The Coolidge examiner., 1934-08-03
Aickok's Last Letter toHis Wife

the story of bis death has been told many tines
With wide variety OF conflicting detail Be-
cause o. rs historical importance. iu the light
o. the quotation from Conneiley's book AZ the
beginning % this article. Il seems worth while.
as The anniversary OF that event approaches. 20
gire the version of II which has resulted from
the Kansas historians research.
There was n curious irony of fate IN the man
ner Of Wild Bits dying which makes Il more
than another Illustration of the aEe-old saying
that those who I've By the sword shall die by
the sword. with the substitution of the word
"slx-shooieTr FOR the word sword" woyeu into
the red fabric of the narrative of wnd Bits
last days Is a white thread which seems strange
~ out of place 10 the chronicle of the violent
end of a lie OF violence. II introduces into the
story Of this eoideyed killer of the plains the
unusual and unexpected role OF n tender and de-
voted husband. even though the element OF ro-
mantle love may be lacking
In 1870 Hlckok was living in Cheyenne. wyo.
listening 90 the siren call os gold Ia the Black
HIS of South Dakota But before he could
answer that call be learned that Mrs Agnes
Thatcher Lake. the widow % a famous circus per
former and herself one Of long line OF show
people was visiting relative In Cheyenne. He
lene. Kan. In 1871. and. In 1874. during his brief
career as an actor with Buffalo BIll" Cody in
Ned Bunillne's scouts OF the Plains" be had
met her again In Rochester. ~ Y
The result Of their meeting In Cheyenne vas
their mRrrlage on March 3 Says Counelley
There Is no doubt that the two, veuturesorne
and fun % courage and life. appealed To each
other. But the question o, love Is n very dubious
one The marriage was the practical sensible
combining OF forces of two people who knew
that they could Be Of mutual help" After the
marriage they went drst 20 81 Louis then 10
Cincinnati. TWO weeks there found Hckok rest
less and eager TO get back TO the West and 20
20 the Black Hnls
Accordingly he returned to 81. Louis and So,
about organizing n company of adventurers whom
he was 10 lead into the gold country. This he
did, going BY way OF Cheyenne where his old
friend Colorado Charley Utter. Joined him
They arrived In Deadwood early IN MAY Con
nected with thar arrival Is one OF the elements
~ the irony-offaie motif In the story az Wild
Bits death-hIs premonitIon that he was going
10 bis death In Deadwood Gulch
According 10 a Northumberland story, as ne
and Utter came to the top OF Break Neck Hin
and looked down into the gulch Wild Ban said
10 his companions: Boys, have hunch that
| am In my last camp and will never leave this
evening before his death. be was leaning against
the side of the open door of the &c" saloon
when a friend noticed his dowucast appearance
and asked him why he was looking so dumpy."
Hickok replied: TON. / have a presentlment
that my time Is up and that am going to be
killed"
After arriving In the Hills. Hlckok took up
several claims and began developing them. How
successful he was is unknown. There is extant
Tin the museum OF the United States Playing
Card company at Cincnnati) his last letter to
bis wife. written on July II. which does not
indicate any considerable success as a gold
hunter. His letter read:
Dead Wood black hills Dacota July nth 1876
My own darling wife Agnes | have but a
few moments left before this letter starts
never was as well in my life but you would
laughf 10 see me now just got in from Pros
pectng will 20 away again 10 morrow but god
nowse when II will start my friend viii take
this TO Cheyenne II he lives | don't expect to
hear from you but it Is all the same no my
Agnes and only live TO love hur never mind Pet
we will have a home yet then we win be so
happy almost shure will do well the man
is huring me Good by Dear wife Love TO Emma
- b. Hckok
wild BIZ"
When Hickok arrived in Deadwood. that camp
was in the grip of the most lawless element
Although he was there only as peaceful pros
pector his reputation as q marshal q Kansas |
AT Hays and Abilene. was well known. Soon the
law-abiding element in DeA6~ood began talking
OF making him marshal of that town and having
him "clean up the camp" Hickok neither en-
couraged nor discouraged such talk but went
quietly about his work
But such talk was dlsconcerting to :he card
sharps, the thieves and the killers Tbo had