The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-16
VERY TOUGH MEN.
Some of the Former Inhabitants of
 Ellsworth and Hays City.

the Union Pacific railray, Kansas divi- sion, as the train swept through prai- Tie valley and slowed up at sleepy, cottonwood prairie-encircled western Kansas town, To the left could be seen a large and peculiar building located on the outskirts of the village.
 What is that building?" I asked of the gray bearded man who had shared my seat for the last twenty miles.
 That is the Grand Army grounds and building" he said. ''It belongs to the old soldiers, and they hold reun- ion there every summer.
 l They have picked on very quiet | town in which to rendezvous" re- marked.
 Yes; this is quiet town now. but can remember, thirty years ago, when | Ellsworth was hells half acre; yes worse than that, for all the cussedness goin' on in this town in the sixties couldn't have been crowded on to less l than helPs half section Times was mighty dull in Ellsworth them days ; when there wasn't work for the coroner | six days in the week, and he generally had to work over time on Sundays. It was the toughest place on the plains until the railroad moved on west, and the killers, toughs, gamblers and their | female companions followed on to Hays City. Then the carnival of crime and the contract for filling the graveyard was transferred to Hays. But to-day l both towns are as quiet and orderly as a New England village. Some of the bad men of those days settled here in Ellsworth permanently and became quiet citizens-after they became resi- dents of the graveyard on the hill yon- | der.
 Apache Bill, scout and tough, took | up permanent residence out wonder because a bartender got the drop on him one night and added about two ounces to Bill's weight in the shape of lead placed where it would do the most good. Comstock Charley, a half breed Cheyenne scout, tough and general all- round bad man, also became quiet cit izen of the place where they planted 'em in those days, on account of puncture put into Him by Henry Whit ney, sheriff Curly Marshall, another bad man, was also killer from Killers town, but one night he went up against Jack Nolan, Texas stockman, and when the discussion ended Whitney furnished a job for the coroner. Nolan was arrested in Texas, brought to Els worth tried and acquitted on the grounds that he had done valuable service to the community
 Bill Hickok (Wild Bib gained his fame at Hays City, west of here, as also did Jim Curry, who later on shot and killed Ben Porter an actor, at Mar shall, Tex. I knew Jim Curry when he was an engineer on this road. He be- ! came enamOred of a woman, married her. and they settled down in Hays City, keeping little restaurant there. There was a regiment of negro soldiers quartered at Fort Hays. The negroes took offence at Jim because he refused to serve them with meals at his house. They came around to clean out the place. Jim went to shooting and when he quit, Uncle Sam's army was deci- mated to some extent; four of them were removed from the pay roll.
 "Wild Bill was a nervy man and did some killing in his day, and he might have lived longer if he had not grown careless. You see, Bill, like all men of his class, was always expecting trou- ble, and was always on guard. Bill for years had never allowed himself to get into a position where his keen eye and ready revolver were not master of the situation, but he did allow the drop to be got on him twice to my knowledge
 The first time I was present, and the next time-well, Bill was gone himself when the second time came to a climax.
 T will tell you the story of the time was present. Now never knew Bill to pull his gun to kill unless it was in self-defence or there was no other way to secure the peace and quiet Bill all
 ways hankered for and would have peaceably if he could, forcibly if he must. Jim Curry was a coward, but he
 was determined to acquire reputation as bad man, and as Bill Hickok held
 the championship of the world at that , time as a killer, Curry thought he might safely run a bluff on Wild Bill. So he sent Bill word he would kill him
 on sight, not that he had anything against Bill, but Curry had gone into
 the killing business, and he proposed to . HOlu lHe SCiitCl Ol lLe SldSS c1Iu SiiOW that he was displaying energy and ap-
 titude in his business. Bill paid no at tention to Curry's talk, not considering him in his class.
 One day met Curry on the street in Hays We went into a saloon kept by little, nervous, excitable German.
 Wild Bills tall form and long, black l, hair loomed up at table in the back 7 part of the room. His back was toward l Curry and myself. Curry walked over to the table, standing directly behind Bill. Before any one suspected what he would do he had his gun against . Bills head, and said, Now, you long,
 haired -, I've got you, and you're
 going to die.' Bill never batted an eye nor moved muscle, but said, You
 wouldn't shoot a man down without givin' him show to defend his life would you" Wouldn't I? What show
 did you ever give any one, you - - A-2
 ''The Dutchman was dancing around
 like mad, imploring Jim to put up his gun. and for him and Bill to shake hands. If they would he would sAnd . treat for the house, which proposition . finally