The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-20
WILD BILLS FIRST BATTLE.
Story of the Most Remarkable Con.
flict in Border Annals.

fiict in Border Annals.
Forty years ago, in December, ten men
on bay horses galloped across the dry bed
of Rock Creek. skirted little clump of
| cottonwoods, and drew rein before the
bars of the Overland Stage Companys
horse corral on the California trail a few
miles north of Manhattan. Bill Mckan
dlas, jumping from his horse, put his
hand on the top bar A tall, slender young
man stepped to the door of the dugout
few yards away with a gun in his hand
and eyed the McKandlas gang with dark
disfavor. He called out with some en-
phasis that he would shoot the first man
| who took down a bar and made some
comments on their parentage.
A few hours before they had gone by
his quarters jerking an old preacher at
the end of lariat AS they passed they
announced that they would come back
for the stage horse in the corral at three
o'clock in the afternoon. The young
man with the gun had replied that he
would he there when they came back.
He was paid to feed, harness, and protect
the company's property and intended to
earn his money. The ten visiting gen.
tlcmcn tied their horses to the corral, and
turned to the more cheerful duty of ex-
terminating the imprudent and forward
Young watchman. He retired into his
due-out domicile, barred the door, and
stood waiting with rifle in his hand.
Even then he had the habit of not shoot
ing until the occasion really demanded
it. The highwaymen hunted up log
from the cottonwoods, and with praise
worthy industry proceeded to batter down
the door. jim McLandlas, with revolver,
a bowie-knife, whoop, and yell leaped
across the threshold and into eternity.
As the others rushed through the door the
man inside fired three Shots with that &C
curacy of aim for which he was so much
admired in the years that were to come.
The six somewhat startled horse thieves
who remained alive swarmed across the
due-out floor, and piled upon the young
station keeper with revolvers and bowie
knives. One beat him over the head with
a gun, and Bill McKandlas struck with a
bowie knife, only to bury it in the table,
and with a bullet in his heart, to suddenly
terminate a career which had furnished
an infinite variety of interest for the
sheriffs and vigilants of several counties.
The rusty stove fell from its insecure
foundation across the surging combatants
mixed in inextricable and sanguinary
confusion. Outside horse broke his
hitching strap and galloped away. The
little table broke down beneath the weight
of thousand pounds of shooting, stab
bing, swearing frontiersmen. The fat
test bandit rolled toward the door, and
catching a glimpse of the brown pralrles
. outside, which looked good to him, sud
denly reached the conclusion that he dlo
: not really need any stage company norseS
in his business and bolted.
By this time the affair had ceased te
, have for the other four horse fanciers that
, enticing interest which had drawn then
= into it. AS he. afterwards expressed it
: the Young man in charge of the stage
| station had gone Wild" Covered will
wounds and freckled with bullet holes hi
. had lost every thought and instinct excep
: the lust of death and victory AS they
5 fought he struck the sixth man in tht
throat with the bowie, and the man fel
: across the little pile of blankets. Tht
E three who were now on their feet retreat
ed through the door and toward theil
2 horses, their host staggering after then
|, with the gleam of battle still in his blue
5 eve. That morning his associate in thu
. company's service had gone hunting, tt
? return on the run barely in time to witnes:
the close of the tragedy. Doc Mills, tht
associate, had lost a golden opportunity
: While he was out shooting quail Fame
| had Knocked at the dug-out door, handed
laurels to James Butler Hickok, and pass
edon. Hickok wrested the gun from
Mills shand, and killed another of his flee
ing foes before they were fifty yards away
One, badly wounded, sped down the lit
tie creek, found his way to Manhattan
: and died within two days. The ninth
more fortunate, mounted horse, and
followed the fat deserter across the prairie
When the stage from the East came
rumbling in, half an hour later, they
found this hero of the most savage as1
the most remarkable conflict in border
annals insensible and at the point O
death. The floor of his dug-out looked
like the d Of vikings warship after
glorious tr Six months elapsed be
fore he rec He had beaten ter
men in fail killing eight of them
but he had W light, saved his EN-
Movers prope i henceforth he wa
wild Bill" fol ime.-E. c. Little il
A Good ugh Medicine.
It snesks we'll l. Chamberlain Cougl
Remedy when druggists use 1t in thel
: own families in preference to any other
81 have sold Chamberlain's Cough Reme
DIV for the past five years with complete