Steckbriefe aus dem Wilden Westen, dtv 933.
Dienstag, 29. Dezember 2015
WILD BILL HICKOK: THE WILDEST OF THE WILD ONES
Was he that wild as legend tells us? We'll see.---
BILL was what we would call "a strange character" (H. C. BLUMENBERG: WANTED). Six feet tall and an inch, long hair falling on his broad soulders, extravagant and excentric clothing, shaving and bathing himself every day he was of imposing appearance. Bill was in one word a vain dandy, but nontheless likeable and pleasant. His contemporaries gave him the name of "Wild Bill" and he did all to justify (to do justice to) it.
Harper's Magazine tells us that he sent hundreds of men into the other world. But one must know that G. W. Nichols, a reporter of this magazine, met "Wild Bill" in Springfield, Missouri, where Bill told the naive Nichols of his "heroic deeds", mostly made of pure cloth!
One of those stories is the so-called "Mc Canles Massacre", where Bill allegedly killed 10 men in "heroic fight" all alone. In reality he ambushed Mc Canles and then shooting on his fleeing men.
True is that Bill took part in a "frontier war" between Kansas and Missouri.
After the Civil War Bill participated in missions in the Indian Territory under Gen. Custer. Allegedly, he's supposed to have killed Chief Black Kettle. But killing an Indian without most likely having ever seen him, is even for "Wild Bill" nearly impossible.
Neverhteless Bill was a good shot and "fast on the draw". He's said to have shot through the throats of chicken from a distance of hundred paces or hitting coins from 50 9 out of 10)!-Poor animals!
In 1871 he became City Marshal in Abilene. Then, Bill was already a famous man, feared for his fastness. A lot of legends exist from that time. The truth is that Bill only killed two men during his time as a Marshal (eight months), one by mistake, the othe one was Phil Coe.
There's one amusing story from his term of office: Once a certain lawyer C. A. Burroughs, who fought alcohol and prostitution (which was besides very unpopular at that time), tried to escape a session twice. Bill brought him back each time, the second time he carried him!
Later Bill joined the "Wild West Circus" of William Frederick Cody, aka known as the ill-famed "Buffalo Bill", a slaughterer of buffalos.
At last, Bill lived on his fame, gambling a lot and probably drinking too much, a shadow of a man. He married a woman, 11 years older than he, a lion-tamer! On August 2nd, 1876, he was shot by Jack Mc Call from behind, while he was gambling. Bill was holding two eights and two aces in his hands. This hand became later known as the "Dead Man's Hand". Asked, why he ambushed Bill, Mc Call replied: I didn't want to commit suicide. Bill died aged 39. Tragically, he suffered from a disease of his eyes known as cataract.
On his headstone, put up by his friend Colorado Charlie, one can read among other words: "Wild Bill J. B. Hickok Killed by the assassin Jack Mc Call...Pard (=partner), we will meet again in the happy hunting grounds to part no more..."---
---
BILL was what we would call "a strange character" (H. C. BLUMENBERG: WANTED). Six feet tall and an inch, long hair falling on his broad soulders, extravagant and excentric clothing, shaving and bathing himself every day he was of imposing appearance. Bill was in one word a vain dandy, but nontheless likeable and pleasant. His contemporaries gave him the name of "Wild Bill" and he did all to justify (to do justice to) it.
Harper's Magazine tells us that he sent hundreds of men into the other world. But one must know that G. W. Nichols, a reporter of this magazine, met "Wild Bill" in Springfield, Missouri, where Bill told the naive Nichols of his "heroic deeds", mostly made of pure cloth!
One of those stories is the so-called "Mc Canles Massacre", where Bill allegedly killed 10 men in "heroic fight" all alone. In reality he ambushed Mc Canles and then shooting on his fleeing men.
True is that Bill took part in a "frontier war" between Kansas and Missouri.
After the Civil War Bill participated in missions in the Indian Territory under Gen. Custer. Allegedly, he's supposed to have killed Chief Black Kettle. But killing an Indian without most likely having ever seen him, is even for "Wild Bill" nearly impossible.
Neverhteless Bill was a good shot and "fast on the draw". He's said to have shot through the throats of chicken from a distance of hundred paces or hitting coins from 50 9 out of 10)!-Poor animals!
In 1871 he became City Marshal in Abilene. Then, Bill was already a famous man, feared for his fastness. A lot of legends exist from that time. The truth is that Bill only killed two men during his time as a Marshal (eight months), one by mistake, the othe one was Phil Coe.
There's one amusing story from his term of office: Once a certain lawyer C. A. Burroughs, who fought alcohol and prostitution (which was besides very unpopular at that time), tried to escape a session twice. Bill brought him back each time, the second time he carried him!
Later Bill joined the "Wild West Circus" of William Frederick Cody, aka known as the ill-famed "Buffalo Bill", a slaughterer of buffalos.
At last, Bill lived on his fame, gambling a lot and probably drinking too much, a shadow of a man. He married a woman, 11 years older than he, a lion-tamer! On August 2nd, 1876, he was shot by Jack Mc Call from behind, while he was gambling. Bill was holding two eights and two aces in his hands. This hand became later known as the "Dead Man's Hand". Asked, why he ambushed Bill, Mc Call replied: I didn't want to commit suicide. Bill died aged 39. Tragically, he suffered from a disease of his eyes known as cataract.
On his headstone, put up by his friend Colorado Charlie, one can read among other words: "Wild Bill J. B. Hickok Killed by the assassin Jack Mc Call...Pard (=partner), we will meet again in the happy hunting grounds to part no more..."---
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Mittwoch, 2. Dezember 2015
CAPTAIN OBVIOUS
Captain Obvious ist im englischen Sprachgebrauch eine ironische Bezeichnung für jemanden, der etwas Selbstverständliches sagt oder predigt.
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