USA > Kansas > Ford County > Dodge City > Dodge City, the cowboy capital, and the great Southwest in the days of the wild Indian, the buffalo, the cowboy, dance halls, gambling halls and bad men > Part 23
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A stranger, hunting Bat one day, said to some per- sons, standing on a street corner, "Can any of you tell me where I can find Bat Masterson? I never saw him, and would not know him if I met him." A lawyer spoke up, and said: "Look for one of the most perfectly made men you ever saw, as well as a well-dressed, good-looking fellow, and, when you see such a man, call him 'Bat' and you have hit the bull's eye."
Notwithstanding they have talked and published Bat as a robber and murderer and everything else that is vile, there was nothing of the kind in his make-up. On the contrary, Bat is a gentleman by instinct. He is a man of pleasant manners, good address, and mild disposition until aroused, and then, for God's sake, look out! He is a leader of men and a natural born general, always ac- complishing whatever he undertook. This is the reason he
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was sought after by the "gang" and recognized as their general. He has much natural ability and good hard common sense, and, if he had got started right, Bat, today, would have been occupying a seat in the United States Senate, instead of being a reporter for a newspaper. There is nothing low down about him. He is high-toned and broad-minded, cool and brave.
In 1876 he became a candidate for sheriff of Ford county, of which Dodge is the county seat. Here is his announcement, as he wrote it, and as it appeared in the "Dodge City Times:"
"At the earnest request of many citizens of Ford county, I have consented to run for the office of sheriff, at the coming election in this county. While earnestly soliciting the sufferages of the people, I have no pledges to make, as pledges are usually considered, before election, to be mere clap-trap. I desire to say to the voting public that I am no politician and shall make no combinations that would be likely to, in anywise, hamper me in the dis- charge of the duties of the office, and, should I be elected, will put forth my best efforts to so discharge the duties of the office that those voting for me shall have no occasion to regret having done so.
"Respectfully, "W. B. MASTERSON."
The home paper said that, "Mr. W. B. Masterson is on the track for sheriff. Bat is well known as a young man of nerve and coolness in cases of danger. He has served on the police force of this city, and also as under- sheriff, and knows just how to gather in the sinners. He is well qualified to fill the office, and, if elected, will never shrink from danger."
Owing to the life he had lived, it was urged by his opponents, during the canvass leading up to his election, and owing to the fact that Bat had grown to manhood under the free and easy conditions permeating a frontier
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community, that he would be too lenient with law break- ers and evil doers; but his metal was tried on this, soon after he was inducted into office.
There was a train robbery committed at Kinsley, Kansas, and one Dave Rudebaugh was the main guy in the robbery. Rudebaugh was a very bold, bad man. This crime was not committed in Bat's jurisdiction, but in another county; still, he gathered a posse, consisting of Dave Morrow (Prairie Dog Dave), Josiah Webb, and Charlie Bassett, and took the trail. He caught on to a scent that led them to Henry Lovell's cattle camp. The posse remained at this camp until the next day after their arrival. A terrible storm was raging, and Bat was certain that the robbers would seek this camp for shelter, which they did, and, by the adoption of strategic measures on the part of Bat and his men, they were captured without a shot being fired, nothwithstanding these robbers were desperate men and heavily armed. The pursuit and well- devised and well-executed capture reflects credit, good judgment, and bravery upon all who engaged in it.
The successful efforts of Sheriff W. B. Masterson in this capture, followed by other arrests remarkable in skill and judgment, entitles him to the unanimous accord of praise given him, at the time and since, and in which I join.
