Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-06-01
WILD BILLS FIRST BATTLE.
Story of the Most Remarkable Con-
flict in Border Annals.


flict in Border Annals.
Forty years ago, in December. ten men
on bay horses galloped across the dry
bed of Rock creek. skirted a little clump
OF cottonwoods. and drew rein before the
bars of the Overland Stage company's
horse corral on the California trail few
miles north Of Manhattan. Bill Nc
handias, jumping from his horse. put
MS hand on the top bar. 4 tall. slender
young man stepped 10 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 emphasis that he would shoot
the hrSt man who took dowr a bar. and
MADE some comments on their parent
age.
\ few hours before they had gone by
rs quarters jerking an old preacher at
the end of a lariat As they uaSsed they
announced that they would come back
for the stage horses in the corral at 8
clock IN the afternoon. The Young man
with the gun had replied that he would
be there when they came back He was
pad TO feed. harness and protect the
company property. and intended To earn
ms money. The ten visiting gentlemen
tied their horses to the corral. and turned
10 the more cheerful duty of exterminat-
ing the lmpfudent and forward young
Waterman. He retired into his dugout
domlclle, barred the door. and stood wait
ing with a rife in his hand. Even then
he had the habit of not shooting until
the occasion really demanded it. The
hlghwaymen hunted up log from
among the cottOnwoods. and with praise
worthy industry proceeded to batter
| down the door,
Jim Mckandlas. with revolver. a
bowie-knife, Il whCop. and il yell leapod
across the threshold and INFO eternity
As the others rushed through the door
| the man inside fired three shots. with
| that accuracy of aim for which he was 50
much admired in the wears that were to
| come. The six somewhat startled horse
| thieves who remained alive Swarmed
| across the dugout floor and piled upun
the young station keeper with reviewers
| ana bowie-knives. One beat him over
the head with Il gun, and Bill McKandlaS
| struck with bOwiC-knifc, only to bury
/ 1t III the table, and WIN bullet in his
heart. to suddenly terminate career
which had furnished an infinite variety
! of interest for the ShpriffS and vigilantS
| of several counties. The rusty stove fell
from it's insecure foundation across the
| SuGlnb combatants. mixed in ineXtrica-
| bic and Sanguinary confusion. Outside Il
horse broke his hitchng strap and gal
| loped away. The little table broke down
beneath the weight of Il thousand pounds
| of shooting, Stabbing. swearing frontiers
! nv L nv IdtttSl ldHuiL ibIltu low ira
| the door. and catching glimpse of the
| brown prairies outside which looked
! good to him. suddenly reached the CON
! cluSion that he did not really need any
! stage company horses in his business and
| boiled.
BY this time the affair had ceased TO
| nave for the other four horse fanclerS
! that enticing interest which had drawn
! them into ii. As he afterwards eN-
! pressed 1t. the young man in charge of
the stage station had gone wild Gov
cred with wounds and freckled with bull
| let holes he had lost every thought and
! instinct except the mst of death aud vic
! tory. As they fought he struck the sixth
| man IN the throat with the bowie, and
! the man fell across the little pile of
| blankets. The three who were now ON
! their feet reiterated through the door and
| toward their horses. their host stagger-
! ing after them with the gieam of battle
| still in his blue eye That morning his
| associate IN the company service had
| gone huatlng, to return on the run barely
| in time to witness the close of the trag-
| edy. Doc Mills. the associate, had lost
golden opportunity. While he was out
! shooting quail Fame had knocked at
! the dugout door. handed Il laurel 10
James Butler Hickok, and passed on.
! Hlckok wrested the gun from Mills
| hand, and killed another of his fleeing
Foes before they were fifty yards away.
One, badly wounded, sped down the little
creek. found his way to Manhattan. and
dice within two days. The ninth. more
| fortunate. mounted a horse. and followed
the fat deSertcr across the prairie.
When the stage from the East came
rumbling i'll. half an hour later, they
found this hero of the most savage and
the most remarkable conflict in border
annals insensible and at the point of
| death The floor of his dugout looked
like the deck of vikings warship after
glorious triumph. Six months elapsed
| tcfore he recovered. He had beaten ten
men in fair fight. killing eight of them,
but he had won his fight. saved his EN-
ployer's property. and henceforth he was
wild Bilr' for all time.-E. c. Little in