The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-05-08
. | |: ] WIg|'SWETzEL Gun
Gi0 | ] (; I!O@JAMEST own

ittfpffggb flfiyf 14flesG sNfI
The OLD INDIAN KILLER TO Sc.
SSE.x'tH,lRITEp-A r LUTON. II
81 q Any. RIFLE.
SA,ll'o:IRGANToWN, May s.-Morgan.
town yesterday contributed Its quota
TO the jamestown Exposition. The
article which went was the old reyo.
lutionary rife owned by Lewis Wetzel
and used on the western frontiers dur.
Ing the Indian wars Of Iii up to 1901.
1.-THE gun has a remarkable history,
and was owned BY, the most famous
scout Of that day, with The probable
exception Of Daniel Boone. Wetzel
vas a mysterious figure in the from.
Ter seldom having much to say, not
often telling Of his deeds OF daring
living a sober life, and yet he was a
man WITH the courage Of a lion, and
me daring and endurance OF the wild
Indians whom he fought in many a
hand TO hand encounter in the western
wilderness. His home was near
Wheeling but he secuted alone over
country between Pittsburg and Ken.
lucky, gliding sa?adlly through the
woods attacking any struggling In.
dams who crossed his path.
There are on record well authentl.
caAed cases Of twenty.three Indians
who met their death at the hands
OF Wetzel, several Of them In close
iand desperate conflict and some.
lines with the odds largely against
mn. he was a man Of great strength
ana Of remarkable activity, and be.
ing a dead sure shot, and an expert
IN loading his long rifle as he ran, \
feat few could do, he always came
on victorious In his combats. His
rifle carried half ounce ball. AMI
was a heavy and very accurate weap.
on The Indians called It the gun
that was always loaded" because
Of: his ability to load and fire so
quickly. On one occasion he killed
Tour Slndians who were trying to
catch: him. One of them succeeded
IN selling hold OF the gun and IN
the scuffle for its possession Wetzel
hnally shot his antagonist through
the heart The barrel Of the old rifle
shows cut in the steel said to
have been made by the blow of The
Indians tomahawk in that deadly
encounter when Wetzel skiIffuily
caught the descending weapon on his
rifle. 4 |
At the close Of the indian wars n |
1875 The old scouts occupation was
gone and he disappeared almost
from notice for years. and unit, I
Judge Edwin S. Duncan, and subse. /
quently Alexander S. Withers col. |
fected the facts in his strange ant
remarkable life, and they were made
known to the reading public about
eighty years ago. His gun came near
disappearing also, but tradition
chung to It. About sixty years ago
the illntlock was taken of and n uer.
c''ssion lock was substituted. Tie
work was done by blacksmith
them living In Wetzel count, narucl
James Myers. He kept track Of RI,
gum and 1t was through Ify effort
many years later that It was fourl
md he procured It at tile Instance Of
Hn Maxwell, who had. heard of r;
Mr.. Maxwell bought It from Mr.
Myers. and still owns It. Wien II II
irst came Into the hands Of ity meg.
ent owner II was In state Of ne.
greet, and was badly rrsted. Wneril
The barrel was cleaned, and the r,,srt
'craped off. the initials Of Lewis
Wetzel were found on the barrel.
me letters had been cut, apparently.
With small drill. and consisted of{|
little holes forming the crude OUT
Ines Of Il. W: n
The rife was exhibited at the FortV
Henry centennial at Wheeling irt
1882. and for some years after thar|
line was left in the care OF Juige
J. l.. Cramer, Of Wheeling, willie lis
'wner was absent in the West. Artrrl
he death OF Judge Cramer tile gum
was brought to- Morgantown.
The gun has not been fired sincel
i came into the possession of rs
present owner. A history Of tKes
weapon was published about a year
aso in the magazinc Forest and