The Butler weekly times., 1897-12-30

feet in his socks, built IN proportion
an with features clear cut as q mar
BILE statue. he wore his hair, that
was jet black, long an fallin over
his shoulders, in the old frontier
fashion. He WAS a regular dude, too.
Outside Charley Utter, who was
Wild Bills psrd up in Wyoming, l
never saw a chap put on more style.
Five dollar gold peices for buttons
for his bucskins, Mexican sombrero
covered with silver work an two sill
yer. plated an ivory-handled six
shooters an all that kind. He
hailed from Wyoming, too-least-
wise he said he did, an when it was
found out that be was Russian
born, the boys gave him the Rus.
sian Bill, to distinguish him from
the other Bills.
"Well, Russian Bill always had
plenty OF money an spent it freely.
The boys wondered where he got it.
He didn't prospect an bad no min
ing claims to sell or bond, an all
that stood to his name on the re-
corder's books was a ranch location
in the Animas Valley, yet be was
always flush. He used to go away
for weeks at time au' he always
come back with money to burn.
When Curly or his crowd was in
town he would make point of 60.
ing around swaggeriu' with them
and in Rocksey's saloon he'd drop
hints, when half.loaded, of being
one of the gang an talk of success
full raids among the Mexican ranches
up Janos way. Then he was handy
with his six,shooter and used to
show the boys some trick shots.
They'd give him taffy to liquor at
his expense, an when he was jollied
as bein' quick on the draw, he'd
give it to be understood that he had
dropped his man more nor once.
"About this time things were get.
ting worse than ever around Shake
spears, an what Mr.. Seth Low would
call the better element was gettin'
desperate. So one night when San.
dy King, suspected horse-thief,
came to town with kid of Is, they
were both arrested and lodged in
the calaboose on warrant from ol
Judge Graves.
San hour after a mob took them
out an up to Smyths corral. Ga
their way they met Russian Bill an
took him also along. Judge Lynch
lowed that Sandy had lived long
enough for the good of the commu-
nifty, an that on his own confession
it was about time for Bill to stack
his chips an quit, as be couldn't
play square game.
"Sandy took his medicine like a
little man. Only asked for drink
an cigarette. When he had finish
smokin' he threw away the end and
was swung to q cross beam in the
corral. It wasn't so with poor Bill.
He fell on his knees an swore by
the Eternal that he had never killed
a man in his life anywhere, an had
never stolen a horse or horse blan-
ket. He said that his money came
from his home in Riga, Russia; that
his mother was a Countess. He beg.
ged them for the Iowa of God not to
string him up until he could write
to Porter & Crawford, the Silver
City bankers, where his money was
They didn't believe word he said,
an spurned him for white.livered
cuss not fit to live. anyway. Judge
Lynch couldn't wait, an kickin' an
howlin' for mercy, he was strung up
after Sandy.
''His story was all right. Three
months after the lynching a letter
came to Harvey Whitehill, Sheriff OF
the county, from some Russian
Countess. I disremember her name
but it ended in'offsky' like all oil
them, iuquiring about her son, las,
heard OF in Grant County, New
Mexico"
"And the kid?"
"lhey let him off mith a sound