The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-17
KILLED FIFTY MEN.
Doc" Middleton, Once a Famous Des-
 perado, Now a Good Citizen.

From the Lewiston CMaine) Journal
 Your story about the bad men of the
 vest was all right as far as it went,
 but one of the most noted of those men
 vas entirely omitted. l refer to Doc
 household word in Nebraska. Wyoming
 md the Dakotas.
 ''Let me here say that Middleton is how a changed man and no one would
 ever suspect him of crime. His word is
 IS good as gold and his friendship as true
 S steel
 q also want to say that many of our noted outlaws have become such by .,auses which were no choice of theirs Middleton was one of this class, and his Story is one that has always brought | him much sympathy. will tell you how l t all came about
 'In the days when the Union Pacific railroad was being built the town of Sid hey, in Nebraska, was one of the hardest n the tough region Savage Indians were |all around and still tougher class With n. The business part of the place was made up of dives. saloons, gambling dens land other places of vice. Every man had Ia gun in his pocket, and it didn't require Sgreat provocation to make him use It. |rhe nights were made hideous by brawls land rarely did one pass without an ex- Change of shots in some of the dives. "At that time Middleton was young medical student from the east. lie was |of a quiet and peaceable disposition ana Ehe last man in Sidney that any one ,,onla ever suppose had the making of Ia desnerado. And he didn't have, nat |urally. but was driven into It.
 "Of course there was no place for any me to spend an evening except In the sa- loons. and to these the entire population Igravitated. One night youg Middleton |dronned into one of the dance halls for an |hour's amusement. In the place were Hot of United States soldiers who were sta Itioned in Sidney to guard against lnolan |attacks. They had been drinking heavily |and were Just bit more dangerous than sthe Indians. In a few moments a big and Ihurly blue coat came up to Middleton and grossly insulted him. Middleton was a ,1nuch smaller man, but full of courage, land he resented the treatment. At this the drunken soldier clinched him and threw lhim heavily to the floor.
 ..T.bis, reused all the daredevil in Mid .dleton and he determined on swift re- yenge It was a lawless place which knew no form of justice except strength The |soldier was pounding Middleton, put the latter was not idle. In his hip pocket was a 32-caliber revolver and this he man. ,aged to draw. Turning the muzzle up- ward he pulled the trigger and sent the bullet through the heart of the man who was maltreating him.
 .'The soldier died instantly, but his com rades were determined to kill his slayer. Middleton was too quick for them, and, escaping to the outside, mounted his broncho and rode swiftly away. The sol diers finding that their victim had slipped, vented their rage by destroying the dive II visited the place a few years ago and found it completely dismantled, while the walls and ceiling were completely per 6orated with bullet holes.
 "If the thing had ended there Middleton would have continued to be law-abidng and peaceable citizen, but the govern ment authorities at once offered reward for his capture. This sent officers on his track and Middleton at once knew that If he was caught it meant death to him. There was no choice for him but to fight or die.
 His resolve was quickly taken. Arming himself from head to foot, he defied all his pursuers and took to the deep canyons