Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-04-11


Seth Bullock, pioneer MOntanan
before ne became q DakDean Of al
most national reputation, was q
member Of the fasm@ms vigiIante Ca
ganlxatt0n which figured hempenIy In
the early history 81 the territory, 0p~
Grating with the Helena branch Of
those doughty champions Of law and
order he became friend Of The0-
d0re Roosevelt wfen Roosevelt was En
the cattle business at AIedora, and
his friendship held fast for all time.
Under Roosevelt he served as United
States marshal Of South Dakota, and
frequently went On hunting expedi-
tons with the rough rider.
Captain Bullock once related an In
cident which illustrated the turbulence
OF some OF the early days Of Deadwood
gulch. One OF the bad men, taking q
dislike to Captain Bullock, gave orders
that Bullock should leave the camp
and never return. The bad man threat
ened TO shoot him on sight. Being
warned by friends, Captain Bullock
hunter and proceeded down the street
TO the saloon in which the bad man
was awaiting his coming. Seeing this
exhibition Of nerve on the part of the
man whom he believed ne could easily
drive from camp, the bad man weak
ened and failed to appear, and Captain
Bullock continued TO be a resident OF
Deadwood gulch, maintaining this resi-
dence up 10 the time Of his death. The
bad man soon afterward took his de-
parture.
Captain Bullock also gave some I'M
written history of the period irnmedi-
ately following the killing OF wild
Bill" Hickok in a Deadw0od saloon,
Aug. 2, 1875. while himself and several
other men were engaged In playing
cards, the assassin, Jack McCall-aft-
erward hanged at Yankton for the
having sneaked up to the door
and fired the fatal shot into the back
Of Wild Bill"
Mccall, after being tried by an inn
promptu jury composed of friends, ac-
Quilted and at once made preparations
Tor leaving Deadw0od and escaping to
Hanger Of having to settle matters with |
Oeadwood friends Of wild Bill" A re-
ay OF horses was arranged In advance, |
and Mccall commenced his flight out
If the country.
Texas Jack" and California joe"
Wo famous frontiersmen, who then 1
we're residents Of Deadwood, and who
we're warm friends Of wild Bill" left
)eadwood on horseback at about the /
etfAAN
Mccall on the open prairie between
)eadwood and Cheyenne and kill him
q revenge for his staying Of wild
But Mccall succeeded in beating
hem TO Cheyenne, being enabled to |
ccomplish this feat because OF the
act that fresh horses were ready for
lin at different points along the route,
nd the taded horses of the two pur-
tforc ergfi| MT knasa s4yn kf,r ~ ~. fyn~
hey overtaken Mccall he would have
peedtly died with bis boots on"
During these turbulent early days OF
)eadwood gI1lch, Captain Bullock
teadfastly aligned himself with the
rderly element
Road agents infested all the trails
sading TO and from the Black Hills,
nd continued to grow bolder, holding
D numerous expeditions carrying gold
list out OF the Black Kills Tor ship !
tent to the mint. One day the road |
gents held up and robbed an armored |
'easure coach, which had been named III
Johnnie Slaughter" In honor Of q III
river who had previously been shot
nd killed In a holdup near Deadwood. II
he armored coach was in charge Of 1
We picked men, with Scott Davis OF
enver, Colo, chief messenger IN
large. The stage coach drove up, as
suaf, TO the stage station at Cold
prings to change horses The coach
as brought to stop and the driver
rev the lines the ground, and those
] the coach we're preparing TO dis
cunt and enter the stage station, Il
hen suddenly from the door Of the
sarby station the report Of firearms
ing out and deadly hail Of bullets
urtled about the coach. Campbell, a III
legraph operator, was killed; Gale
III, q coach guard, was badly wounded. II
Scott Davis, chief messenger, jumped II
the ground on the opposite side OF II
le coach from where the bandits we're
anding He took cover under the