Bat was a most loyal man to his friends. If anyone did him a favor, he never forgot it. I believe that if one of his friends was confined in jail and there was the least doubt of his innocence, he would take a crow-bar and "jimmy" and dig him out, at the dead hour of midnight; and, if there were determined men guarding: him, he would take these desperate chances. This was exempli- fied in his action in saving Billy Thompson. Billy and Ben Thompson, mentioned in a previous chapter, were brothers, high rollers, and desperate men, as well as gamblers. Billy was shot all to pieces in a gun play at
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Ogallallah, Nebraska. They wired Ben Thompson, at Dodge, about the shooting, but Ben had outlawed him- self at Ogallallah, was well known there, and had many enemies in the town. He did not dare to go. Bat and Ben were friends, and Bat said: "I'll go, but he don't deserve it." But he promised Ben to bring Billy out. Now Bat was a stranger in Ogallallah, and Billy Thompson was at the only hotel there, desperately wounded and shot all to pieces. The citizens were down on him, waiting for him to get well enough to hang him. The chances were desperate, and Bat knew it and had to keep under cover. By chance, Billy's nurse was an old-timer and a great admirer of Bat. By some chance unknown to any- one, Bat got to him, and the nurse was only too glad to help him all he could, secretly, of course, for the nurse knew the chances he was taking in helping Bat. Through this nurse, Bat got word to a lot of his friends as well as friends of Thompson, who wanted to help him if they could. This was their plan, and it succeeded admirably. When the fast, west-bound express was heard to whistle at Ogallallah, at twelve o'clock that night, the friends of Thompson were to commence a sham battle at the big dance hall across the railroad track, some distance from the hotel, by a perfect fusilade of shots. Of course, everyone ran out of the hotel for the scene of action. Then Bat got the nurse to throw Billy Thompson across his shoulders and to follow with his clothes.
Bat landed Billy in a sleeper and locked the door, just as the train pulled out, and no one saw them. Their attention was attracted elsewhere, and they landed next morning at William Cody's (alias Buffalo Bills) ranch, who happened to be at home in North Platte. Bill was kind hearted and was always willing to help the weak and needy, so they got the best of care, and Mr. Cody had several relays of teams stationed overland towards Dodge City. Mr. Cody, I think, accompanied them for
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the first few days. It was a long way across country for a badly wounded man, but they made it all right, without accident.
Another man worthy of note, on account of many good qualities, was Edward J. Masterson, a brother of Bat Masterson. He came to Dodge City with his dis- tinguished brother, and, in 1877, was appointed marshal of Dodge City. He was in every way well qualified to fill this position. He was a natural gentleman, a man of good judgment, cool, and considerate. He had another very important qualification, that of bravery. In those days, a man with any streaks of yellow in him could have accomplished nothing as such officer in Dodge.
The mayor and city council, knowing Ed Masterson to possess all of the qualifications demanded by the times. conditions, and the position, gave him the appointment, to the entire satisfaction of all the business men and citizens of the town. He served in such capacity about a year and, during the time, acquitted himself in such a way that his untimely death, in the performance of his duty, was deeply and sincerely deplored by the entire community.
I here relate an attempt to perform duty at that time, and the result, as published in the "Dodge City Times," November 10th, 1877.
"Last Monday afternoon, one of those little episodes which serve to vary the monotony of frontier existence occurred at the Lone Star dance hall, during which four men came out some the worse for wear, but none, with one exception, being seriously hurt.
"Bob Shaw, the man who started the amusement, accused Texas Dick, alias Moore, of having robbed him of forty dollars, and, when the two met in the Lone Star, the ball opened. Somebody, foreseeing possible trouble and probable gore, started out in search of City Marshal
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Ed. Masterson, and, finding him, hurried him to the scene of the impending conflict.
"When Masterson opened the door, he descried Shaw near the bar, with a huge pistol in his hand and a hogshead of blood in his eye, ready to relieve Texas Dick of his existence in this world and send him to those shades where troubles come not and six-shooters are unknown. Not wishing to hurt Shaw, but anxious to quite matters and quell the disturbance, Masterson order- ed him to give up his gun. Shaw refused to deliver and told Masterson to keep away from him, and, after saying this, he proceeded to try to kill Texas Dick. Officer Masterson then gently tapped belligerent Shaw upon the head with his shooting iron, merely to convince him of the vanities of this frail world. The aforesaid reminder upon the head, however, failed to have the desired effect, and, instead of dropping, as any man of fine sensibilities would have done, Shaw turned his battery upon the officer and let him have it in the right breast. The ball, striking a rib and passing around, came out under the right shoulder blade, paralyzing his right arm so that it was useless, so far as handling a gun was concerned. Masterson fell, but grasping the pistol in his left hand he returned the fire, giving it to Shaw in the left arm and left leg, rendering him hors de combat.
