Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
HELD UP HIS HANDS

Capt Jack Crawford. the veteran scout
and writer Of sensational literature, re-
Gently pennad for a Chicago newspaper
some highly Mandatory stuff about the fa-
nous Wild BIZ Hickok, marshal of Abb
lene in which the captain portrays Wild
Bill as a good deal of god in blue fan
mel shirt and leather chaps" said an elder
ly Washington civil engineer who did
good deal Of work in connection with the
building of the Pacific railroads. and es-
pecially those that run through Kansas
Now, Wild Bill was all right-a game
and nervy man, as he had to be In mis-
business-but he didn't perch on any little
private Olympus of his own, and when II
came his turn he was forced to take ms
medicine like any Of the rest OF the nerNy
and game ones of his day. Capt. Crawfoi q
doesn't make any mention in his story OF
a certain occasion upon which wild Bill
was stuck up at the point OF gun just
like anybody else of his day and date, Dus
the thing happened. all the same, as Wen
remember. for l was IN Abilene at She
time it occurred.
There was a quiet, civil sort Of chap
named Dave Harper running monte game
in Abilene at the time. wild Bill. IKE
all Of the marshals of tough towns in those
days, had a way of dipping into the casn
drawers of the gamblers when he needeo
change-it wasn't exactly protection money
shals or no marshals. but it was just one
of the little perks of the marshals or those
days to pick out of the dealers tills the
dough that they happened to require. II
was called 'tolling out When marShal
needed some money he would just drop into
a place where one of the games was gong
and toll out of the drawag the amount
that he felt he needed, and 1t went all
right.
Wild Bill was hitting the juniper juice
one night while he bucked a faro game
across the way from where Dave Harper
was running his monte plant, and he there-
fore got little reckless with Dawes money
drawer. He entered the place the nrst
time while Harper was out for pite 10
eat, and reached in and took what IL.
wanted. The lookout Of the game d1dn
say anything.
ut was the custom, and. If it hadn't been.
lookouts weren't saying things to Wild
BIZ On those days. Wild Bnf went across
the way to the faro bank where he was
toll out in one deal. Then he returned to
Harper's outfit Dave Harper was seated
at the table this time. dealing monte him
self. Wild Bill reached down into the
drawer, leaning over the table to do 1t. and
picked up a few pieces of the yellow bull
lion. Dave knew that that was Wild BINS
second swoop on the till that evening, but
he didn't say ANYTHING. But when. about
an hour later, Wild BILL pretty we'll used
up with the mesquite fluid by this time,
sailed in and started to reach for Harper's
dust heap for the third time, Dave did what
nobody in Abilene or anywhere else had up
to that time had the nerve to do to Wild
Bill He snapped up the gun that was
hanging from nail right alongside the
money drawer, and he had 1t on the mar
shall so suddenly that Wild Bill was for a
second paralyzed with astonishment.
"'Stick EN- up, BILL quietly ordered Har-
per.
"'Wild BINS hands went up.
az amt no hog, BILL said Harper then.
AN that bein' tn case, I amt a-goin' t
stand FIR your bein' one. This Is tn third
time that you've hiked along this way
t'night FIR tollin' out. That's crowdin' tn
mourners a hull heap, an 1t don't go. You
kin back out, Bill, keepin 'em up
And Wild BILL for the first time in his
life. had to back thirty PAGES out Of Dave
Harper's monte plant, with his digits
pointing to the zenith The incident hurt
Wild Bills prestige In Abilene good deal,
and he never entirely forgave Harper for
the humiliation inflicted upon him that
time. Harper left Abilene a very short
time after that, which is no doubt the rea-
son why he and Wild BHr didn't figure in
the gun play that Abilene awaited from
the hour that it's night marshal had to call
heaven to witness with all ten Of his
fingers. while his guns hung uselessly in
his belt"