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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/38039-h.zip b/38039-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..41f14e6 --- /dev/null +++ b/38039-h.zip diff --git a/38039-h/38039-h.htm b/38039-h/38039-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2bd81f8 --- /dev/null +++ b/38039-h/38039-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2791 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of History of "Billy the Kid", by Chas. A. Siringo. + </title> + + <style type="text/css"> + + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + body {margin-left: 12%; margin-right: 12%;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right; font-style: normal;} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; clear: both;} + + hr {width: 33%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; clear: both;} + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + .giant {font-size: 200%} + .huge {font-size: 150%} + .large {font-size: 125%} + + .blockquot {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .note {margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%;} + .title {font-size: 125%; margin-left:20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: center;} + .hang {margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;} + + .right {text-align: right;} + .center {text-align: center;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .spacer {padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em;} + + .vertsbox {border: solid 2px; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's History of 'Billy the Kid', by Chas. A. Siringo + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: History of 'Billy the Kid' + +Author: Chas. A. Siringo + +Release Date: November 17, 2011 [EBook #38039] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF 'BILLY THE KID' *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" summary="table"> +<tr><td><span class="large">HISTORY OF<br />.. .. .. ..</span></td> + <td align="center"><span class="giant">“BILLY THE KID”</span></td></tr> +<tr><td>A cowboy outlaw<br />whose youthful<br />daring has never<br />been equalled in<br />the annals of<br />criminal history.</td> + <td rowspan="7"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /></td></tr> +<tr><td> </td></tr> +<tr><td>When a bullet<br />pierced his heart<br />he was less than<br />twenty-two years<br />of age, and had<br />killed twenty-one<br />men, Indians not<br />included.</td></tr> +<tr><td> </td></tr> +<tr><td align="center"><img src="images/deco_cover.jpg" alt="" /></td></tr> +<tr><td> </td></tr> +<tr><td align="center"><small>BY</small><br />CHAS. A. SIRINGO</td></tr></table> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +<h2>HISTORY OF “BILLY THE KID.”</h2> + +<div class="note"> +<p>The true life of the most daring young outlaw of the age.</p> + +<p>He was the leading spirit in the bloody Lincoln County, New Mexico, war. +When a bullet from Sheriff Pat Garett’s pistol pierced his breast he was +only twenty-one years of age, and had killed twenty-one men, not counting +Indians. His six years of daring outlawry has never been equalled in the +annals of criminal history.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">By CHAS. A. SIRINGO.</p> + +<p class="center">Author of:</p> + +<p class="hang">“Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony,” “A Cowboy +Detective,” and “A Lone Star Cowboy.”</p></div> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> + +<div class="note"> +<p>To my friend, George S. Tweedy—an honest, easy-going, second Abraham +Lincoln; this little volume is affectionately dedicated by the author,</p> + +<p class="right">CHAS. A. SIRINGO.</p></div> + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<p class="center">Copyrighted 1920, by Chas. A. Siringo.<br /> +All rights reserved.</p> + + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> +<h2>INTRODUCTION</h2> + + +<p>The author feels that he is capable of writing a true and unvarnished +history of “Billy the Kid,” as he was personally acquainted with him, and +assisted in his capture, by furnishing Sheriff Pat Garrett with three of +his fighting cowboys—Jas. H. East, Lee Hall and Lon Chambers.</p> + +<p>The facts set down in this narrative were gotten from the lips of “Billy +the Kid,” himself, and from such men as Pat Garrett, John W. Poe, Kip +McKinnie, Charlie Wall, the Coe brothers, Tom O’Phalliard, Henry Brown, +John Middleton, Martin Chavez, and Ash Upson. All these men took an active +part, for or against, the “Kid.” Ash Upson had known him from childhood, +and was <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>considered one of the family, for several years, in his mother’s +home.