217

Evening Journal
June 24

"DOC IN THE SADDLE"

MIDDLETON HAS STARTED AGAIN
IN THE COWBOY RIDE

One of His Horses Goes Lame, but the Ex-
Bandit Keeps Up the Race- Interesting
Incidents in the Life of a Man Who Is
Famous All Over the West- Buffalo
Bill's Humane Society Prize

"Doc" Middleton is again on the road
with the cowboy riders and, although he is
twenty-four hours behind the other contestants,
many Western men think he will
be well up in front when the winner rides
into "Buffalo Bill's" camp at Sixty-third
street. Middleton was making good time
until one of his horses strained a leg
just before reaching Sioux City
and he was obliged to lay up for a day.
This was bad news to many ranchmen who
had wagered large sums of money on
Middleton's ability to win the special prize of

(DRAWING)
THE COWBOY RIDER

$500 offered by Buffalo Bill to the rider who
brings his horses into Chicago in the best
condition. Buffalo Bill, by the way, is one
of the oldest Humane Society men in the
country. He was active in the work of preventing
cruelty to animals years ago, and
has never let up in it. To this
day he insists upon kind treat-
ment of every dumb animal about
his Wild West camp. When the cowboy
race was first proposed to Colonel Cody, fearing
that the desire to win the prize might
lead to some of the riders to overdo their
horses, came to the front with the liberal
purse of $500 to the man whose mounts
showed the least fatigue on reaching Chicago,
and there is more interest on this part
of the race, thanks to Cody's generosity,
than in the mere crossing of the line first.

To win the $500 prize is now Middleton's
object, and he is making his way across
Iowa on one horse which is reported to be
in good condition.

"Doc" Middleton, the most prominent
starter in the cowboy race, has had a very
checkered career. he is not what he used
to be, though, if occasion demanded it, he
could draw and fire as fast, and probably
with as much accuracy as he showed in the
days before civilization had spread so far
toward the setting sun. In 1880 Middleton
was the acknowledged head of a band of
horse-fanciers in Niobrara county, Nebraska,
who were no particular as to the
ownership of the stock to which they took
a liking.

Terror to Nebraska Stockmen

For several years prior to 1880 Middleton's
band had been a terror to Nebraska
stockmen, driving off whole herds of horses
and cattle and shooting down without mercy
all who opposed them. Middleton was then
a fugitive from Texas, where he was under
indictment for shooting a ranchman who
objected to the confiscation of his stock.
Many efforts had been made to capture
"Doc" but he had always succeeded in
"getting the drop" on his trailers and
driving them off. He was a dead-shot with
rifle and pistol and few men cared to venture
within range.

finally the depredations of the outlaw
band became so bold in Nebraska that
the Union Pacific Railway took themat-
ter in hand, despairing of relief from
the Nebraska authorities. J. T. Clark, who
was then in charge of the Nebraska Division
of the Union Pacific, went to North
Platte, the station to which the hustlers
generally drove the results of their
round-up, and held conferences with prominent
cattlemen thereabouts. Plans were

Evening Journal
June 24

"DOC IN THE SADDLE"

MIDDLETON HAS STARTED AGAIN
IN THE COWBOY RIDE

One of His Horses Goes Lame, but the Ex-
Bandit Keeps Up the Race- Interesting
Incidents in the Life of a Man Who Is
Famous All Over the West- Buffalo
Bill's Humane Society Prize

"Doc" Middleton is again on the road
with the cowboy riders and, although he is
twenty-four hours behind the other con-
testants, many Western men think he will
be well up in front when the winner rides
into "Buffalo Bill's" camp at Sixty-third
street. Middleton was making good time
until one of his horses strained a leg
just before reaching Sioux City
and he was obliged to lay up for a day.
This was bad news to many ranchmen who
had wagered large sums of money on
Middleton's ability to win the special prize of

THE COWBOY RIDER

$500 offered by Buffalo Bill to the rider who
brings his horses into Chicago in the best
condition. Buffalo Bill, by the way, is one
of the oldest Humane Society men in the
country. He was active in the work of pre-
venting cruelty to animals years ago, and
has never let up in it. To this
day he insists upon kind treat-
ment of every dumb animal about
his Wild West camp. When the cowboy
race was first proposed to Colonel Cody, fear-
ing that the desire to win the prize might
lead to some of the riders to overdo their
horses, came to the front with the liberal
purse of $500 to the man whose mounts
showed the least fatigue on reaching Chicago,
and there is more interest on this part
of the race, thanks to Cody's generosity,
than in the mere crossing of the line first.

To win the $500 prize is now Middleton's
object, and he is making his way across
Iowa on one horse which is reported to be
in good condition.

"Doc" Middleton, the most prominent
starter in the cowboy race, has had a very
checkered career. he is not what he used
to be, though, if occasion demanded it, he
could draw and fire as fast, and probably
with as much accuracy as he showed in the
days before civilization had spread so far
toward the setting sun. In 1880 Middleton
was the acknowledged head of a band of
horse-fanciers in Niobrara county, Nebraska,
who were no particular as to the
ownership of the stock to which they took
a liking.

Terror to Nebraska Stockmen

For several years prior to 1880 Middle-
ton's band had been a terror to Nebraska
stockmen, driving off whole herds of horses
and cattle and shooting down without mercy
all who opposed them. Middleton was then
a fugitive from Texas, where he was under
indictment for shooting a ranchman who
objected to the confiscation of his stock.
Many efforts had been made to capture
"Doc" but he had always succeeded in
"getting the drop" on his trailers and
driving them off. He was a dead-shot with
rifle and pistol and few men cared to venture
within range.

finally the depredations of the outlaw
band became so bold in Nebraska that
the Union Pacific Railway took themat-
ter in hand, despairing of relief from
the Nebraska authorities. J. T. Clark, who
was then in charge of the Nebraska Division
of the Union Pacific, went to North
Platte, the station to which the hustlers
generally drove the results of their
round-up, and held conferences with prominent
cattlemen thereabouts. Plans were