When not otherwise engaged the “rustlers" sought amusement in the frontier towns and held the inhabitants in a state of terror by their deeds of reckless daring. Russian Bill was a man of good education; be spoke four languages fluently and delighted whenever opportunity in discussing literature. science, or art. Of his past, nothing was known, save that he was from Russia, and, as it would have been resented as an insult by any of the rustlers to have asked questions about so delicate subject, no one attempted to discover why a man of such mental attainments had joined a band of outlaws.

No crimes outside of cattle stealing were known to have been committed by Russian Bill, but the man himself' claimed to have “killed his man” on several occasions. His best friend. Curly Bill [Brocious,] the leader of the rustlers, denied those statements as vain boasts. Curly Bill himself was known as the most desperate member of the band. Eight murders were positively laid at his door, while he himself boasted of having killed 32 men. He often said that the only time he was ever arrested was when he killed Marshal White of  Tombstone, Arizona. The jury in that case was afraid to convict him and he was acquitted. Although his only please in self-defense was that his revolver would not remain cocked, and when he pulled back the hammer to frighten the officer it came down without any pressure on the trigger. Russian Bill's chief boast, however, was that he held complete power over Curly Bill, and could prevent the latter from shooting if he chose. Bill's reputation was not that of a “bad man,” but of being a braggart whose heart was really kind and whose courage was doubtful.

About two years ago the residents of Shakespeare, New Mexico, resolved to free themselves of the rough element that had for a long time ruled that place. A vigilante committee was formed, and resolutions were passed that all of the resident bad characters should leave inside of 24 hours, and that the first mother’s son who came in should be hanged. The next morning 12 men were asked to leave, and when Russian Bill arrived in town a couple of days later, accompanied by another rustler named Sandy King, the citizens decided that the two men should die as an example to their companions in crime. Accordingly, at about midnight, a dozen men entered the room of the Stratford Hotel occupied by the rustlers. Before Sandy King and Russian Bill could offer any resistance they were tied securely, ropes were thrown over the beam above their heads and they were pulled up and left hanging until they were dead. The next morning a Coroner’s jury held an inquest and brought in a verdict that the men had committed suicide by hanging.