one
predecessor as controller Of the COW,
boys-Tom Smith. the first man in Abb
lene who dared disarm the herders.
When The city council first decided
that something nus be done TO make
life in the town endurable. they had sent
to the chic: of police OF ST. Louis for
two Of his best men to come and pre-
serve order. The blue oats came and
"'ihSu w ~ sbsSNt my Ih'h vain
ed back to the station. saying they did
not care to do police duty in a own
where everybody wore six-sho0ters.
Then Tom Smith was engaged. He had
lots OF nerve. and used it every day,
jumping among antagonists regardless
OF revolyers. The latter carried four.
while Wild Bill had but two. The frs;
rule laid down to the cowboys, which
was given by big p!acards posted on all
prairie roadways leading to the city,
was that they should take off all weap-
ons ON entering the town, and leave
them in custody either in the saloon pat
ronized or at the city clerks office.
When they did not do this it was the
marshal's duty to disarm them, and
Hickok did it to perfection. His revo,v-
ers were very heavy, and his favorite
way of using them was by clubbing.
G%rasping the handles he would pound
the obstreperous cowboys into insensl,
billy with the utmost ease. As a result
they feared and hated him, and he car
r.ed his life in his hands every time he
sion Hickok raided a dance hall because
two cowboys had from mere deviltry
tried to shoot from an upstairs window
holes through an ornamental tin wealth
err vane on a bank building across the
way. Wild Bill got two men to go
with him and strobe into the dance hall,
where he knew there were several o.
his bitteres: enemies among the 20 male
dancers, all carrying pistols somewhere
about their persons.
Il want every u OF every man in
this house." said he. You fellows know
The law, and | mean to enforce 1t. Come
ever here and lay your guns on the
shelf. I will be responsible for the re-
turn OF the shooters when the proper
time comes" About half OF the men
were mad right off, and held back, while
the other half came forward and either
showed that they were unarmed or gave
their weapons to Hickok. The latter
drew a cooked gun in each hand, and
told his assistants to do the same, and
then called out that no one could leave
the hall alive without having first CIV
en- up his gun. 1t was not many min
utes before the wooden shelf was COW
cred with all kinds and sizes OF Shoot
Ing irons. Everybody obeyed Bill. Now
You can go en- with your dance said
he. Pm satisfied, and the law Of this
town OF Abilene has been executed. I
don't mean any wrong. fellows, bu: the
law mus. be kept or somebody has go.
to die. Good night"
An 4 riznna Entsndp. In March Of 1853