The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1907-12-21
LIGHTNING GUN PLAY
One Time When Wild Bill Hickok
Was Too Rapid.
HE KILLED HIS EEST FRIEND.
The FIucky Marsha HsG Settled the
Leader OF the DesPeradoes Who tiad
Started 70 Sheet % the Town When
He Made the Fatz Mistake.

Startto 20 Shcct 2 me ic"H When
He Made the FatsI Mistake.
In September. 1874. the good people
OF DickinSo county. Kan. had reach
ed the definite conclusion that it was
q farming country and proceeded to
emphasize this opinion 10y giving ali
old fashioned county fair AT Abilene
Six hundred thousand iOnghorns came
up from Texas that year. but their
owners took the hint aud understood
/ that there would be no Room for thei:
stock Oh the prairies OF that country
I the following season. They bad sold
their cattle and were ready to depart
Abilene was TO be their stamping
ground no more.
Ii was In order TO celebrate the Oc-
casion in the old time way. and il was
generally understood that the cereno
MES of the evening were TO conclude
by killing the town marshal. Wild Bill
Hickok. and metaphoricaIiy taking his
scalp back 10 Texas 4 few Of them
drew lots as to which should have that
dangerous honor. and Phillip COe got
the short straw.
/ 1t was a beautiful autumn day. and
the county fair was n great success.
! AS the sun went down Pat McCOnigal
and his brother tied their broncbos In
front Of the drovers' cottage. strolled
down Texas street. met their cowboy
friends. and the fun began. A dozen
cowmen picked up Jake Karatosky.
the merchant, carried him down to the
Applejack and had him set up the
drinks. A score of more or less prOmi-
nent citizens and cattlemen were used
in the same manner and in quick sue
cession.
The crowd increased. and the liquor
and excitement spread The cowboys
were giving Abilene her last Roman
holiday. Wild Bill was dining at Mrs.
Smiths restaurant. and the roisterers
went to drag him to the bar. Bill said
they might go to the Novelty bar and
get drink on him. but pOintedly de
clined to accompany them and called
particular attention to the ordinance
against shooting in the city limits.
BY 10 O'Clock at night the mob surg
ell from one end of Texas street to the
other in reckless abandon. Everybody
who claimed to be civilized hunted
cover. Marshal Hickok and Policeman
Williams were watching at the Novel
", where generally the most friction
occurred
1t was about this time that big Phil
COe, keeping faith with his comrades.
but with no eager avidity. leiSurely
walked up in front Of the Alamo. then
packed with excited men. and fired his
gun at a dog, us lie claimed Wild
Bill told Williams to stay ut the Nov
city, ran swiftly across to the rear door
and sprang into the crowded Alamo
roughly inquiring as to who was doing
the shooting.
Coe stood at the we'll curb outside
and said that be had fired the shot
Immediately be fired another. which
graZed Wild Bills side as be stood
at the bar. With that wonderful swift
ness which stood him in good stead 50
many times. Bill threw two guns on
COe and shot him twice in the abdo-
men. exclaiming. I've shot too low
At the same instant be turned and
running down the dark sidewalk and
burst on the scene. showing two guns
in front of him. Coe fred one more
shot and fell across the we'll curb. A
hundred guns clicked as wild Bill
fired his first shot. but before the
fourth the place was cleared and not
one bad man was left to stand by
Coe.
The stranger. with two bullets with
in an inch of his heart. threw both
hands in the air. dropped his guns to
the floor and pitched forward stone
dead. 1t was Mike Williams, the dep
uty. a brave fellow. who despite his
chiefs instructions 10 remain at the
Novelty, could not keep away from the
fight.
Wild Bill cried out that be lad killed
his best friend. gathered the little man
in his arms and. with eyes full OF
tears. laid him across poker table
The fury that burned in his veins
when he whipped the McKandlas gang
sprang to life again at this accident,
and he proceeded to hold the Texas men
responsible. That night the desperate
heroes of border strife hid in cellars
and sunflower patches or on swift 20
uies found their way to their cattle
camps. for they had made "a tzZIe by
trying TO shoot up the wrong town
( Denver Field and Farm.