Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-07
Original 'Deadwood Dick"
Of Wild Days Of the Black
Hills Dies in Los Angeles
Many Claimants to Fame Inspiration Of the Hero Of
Dime Novel Writer'S, But None Measured Up to
Standard of Old Time Indian Fighter and Govern
ment Scout-Deadwood Today Quiet.
BY DUNCAN E. ELDER.

BY DUNCAN E. ELDER.
A press dispatch from Los An
geles, Cal, a few days ago an
nounced the death at that place of
Richard Bullock, "Deadwood Dick" !"
the famous Indian fighter and gov
ernment scout of the historic Black
Hills country. Bullock was popu-
larry supposed to be linked by blood
ties to Capt. Seth Bullock, but as a
matter of fact was not related to
that famous sheriff and friend Of
Theodore Roosevelt.
Dick Bullock was a plain, every
day miner employed by the Home
stake Mining company, until he
changed his occupation and became
stage driver and guard of the bull
lion carried OUT OF the hills.
Old residents of the Black Hills,
and those who made study of the
early history of that country say
that there was no original Dead
wood Dick" nor was there any
character Of the early days in Dead
wood whose escapades were the
original Of those described by the
dime novel writer's. The characters
were purely fctional
Many Claimed Honor.
Many men, besides Richard Bull
lock, claimed the distinction Of be-
ing the original scout. Richard
Clark, who died in Whitewood, S.
D., few years ago, claimed to be
the one and only "Deadwood Dick"
of Nick Carter fame but his claim
was not taken seriously by the
pioneers of the Black Hills.
Clark drove bull team and
handled freight into the Hills in the
days when Indians were holding up
and anurdering white settlers, and
no doubt he ran up against some
tough characters while making the
trips back ard forth. but neither he
nor any of the other alleged char
acters were of the type of Seth Bull
lock.
Every day was full OF adventures
for the settlers Of Deadwood in the
days of '76 and II. The Sioux In
dams were resenting bitterly the in
vasion of the whites into various
sections of their country, and es-
pecially into the Black Hills, con-
sidered by them their hunting
grounds and the home of their Great
Spirit. But the white man coming
into the country had been attracted
by the discovery of gold and kept
pouring in, resulting in isolated
parties of prospectors being sur
rounded and brutally massacred.
Center of Trails.
Deadwood was the center Of
system of trails running out to con-
meet with different outftting and
trading posts, such as Sidney,
Cheyenne, and Bismark OIL the
Northern Pacific railroad. Stages
made regular trips over these trails
carrying passengers into the Black
Hills.
Every one who saw Buffalo
Bill's" wild west show. or who at
tends the movies of today, is ia
miliar with the old stage coach.
built on high wheels, which swayed
and rocked over the rough roads
like boat i'll storm.
Twice every mouth the gold bull
lion from the Homestake and other
mines amounting to over quarter
of a million dollars had to- be.
shipped out, on its way to the mint
in Washington.
The Wells-Fargo company re.
reived the gold bars from the min
ing companies and placed them in
an iron box loaded ION a special
coach accompanied by armed men.
These treasure coaches allufed
the ..lawless bands operating in the
Hills and, of course, on numerous
occasions they were held up and
he bullion stolen.
Stories of the wild and romantic
lie OF the Black Hills were carried
back east and fired the imagination
IT the youths of that day in very
much the manner that the modern
moving pictures do to the young
generation of today.
Hundreds of early settlers in the
Black Hills admit they were moved
% come west by reading Nick Car
er stories.
To the boys Of that day Dead
wood Dick" was a real person, as
much so as Daniel Boone, Kit Car
son, or any of the other Indian
lighters of that day.
Old men recall the thrill Of ex-
.itement they experienced when
hey read the glowing words of
hese stories: The report of a rife
hot rang out through the darkness
md another redskin bit the DUST" or
"A cry OF distress was heard in the |
light, then came the galloping of a
lorse, and Deadwood Dick, our
ZERO, plunged into the midst Of the
snatching Lulu from the
lands of Scarface just as the viii
ain," etc.
Deadwood Quiet Today.
As literature, these stories were |
without merit. They are devoid of |
local color" or accurate description |
nd except for names of few
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