"During the melee, Texas Dick was shot in the right groin, making a painful and dangerous, though not neces- sarily a fatal wound, while Frank Buskirk, who, impelled by a curiosity he could not control, was looking in at the door upon the matinee, received a reminiscence in the left arm, which had the effect of starting him out to hunt a surgeon. Nobody was killed, but, for a time, it looked as though the undertaker and the coroner would have something to do."
The writer remembers this shooting scrape well. Someone ran by my store at full speed, crying out, "Our
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COL. BRICK BOND One of the Seven Old Timers of Dodge City
marshal is being murdered in the dance hall!" I, with several others, quickly ran to the dance hall and burst in the door. The house was so dense with smoke from the pistols a person could hardly see, but Ed Masterson had corralled a lot in one corner of the hall, with his six- shooter in his left hand, holding them there until assist- ance could reach him. I relate this to show the daring and cool bravery of our marshal, in times of greatest danger, and when he was so badly wounded.
April 9th, Ed Masterson was mortally wounded, in an attempt to make an arrest of two desperate men, Jack Wagner and Alf Walker, who had committed some crime and were terrorizing the town. A very short time after being shot he died. A few minutes after Ed was shot, Bat heard of the trouble and hurried to the assist- ance of his brother. It took but a glance from Bat to determine that his brother was murdered. He was greatly affected by the horrible crime, and, when Ed told him he had his death wound, he gathered the particulars, and, bidding his brother an affectionate farewell, hastily de- parted to avenge his death; and I have no doubt he made the murderers pay the penalty.
Ed Masterson's death shocked the entire town, and the feeling was intense against his murderers. To show the esteem in which Masterson was held, the city council and civic organizations passed resolutions of respect, and all the business houses closed during the time of his funeral. It was the largest funeral held in Dodge City, up to that time.
I present a photograph of Andy Johnson, one of the heroes of the adobe wall fight. He has gone through all the vicissitudes of life. A blacksmith by trade, but he has never been afraid to tackle anything that has come in his way. Always a busy man, he has made and lost two or three fortunes. It has been up and down, and down and up with him, but he has never been discouraged.
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Coming over from Sweden, at an early day, he found his way out to the great plains, when he was not much more than a boy. He was introduced, at once, to all the hard- ships and privations of a buffalo hunter, and came near freezing to death, when he was caught in several of our terrible snow-storms. He came to Dodge City soon after the town was started, and has rendered good service to it by his thrift and industry. He built the big store- house for Rath & Wright, at the adobe walls, and col- lected many trophies from the bodies of dead Indians, immediately after the fight; and I expect he had the largest collection of war bonnets, shields, bows and ar- rows, spears, white people's scalps, and other Indian cur- iosities, of anyone in the West. They were considered of great value, but were nearly all destroyed by the big fire in Dodge, in 1885. He worked some time in our hide yard, and says we often had forty thousand or fifty thousand buffalo hides, at a time, in the yard.
The Honorable M. W. Sutton, who deserves and ought to have more space in our book than we can possi- bly give him, came to Dodge in 1876, and at once, from the very beginning, struck a gait that gave him front rank as an attorney. Indeed, he was, for many years, the leading attorney of southwest Kansas, and always has held his own among the very best lawyers of our state. He was a friend of the "gang", but always stood up for right and justice. He and the writer ran on the same ticket, and were always elected by overwhelming majorities. He was behind me, as adviser, in all my deals and undertaking. He held many responsible positions of honor and trust, and discharged their duties ably and satisfactorily. When Bat Masterson was sheriff, Mike (Sutton) was prosecuting attorney and they made a great team. It was not, "Scare 'em and catch 'em," as the old story goes, but it was, "Catch 'em and convict 'em," which was nearly always sure to be the case. It was his ability, and not chance, that did it, as some of his
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enemies would try to make you believe. Unusual success, in any line, seems always attended by enemies, but, in this instance, both Sutton and Masterson were well fitted to follow Cy Leland's example toward those who cher- ished resentment against them. Leland said that if he were making answer to the resentful ones, he would re- peat this printed poem which, for years, he carried in his pocket:
"You have no enemies, you say?
Alas! my friends, the boast is poor. He who has mingled in the fray Of duty that the brave endure,
Must have made foes. If you have none, Small is the work that you have done.
You've hit no traitor on the hip;
You've dashed no cup from perjured lip;
You've never turned the wrong to right;
You've been a coward in the fight."
