Evening journal., 1900-01-25
CAPTAIN DICK

Captain Dick Wells and Mrs. Wells,
formerly Jack Hall, will leave next
week for San Francisco en- route for
Portland, Ore"
This is the item that headed the per.
sonal column Of the Arizona papers
recently.
Back of this is a story that has set
all Arizona agog-the tale of woman
masquerading IN cowboy attire, lasso-
ing cattle, taking part in shooting
scrapes, leading the wild. free adven-
turous life OF the Arizona vaQuero-
the story of a woman who, because
her father had been hanged as a horse
thief, changed her name. hid her sex.
md the beating of hoof and the whizz-
ing Of bullet, sought to drown the me-
mory of the disgrace. As a fitting
male when her sex was discovered,
he married Captain Lick, the BRAY
st and boldest cowboy in all Arizona.
lt is a story hndled with strange
md dramatic incidents that could
occur nowhere save in Arizona, where
still puts fiction to blush and boot and
-pur have not altogether given away
patent feathers.
Il was just about a year ago that
? slender, clean-shaven youth asked
FOR work at one Of the big cattle
anches near Williams. Captain Dick,
Who was the leader Of the cowboys.
engaged the "tenderfoot," and Jack
Ilall, the name the applicant for work
gave won his spurs in LIE annual ro-
leo for which the cowboys were then
preparing.
BY day Jack sat his horse rounding
mp the cattle and at night slept on the
l. T., ~ nd lee NJ 20
wards the other cowboys, but for the
most part they liked him. Before the
irst month ad passed he had an OPP
Dortunity to show his mettle.
A number of cowboys we're spend
ng the night in a typical Arizona
ioWn-one saloon per every fifteen in
aabitants. Jack Hall. in search Of
Captain Dick, dropped into one of the
ialoons. A cowboy, revolver in hand
was acting as master Of ceremonies,
while in the middle of the floor the
harkeeper, half dead from fatigue.
vas doing a dance, to the amusement
Of the rest of the cowboys.
When the barkeeper attempted to
{ stop swirling his feet the cowboy
shouted for more dancing, and the
1 master OF ceremonies encouraged the
/ barkeeper by popping his pistol dan.
gerously near his feet.
, Jack Hall watched the scene in ST.
lence until he saw that the barkeeper
I reached the limit Of his endurance
Then he deity wrenched the pistol
from the cowboys hand and, turning
it on him, said: IF you want any
more dancing, do it yourself"
The cowboy snatched another one
but Jack Hall was too quick for him
There was a quic., sharp report and
a cry of pain. The cowboy was
wounded in the right arm.
Then Jack Hall did a strange thing
/ His were the fingers that bandagec
his adversary's wounds. He attend
= ed to him, even cutting his food FOL
: aim, until the cowboy was well. Afte
hat he was christened Nurse Jacl
and more often called simply Nurse.
!. He had an almost womanish way o
caring for them If they fell i'll.
= HE amt a drinker and he can
+ play cards worth a hill of frijoles, bu
e he's all right dosing medicine ant
J. such things" explained the cowboys
e Moreover he was all right when
i came to handling a horse or n revoly
= or, which after all counts more point
IS In the cowboys estimation than bottl
~ Captain Dick, which, in Arizona.
4 The open sesame to any cowboy
o friendship.
Captain Dick did win his positio
among the Arizona cowboys withou
& first proving his strength of his goo
!. right arm Captain Dick has neve
: been a believer in the laws della,
81, He has assisted at more hanging
20 than any sheriff in the territory. No
y hive the victims of his sense of justic
= sfterward been proven innocent. Cal
!" ain Dick makes sure of the offender
guilt before he ties the knot.
It was in 1882, while he was sti
very young, that Captain Dicks popu
T. arity reached the high water mari
rs General Fremont, the new GOvernC
q of the Territory had introduced
g. bin in the Legislature which wa
II then in session, asking that sewers
l. thousand dollars be put aside to equi
III a company of militia to be sent to II
Il. southern part of the territory to SUI
n due the cowboys.
rs The older inhabitants and member
Nv OF the Legislature secuted the ide
m The request for the militia had con
r. from New England green groce
nm who had not yet become acclimat,
no to the cowboy and his Harmless
Fourth OF July antics in town.
What will the militia do2' d
handed the Legislators.
Shoot the cowboys il they mi
- behave. Order even at the price
y blood" replied the erstwhile pat
hnder.
NJ Then a member from a Navap
N County read a letter from Capita
~ Dick" inviting the militia to come
er the southern part Of the territory,
o There are members Of that legisi
Is. ture who treasure q copy Of th
letter to this day, and challenge al
one to produce anything as fun
ID from Mark Twain or Bill Nye. Cal
IRE Dick proved his sense of humor a.
me his cunning with the pen as well
Ii pistols Several OF the legislato
eli favored sending the militia just so
IN 10 give Capt, Dick a chance to wr