Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1912-08-01
HIS GREAT FIGHT.
The Fierce and Bloody Duel That
Won "vvild Bill" His Name.
ATTACKED BY TEN OUTLAWS.
y. Boldly Faced the Dssperadoss, Us
;no His Guns and His Bowie Knife,
and When the smoke Of Battle Clear
I'D Eight Of His Foes Were Dead.

In the story Of the Outlaw by Em-
arson Hough. is thrilling account of
the desperate and sanguinary encoun-
for against overwhelming odds that
won wild Bill his name and marked
him as one of the most fearless and
reckless lighting men that ever faced
q mob, drew "A gun or swung bowie
knife.
The real name of Wild Bill was
James Butler Hickok. He was eight
aen years oad when he first saw the
vast as fighting man under Jim
Lane. finally in the year 1861 settling
down as station agent for the Over
land at Rock Greek station. about fifty
miles west of Topeka.
He was really there as guard for
the horse band. for all that region was
full of horse thieves and cutthroats.
II was here that occurred his great
est fight, the greatest fight of one man
against odds at close range that Is
mentioned In any history Of any part
of the world.
Two border eutla ws-the McCandiess
boys-leading gang Of bad men. in.
tended to run of with the stage COM
pany's horses. When they found that
they could not induce Bill to Join their
number they left him with curses and
threats.
As they rode away Bill told them to
some and take the horses II they
could, ana 'on the afternoon OF Dec
JIG, 1861, ten Of them rode to his dug
out to do 30. Bill was alone. his sta
bleman being away hunting. He re
treated into the dark interisr of his
dugout and got ready his ~eapons. a
rife. two>six-shooters and = knife.
The assailants proceeded 10 batter in
the door with q log. and rs 1t fell In
Jim McCandless. who must have been
q braVe,m to undertake so foolkardy
q thing against man already known
as a killer. sprang In ut the opening
He, ,df,course. was killed at once.
This exhausted the rifle, and Bill
picked up the sixshoeters from the ia
BILE and in three quick shots killed
three more Of the gang as they rushed
in at the door. Four men were dead
in less than that many seconds, but
there were still six others left. all in
side the dugout now. and all bring a,
him ;ut.a range Of three feet
1t WAS almost a miracle that under
such surroundings the man was moi
killed. Bill was now crowded too much
to use his firearms and took to the
bowie, sthrusting Mt one man and an
other as best he might. 1t must have
been several minutes that all seven Of
them were mixed in a mass of shoot
ing. ithrpsting. painting and gaspini
humanity.
Then Jack McCandless swung his rife
barrel and struck Bill over the head
sprin4ng upon him with his knife a.
well. Bill got his hand on six shoot
er aud killed McCandless just as he
would have struck.
After that no one knows what hap
pened. net even Bill himself.
II just got sort of Wild Bill said
describing It, II thought my hear
was on lire. i went out to the pump
then to get a drink. and was all GU
and shot to pieces
They called him Wild Bill after that
and he had earned the name. There
were six dead men or the floor Of thu
dugout. He had fairly whipped ths
ten Of them. and the four remaining
had enough and fed from that awful
hole in the ground.
Bill followed them to the door. Hi
own weapons were exhausted or mo-
ut hand by this time. but his stable
man came up just then with a rifle IN
his hands. Bill caught 1t from him
and. cut as he was. fired and killed ons
Of the desperadoes as be tried to naoun
his horse. The other wounded mai
later died of his wounds. Eight noel
were kiiled by the one.
1t took Bill year to recover from
his wounds.