Ed Medcalf Old Friend of Kit Carson ,Dies 1920

THE PARAGOULD SOLIPHONE

WEDNESDAY JUNE 23 ,1920

RESEARCHED BY : TINA EASLEY

tina@grnco.net

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/

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ED MEDCALF , OF NEAR WOOD'S CHAPEL , HAD A VERY INTERESTING CAREER , ACCORDING TO J.D. WILSON OF PARAGOULD THAT LEFT THIS MEMORANDUM GIVEN TO THE DAILY PRESS . ED MEDCALF , WHO DIED AT WOOD'S CHAPEL LAST SATURDAY NIGHT (JUNE 19,1920).

MR. WILSON HAD THE FOLLOWING TO SAY ABOUT THE DECEASED:

" I CONSIDER MR. MEDCALF AS ONE OF OUR MOST DISTINGUISHED PIONEERS . HE WAS A PERSONAL FRIEND OF KIT CARSON , AND STAYED WITH HIM AT THE FORT ESTABLISHED BY CARSON ON THE ARKANSAS RIVER DURING THE EARLY HISTORY OF OUR STATE. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS AT EL PASO WHEN THAT CITY CONSISTED OF ONLY EIGHT OR TEN ADOBE HOUSES.

HE SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS MINING AND PROSPECTING IN THE WEST. HE WAS INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH FRANK AND JESSE JAMES , THE NOTED MISSOURI OUTLAWS AND SPENT SOME TIME WITH THEM IN MISSOURI.

HE FREQUENTLY TOLD ME THAT JESSE JAMES WAS NOT DEAD , BUT THAT THE STORY OF HIS MURDER AT THE HANDS OF BOB FORD , WAS A PURE INVENTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERMITTING THE NOTORIOUS OUTLAW TO ESCAPE. HE ALSO CLAIMED TO BE A PERSONAL FRIEND OF WILD BILL AND BUFFALO BILL. BOTH CODY (BUFFALO BILL ) AND WILD BILL HAVE STAYED AT HIS FATHER'S INN, TWELVE MILES WEST OF DENVER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS.

HE ALSO ASSERTED THAT CODY WAS NOT A MAN OF NERVE IN THE SENSE THAT HE WAS GENERALLY CREDITED WITH BEING , AND THAT UPON ON OCCASION HE SAW KIT CARSON THROW HIM OUT OF A SALON IN DENVER.

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