Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-09-30
WHEN "wILD BILL" WAS
HERO OF THE FRONTIER

Chllcu mhuy ihNAuVhSS Va
times.
wild Bill Hickok. once city
marshal Of Abilene. was at one time
deputy marshal under Wagstaff. He
was we'll known to Major Burke and
was a companion of Colonel w. +.
Cody, the scout and soldier who
won the commentator OF whole
nation for his deeds Of valor during
the frontier days in western United
States. 1t was through his intimate
relationship with Colonel Cody that
Major Burke formed an acquaint-
ance with "Wild Bill"
Details OF a duel at Springfield
are recalled with remarkable clear
ness by Major Burke. He and Col
onel Cody had paid visit to that
town only a short time before the
shooting occurred.
"Wild BILL" as he was more IA
miliarly known, was a scout IN the
federal army during the war, and
Major Tut played similar part In
the struggle with the confederate
army. In the pioneer days the art
CT gambling was regarded as an ac-
complishment, and the motive back
of the duel found it's inception over
the green cloth covered table. wild
BILL" playing in unusually hard
luck, lost his watch and chain to
Tut. And with the conclusion of
the game "Wild Bilr' accused Tut
OF an inconsistency. Tut denied the
charge and "Wild Bill' dared him
to walk out in front of the old court
house and hold the watch up so he
could see 1t.
The penalty for such gambling
offense was death, Wild Bill told
Tut, for Hickock said he would kill
him on the spot. The dare specified
the hour of noon for the act on
TUFTS part. At the appointed time
Tut carried out the details of the
dare as given by Hickock. He and
his enemy spied each other stimuli
ltaneously, Hickock standing on the
southwest corner of the square and
South street. They apparently drew
their weapons at the same time, but
Hickock was the quicker of the two
and Tut fell dead.
A short time following the duel,
Wild Bill made his way to the
Black Hills. For years he devoted
his time to the cleaning out of west
ern Kansas towns of gambling, be-
ing employed as marshal in several
of the frontier settlements at an
enormous salary. He was finally
killed by an assassin employed by
SAMPLERS. The shot was fired from
behind and Hickock was given no
warning.
ITO old-timers, Springfield's pub
lie square will always be a memoir
able spot" said Major Burke, in a
reminiscent mood.
THE advanced ideas of today
must be forgotten when poster1tS
Judges these past meetings wheI
preparedness for personal contes
was almost universal and its as
sumption almost imperative. There
fore, many of the famed men o
old, whom fate decreed to figure II
those lively days, should not b.
harshly criticised as to persona
character, they Often being men o.
lovable dispositions, quietly dis
posed, and regretful Of the results
of what, to a more or less degree
they felt It a duty to engage nm. g
None of those whom conditions
cast and nodded to become Beces
sary factors in. the then newly con
structed communes, If reared IN
different atmosphere, but would
have been, without doubt, members
of a pacifist society. which appihef
10 Major Dave Tut and James b
Hickock (Wild BID.
Major Burke reviewed many in
terestfng episodes and related how
on one occasion Wild Bill, when ne
was a Union scont, was captured
and the commander learned he was
to be shot at sunrise. The general
who was marching toward Spring
field broke camp and made a de-
tour. hoping against hope to make
a diversion, believing in Bits STRAIT
egg, which had never failed him.
10 be at hand to help, he knowing
,+bo proximity and direction of the