The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-07-21
BILLY MuLLlCAN's LAST DAY.
A Terror of the Pacific Slope who Mad
His TalSing-O -OR Memorable.

A Terror of the Pacific Slope who Made
His Taking or Memorable.
ellis name was included in the lit
tie list of Nevada desperadoes made
by Mark Twain in Roughing it, said
the Nevada pioneer in an uptown New
York hotel to Sun reporter. He did
not say 'Mark Twain" by the way,
but Sam Clemens, the name by which
all old Nevadans and Californians
knew the famous humorist. The pio-
neer was talking of men of his time
who had died with their boots on, and
Billy Mulligan was the character who
just now was to the front. Some of
the hostile mix-ups and shooting
matches in which that young Irishman
had taken a hand had been related, and
now the narrator had come to the day
Of his taking-off.
"Billy Mulligan had run long
string, and lasted good while for
man of his temper aud practices-for
he was tough, out and out" continued
the pioneer. ellis neck was in danger
in the days of the San Francisco vigil
ance committee, and he ran some mar
afterward. He was brave, desper-
ate man, handy with weapons, and
would fight at the drop of the hat.
But he pulled through all trouble un-
til the time came, which seems sooner
or later to befall almost every desper-
ado, when the strain of danger and
the effect of constant drinking and
excitement got the better of his nerves
and Judgment. When n desperate
gets that way there are two courses
that he may take-quit the country,
quit drinking and get to work Mt an
honest calling, or stay and get killed.
The last was what Mulligan chose, but
he kept the business in his own hands
and forced the pace to the end.
''It was at Carson City that the end
came to Billy Mulligan. The cards
had gone against him all night. The
| liquor he had drunk had made him
ugly as he walked out of the Esmer-
aida saloon one morning. Next door
was laundry, and Chinaman, IRON
| ing clothes, lifted his face to the win
dow just as Mulligan was passing.
Without word the desperate drew
his pistol and fred through the glass,
blowing the Chinaman's brains ont;
then went on to the hotel where he
was staying, and upstairs to his room
in the top story. The door of his
room opened near the head of the
stairway, and when the sheriff's Of
ficers came to arrest him for killing
the Chinaman he stood them off with
his revolvers. They knew it meant
certain death to some of them to try
to rush up the stairway, and they
stopped at the foot to consider. John
Coleman, particular friend of Multi
gan, who was with them, tried to per-
suade him to surrender.
"'No use, John, said Mulligan. Il
shan't be taken alive. This is my last
day and the game'l end right here.
You keep away and don't get mixed
up in the trouble
Coleman was working along up
the stairway as he talked, with the
object, perhaps, of getting near enough
to the desperate to disarm him.
Stop where you are, john said
Mulligan; 'one step nearer and I'll kill
you
Coleman made another step for
ward and Mulligan shot him through
the heart. He permitted the others
to take the body away, keeping them
covered with his pistols all the time.
A crowd gathered in the hotel and
the public square which it faced, and
plans were discussed for capturing
Mulligan; but his character for deadly
desperation was such that volunteers
were scarce. At last it was decided
to call out the militia company and
take the desperate in his stronghold
by regular assault.
''The troops were mustered in
double line in the public square, fac
ing the hotel, and waiting the order
to advance. Through the window of
his room in the third story Mulligan
could be seen now and then as he
walked to and fro between the stair
way and the window keeping watch
against surprise in either direction.
Then as the face of the desperate APP
peared once more at the window, one
of the soldiers fired with his rifle, kill
ing him instantly. 1t was an unex-
pected shot which undoubtedly saved
several lives that would almost cer-
tainly have been sacrificed in carrying
the room by storm.
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