River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-10-26
~NIZZD BILL" HICROH es

Wild Bill in Abilene that day they kept care
fully out of sight. Not shot was fired. Moth
ing happened Wild Bills reception at Abilene
was a regular ovation.
THAT little trip that Coles brother and
friends had made from Texas to Abilene to
avenge Coles death was no bluff. They went
to Abilene again the following year expecting
to find Wild Bill there Whey they learned
that he was in Cheyenne, Coles brother and
two of his close friends started off for the
Wyoming town. Wild Bills friends in Abilene
wired him to be on the lookout for them.
Bill was standing against the bar of sa-
loon in Cheyenne drinking a glass Of beer
when the three Texans stalked in. Bill recog-
nized Coles brother by his resemblance to the
Cole he had killed But Bill made no move.
He merely fingered his glass lazily and watched
the three strangers out Of the corner OF his
eye. The Texans separated slightly and closed
on Bill in a semi-circle. Get him now!' said
their leader suddenly All three whipped out
reVolvers. But-woud you believe ft?-they
did not fire shot. Bill was the quickest man
ON the draw that ever lived He fired so
rapidly that others in the saloon testified after
wards they heard but one report. His bullets
found the Texans between the eyes and they
fell dead in their tracks. Wild Bill killed
these men with a siXshooter | had given him
when he quit the theatrical business.
wild Bill was one of the best revolver shots
in the west" Buffalo Bill went on He
certainly was the best revolver shot in fight"
"The man Of today wonders why Wild Bill
got into many fights. One naturally figures
he must have been a quarrelsome man On
the contrary he was distinctly likable and ami
able. But out west in early days there were
many men who took pride in bloody exploits
and killed men simply to make record In
the spirit of gamblers these men swore to
kill each other to decide which was the better
man. They hunted each other often and tray
eled hundreds of miles to fight it out with a
rival killer. number of these professional
bad men tried to kill Wild Bill for the reputa-
ton 1t would give them. Other men tried to
kill him as a result of disputes. Still others
sought his life to avenge the deaths Of rela-
tives who had fallen before Wild Bilrs re.
volVerS
He was killed in Deadwood by Jack McCaE
on August 2, 1878. Wtth a party of frieAd
he had entered saloon tn play poker Tx
card table was in corner at the rear of tat
place. Captain Durfee, an old Missouri stear,
U12t man and friend of Hickok's, took tao
seat in the corner. Wild Bill tried to get the
seat first. When he failed, he asked Captain
Durfee to let him have it. Captain Durfcs
suspected Bill wanted the seat to have a certain
man at his right to cut for him and perhaps
stack the deck Captain Durfee refused to cfyo
up the seat. Then Bill without more ado sat
down in chair with his back to the frone
door. In that position he could not see McCaH
enter. The assassin stepped up behind ham
and fired bullet in the back of his head XIII.
ing him instantly. Mccall was hanged in Yank.
ton not long after. The fatal bullet. after pass.
ing through Wild Bill's skull, broke Captain
Durfee's arm.
Captain Durfee said afterward that he did
not realize until too late that Wild Bill wanted
the chair in the corner so he could command
view of the bar and al who entered from
the street. If the captain had known this he
would have surrendered the chair and Wild Biz
would not have been assassinated"