Talking Big

From The Black Hills Weekly Pioneer, 05 August 1876.

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The murderer, Jack McCall, was captured after a lively chase by many of our citizens, and taken to a building at the lower end of the city and a guard placed over him. As soon as this was accomplished a coroner’s jury was summoned, with C. H. Sheldon as foreman, who after hearing all the evidence, which was to the effect that while Wild Bill and others were seated at a table playing cards, Jack McCall walked in and around directly back of his victim, and when within three feet of him raised his revolver, and exclaiming “Damn you, take that” fired the ball entering at the back of the head and coming out at the centre of the right cheek, causing instant death, rendered a verdict in ‘accordance with the above facts. . . . Thus [the not guilty verdict] ended the scenes of the day that settled a matter of life and death with one living, whose life was in the hands of twelve fellow-men, whose duty it was to decide upon the guilt or innocence of the accused, charged with the murder of Wild Bill, who while the trial was in progress was being laid in the cold, cold ground in the Valley of Whitewood, by kind hands that were ever ready to administer to his sufferings while living, and ready to perform the painful duty of laying him in his last resting place.