Page 22 - 2008 DT 12 issues

March Hickok, cont’d from p. 1 public taste, and let the two owners
know it should be changed. Texans Phil
D e s k S c h e d u l e When the Civil War started, Hickok Coe and Ben Thompson bluntly refused,
joined the Union Army as a wagon and Coe openly declared that Hickok
8:30-12:30/ 10:30-2:00/ 12:30-4:30 master, but later on he was appointed as had a grudge against Texans. Wild Bill
Sat/1 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck a scout and sometimes spy for General responded that gambling at the Bull’s
Sun/2 K. Nelson C. McLaughlin John Sanborn. Much of the action took Head was rigged. From there it all went
Mon/3 K. Jackson J. Geier place in Missouri, where guerilla-style downhill. Coe and several other Texans,
fighting between Union and Confederate clearly drunk, rampaged down the street
Tues/4 M. Slagle J. Geier forces was common—open style fighting in Abilene, firing shots at random. When
P. Kepner that suited Hickok’s temperament. He Wild Bill confronted them, Coe took aim
Wed/5 G. Fazio R. Porche served with distinction, and when the and fired. In the confusion that followed,
P./E. O’Sullivan war ended, he was back on the frontier Hickok’s good friend and deputy, Mike
Thur/6 G. Wojciechowski J. Barrett with his reputation rapidly growing. In Williams ran to aid him. Hickok thought
R. Rossnagel F. Davis 1867, Harper’s New Monthly Magazine it was another Texan and fired, killing
Fri/7 E. Rothfuss P. Boghossian was just one of several publications that him. He also killed Coe in the gunfight,
Sat/8 P. VanDooremaal W./I. Baumann came out with highly colored accounts of but that didn’t matter. The distraught
H. Doric R. Erickson his exploits. For awhile, he served as a Wild Bill was crushed with grief at hav-
Sun/9 D. Langdon E. Rothfuss scout for Col. George Armstrong Custer, ing shot his friend by mistake. It was the
Mon/10 S./S. Stenzel R. Kinn who later described Wild Bill as “. . . a end of Wild Bill’s career in frontier law.
L. Colemen strange character, just the one a
novelist might gloat over . . . a
Tues/11 V. Sperry M. Goessmann Plainsman in every sense of the
Wed/12 G. Fazio R. Porche word . . . whose skill in the use of
Thur/13 G. Wojciechowski J. Barrett the rifle and pistol was unerring.”
R. Rossnagel F. Davis Wild Bill didn’t mind this kind
Fri/14 R. Erickson D. Schoengold of publicity, but he recoiled from
Sat/15 L. Mills J. Kisosondi the sometimes “desperado” image
Sun/16 K. Nelson E, Rothfuss that surrounded him. Army service
E. Meeks meant long periods on the dusty
Mon/17 M. Goessmann J. Geier frontier for low pay and—very im-
Tues/18 R./M. Augulis J. Geier portant to Wild Bill—it meant he
Wed/19 G. FAzio R. Porche could not gamble with frequency
at the saloons. The lure of life as
P. Herman a professional gambler was too
Thur/20 V. Sperry J. Barrett much. He resigned. On September
Fri/21 I. Hyman D. Schoengold 21, 1869, a poker-related argument with Abilene had enough of violence, and so
Sat/22 D. Langdon P. Kepner a well-known card shark, James “Dog” had Hickok. He left for Deadwood in the
Sun/23 E. Rothfuss L./M. Utah Kennedy, came to a grim confrontation Dakota Territory.
Mon/24 S./S. Stenzel L. Coleman on the streets of Springfield, Missouri. Wild Bill left Deadwood for several
V. Sperry Kennedy fired first, and missed. Hickok months after his old friend, Buffalo Bill
Tues/25 M. Slagle P. Boghossian drew both of his Colts and fired simulta- Cody, offered him a place in his travel-
B. Jackson D. Powers neously. Kennedy fell dead on the spot. ing Wild West Show. It didn’t work out,
Wed/26 G. faxio R. Porche This was the kind of man they needed partly because Hickok was drinking too
P. Herman in lawless Abilene, Kansas to bring much by this time. He met and married
Thur/27 G. Wojciechowski J. Barrett some sense of order. Abilene got U.S. Agnes Lake along the way, but was soon
R. Rossnagel F. Davis Marshal, Wild Bill Hickok. It was said off to look for gold. Hickok found none
that his mere presence was enough to and made his way back to Deadwood,
Fri/28 W./I. Baumann P. Williams deter violence, but if a gunfight—or the where he met someone almost as famous
Sat/29 H. Doric D. Gillette threat of one—was needed, Wild Bill as himself, Calamity Jane (Martha Jane
E. Meeks was never found wanting. It was here Cannary). They hit it off, perhaps in part
Sun/30 E. Rothfuss L./M. Utah that a tragic mistake changed Hickok’s because both were highly individual
life. He found the emblem on the Bull’s and flamboyant personalities. However,
Changes? Call Kate at 515-5350 Head Saloon graphically offensive to time was running out for Wild Bill in
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