The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-06-30
WILD DA rs In K ANSAS.
OWN WHERE MEN DIED WITH
s BOOTS ON. .3:3} ss*s5s.5a5#ii

For More Than Two Years Hays CITY.
~ Was Ruled by the Gum and Scores
& of Lives Wore wiped out -Wild BIZ
@f Hickok. s@;@$: !.
Il. The recent decision of Congress to
give old Fort Hays: to the state of
kansas for use as a branch of the
State Agricultural College has started
ga flood Of "reminiscences about the
town Of Hays City, which sprung upto
the north under the protection Of the
garrison. .15i55 l.5s= Ri Z; S =*3.s$ s3$$
E Hays City started with the building
Of the first trans-cont ntinental railroad
across the plains. All the border char
acters who had followed the construc-
tion Of the railroad westward went to
Hays City, then known as Fort Hays.
There was neither law nor order there
4 for two years and a half after the
town sprang up. s5
f There were murderers by the score
lin Hays City. Wild Bill Hickok was
I the boss killer in Hays City. He boast
I ed that he had killed 17Swhite men in
E his day. Over in a sun-baked ceme-
4 terry on a side hill, west of Hays City,
I lie all who died in the town until $780,
| There are about 24O graves, and near
| ly 80 OF them were filled by tragedies
| of some sort. @ + ,.s
t Only slight provocation was needed
/ Tor murder. The Empire Hotel, a
/ frame structure with few hunks and
L much room for saloon and gambling,
/ was the scene. of a sample shooting
affair. One day in December, 1873, a
i gambler named Lewis: from Chicago,
i had dispute with the bartender, Jim
Il Daily, about how rich was friend Of
i theirs in a dance hall down the street.
/ Lewis ran to the door, and, turning,
i drew his revolver and fired at DAILY.
The latter snatched pistol from be-
hind the bar and returned the fire.
i This was kept up until both men had
i mptied their pistols, and then DAILY,
i icing mortally wounded, went to the
L lack of the saloon, laid himself out
/ tpon the billiard table and died. While
1 he shooting was going on little
i tage driver named F,reeland decided
L p take a hand in the fighting. His
i only weapon was single -barreled,
i luzzle- ling pistol. 6 aking this in
4 lis hand, he rushed up behind Lewis,
i AID, at the distance OF only a few
s2ards sshnts Inn squa between he
shoulders. Then, without waiting to
see the result #of his shot, he dropped
the weapon and fed. ;.7=s
IsI Lewis, who happened to be wearing
| a heavy overcoat, did not even know
that he had been hit, and continued
his main fight as if nothing had hap
pened. When about a mile from town
the \feeing Freeland met some men
and reported that he had killed Lewis.
ThenNhe continued his flight, and from
that day to this no human being is
known to have seen him alive or dead.
III No story of the exciting days in
early Hays City is complete without
;something about James William Hic-
kok, better known as Wild Bill. He
was a notorious desperate and man
killer, and on that score was hired to
keep order as city marshal in Hays
City. When a salary of 5000 a month
was offered him he put on a silver
star and took two huge loaded reyolv-
ers and started out on his new duties.
His revolVers were very heavy, and
his favorite way of using them was
by clubbing..s Grasping the handles, he
would pound an obstreperous cowboy
into .insensibility with the utmost
ease. He never let up for a moment in
his endeavor to keep order. His treat
ment of his old companions among
the COW punchers and saloon men
made him many enemies, and they de-
clared they would have his life. He
never walked on the sidewalk, know
ing there might be an armed foe lurk-
ing for him. His bitterest foe was
Philip Cole, who declared he would
shoot him on sight One day Hickok
4 stood in front Of the Daisy saloon.
Cole came up the street and neared
the sidewalk. There was a shot fired
at the marshal, !, whether by Cole or
some cowboys nearby viii never be
known, but in an instant Wild Bill
drew both his reyolYers and placed
two bullets in Coles breast. The
holes where they entered were not
two inches apart, although the men
were twenty feet from each other. The
shooting emptied the neighboring sa-
looms and 100 or more men were on
the spot il a moment. Hickok or
Idered them to disperse and be- quick
about 1t, and they dispersed. Before
the bystanders had fallen back far
Mike Williams, who had heard the
lshootingr came running up from an
Iother part Of the town. Either Wild
Bill did not recognize him, or thought
that Williams had turned against him,
for, with the same 'unerring aim that
(heShad just exhibited, he 1eveled both
|revolyers again and two more bullets;
found their ma Jams sank,
bleeding to the ground
a Dry Sermon.
ss How was the temp SER