Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-01-04

specimen Of manhood and one OF
the most deadly shots with rifle or
pistol that ever lived. In his Ell
.husiasm as a Union spy he made n
letour around, down into Texas and
pack to southwest Missouri and Joined
The Texans under an assumed name
and accepted service as n Confederate
spy, consequently giving himself the
double danger Of spy's fate. There
fore by this means he became of i'm
mense service to the Union forces.
For many months he was confiden
tial secret service agent for the Con
federate forces under General Price il
an invasion Of Kansas, and in one bat
tie while among their advance guard
he saw maneuver of which he
thought the Union general should be
Informed. He therefore made dash
from the rebel to the opposing lines
His action was so sudden that the
southerners thought his horse had be-
come unruly The audacity of his
movements did not dawn on them for
a few moments, when. with yells. a
squad took up hot pursuit Both ar
mics watched in breathless suspense;
but. always famed for picking superior
mounts. he quickly distanced all save
one, who followed close up behind him,
firing several shots which whistled
close to his ear. Just when IIickoks
horse was compelled to vault small
creek he turned in his saddle and with
his unerring aim dropped the gallant
pursuer from his horse and rode safe
ly into the Union lines. Here he de-
livered his information to General
PleasOnton. which turned the tide Of
the day.
Probably the most noted event in his
career was his single handed fight
with Jacob McCandles and his gang
Kansas, while riding pony express In
1861 This was his first great fight
while covering his route, armed only
! with two Colt rcvolvers. He halted
at Rock Creek Station to find the
stock tender dead and his wife excited
by his presence. AS he approached
she exclaimed:
his gang are in the neighborhood. or
were this morning."
This gang of bandits had been lay
ing trap for Hickok to get him out
of the way. flushing to the door to re-
| mount and get back, he saw several
heads pop up out Of the grass, and a
bullet struck the door jamb Jumping
al, toJl lad L.,
was fortunate to find loaded rifle
left by the husband which the Nc
Candles gang did not think OF. as
they saw that Fill was armed only
with six shooters. There were some
raillcry and badinage between him and
McCandles Of defiant nature when
McCandles and nine bandits rose and,
with yell charged for the door
They depended on taking the chance
of losing some of their men AID .lau,
quick charge Bits instructions
were to me in such cases. will. al
| ways get the leader" This he did. as
he fired straight at NcCandles. the
bullet catching him full in the heart,
and he dropped instantly. by this
time the desperadoes were close upon
the cabin. Jumping aside. he emptied
! the reviewers through the cabin door
Four men fell dead. besides McCan-
dies. at this stage of the game
Although wounded With bucksh hot
and bullet and struck over the head
with Il rifle that caused him to bleed
at the mouth and nose, he still stayed
| with EN-" At this time as he told
me himself. the cabin was filled with
smoke and anything be struck or hit
was an enemy. and in the gloom prob