Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-11-06
A STORMY CAREER.
William Bedell Kidnapped When a
Boy Has Been Tried -Four
Times for Murder-Now
in Confederate Home.

William Bedell and his wife left
Tuesday for Higginsville, where they
Will enter the Confederate Home. Mr..
Bedell fought through the war as a
member Of the Fourth Missouri
ARTILLERY.
Mr.. Bedell has been tried four times
for taking IS many lives and has had
many other troubles in his 81 years of
life.
A b~rown-legged Mexican lad Of 10
at the close of the Mexican war, he
played in the streets of Santa Ne, New
Mexico, little dreaming Of the tumul-
tuous career for which he was des-
tined. He was parentless and bore the
e%uphonious name Of Guillermo Roma
70, a liberal translation of which means
William Bedell.
The little lad, with his Mexican
blood set aire by the bright trap
pings Of the United States soldiers re-
turning from the Mexican war, hung
around the camps day after day, saw
troop after troop leave for the long
overland journey to their homes in
the far northeast. Finally a detach-
mento of Missouri soldiers under Price
set out for home, but with them was a
stranger, the little 13-year-old brown
legged Mexican lad, who had played so
happily ON the streets of Santa Fe. He
accompanied the troops as a virtual
prisoner, he having been kidnapped by
a man named Selkirk, who later died
in the West.
During tine trip across the plains to
independence the care Of the boy was
transferred to VIM. II. Northcutt, Of
Boone county, Mo, who was quarter
master of Gen. Prices bodyguard.
Arriving at Independence the SOL
diers were disbanded and scattered to
their homes. Romaro accompanied
NoIthcutt to Columbia, arriving there
in lS4s. At the fall election in Col
umbia that year Romaro, whose Mex
icanname had been translated to Will
liam Bedell, had his first trouble Of a Sc
rious nature. He was standing near the
polls enjoying the excitement incident
to the election. Around his shoulders
was a highly colored Mexican blan-
ket. A young man named Fields
stepped on the edge of Bedell's blan-
ket and tore one Of the taSsels off;
then the trouble began and when it
was over Bedell was smiling Is he
watched friends carry Fields away
with several serious knife cuts and his
clothes cut to ribbons. Bedell was
not arrested and he and Fields after
ward became warm friends.
When he was about IS years old
| Bedell came to Mexico and soon after
ward went to Salt Lake City as a
| freighter. He made two trips and on
one OF them killed his first man. The
killing was at Independence and the
victim was a sub boss of the outfit
named Smith. The two got into
trouble and Smith shot at Bedell who
returned the fire and killed his adver-
sary. The slayer was tried and ac-
quilted,
After leaving the freighting bust
ness BedelI learned the blacksmith
trade at Rocheport and piled it in
that place and Fayette until he came
TO Mexico in 1858. The following year
he was married to Miss Katharine
Preston, of Fayette. She and their
daughter, Mrs. Matte Green, Of st.
| Louis, are still living and there are
two children dead.
On Mail. 1851. Mr.. Bedell enlisted
in the Confederate cause, becoming a
member Of the Fourth Missouri Artill-
cry and serving as Commander of gun
No. l. He fought through Missouri,
Arkansas and Louisiana and was
paroled at Shreveport on June 3, 1860
! He had trouble there after being
paroled which he refuses TO discuss, at
any rate it is we'll understood that he
has filled many more graves than four.
What Mr.. Bedell says was his
| closest shave outside of his service In
the army, during which he was wound
| ed 5 times, was 10 a fight with a
gambler in Shreveport. When the
trouble started each sought shelter
behind small wooden awning supports
and when the firing had ceased 1t was
seen that every ball fired by each
participant had hattened against the
protecting posts. Neither Bedeli nor
the gambler was touched.
Coming back north Bedell killed a
soldier in Louisiana, Mo-, and was
acquitted. In this city he has killed
two men. One wa Dick Doolin in
the early seventies and the other was
a MI. Campbell who died in the south
west after having been wounded by
Mr.. Bedell in this city.
The killing Of Doolin took place in
| front of what is now the Roden build
ing in Washington street. Bedell says
that Doolin was after him and began
the shooting, when he drew his
revolver and killed his aggressor.
| Bedell was shot In the heel in this en-
counter. The other chapter in Mr..
Bedell's life was milder in that he
chains to have been acting the part OF
peacemaker between Campbell and a
man named Good. Campbell killed
Good and then turned his revolver on
Bedell who was trying to stop the
trouble. Bedell shot Campbell SO
badly that he died after having moved
somewhere in the southwest.
During hts residence in this city Mr..
Bedell has acted in the capacity of
marshal and is said to have served
we'll. He is a man of unflinching
nerve but long since he gave up the
practice of being armed.
He was born on July 4, 1885.
The commission appointed by Presi-