The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-18
WAS A VERY GOOD SHOT
BUT HAD NO GREAT NERVE
BEHIND him.
Was Famous as Card Sharp Rather
Than Desperado-Fought But
One Duel, Which Was With His
Pardner-Met Death at Hands of
An Avenger.
(st. Louis Globe-Democratl

| SnelVed- They were taken from a pOr-
trait made in crayon for Buffalo Bill
Cody and from memory. The real
Wild Bill was a very different sort OF
a man. In looking over some effects
that had long lain undisturbed, j. b
Edwards, one of the first settlers OF
Abilene, and who went through the
wild and woplly days when Hickok was
marshal, came upon an old-fashioned
daguerreotype of the frontier hero. II
\ represents him as he was when he
came to Abilene, then a cowboy head
quarters, to keep peace among the I'M
ruly cattlemen, who made their way
hither over the trail from Texas.
| Hickok was then in the height Of his
glory, and, though he had killed a few
men, his career was not stained with
the deeds that made his name discred-
liable in later years. He had been in
Ellis and Hays City, where he had
trouble with the cattlemen, and had
been acting as scout along the Platte,
as well as dealing a fine hand in faro
at divers and sundry resorts of the
west.He went to Abilene to succeed
Tom Smith, who is said by all the old
settlers to have been the better man
before-or belinda gun.
]. 3. Hickok, when he came to town
as marshal, was a handsome man. He
was about six feet tall, with some
hair, of which he was very proud. He
had an impressive manner, a we'll
proportioned, sinewy form, not an
ounce of superfluous flesh. and in the
exhibition of his strength acted the
bully at times.
Great Shot, But Coward1y.
Once, when the city council was in
session, ]. G.. Mccoy, now of Kansas
City. being mayor, and A. A Hurd, at
torney for the Santa Fe. city clerk. one
of the members was needed TO make
quorum. He purposely absented him
self and remained in another part of
the building. Hickok went after him
and brought him into the council cham
Der on his shoulder, where. under the
rules that ante-dated those of Reed, he
was counted as present.
Wild Bill was not noted for his brav-
cry in facing an adversary. He killed
two men on the south side of the I'm
ion Pacific track one day. They were
Phil Cole and Mike Williams. The
marshal was standing in the door of
saloon and they came up the street.
Without warning he dropped Cole, and
then as Williams came running killed
him also. The indignant cattlemen Of
fered a reward of $4,000 for Hickok's
dead body. He went about as usual
after that, but always in the middle
of the street and carried for a weapon,
instead of the usual ready revolver, a
double-barreled shotgun, sawed off to
length of eighteen inches. He was
afraid of his life and showed it.
Soon he left town and drifted into
the mining camps of the mountains.
He killed some more men and was the
pride of the saloons in the new camps.
He was a buffer of huge ability and
often made the crowd think he was do
ing brave thing. when he was sim
ply counting on the timidity of his vic
tim-and seldom in vain.
Duel With Dave Tut.
He fought duel once in Springfield,
Mo-, after the close of his career as a
scout and before going farther west.
He had become a gambling room hero,
TALL symmetrical, weighing 200 pounds.
and with as mich care given to his
hair as the most careful lady bestows
on her tresses. He strutted about town
and. with one Dave Tut, a partner
and friend, did up the tenderfeet at
poker in a manner that was marvel |
ously skillful.
Then one day the two fell out over
a game of poker in which they were OPP |
ponents. Tut staked his watch |
against Bits money. and the later
won. Tut was furious, and accused |
Hickolz of cheating. There were hot |
words and both went out. threatening /
to shoot on sight The next morning
both were on the street, armed, and |
looking for each other. Bill wore |
TUFTS watch. AS Wild Bill walked /
along the south side of the square Tut I
came in sight, about eighty yards
away They halted, and both drew ,
Hickok was unhurt. though the ball !
passed two inches from his head and
buried itself in the wall of the old
Shepherd building. 1t was his only \
duel, for he was not quarrelsome and |
the gamblers avoided him, knowing I
well his ability as a shot. !
AS has often been told. he met his /
end in Deadwood, being shot from be-
hind by a man who had followed him |
FOR years because OF the death of
brother. whose taking off was the
gamblers act. Hickok'S guns were be-
side him. and he reached for them. but /
mis- strength was gone. His murderer
vas taken out and ran the gantlet of
1 party of good marksmen, but es-
,aped them all, and fled into the noun
aims. never to be heard of again. 1t
was considered a poetic justice that the
Killer should meet his death at the
hands of an avenger. Other avengers
lad tried 1t. but none was quick
enough before
Wild Bills Grave at Deadwood.
The miners buried him on the wood
ID hillside near Deadwood, and for a
ong time his grave was unmarked.
Then one day an admirer of the old
scout struck it rich and put up a
monument that is one of the unique
ornaments of the nation. 1t bears
,ust of Hickok. beneath are two
.rossed revolvers. chiseled in the gran
tie, and a scroll recites his virtues.
some years ago an effort was made by
-ome rich California miners to get per-
mission to remove the body to that
tate for burial, but nothing came of
t The people of Deadwood have in
he grave one of the chief attractions
# the place. and would be loath to al
ow its removal.
1t is somewhat curious that though
lie went through life as Wild BILL
lie had nothing in his name that war
anted the title. 1t was, in fact, stolen
rom his elder brother. who was killed
n some dangerous mission during the
var. When William died. the younger
Iickok. John B., became BILL and
ater "'Wild Bill" 1t, was perhaps
lis superb craftsmanship rather than
my other quality. unless it might have
'een his experiences at cards, thai made
1ickok great. Be that as it may, he
las a secure place in the history of
he frontier, and any relation of
attle-trail days that omits his deeds
md misdeeds is incomplete.