Miscellaneous. AN AMERICAN COW BOY'S DEATH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7767, 11 June 1887, Page 6

Miscellaneous. AN AMERICAN COW BOY'S DEATH.

Charles Coulter, who went over the range on a recent Sunday pierced by fourteen bullets fired by the citizens of Oornada, was well known throughout the West as one of the original cowboys and a desperate character when under the influence of liquid. He was a cowboy from infancy. He drovo the first big herd, of cattle up tho Santa Fo trail in 1857, when cowboys were kaonn as cowpunckers, and did not include theological students and diplomats. Coulter, who was a fine speciman of manhood, /ras, like all great oharaotera iin American history, a Missourian. He was six feet one inch) in height, and weighed 200lbs. He ia the fourth of his family to die with his rawhides on, although had he been an ordinary man he would have casded in a good many years ago. His father and two brothers died on their feet, and the last male of the race is singularly a victim of oonaump- i tion, and likely to die at any moment, Coulter began his career at fifteen in the saddle chasing steers, and this was his occupation during life, except for ' about two years, when he cast his fortunes with the James- Younger crowd. He did not like the business of holding up stagecoaches and railway trains, however, and returned to the cattle business. When sober, he was a pleasant, inoffensive fellow, but, when drunk, was desperate to the extreme, and would commit the rashest of deeds, which would cost other men their lives. He knew evory foot of the country from the Missouri to the foot of the Montana ranges, and had many remarkable adventures. On one occasion he became involved in a row in a Dodge City saloon, and' fought thirteen men, and got away without iujury. During this fight two' men were either killed or wounded. In the row Coulter introduced what is known as the back-action move — • knocking one man down and Rh'>oting another at the same time. Thi< is done by striking a man in front wih a «tock o< ii eun. mid shooting one in 'h- 1 r»sr Af'fr til B row 'hP f !■ irlS f ■> ii ••' tliP me" rt'ii.- **> m i j rp<f *t.r o« i • >ii C Mil c , b.i 'it.f i ' ivi |i o li.-n. K r iy"i" 'i tw > he i-'>\ry qui'r. a"rl ""in vr;r-t)~ v;.- ai: 'VW'-.ee- ■ • ' . ■•.. -ii . „ ..i v»,y* with i w.~ coinpniiiJi.ni ihi< raid Coulter wnli.-ed into ■\ s ...ill eating saloon, frequented by railway men, as a young consumptive wa- natina a " graveyard st«jw," as milk ia called in that section. The young fellow was reclining against the wall, and had raised a spoon to his mouth, when Coulter shot it out of his hand. The youug fellow turned to flee, when Coulter called out ti him to stop, and, placing him near the wall, made a complete profile of his body with bullets, grazing tho skin half a dozen times. Ou one ocoasion Coulter is said to have ridden 370 miles without leaving the saddle. He was a first-class cattle man, and was as brave as any one who ever threw a lariat. Even after his body had been pierced with fourteen bullets in the fatal fight on Suday, he managed to empty two guns and wound two men. — Denver News.