During our campaigns, in very early days, Mr. Sutton and I had some funny things to occur. I regret I cannot give them for want of space. Some of them would equal, in fun, the electioneering adventures of David Crockett and Daniel Boone. Mike was the making of our beloved, talented, and greatly distinguished congressman, now deceased. Mr. Sutton spared no labor or means in bring- ing him out and boosting him, all the time and in every way possible; and, on every occasion, he would manage to call the public's attention to the name of Ed Madison. Mike surely was, for many years, the big political boss of the great Southwest, and held the situation in his vest pocket; and he certainly made one United States senator, and came within two votes of making another, besides figuring conspicuously in making and defeating others. For many years, he was undoubtedly a power in politics. He is retired now, living on the fruits of his past toil, but still retains much of his former vigor, and retains the respect and esteem of his community.
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Of the number of old citizens of the town, whose resi- dence began with the opening of the Santa Fe Railway and which still continues to be Dodge City, we find only seven survivors. These are A. J. Anthony, Dr. T. L. McCarty, Honorable G. M. Hoover, H. S. Sitler, O. A. Bond, Andrew Johnson, and myself, R. M. Wright. Of these, Andrew Johnson has been mentioned. A. J. An- thony, who is now (1913) eighty-three years of age, is a most wonderfully preserved man, as active and bright as a man of forty. He goes right along with a laugh and a song, and sometimes a dance. Nothing seems to worry him. The reason he is so well preserved is that he never dissipated; always led an even, pure life, and strictly temperate in his habits. He has filled several offices of honor and trust, such as county commissioner, and other county and township offices.
Dr. T. L. McCarty is the oldest and one of the best- known physicians and surgeons in the West. He has lived to see Dodge City grow from a few houses to its present size. He and his son, Claude, have a fine hospital here, and they stand today in the front ranks of the best physicians in the state, and enjoy a large practice. His son and partner, Dr. Claude McCarty, was the first child (with the exception noted in a former chapter) born in Dodge City.
Honorable G. M. Hoover is one of our wealthiest men. He made all his money here. He has held many of- fices of honor and trust. He represented Ford county in the legislature two terms. He was mayor of Dodge City several times, and county commissioner several times. He owns a big bank of which he is president.
Mr. H. L. Sitler is a retired farmer and stockman, and was, for a long time, one of our leading men in the stock business.
O. A. Bond is pointed out, by the younger genera- tion, as the great hunter and nimrod-the man who killed so many buffalo in one day, and stood in the front
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ranks of the mighty hunters in early days. He is now the owner of one of our largest drug stores, and is taking life easy in his old days.
Since beginning this book, I learn that my old friend, William Tilghman, Chief of Police of Oklahoma City, and mentioned several times in previous pages, is a can- didate for the marshalship of Oklahoma. The president could not appoint a better man, nor one more fitted for the place by all the rules of war. William Tilghman has spent almost a lifetime in this kind of work. He was marshal under me, when I was mayor of Dodge City, and Ben Daniels was his assistant. No braver men ever han- dled a gun or arrested an outlaw, and Dodge never passed through a tougher time than the year of the big fire, the year I was mayor. It did seem like every bad and desperate character in the whole West gathered here; and when we would drive out one lot, another set would make their appearance. But Tilghman was equal to the occasion. He had many narrow escapes, and many des- perate men to deal with; and Ben Daniels was a good sec- ond. Ex-President Roosevelt told the writer, when I was walking with him from the roundhouse to the depot, that Daniels was one of the bravest men he ever saw. He said, during the Cuban war, he could send Ben any place and he was sure to go, no matter how great the danger; he never found him wanting, and he paid him many other high compliments, when I told him Ben was an old citi- zen of Dodge and a peace officer. I regret I cannot give Tilghman and Daniels a more extended notice for want of space.
I would not feel satisfied, nor would I think my book complete, unless I made mention, in my feeble way, of my old friend and fellow politician, Honorable Nicholas B. Klaine. Mr. Klaine was not one of our first settlers (came here in 1877), but there is no man who has con- tributed more in building up and trying to snatch Dodge City from its wickedness, and bring about an era of
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Christian feeling and build-up of our churches and other religious and charitable institutions than he. He has labored hard, both day and night, with his able pen and valuable papers, for the welfare of Dodge City. He and I, I am proud to say, have always worked side by side in politics, as well as in many other things, for the com- mon good. He was editor of the "Dodge City Times" for many years, and has filled several offices of honor and trust. He was postmaster of Dodge City for one term, and gave general satisfaction. He was probate judge of our county for several years. He has also helped me not a little with my book.
