Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-12-01
TOM HORN is HANGED.
Wyoming Bad Man Executed Despite
Threats of Rescue.

Threats ct Rescue.
Tom Horn the Wyoming bad man"
was hanged in Cheyenne Friday. The
threatened attempt by cowboys to rescue
the condemned man did not materialize.
and the execution passed off quietly.
For years Horn had been a detective
for the so-ealled cattle balons, and this
business resulted in the commission of
many heinous crimes. 1t was To the cat
tlemen, or TO persons under their ceutrol,
that the public pointed as those most in
terested in saving Horns neck. Even
Gov. Chatterton was threatened. 1t is
said that he was informed that should
Horn pay the penalty Of his crime he
(Chattertonl would not long survive.
For weeks disturbing reports came
from throughout the cattle region that
Horn would never feel the rope, that his
friends would rescue him, even if he
were standing on the scaffold, and it was
these reports that caused Cheyenne to be
placed practically under martial law.
Hundreds of militia guarded the county
jail and rapid-hre guns frowned from
the windows and ramparts of the prison
on the various approaches. The sheriff
and scores of deputies also We're alert
and apprehensive
There was one man apparently more
determined than all others that Horn
should not escape the gallows. This
man was William Nickel. the aged faith
er of the victim so savagely shot down
by Horn. Night and day for two weeks
the sturdy old cattleman paraded before
the prison. declaring that it was only
over his dead body that Horn should be
liberated, and he staid until the body 81
the assassiA was brought from the gal
lows.
While Horn it is claimed. was guilty
of many cold-blooded murders, the crime
for which he was hanged was the killing
of William Nickel, aged IL, in Blue
Springs valley, Wyoming, last July.
Nickelrs father owned land that, as
alleged, the cattle barons wanted, and,
finding it impossible to make the old
man relinquish his claim, decided that
the murder of his son might possibly
drive him from the country. Horn was
hired to do the job. and. though in earlier
days the older Nickel had befriended
him, he eagerly undertook the desperate
contract. He secreted himself about 200
yards from Nickell's house behind pile
of brush, and when the young boy APP
peared took careful aim and fired. The
bullet made a fearful wound, but not
sufficient TO unhorse the victim, who
turned toward home and with his re-
naming strength urged his horse to a
gallop. Horn followed with desperate
speed. A wire fence few yards from
the house prevented the escape of the
xxannHaI 10 poSa1f
the horse to unfasten the gate, but was
so weak from loss of blood that this took
much time. The gate finally yielded, but,
passing through it, Nickel tripped on
the wire and fell. Before he could re-
cover the heartless murderer was upon
him. The defenseless boy made a gal
liant struggle, but it was useless. Horn
fred again with his rifle almost at the
ear of the victim, and virtually blew his
head off. Then he turned and coolly rode
away.
Tom Horn was long renowned as a
scout and Indian fighter, friend of Gen.
Miles and Buffalo Bill, aad one of the
most noted figures of the mountains end
the plains. Nickelrs murder was the
last in a series of crimes, largely charg-
ed to Horn, who was one of the most
active fighters in behalf of the cattlemen
against the sheep raisers.
Horn made full confession to Deputy
Marshal Lafers He said that he came
to Wyoming in 1891 with fifty Texan
desperadoes. and for years took fore
most part in the bloody wars between
the sheep and cattlemen killing many of
the opposing faction, and Staying several
ranchmen cold-bloodedly for fixed price,
paid by cattle kings When brought to
trial, the case was bitterly fought. The
State spent $4,000 to convict Horn, and
his friends as much to clear him. After
his conviction, the cattlemen swore he
should never be hanged, and mustered
in force to rescue him, keeping up their
threats and show of attack until the day
of execution.