The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-09-04

cloe .ioihicloe the slayer might be slain by
the next OF kin, and thus Mccall was
feqIun.ted. 90 But there was strong talk
OF lynching, and the talk might have
mater1al1zed into aa"neck tie party
mad not a new turn been given to af-
ralrs by the arrival Of Mexican who
came galloptng into the town with the
mead of an Indian strapped to his sad
Gle DOW Indians We're giving much
trouble and reward of s100 had been
oHered for each scalp, much as cattle
men men on the range are willing to pay
S25 for wolf scalp now. The Indian
mad been killed by freighter the day
before during a brush with a band Of
Indians and the Mexican coming on the
pody and being poor scalper cut off
the head and brought it into Deadwood
for the reward. The crowd gathered
round him and Mccall escaped to
Wyoming. Hes was subsequently cap
tured there, sent to Yankton on
requlsltion from the governor Of Da-
Aota territory, and was tried, convicted
and hanged. On the trial it was shown
that the story of wild Bill'' having
Killed brother was false and the only
apparent motive for the murder was
to gain notoriety.
The grave of wild Bill is marked
by a sandstone obelisk about six feet
nigh, surmounted by a bust of red
stone On the front of the stone be-
meath crossed revolvers is inscribed:
Custer was lonely without him"
A shaft similar to the one which
marks the grave of wild Bill" is the
one that marks the resting place Of
the pioneer preacher, Rev. H. w
Smith, surmounting which is a
red stone bust which, unlike that of
the celebrated scout. has not been mu-
ti1ated by relic hunting vandals and Is
said to present fine likeness to the
original The Rev. Mr.. Smith was en-
ployed as common laborer during
part OF each week, preaching on Sum
uays and such other days as might be
convenient When found where he had
been shot by the Indians, his bible had
been laid on his breast and his hands
folded over it and he had not been
scalped, proving that his murderers
knew something Of Christianity and re-
spected the bible and the ministerial
calling.
As to Calamity Jane.
Calamity Jane" who died recently
and was buried beside wild Bill" was
an ignorant woman Of most unwom-
anly habits, and the keenest imagina-
ton could never have discovered in her,
either beauty of figure or face. But
she had a kind heart, was ready to
nurse the sick or give her last penny
to anyone who needed it. Much of the
time she dressed in the garb of man,
carried revolVers and a knife in her
belt and a Winchester rifle. She partici-
pated in the camp life Of the frontier
soldiers, is said to have been a pony ex-
press rider at one time and was an
habttue Of dance halls and barrooms
She was never government scout
never killed either an Indian or a white
man, was a poor shot at best, and owes
her reputation to her eccentric habits
and penny dreadful story writer's.
and bit of romancing on her part dur
ing the latter years Of her life. Even
her story Of how she acquired the
sobriquet Calamity. Is full of con-
tradictions and has some impossibilities
in it. She claimed to have saved the
life Of Captain Egan in fight with
Indians at Goose creek, catching him
up from the ground. where he lay
wounded, throwing him across her
horse in front of her and galloping thus
out Of an ambuscade. Captain Egan,
she alleged, said to her afterward:
Jane, you are good one to have
around in time of calamity Such a
feat would have been impossible ex-
cept possibly at the hands of a very
strong man. Calamity Jane" was
small and never could have lifted a.
child. weighing fifty pounds, as she
Besides, the wife Of Captain Egan
wrote letter to correspondent Of the
Chicago Tribune, who had interviewed
Calamity and stated that her hus-
band was never rescued by Calamity,
and that no such incident ever hap
pened.
From long talk I had with "Calam-
ity Jane in Deadwood in 1895, am
fully convinced that Mr.. Egan was cor
rect, and, further, that Calamity
Jane" is not entitled to any notoriety
beyond what I have stated. 5
M l.. Fox.