Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-07-29

until he was fOundo out and hanged.
Custer took a slump that it never re-
covered from in 1875 when mining ac-
| wtivities transferred some fifty miles north
to Deadwood Gulch Camp. The men
picked up their blankets and tents one
day and the town was desolate the next.
In moving, troublesome conditions be-
came worse instead of better. for few To-
~calities ever have rivaled Deadwood Gulch
in reputation for tumultuous living and
sudden death.
Along with the other adventurous
spirits who drifted to Deadwood in search
OF "a change OF luck" came James RVtler
Hickok, otherwise known as Wild Bill
Hickok has acquired The reputation OF
being one of the Vests most fearless
killers. and stories in circulation give the
total h met a sudden end at his
hands from 10 to 30. Born in Troy
Grove, H., he obtained most Of his fame
for sh%ootings in Missouri and Kansas
after serving as a Union scout n spy
in the Civil war. Abilene and Fort Hays
knew him as q dauntless marshal, guar
anteed to rid any town Of gunner, either
through fright or via the cemetery. Nc
other. 1t is said, ever has been his equal
as a marksman. particularly with re-
~volvers.
Married, Goes to His Death
Wild Bill, in 1874, heard Of the gold
strike In the Black Hills, and the follow
ing year made up his mind to go there
either to stake q claim or merely for the
excitement attendant upon such a place
He had been appearing in a show with
Buffalo Bill Cody n Texas Jack ONO
hondro and was fed up with h gentle
life" III before he got to h Black
Hills, Wild Bin broke long years OF
bachelordom and married Mrs. Agnes
Lake, q circus performer, in Cheyenne
Two weeks later the impetuous bride
groom then 80, had said farewell to his
wife and was of for new adventures al
Deadwood.
According to some historians with {
flair for fiction, as Wild Bill rode into
the Black Hills on the Deadwood stage
in June of 1876, five road agents held ur
the coach. Wild Bill, on the drivers
seat, met the command OF Hands up!'
by bringing both Of his revolvers into
play, killing our OF the d~esperadoes. The
fifth he brought to earth by hurting ar
empty gun In his face. And 1t must not
be assumed from this that Wild Bill hac
wasted any ammunition-the story telleri
point out that he had neglected to reload
his two 6-guns after shooting eight times
at some squirrels before h hold-up was
staged. This is a typical piece OF Vile
Bill literature and arithmetic. Eight
from twelve leaves four, but five men BIZ
the dustl
IA oAlL &dlllC W WOOe
on horseback. accompanied by a pal
Colorado Charlie Utter. 1t is said that
he staked out several claims and spent
most of his time gambling-hts favorite
occupation, when not experimenting with
lead and g~unpowder. The only recorded
occurrence OF tempestuous nature con.
nected with Wild Bits short stay in the
Black Hills had to do with his chastise.
'ment of six tough gun fighters from
Montana. These men were envious Of
Bits reputation and threatened to gel
him. He was told of the threat. bucklec
on his guns and went to the saloor
where they were congregated.
II understand that you cheap, would
be gun fighters from Montana have beer
making remarks about me-" sal MIR
Hickok, standing in a be1ligerent atti.
they are stopped there will ~hortly be {
number OF cheap funerals in Deadwood.
The injurious remarks, 1T is recorded
stopped then inc there.
Shot from Behind
Wild Bill had been In Deadwood only
two months when he was killed. Or
August 2 he was playing poker in a sa'
loon, seated with his back to a door
something he never had done before. ON
Jack Mccall came into the BARRON
walked behind Wild Bill and shot hin
in the read. It was said that Mccall
was picked as the assassin by a row O
bad men who had heard that Wild Bill
was to be given the post Of marshal witt
orders to clean them out. Mccall wa
cleared OF blame by q hit-or-miss tria
in Dcadwood and later went to Laramie
Wyo., where he was arrested. He wa
brought before an authorized Justice II
Yankton. 8. D., convicted OF Wild Bill
murder n hanged shortly thereafter.