Life and marvelous adventures of Wild Bill, the Scout: being a true an exact history of all the sanguinary combats and hair-breadth escapes of the most famous scout and spy America ever produced.Buel, James W. (James William)
History
Life and marvelous adventures of Wild Bill, the Scout: being a true an exact history of all the sanguinary combats and hair-breadth escapes of the most famous scout and spy America ever produced.
Buel, James W. (James William)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Hickok, Wild Bill, 1837-1876
He was an expert poker-player, and followed no other calling while
in Kansas City. The place was fairly filled with gamblers, and up
to 1875 the voice of the keno caller could be heard in nearly every
other building on Main street, between Missouri avenue and Fourth
street. The Marble block, and houses on the west side of the square,
were particularly the haunts of gamblers. Murders and rows were not
infrequent, but Bill kept out of all difficulties. He was both feared
and respected. His carriage was that of a peaceable gentleman, and
during the three years he made Kansas City his home, he was a party
to but one row, and that was of minor consequence. This difficulty
occurred in the St. Nicholas Hotel bar-room, owned by Joe Siegmund,
now the proprietor of a hotel in Malvern, Arkansas. A foppish fellow,
half-drunk, being told that the party drinking at the bar was Wild
Bill, went up to him, and, in a most provoking manner, asked Bill if he
was the desperado who had been killing men indiscriminately out West.
The impertinent inquiry called forth from Bill an equally insulting
reply. The fellow, evidently bent on a row, then began to talk of
shooting, and his ability “to lick any border ruffian that ever lived.”
Bill walked up to him slowly, and as the senseless fop was attempting
to draw a pistol, he caught him by one ear and slapped his face until
the fellow howled for mercy.
A PRIZE FIGHT IN A CHICAGO BILLIARD ROOM.
In 1874 Bill engaged in a battle with a tribe of Indians under
Black-Kettle, in which he received a severe wound from a spear thrust
through his thigh. Being very much disabled he paid a visit to his
aged mother and relatives at Troy Grove, Illinois, where he remained
some weeks and until the wound healed. Before returning west he went
to Chicago to see his old friend, Heman Baldwin, and while there the
two entered the St. James Hotel bar to play a game of billiards. While
being thus engaged seven Chicago roughs began bantering him on account
of the buckskin clothes he wore and challenged him for a prize fight.
Bill replied to them that he was not a fighting man, and that he was
at that time still suffering from a newly healed wound. They continued
their insults, and finally told him that he had to fight or acknowledge
that he was a coward and his reported exploits bogus. Bill’s courage
came to the surface quickly enough, and drawing his two pistols--both
of which were presents to him from Vice-President Wilson--the fight
began, one man against seven. The pistols were used as “billys,” and
in a few seconds the seven roughs were stretched upon the floor and
completely at Bill’s mercy. The injuries they received consisted of
severe scalp wounds, the marks from which will be carried through life.
BILL’S MARRIAGE TO MRS. LAKE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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