Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-01-01

them by a ruse that they were sur
rounded by large posse Of cowboys,
and captured the entire band without
firing a shot. Men were never more
disguised than they when they discov-
cred how they had been taken in, and
this was the one incident Of his career
that Tnghman liked to tell about. He
regarded 1t as huge joke.
When trouble came Tilghman never
waited for aid. He was in tiny
prairie town. one day looking for a
murderer, when three horsemen swept
down on the town bank and held it up.
Tilghman saw the connection a block
away, ran to the scene and engaged
the three in a pistol battle, killed one,
wounded one and killed the third ones
horse as he tried to escape. The
wounded man recovered, and he and
his companion went to the peniten-
tiary. The town marshal never put in
an appearance during the melee.
Succeeded in Desperate Missions.
Three Presidents of the United
States and every governor of Okla
homa except one at some time called
on Tilghman for special duty. It al
ways was some desperate mission, and
never did Tilghman fail to bring in his
man, alive il possible, but dead it nee
essary. At one time President Roose-
yelt sent him into Mexico for MUIR
derer. Tilghman penetrated 600 miles
into the southern republic, got his man
and brought him back to the United
States. Mexico never even protested
officially.
No less spectacular than his war on
criminals was Tilghman's service
against the Indians during the '7Os.
He was only twenty years old when
he first saw service in the Cheyenne
and Arapahoe war In 1877, and he
also fought through the campaign Of
1878 when Dull Knife and his follow
ers left the reservation 1t Fort Sill
and plundered the frOntie. of Kansas
and Nebraska Tilghman's home and
all his possessions were burned by the
marauders, and the memory of 1t made
his aim little truer and his zest for
the fight little keener. Some Of his
experiences during the Indian wars
have been made the basis Of novels.
for it was he who rode IS miles
through an Indian-infested country for
troops and led them to the relief Of
a beleaguered settlement. The cav
airy actually arrived in the nick Of
time, for the log blockhouse was In
flames, half Of the defenders were
dead and the Indians were forming
for a final rush when the troopers
swept down on them. Only remnant
of the Indian band escaped, and Thigh
man tracked them for days until they
finally eiuded him.
AT another time Tilghman and two
brother scouts were surprised by q
rowing band of red marauders and for
forty-eight hours fought of attack
after attack. Their dead horses
served as breastworks. Unable to
break through the deadly fire of the
scouts and fearing to tarry long
enough to starve them out, the In
dams withdrew, leaving behind a
dozen dead One Of the scouts was
killed and Tilghman and his compan-
ion were slightly wounded. They
buried their comrade, "outsmarted"
the Indians by stealing two ponies
from them during the night and
reached safety.
Never Sacrificed Life.
Aside from his Indian wars, II was
said of Tilghman that he never took
human life unless it was necessary
to save his own. Scores Of times
brother officers rebuked him for piac-
ing his life and theirs in jeopardy be-
cause of his unwillingness to shoot
on sight" yet they never could infiu-
ence him. But ne was relentless in
his task and never abandoned the
chase until his man was dead or in
prison, even though he smight be COM
uelled to turn his attention elsewhere
for the time being.
"Uncle Bill" Tilghman's death cast
q pail over Oklahoma. Split by the
bitterest political fight in its history,
the state forgot its hatreds when the
news Of his murder was flashed, and
from all factions arose tribute to
the dean of Oklahoma peace officers,
the man who met and conquered more
"bad men" than any two officers in
the SOuthwest-and perhaps in the
world-the man whose mere presence
in town enabled women and children
to sleep peacefully and caused crimi-
nails to seek other fields. A governor,
two former governors, United States
senator, ministers, widows Of men
whose murderers he had brought to
Justice and men in all walks of life
Joined in doing honor to him and in
pouring flood of condolences on the
widow.
And the children?
Hell be missed by all the boys In
the neighborhood,' his widow says.
seThey all knew him and liked him.
and he always had time to listen to
their troubles, share their joys, advise
them, show them why this course or
that was right, point out the folly OF
unfairness or dishonor and help them
if they were in trouble. He really was
gladden., / believe, to persuade boy
to do the manly thing than to catch
murderer.
81 have sat by my window and
heard groups Of boys go by, discussing
some proposal heatedly. II one re-
marked, well, Uncle Billy would do
II ~ n