The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1897-07-29
FlLD BiLL'S DEADLY AIM.


i nnei with Dave Tut In the Public
square at Springfield. 40.
It was in the spring of 1865 that
wild Bill and Dave Tut, ex-chief Of
confederate scouts, tried conclusiona
in the public square at Springfield,
Mo-, . said Dr. Hogeboom, surgeon
Of the A., T. and s. F. railroad
1.-THE war was over, SO far as fight
ing in the field was concerned. but
the peculiar vindictiveness that
/ characterized all the warfare on
both sides in Missouri still existed
and showed itself in many ways. A
strong force of United States troops
occupied the town, the Kansas regi-
ment to which Twas attached among
Them. A picturesque and striking
figure among those who had fought
ION the Union side was Wild Bill.
whose daring and valuable services
as Federal scout were fresh i'm the
minds of men. There were many
Tex Confederate soldiers in town, and
Tut, a brave and desperate man
and dead shot, was the leader of
that element. They lost no oppor-
tunity to show their i'll will to the
Unionistsh and between Tut and
Wild . bad feeling was strongly
NJ 1t came to the point of
q s4uarrel one night when
Tt with his gang, came into a sa-
loon where Wild Bill was seated at
a game of poker. He he'd been win
ming, and with the pile of money
before him on the table were gold
watch and chain that some enc had
wagered and lost. Tut had come
for quarrel. He watched the game
few minutes, then said, suddenly:
" Bill, I want you to pay me the
money you owe me-
:" Il have paid you once. Isn't
that enougha' said Wild Bill, look
ing up from the hand of cards he
held.
Tut reached over and took the
gold watch and chain from Wild
Bills pile of winnings.
"'You owe me that money he
said. III keep this watch to satisfy
the debt
wild Bill looked at him with
perfect calmness. Better put it
back, Dave he said. You'll be
sorry if you don't
''Tutt laughed and put the watch
in his pocket, which ended the mat
ter for that night. Next day he sent
word to Wild Bill that on the fol-
lowing Saturday at noon he should
carry the watch and chain across
the public square, entering it at the
northeast corner. This was q chal-
lenge which Wild Bill could not ig-
more.
I'll be there, he said when the
message was given him, and he went
home and cleaned and oiled his pis-
tolls. He did not chow himself much
about town until Saturday noon
came. Then, as Tut appeared at
the northeast corner of the public
square, Wild Bill walked in at the
southwest corner. AS the two men
approached each other, walking
from the corners diagonally oppo-
site, it was seen that a group of
TUFTS friends were gathered at the
corner to the left of Wild Bill, and
nobody present doubted that they
were there to take hand in the
shooting if the fight went against
Tut.
1.-The distance between the two
men at the start was about lao
yards. They walked steadily toward
each other, with pistols in the belts,
until about SO PAGES separated them.
Then Tut made motion as if to
draw mis- pistol. Instantly Wild
Bills pistol came up, and, holding
its butt with both hands, without
sighting he fired at Tut, who
threw up his hands, staggered and
fell dead on his face, shot through
the heart.
With the crack of his pistol Wild
Bill wheeled and faced the group of
TUFTS friends, pistol in hand. Some
of them had drawn their weapons,
but they put them up in hurry and
declared that tho duel had been a
fair one. Wild Bill was king of the
town after that, as he was chief for
many year afterward on the plains
and in the tough frontier towns. -
New York Sun.
A Stepladder With the Match Receiver.