Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-19
EscAPADEs OF A DESPERATE.

Rode Over the Country and Dared
Officers to Shoot.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Doc Middleton was the most daring
desperate that ever terrorized the Elk
horn valley, and ruled the Black Hills
country with high hand said John c.
Barclay.
Middleton always bore the sobriaquet OF
Doc. bat nobody seems to know how he
vas 50 dubbed. Before the railroads were
tuilt into Deadwood, SD, used to make
one trip year by stage to that country,
and I saw Doc Middleton several times
He was a powerful fellow, with quick,
elastic step, and wore dark sombrero, an
overGoat OF wildcat skin and a bright
handkerchief. and his cowboy makeup
gave him the appearance of a typical west
ern froltiersman. Leading a band of
rangers. he waged war on the Sioux In
dams and protected the settlers of the
Elknorfr valley, Nebraska. Government
oH1ciais in those days feared him. and for
years he " as the chief of -desperadoes 10
those parts. But he settled down to a re-
business
When first knew Doc he was freight
ing from Sidney. Neb., to the Black Hills.
one night, in Sidney dance house. half
dozen soldiers engaged in a quarrel with
DOC. and there was a shooting scrapc
Middleton escaped and hid in the hill sands
on the Platte river. While living IN the
NILS he picked up a bunch of horses and
siacted out with them. He was captured
and thrown into jail in Sidney The Sec
ORD night there he got the jailer drunk
ana walked away. He next appeared at Il
read ranch up the Elkhorn, having been
without food for five days. Soon after tina.
he was hurrying down the Elkhorn valley
with bunch of horses that belonged to
the Indians. Doc and his party were mr.
SUED by n Cf,ta
dlers. about fifty settlers and a band of
indians The white men gave I'D the chase
| IN a few days. but the Indians kept on the
trail. One night the thieves were over
taken by the Indians. The red men dared
not shoot Middleton, SO they took the
horses and returned home. Middleton's
'front.' teeth were filled with gold, and he
was known to all the redskins as the Gold
Chief. The Indians believed that Doe
must have been favored by the Great Spirit
| in order to have gold teeth, and they would
not kill him.
Zone of Middleton's escapades was known
over all the country. He was at North
Platte, and sheriff tried to take him.
DOC mounted his horse pulled a couple
! OF reviewers, and rode over all the town
DARING any man to shoot at him. The gov
ernment finally made determined effort to
capture Doc, and sent out four secret
| service men. They met Doc at a Fourth
| or July celebration at Atchison, Neb. He
TOOK their pistols away and made them run
icot races and join In the other festivities
OF the day. Once Judge Moody of Dean
wood demanded MicdIeton's surrender He
made the judge throw up his hands, and
then took all the valuables he had
Middleton was finally captured by Dep-
utfes Lewellen and Hazen. who were sent
out by Gov Thayer of Nebraska. Doc
was taken to Omaha, where he received a
sentence of five years in the penitentiary
He was shown leniency because he always
protected the white settlers and only stole
the stock belonging to the Indians. AT the
expiration of his term Doc returned to
| Atchison, Neb., and became a law-abid-
ing citizen"