The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-11
BUFFALO BILL" IS
CLAIMED BY DEATH
Famous Scout Succumbs After Long
Illness, Dying At Sisters Home
In Denver.
HAD LONG AND VARIED CAREER
After Meeting With Success For
Years, His Show Went Broke In
1914. and He Was Never Able to
Kccoup Fortune.

Denver. Col, Jan. 1O.-ColoneI
. William Frederick Cody buffalo
BID, soldier, hunter and scout, died
at 1905 p. NJ. here today at the
home Of his sister, after a long ILL
ness
Colonel Cody's Career.
William +. Cody was born in Scott
County, la. February %, 1876. His
father was fronticl%man. who was
killed while defending a wagon train
from an attack by Indians.
Cody, when still young. became n
crack shot. and while still in his teens
took his place among the men of the
frontier in the dangerous work OF
keeping the wagon trails open be-
tween settlements
In 1850 he became a government
pony express rider, but soon after
Joined the Seventh Kansas Cavalry. in
which he served through the civil
1865.
He earned his title of Buffalo Bill"
in 1851, when tho Kansas Pacific Rail-
road was under construction by kill
Ing buffa}oes to supply the workmen
with food.
In 1872 he was elected to the Ne
braska Legislature. When the Indian
wars broke out in 1878 he offered his
services 70 the government as scout.
In the battle Of Indian Creek he rode
out in front of the battle lines and
met the Cheyenne Chief, Yellow Hand
who. at the head Of his braves, had
tainted Cody to duel with hunting
knives, Cody killed the Chief after
8 hand-ta- hand combat which was not
tnterfered with by either the Indians
or Cody's followers.
Made Chief of Scouts.
For his services during the Indian
wars Cody was made chief of scouts
with the rank of colonel, ana re-
NAMED IN the service of the govern
ment until the Indian troubles were
finally settled.
Following his discharge from the
army he came East and was enticed
on the stage by offers from various
eaterprlSing theatrical managers. His
early ventures for the most part were
failures, and he returned to Wyoming
In 1888 he came Last with the first
Wild West Show ever seen In this
country HIS success was almost in
Simultaneous, and his show grew IN
size yearly.
lie made tour Of the world with
his aggregation OF rough riders and
Indians and was decorated by almost
y
Russia ne conceived the idea of bring
ing back 10 America a band of Ural
Gossaeks, and the success OF this ven
ture induced him TO add Arabs, Sin
galese. Japs, South American Gaucho
and representatives OF almost every
nation In the world to his show.
Goes Dead Broke"
In 1905 he formed a partnership
with Major Gordon b. Lille ("Paw-
rec Bin"). which proved the begin
ming Of his financial downfall. In
1914 the show went into the hands OF
a receiver and Cody announced him
self dead broke
Numerous friends came TO his res
cue. and late in the spring of 1914
H II. Tammen. OF Denver. who owned
the controlling interest IN the Sells
Floto Circus, put CGdy at the head of
that enterprise, and at the age Of
ixty-eight the venerable frontiers
man again made his bow to crowded
grandstands.
In 1915 the Miller brothers, owners
OF the 101 Ranch. at Bliss. Okla. Of
fered Cody an interest in their Wild
West Show. and he finished out the
circus season with them.
In November. 1916, he showed signs
Of fast falling health and returned
TO his home at Cody. Wyo., where, on
December IS. he was reported sert-
ously Ill.
He was married IN 1885 to Louisa
Frederici md has no children living.
Although Cody was an expert shot
with all firearms, he was not one OF
tho bad man" type prevalent dur
ing the settlement Of the West. He
was never known to kill a white man
in any sort OF n gun fight" His
ftf4 Y=teal- qualities made him feared
among the riffraff OF the frontier.
fte-w;r often known to take a gun
away from n so-called bad man" and
administer to the offender a terrific
beating.
The Indians made him tribal mem
Der on many occasions and he spoke
many of the native dialects. He rep
resented the Redmen in many tmpor-
tapt government deals and was con-
sidered one OF the foremost champions
of their rights.
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