Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-05-17
DEATH OF TIE SERGEANT.

00AnNAANAs
peradoes outside swearing to cut bis heart
out. they having recognized his horse tied
to tree.
The death of MoCandless enrsged his
mon, who rushed in at two doors. Wild
Bill said everything seemed clear and
sharp when he faced those nine murderers
and no brought down four Of them with
Just four shots. Two shots were fired into
Wild BILL but tho loads were only buck
shot, II of which lodged In him. Then tho
gang closed In. Ono the scout knocked
out with his fist and another he shot dead.
At last he was thrown andorowded into
corner whore he struggled with three men
until he got a knife away from one OF
them. With tho florceness Of tiger he
slashcd and hacked at his assuilants until
oil were dead. His own body was out In
10 places.
Wild Bill went to the plains with bis
war reputation olinging to him. He added
to his fame the first time he trod the Santa
Fo trail by killing a notorious Mexican
bandit and capturing bis pal. He followed
the herds and lived the life OF cowboy
until 1871 when the torriblo state Of border
society In tho southwest called into life an
institution answering to tho e8ulators OF
California.
Wild Bill was chosen mayors marshal
Of Abilene, Kan, mushroom city, where
he made his homo in the of weeks Of bis
roaming vocation. He was then "a years
old, giant In strength and famous for
bis mild and gentle manners when lifo
was peaoeable. Having fought with In
dams and robbers, camped with miners
and Travelled in the company of old and
new settlers, no was widely known and
respected He admitted having killed men
at almost every station on tho plains, but
said the killing had been In self defense.
Naturally there were grudges against
this arm Of the law with dark past, but
% long as he was marshal there was COM
parative quiet md safety in Abilene. He
wore two revolvers In plain sight, with
belt Of cartridges handy to keep the six
shooters primed for business. But this
dne specimen OF fighting man did not
run a,nuck, shooting down every poor
waif or obstreperous cowboy who happen
od to disturb the peace of reformed Abb
lene. Oh, moi He'd simply wallop tho
cantankerous "cusses' who crossed his
path with their teeth showing, using the
butt of revolver as the ferule of reform
until they cried Enough I" then tell them
to get out of town. This they did. He
was terror to the gamblers, and his old
friends Of the cattle range had no mercy X
they ,nis,eiaved when they came to enjoy
the hospitality Of Abilene. Enemies grew
up thick and fast, but Wild Bill was too
good shot to tackle with impunity and
was lot alone for a time, although the boys
made many q bluff at doing for their old
oomrnde. Just at tho time when he knew
that the reckless COW punchers, gamblers
and rumsellers were plotting vengeance
be would stride into the midst OF saloon
crowd brardishing a revolver In each hand
and dare any ono to shoot at him.
Soon after that syndicate Of evildoers
offered reward Of 5000 for the life OF
Wild Bill, but no man in the southwest
dared undertake the contract.
Tho cowboys never owned the town OF
Abilene after Wild Bill reformed things,
but there WINS still further reform, and the
whilom tough" was superseded as mar.
shall by ono Of tho respectable element.
He then went tn Deadwood, became .
gambler. but was shot from behind BY an
old enemy Of tho plains and fell dead
olutching both revolvers, which he had
drawn while the death grip was seizing
on his vitals. He was then IS years old,
and at least half his life had been passed
In an honest, not to say . fearless, struG.
gleto be man. GEORGE L. K1LxER.