On the Dodge Read Free Page B

Updegraph was the only one wounded. This little matter attended
to, Bat surrendered himself, was fined three dollars for carrying
concealed weapons, and released. He ate dinner, disposed of his
brother's interest in the saloon, and returned to the station.
    Bat Masterson was a friend of Theodore Roosevelt, who was given to
admiring men with "guts," such men as Pat Garrett, Ben Daniels, and
Billy Tilghman. Mr. Roosevelt offered Masterson a place as United
States Marshal of Arizona. The ex-sheriff declined it. "If I took it,"
he explained, "inside of a year I'd have to kill some fool boy who
wanted to get a reputation by killing me." The President then offered
Bat a place as Deputy United States Marshal of New York, and this was
accepted. From that time Masterson became a citizen of the Empire
State. For seventeen years he worked on a newspaper there and died a
few years since with a pen in his hand. He was respected by the entire
newspaper fraternity.
    Owing to the pleasant habit of the cowboys of shooting up the town they
were required, when entering the city limits, to hand over their
weapons to the marshal. The guns were deposited at Wright &
Beverly's store, in a rack built for the purpose, and receipts given
for them. Sometimes a hundred six-shooters would be there at once.
These were never returned to their owners unless the cowboys were
sober.
    To be a marshal of one of these fighting frontier towns was no post to
be sought for by a supple politician. The place called for a chilled
iron nerve and an uncanny skill with the Colt. Tom Smith, one of the
gamest men and best officers who ever wore a star on the frontier, was
killed in the performance of his duty. Colonel Breakenridge says that
Smith, marshal of Abilene before "Wild Bill," was the gamest man he
ever knew. He was a powerful, athletic man who would arrest, himself
unarmed, the most desperate characters. He once told Breakenridge that
anyone could bring in a dead man but it took a good officer to take
lawbreakers while they were alive. In this he differed from Hickok who
did not take chances. He brought his men in dead. Nixon, assistant
marshal at Dodge, was murdered by "Mysterious Dave" Mathers, who
himself once held the same post. Ed Masterson, after displaying
conspicuous courage many times, was mortally wounded April 9, 1878, by
two desperate men, Jack Wagner and Alf Walker, who were terrorizing
Front Street. Bat reached the scene a few minutes later and heard the
story. As soon as his brother had died Bat went after the desperadoes,
met them, and killed them both. The death of Ed Masterson shocked the
town. Civic organizations passed resolutions of respect. During the
funeral, which was the largest ever held in Dodge, all business houses
were closed. It is not on record that anybody regretted the demise of
the marshal's assassins.
    Among those who came to Dodge each season to meet the Texas cattle
drive were Ben and Bill Thompson, gamblers who ran a faro bank.
Previously they had been accustomed to go to Ellsworth, while that
point was the terminus of the drive. Here they had ruled with a high
hand, killed the sheriff, and made their getaway safely. Bill got into
a shooting affray at Ogalala. He was badly wounded and was carried to
the hotel. It was announced openly that he would never leave town
alive. Ben did not dare to go to Ogalala, for his record there had
outlawed him. He came to Bat Masterson.
    Bat knew Bill's nurse and arranged a plan for campaign. A sham battle
was staged at the big dance hall, during the excitement of which Bat
and the nurse carried the wounded man to the train, got him to a
sleeper, and into a bed. Buffalo Bill met them next day at North
Platte. He had relays of teams stationed on the road, and he and Bat
guarded the sick man during the long ride, bringing him safely to
Dodge.
    Emanuel Dubbs ran a roadhouse not far from Dodge about this time. He
was practising with his six-shooter one day when a splendidly built
young six-footer