Deadwood Dick Lies in Mountain Grave

Article taken from The Helena Independent, May 30, 1930

Deadwood, SD, May 11 (AP)

In a grave blasted out of rock of the Bismark trail on Sunrise mountain, Richard Clarke, better known as Deadwood Dick, one of the last scouts of the pioneer days of the Middlewest, was buried at sunset today as several hundred friends gathered for a final tribute.  Clarke died last Monday.

Brief churck services were held late in the afternoon.  Then the body was escorted up the mountain to the cabin in Pine Crest park where Deadwood Dick had lived most of his 83 years.

In the procession were Black hills pioneers who rode in an old Deadwood stagecoach; the band from the army post at Fort Meade, and relatives who followed the casket on foot, despite a snowstorm on the mountain top.

Airplanes circled overhead and flowers were dropped from them as the simple rites were held.  An army squad fired a volley and taps were blown as the body was lowered into its rocky grave which he had selected for his final resting place.

Pallbearers included Deadwood Dick's intimate friends:  Among them were "Silver Tip" Tom Grant; "Diamond Dick" Tanner; "Rattlesnake Bill" Sherrill; Claude Williams; Ed Rents and Claude Flesher.