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Kennedy took a direction
just opposite to his ranch.
The
officers had reason to believe who did the killing, but did not start in
pursuit until the afternoon. The officers in pursuit were
Sheriff Masterson,
Wyatt Earp,
Charles Bassett, Duffy, and
William Tilghman, as intrepid a posse
as ever pulled a trigger. They went as far as Meade City, where they knew
their quarry had to pass and went into camp in a very careless manner. In
fact, they arranged so as to completely throw Kennedy off his guard, and
he rode right into them, when he was ordered three times to throw up his
hands. Instead of doing so, he struck his horse with his quirt, when
several shots were fired by the officers, one shot taking effect in his
left shoulder, making a dangerous wound. Three shots struck the horse,
killing him instantly. The horse fell partly on Kennedy, and
Sheriff Masterson said, in
pulling him out, he had hold of the wounded arm and could hear the bones
crunch. Not a groan did Kennedy let out of him, although the pain must
have been fearful. And all he said was, "You sons of b----, I will get
even with you for this." Under the skillful operation of Drs. McCarty and
Tremaine, Kennedy recovered, after a long sickness. They took four inches
of the bone out, near the elbow. Of course, the arm was useless, but he
used the other well enough to kill several people afterwards, but finally
met his death by some one a little quicker on the trigger than himself.
Miss Dora Hand was a celebrated actress and would have made her mark
should she have lived.
One Sunday night in October, 1883, there was a fatal encounter between two
negroes, Henry Hilton and Nigger Bill, two as brave and desperate
characters as ever belonged to the colored race. Some said they were both
struck on the same girl and this was the cause.
Henry was under bonds for
murder, of which the following is the circumstances. Negro Henry was the
owner of a ranch and a little bunch of cattle. Coming in with a lot of
white
cowboys, they began joshing Henry, and one of them attempted to throw
a rope over him.
Henry warned them he would not stand any such rough treatment, if he was a
nigger. He did this in a dignified and determined manner. When one rode up
and lassoed him, almost jerking him from his horse, Henry pulled his gun
and killed him. About half of the
cowboys said he was justifiable in killing his man; it was self
defense, for if he had not killed him, he would have jerked him from his
horse and probably killed Henry.
Negro Bill Smith was equally brave, and had
been tried more than once. They were both found, locked in each other's
arms (you might say), the next morning, lying on the floor in front of the
bar, their empty six-shooters lying by the side of each one. The affair
must have occurred some time after midnight, but no one was on hand to see
the fight, and they died without a witness.
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