Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-11-05
STAIN Of YELLOW GOLD THE MARSHAL Of ABILENE

Capt Jack Crawford, the veteran
scout and writer of sensational litera'
ture, recently penned for Chicago
newspaper some highly laudatory
stuff about the famous Wild BIZ
Hickok, marshal of Alllene, In which
the captain potrays Wild BIZ as
good deal of a god in a blue flannel
shirt and leather chaps" said an cid
erly Washington civil engineer who
did a good deal Of work In connection
with the building of the Pacific rail.
roads, and especially those that run
through Kansas. Now, Wild BIZ
was all right-a game and nervy man,
as he had to be in his business-but
he didn't perch on any little private
Olympus of his own, and when It came
his turn he was forced to take his
medicine like any of the rest Of the
nervy and game ones Of his lay.
Capt. Crawford doesn't make any
mention in his story of a certain occa.
sion upon which wild BIZ was
stuck up at the point of gun just like
anybody else of his day and date. but
the thing happened all the same, as
I well remember, for I was in Abb
lene at the time it occurred.
There was a quiet. civil sort OF
chap named Dave Harper running a
monte game in Abilene at the time.
Wild Bill like all of the maTshals
of tough towns in those days, had a
way of dipping into the cash 4ra'yers
of the gamblers when he needed
change-it wasn't exactly protection
money, for the games would have
gone on, marshals or no marshals but
t was just one Of the little perks OF
the marshals of those days to pick tut
of the dealers tills the dough that
hey happened to require. 1t was
called 'tolling out When a marshal
needed some money he would Just
games was going on and toll out Of
the drawer the amount that he felt
he needed, and It went all right.
"'Wild BIZ was hitting the juni.
per juice one night while he bueked
a faro game across the way from
where Dave Harper was running his
monte plant, and he, therefore, got
little reckless with Dawes money
drawer. He entered the place the
first time while Harper was out for
a bite to eat, and reached In and took
what he wanted. The lookout of the
game didn't say anything.
ut was the custom and II 1t hadn't
been, lookouts weren't saying things
to Wild Bill in those days. Wild
Bill went across the way to the faro
bank, where he was sloughing of hts
chips, and dropped the toll out In
one deal. Then he returned to Harp
er's outfit. Dave Harper was seated
at the table this time, dealing monte
himself. Wild Bill reached down
into the drawer, leaning over the Ia
bic to do it, and picked up a few
pieces Of the yellow bullion. Dave
knew that that was Wild Bill's' sec
ond 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 a nail right
alongside the money drawer, and he
had it on the marshal so suddenly that
wild Bill was for a second paralyzed
with establishment.
"'stick 'em up, BILL quietly order
ID Harper.
"'Wild Bill's' hands went up.
az amt no hog, Bill, said Harper
then, an that bein' tn case. I amt
a-goin' t stand fr your bein' one.
This is tn third time that you've
hiked along this way t'night fr tollin'
out. That's crowdin' tn mourners q
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 BilPs' pres
tige in Abilene a 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 reason why he and Wild
Bill didn't figure in the gun play that
Abilene awaited from the hour that
its night marshal had to call heaven
to witness with all ten Of his fingers,
while his guns hung uselessly In his
belt. "-Washlngton Star