The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-10-28
TAILS Of v|d|LAhTt}
DOC MIDDLETON, NOTED OUT
Law INTERVIEWED,
TELLS OF EARLY DAYS
How the Bandits Used 70 Be Hunted
and How They Avenged
Themselves.

"Doc" Middleton, former king of
western horse and cattle thieves,
the other day, after an absence of
many years, paid visit to that part
OF his former stamping grounds
now embraced in Gregory county, S.
D. His visit was for the purpose of
acting as one of the judges OF the
races given by the Gregory County
Fair association.
Middleton is known the world
over as one OF the most reckless OF
the daredevil outlaws who caused
the early settlers of the west endless
trouble and expense by swooping
down on the little settlements and
homes OF pioneers and running off
their horses and cattle:
He WIS forced to seek refuge in
Yankton by the Nebraska vigilantes
who, taking the law into their own
hands, were determined to rid the
country OF Middleton and his broth
er desperadoes and thus bring peace
and quiet to the Nebraska Dakota
frontier, After staying in Yankton
for q brief period. Middleton was
forced by the authorities to leave
and travelled overland to Deadwood.
from which place he made raids
which left murder and destruction in
their wake.
While in Gregory county he varied
his usual custom andEtalked freely
these early and exciting days.
II hated the vigilantes," said he,
II hated them and I did what any
man would have done who was per-
secuted by them. We had to kill
them to keep alive. And we did.
We organized against them, and our
ganization was called the Hoo
doos.'
How many OF the vigilartes did
you put away'?'t he was asked.
"Well, we got rid of betweenffty
and sixty, all told, I guess replied
the former outlaw. Whenever we
saw one o. them we killed him. You
can say that it must be an awful
thing to think Of having killed a
man. Il
But wheneyou have killed him by
rights. 1t gives you q feeling Of
pride"
:'Why was it that you were after
them so hard7" was the next ques-
tion asked him.
Because replied Middleton.
''they took the law into their own
hands when they had no right to.
They were q bloodthirsty lot, just
longing to tie rope around man s
neck. They made old Kid Wade
bite the dust. They hung lots of in
nocent men.
''Thsy used to come tome. but /
turned them down, knowing that /
might be the next victim. For in
stance, here's what they'd do.
zone time the vigilantes thought
I stole a COW. didn't though. ]
bought it Of q man and sold it to q
butcher. They got it whispered
around that ] stole that COW, and
they started after me.
1--WE had running fight for TWEEN
ty-6ve miles in the night, they
shooting and I back at them. Fin.
ally came to river, with 3 little
hut on its bank, three miles from 9
town. wanted to get TO town te
get protection.
II thought they had quit the
chase, and / went into the house te
stay until daylight. Before long
the gang came up and surrounded
the house, They demanded me
The man Of the house told them thai
/ had gone into town and surrender
ed.
''Finally they got the sheriff ane
/ went ont and gave up my arms Z
him. And after that, even, the,
poked their guns into my face ant
would have murdered me It it has
not | for that sheriff.
But got even with that gang
We killed every one we could tin' n
for 9 long time after that.
ssAnother time the yigilante
stn,p.r III !. man. His wife had ther