Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-28
Misfellaneuus Rsaaina.
FAMOUS GUN FIGHTER.
Lite Story Of "6at" Mastsrson, Just
Appointed United States Marshal.

TNmSSo SSN FISFI Ehs
Lite Story Of "Bat" Mastsrson, Jus
Appointed United States Marshal.
Word comes from the East tha
bat" Masterson, famous all over tn
northwest as a "bad-man killer" ha
been appointed deputy United State
marshal for the district Of New York
And no doubt the imaginations o
those who only know Mr.. Mastersol
from hearsay begin to picture griz
zled individual wriggling on hi
hands and knees through the will
Businesses Of Brooklyn, with one gul
clutched tight In his teeth and fou
others slung about his body; or ca
reering madly over the precipitou
mountain tops of begoated Harlem
seeking to lasso the sole remaining
gambler that the empire city pos
sesses.
But BAT" is not that kind of a per
son at all. Indeed he looks like a MAJ
you could take all sorts Of liberties
with, rather colorless in appearance
modestly dressed, well fed, and bear
ing In his face the innocent. downtrod
den aspect of one who only asks to b.
allowed to live and be let alone while
he Is doing it.
Revolver Always Handy.
Real professional sleuths who worl
at the business all the time don't like
him very much. He follows none o.
the regulation ethics at all, will no
stand on street corners. and persist
emily denies himself the delight o.
clinching his hands behind his bacl
or rolling his eyes.
However, there Is generally bulge
at his hip pocket, and no man living
can get his fingers round on top o.
that protuberance, more rapidly thar
Mr.. Masterson when an emergency
comes. But 1t Is to his credit thai
never in his history-a history com,
passing the killing of twenty-sever
men-has he fired a shot except ir
self-defense, or when in the pursuit
of his duty 1t was necessary to bring
some criminal to the ground
. Killings All justified,
Every one of his victims was either
a robber or a murderer, and in no case
in all his western experience, has Mas.
terson been without the active sympa'
thy Of all good citizens after every
shooting In which he has been engag.
ed. He never boasts about his exploits
and has never yet permitted himself
to be interviewed with regard to 'his
strenuous western career as sheriff
hunter. cowboy.
BAT" has never been a drunkard, bu
his one great passion always was, ant
still Is. a love for gambling. In hi.
younger days he would go hundreds o.
miles to partake Of the delights ol
faro. Those who know him most inti'
mately say he Is just as ready for tha'
kind Of a journey today.
At the close Of the civil war, wher
Masterson was Is years old, he made
rf5 his mind to become buffalo hun
ter. At that time Buffalo Bill was be.
ginning TO earn his reputation, ant
many thousands of youths besides
Masterson were fired with the idea Of
initiating these exploits. One day. af'
ter confiding to his father that he was
- oYo1 ho q h1ntal
in the west, he went away on the bes
horse in the family stable and was mo-
heard of in that neighborhood agar
for years.
Three months later the boy, ther
not much over 16, appeared in For
Dodge, well mounted and carrying
rife and a loading revolver
At first he stayed about the camps o.
the buffalo hunters. doing all sorts Of
odd jobs to ingratiate himself in theil
favor. and he was soon permitted tc
accompany these men on their expedi,
tions, and rapidly became known az
one of the best hunters on the plains.
Before he was 20 years old Bat
had earned a reputation that extended
over five states and territories. as g
fearless hunter who could give goot
account of himself not only in the
middle of a ferocious herd but in any
kind of human company in the worst
part Of the Bad Lands"
There was at that time a trading
post on the Canadian river, known as
Adobe Walls-a settlement consisting
of two stores, a saloon and a black
smith shop. 1t was here that Master
son killed his first man. He and sew
eral other hunters were busy over
game Of poker in the saloon, when ons
of the players. cursing him after dis
pute over the cards, drew out his re-
volver to kill him. Before his hand
could go up. however. he was dead.
Routs Band Of Indians.
In the end Of June. 1874, just a few
weeks after this incident, Bat" distin-
guished himself by routing a blood.
thirsty band Of over 100 Indians, prac-
tically single handed. These Indians
consisting of Cheyennes. Arapahoes
Comanches and Kiowas, had sworn te
wipe out the little party Of eight
hunters, and after awaiting their op.
portunity for some months finally sur
prised them in their camp asleep. For.
tunately, the men had halted for the
night at a broken down adobe building
fronted by heavy cottonwood trees.
Awakened by terrible yelling. they
found themselves surrounded by the
Indians, but, being we'll provided with
ammunition, they were able to hold
the band off for several days, a num-
Der of dead bodies Of the enemy being
piled up around the hut. BAT" dis
covered at this time. after wondering
why the redskins should be so persis-
tent in the face Of continued defeats
that they were being led and encour-
aged by a negro who was a deserteI
from the United States army and still
wore the uniform. The Indians ap-
preached closer and closer to the hut
throwing up barricades. at some points
within 100 feet.
Picks of the Leader.
BAT" determined that the only way
to save their lives was for some one
Of the besieged to kill the negro. This
$1,000 t,ont oI,,,oot apfiroly ont Of sight