The herald., 1897-07-14
WILD BILLS DEADLY DUEL
Fought On the Square at Springfield
Mo-, Just After the War

"It was in the spring of 1865 that Wild
Bill and Dave Tut, ex-chief confederate
scouts, tried conclusions in the public
square at Springfield No." said DR..
Hogeboom, surgeon of the Atchisop, To-
peka and Santa Fe railroad. 1.-The war
was over as far as fighting in the field
was concerned, but the peculiar vindic-
tiveness 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 regiment
to which I was attached among them.
A picturesque and striking figure among
those who had fought on the union side
was Wild Bill, whose daring and valua-
BILE services as federal scout were fresh
in the minds of men. There were many
ex-confederate soldiers in town, and
Tutt, brave and desperate man and a
dead shot. was the leader of that ele-
ment They lost no opportunity to show
their ill-will to the unionists, and be-
tween Tut and Wild Bill bad feeling
was strongly manifested. 1t came to the
point of an open quarrel one night when
Tutt, with his gang, came into saloon
where Wild Bill was seated at game of
poker. He had been winning, and with
the pile of money before him Oh the ta-
BILE was a gold watch and chain that
some one had wagered and lost. Tut
had come for quarrel. He watched the
game few minutes, then said suddenly:
"'Bill, want you to pay me the mon
ey you owe me-
"T have paid you once, isn't that
enough?' said Wild Bill, looking up from
the hand of cards he held.
"Tutt reached over and took the gold
watch ard chain from Wild Bills pile
of winnings.
"'You owe me that money he said.
I'll keep the 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 matter for
the night. Next day he sent word to
Wild Bill that on the following Satur-
day, at noon, he should carry the watch
and chain across the public square, en-
tering it at the northeast corner This
was challenge which Wild Bill could
not ignore.
"I'll be there he said, when the mes
sage was given him, and went home and
cleaned and oiled his pistols. He did not
chow himself much about town until
Saturday noon. Then, as Tut appeared
at the northwest corner Of the public
square, Wild Bill walked in at the south
west corner. AS the two men approach
ed each other, walking from the corners,
diagonally opposite, 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 Tutt
"The distance between the two men at
the start was about 140 yards. They
walked steadily toward each other, with
pistols in the belts, until about fifty
PAGES separated them. Then Tut made
a motion as if to draw his pistol. In
stantly Wild Bilrs pistol came up, and,
holding its butt with both hands, with
out sighting, he fired at Tutt, who threw
up his hands. staggered, and fell dead on
his face. shot through the heart.
with the crack of his pistol Wild