Now I can't help speaking a great big word for my old friend, Chalk Beeson, God rest his soul! and may God take a liking to him, is my fervent prayer. Had I space, I could write many pages of his good, generous deeds. He never neglected the sick and needy, and, in times of affliction, Chalk would always be on hand to give comfort, and aid, if necessary, to the stricken ones. He was an indefatigable worker at whatever he under- took, and he never went after anything that he did not succeed in getting it. It was greatly through his efforts that our fine Masonic Hall was builded, and it stands, today, as a monument to his labor. He was one of the widest and best-known men in the state, and among the Masons he reached a high mark. He twice represented our county in the legislature, and was sheriff of our county a number of times. He was one of the celebrated scouts that accompanied the Grand Duke Alexis, of Russia, on his great buffalo hunt; he was also the orig- inater, leader, and proprietor of our famous cowboy band, of which I shall presently say more; in fact, he was the "whole thing."
Mr. Beeson came to this country from Colorado, after spending several years there. At one time, he drove stage between Colorado Springs and Denver. He was com- pelled to reside in Dodge for a short time, owing to loan-
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ing money on property here to a friend, and not being able to get it back as soon as he expected; but he liked Dodge, took over the property instead of the money, and located here permanently. He had acquired a very good musical training in Colorado, playing always with the best musicians wherever he went; and at one time he played a steady engagement in Pueblo. When Dodge became the big cattle market of the central west, he in- vested money in a herd, and the first range he herded over was on the Saw Log. He afterwards took W. H. Harris in partnership with him, and they moved this herd to Sand Creek, about fifty-five miles south of Dodge City. During the severe winter of 1885-1886, they lost almost everything, and it somewhat discouraged him in the cattle business. He traded property on the southwest corner of Second avenue and Spruce street for eighty acres of land a mile and a half southwest of Dodge, where he resided until his death, due to a bucking horse he was riding.
This trade was unusual in the fact that Mr. Beeson and Mr. D. T. Owens, who owned the town property, traded evenly and complete, just as the properties stood, each family taking only their personal effects with them. And the peculiar fact still presents itself to us, that, after twenty-five years, the two properties still remain of equal value, as real estate.
Mr. Beeson was greatly admired by the Santa Fe Railway people. At the time of his death he had acquired considerable land and town property. He was one of the heavy tax payers, and gave the right of way, through his valuable farm lands, for the building of the new rail- road.
Another old friend and early comer to Dodge City I must mention is Mr. H. B. Bell. Mr. Bell, who was born in Maryland, lost his parents when very young, and when a mere boy, came west to try his luck. From Law- rence, Kansas, his first stop, he went to Abilene, Ells- worth, and finally Great Bend, where he landed in July,
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1872. There he hunted buffalo awhile, then got a position with a Santa Fe agent whose office was a box-car, and worked there till appointed assistant marshal under James Gainsford.
In September, 1874, Mr. Bell came to Dodge City, served several terms as city alderman, was appointed United States deputy marshal after the assassination of United States Deputy Marshal McCarty, and served in that capacity for twelve years. He also served as deputy sheriff under Charles Bassett and several other sheriffs, was elected to the office of county commissioner, served one year, and then ran and was elected sheriff, in which office he served for twelve years. Mr. Bell has been in office for about thirty years. He made many trips alone into No Man's Land, and brought out his man. When our Ford Bank was robbed, Mr. Bell was one of the im- portant factors in bringing four of the robbers to trial, three of whom are now (1913) serving sentence. In all his official capacity, while very dangerous work in the old days, Mr. Bell has never shot a man, and never hit a man with a gun to affect an arrest, though I think he has arrested more people, for the warrants handled, than any sheriff in our western country. Mr. Bell is our pres- sent mayor, and is putting in his entire time to give satis- faction to our people. Just to show that, in his energy and ability, time has not changed him, I clip, in part, the following, from the "Globe" of 1877:
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