The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-16
BUCK TAYLOR's HARD LUCK.
Braved All Sorts OF Dangers to ne
wounded I'm Cuba.
FROM the Washlngton star.

From the Washington Star.
Buck Taylor, the cowboy, scout and the
hero of thousands OF American youngsters
as the leader of the band OF intrepid
ranchmen, who, in the Wild West shows,
rescue the stage coach and It's passengers
from che hands of the redskins, has been
of late a patient in the Arsenal Hospital
That Bucks courage is not of the kind
that will stand test only under the peace
full vancas of a circus was demonstrated
in no uncertain way in our late unpleas-
antness with the descendants of Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza. He was one
of the toughest of the Rough Riders, and
Theodore Roosevelt thought so much of
him that he had the Westener accompany
him on his rounds In his effort TO carroll
the governorship of New York. Represent
alive Serene Payne, the new head of the
ways and means committee, did not de-
splse either to have Buck lend his pres
enee to the congressional campaign In his
district That both Roosevelt and Payne
We're elected Is certainly no discredit to
the frontiersman.
Buck carries a memento of his Cuban
campaign a wound that has pulled him
down from a likely lad OF 1913 pounds to
an attenuated and weakly cough-ridden
hero Of 1888. This hurt laid him UP IN
the Roosevelt Hospital in New York city.
When Col. Roosevelt's political campaign
opened, however, Buck pulled himself to-
gether and stuck to his old commander
to the end. Then he retired once more to
the hospital. He started for his home in
New Mexico few days ago, but became
so weak that he was forced to camp fin
Washington. He has improved his stay
here by paying several visits to the capt.
TOT and laying the wires for a pension.
should his health so completely fail him
that ne cannot work again. He will not.
he says, accept the governments bounty
unless that calamity overtakee him. He
has intrusted his interests to Representa-
tive Payne, in whom he feels full conf
dence. Buck isn't much OF a taIIxer; be-
sides his cough worries him. His long
hair he cut Off before leaving for the
front. and he doesn't look fierce enough
TO brighten anybody.
How was l shot?" he said, repeating
the Star writer's interrogatory. 'Just foa-
lowing the flag, guess. IL was on July
3 in the last of the fighting before Santi-
ago. We were trying to capture block
house. Roosevelt was leading and we
were all punched up near him. The Span-
iards didn't seem 10 be shooting at US.
but at the flags. The glorious old flag
was being torn to pieces by the storm OF
bullets, but nobody seemed to be falling
All of a sudden something struck me and
/ keeled over. l think IL was a spent
bullet, but it did the work. It hit me
here In the left lung, and came out the
back Of my neck. And now the doctors
say / won't be able to ride a horse any
more, after having lived all my life In
the saddle-yes, you might say born there
And don't you know 1t seems funny to
me that / should have gone back to the
land where l was born TO receive the blow
that put me hors du combat, for you
know / came into the world in Havana
where my father was living at the time
Bucks first exploit of moment occurred
when he was yet in his teens. gang
OF Indians had swooped down on the ranch
and carried Off a bunch of cattle. He
placed himself at the head of COW boys in
pursuit. A fight ensued and sixty or sew
enty Of the marauders were killed That
gave him a standing III social circles out
West. which his natural daring rapidly
added TO. He was often of assistance 90
the Washington boy, Capt. William
O'Neill, who was killed In the high grass
at Las Quasimas. O'Neill was sheriff OF
Tucson, Arz., when Taylor became ac-
duanted with him, and on more than one
occasion the cowboy rendered the Eastern
err a service.
Ibid O'Neill deserve the reputation he
held for nerve?" Taylor was asked
"Well." he said, and then hesitated, 8s
is careful 90 choose the right words, 81
don't think there was anything that
Bucky ONeill was afraid of. Once he
went into a den where ten of the pals of
murderer and train robber he was after
were gathered. laid his hand on the mans
shoulder and walked him out. He had not
a friend or ally within sight or hearing.
Was that nerve?"
Buck says that If his health permits he
viii go back to the show business, but he
will have to occupy less heroic role than
that Of the leader OF the resculng cow
boys
80