HERO OF THE WILD WEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 26 (Supplement)

HERO OF THE WILD WEST.

« DEADWOOD DICK * PASSES.

FIGHTER OF THE INDIANS.

AUTHOR OF "PENNY-DREADFULS."

Men, in- .their early fifties will learn with regret of the passing ot "Deadwood Dick, whoso exploits in rounding up tho bad mou 'of the ' West, chronicled in - the "•penny-dreadfuls" of tho period, tlitilled them in their school days. 'Hardly was a new edition ont> than wo had purchased it with the hard-saved penny. The school 'hero was the fellow who was most up-to-date with his Deadwood Dick, Buffalo Bill and Jack Harkaway. " Deadvfood Dick" died last month in his homo town in South Dakota, aged 83, the writer states. The legends that pursued him in life seems to have stuck to him in death. Oile newspaper describes him as dying of cancer; another of pneumonia and old age. They agree that he died with his boots off. , It was Mr» Edward L. Wheeler who wrote the "Deadwood Dick" stories under the name of Ned Buntline, "Deadwood Dick" himself, who was Richard Clarke in his proper person, boasted that he had never killed a white man, Indians did not count with him. As a j pony express rider, 'and stage coach con-

voy he never lost a cenfc of gold bullion hp escorted, over the plains.. " Deadwood Dick," the hero of innumerable Wild West books, who fought and defended stage coaches loaded with gold, died at the city of Deadwood, from which he took his nickname. It lies in a narrow canyon, 4,500 ft. above the sea in South Dakota, about ten miles from the Fort Meade, the headquarters of the Black Horse Cavalry. The real name of " Deadwood Dick," .was Richard Clarke. He was born at Hnndsborough, in Oxfordshire, England, and as a boy of 16 went to the United States, where he was first engaged in gold prospecting. He became one of the first drivers of the pony express which defied the Sioux Indians in its dash across the continent. Protected only by the "shot-gun guard," the pony express teams figured in countless fights to the death with Red Indians which have been made immortal by the writers of boys' stories. In company with the famous Custer, " Deadwood Dick" took part in the greatBlack Hills fight with the Indians —an exploit which has become almost legendary. " When "Poker" Tubbs. one of the few other survivors of the early Western fighters, died last year, " Deadwood Dick" remarked, " I will probably be the next one to go."

In his old age three years ago, Mr. Clarke received full homago from the descendants of the Sioux Indians against whom he had waged such fierce warfare. He rode in the parade at the pageant at Deadwood when President Cooliclge was

inducted into full membership of the Sioux tribe. Most of the stores and hotels in tho town made structural alterations to reproduce the earlier appearance of tho town. There was a weeli of holiday.

Presidont Coolidge rodo into the town, wearing a ten gallon hat. An honoured guest of tho Presidont and tho community was tho hero, of tho old West, " Deadwood Dick."