</p> + +<p>Other facts were gained from the lips of Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, who kept +“Billy the Kid,” hid out at her home in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, after he +had killed his two guards and escaped.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;">CHAS. A. SIRINGO.</span></p> + + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<p class="title">BILLY BONNEY KILLS HIS FIRST TWO MEN, AND BECOMES A DARING OUTLAW IN THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO.</p> + +<p><br />In the slum district of the great city of New York, on the 23rd day of +November, 1859, a blue-eyed baby boy was born to William H. Bonney and his +good looking, auburn haired young wife, Kathleen. Being their first child +he was naturally the joy of their hearts. Later, another baby boy +followed.</p> + +<p>In 1862 William H. Bonney shook the dust of New York City from his shoes +and emigrated to Coffeeville, Kansas, on the northern border of the Indian +Territory, with his little family.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>Soon after settling down in Coffeeville, Mr. Bonney died. Then the young +widow moved to the Territory of Colorado, where she married a Mr. Antrim.</p> + +<p>Shortly after this marriage, the little family of four moved to Santa Fe, +New Mexico, at the end of the old Santa Fe trail.</p> + +<p>Here they opened a restaurant, and one of their first boarders was Ash +Upson, then doing work on the Daily New Mexican.</p> + +<p>Little, blue-eyed, Billy Bonney, was then about five years of age, and +became greatly attached to good natured, jovial, Ash Upson, who spent much +of his leisure time playing with the bright boy.</p> + +<p>Three years later, when the hero of our story was about eight years old, +Ash Upson and the Antrim family pulled up stakes and moved to the booming +silver<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> mining camp of Silver City, in the southwestern part of the +Territory of New Mexico.</p> + +<p>Here Mr. and Mrs. Antrim established a new restaurant, and had Ash Upson +as the star boarder.</p> + +<p>Naturally their boarders were made up of all classes, both women and +men,—some being gamblers and toughs of the lowest order.</p> + +<p>Amidst these surroundings, Billy Bonney grew up. He went to school and was +a bright scholar. When not at school, Billy was associating with tough men +and boys, and learning the art of gambling and shooting.</p> + +<p>This didn’t suit Mr. Antrim, who became a cruel step-father, according to +Billy Bonney’s way of thinking.</p> + +<p>Jesse Evans, a little older than Billy, was a young tough who was a hero +in Billy’s estimation. They became fast<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> friends, and bosom companions. In +the years to come they were to fight bloody battles side by side, as +friends, and again as bitter enemies.</p> + +<p>As a boy, Mr. Upson says Billy had a sunny disposition, but when aroused +had an uncontrollable temper.</p> + +<p>At the tender age of twelve, young Bonney made a trip to Fort Union, New +Mexico, and there gambled with the negro soldiers. One “black nigger” +cheated Billy, who shot him dead. This story I got from the lips of “Billy +the Kid” in 1878.</p> + +<p>Making his way back to Silver City he kept the secret from his fond +mother, who was the idol of his heart.</p> + +<p>One day Billy’s mother was passing a crowd of toughs on the street. One of +them made an insulting remark about her. Billy, who was in the crowd, +heard it. He struck the fellow in the face with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> his fist, then picked up +a rock from the street. The “tough” made a rush at Billy, and as he passed +Ed. Moulton he planted a blow back of his ear, and laid him sprawling on +the ground.</p> + +<p>This act cemented a friendship between Ed. Moulton and the future young +outlaw.</p> + +<p>About three weeks later Ed. Moulton got into a fight with two toughs in +Joe Dyer’s saloon. He was getting the best of the fight. The young +blacksmith who had insulted Mrs. Antrim and who had been knocked down by +Ed. Moulton, saw a chance for revenge. He rushed at Moulton with an +uplifted chair. Billy Bonney was standing near by, on nettles, ready to +render assistance to his benefactor, at a moment’s notice. The time had +now arrived. He sprang at the blacksmith and stabbed him with a knife +three times. He fell over dead.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>Billy ran out of the saloon, his right hand dripping with human blood.</p> + +<p>Now to his dear mother’s arms, where he showered her pale cheeks with +kisses for the last time.</p> + +<p>Realizing the result of his crime, he was soon lost in the pitchy darkness +of the night, headed towards the southwest, afoot. For three days and +nights Billy wandered through the cactus covered hills, without seeing a +human being.</p> + +<p>Luck finally brought him to a sheep camp, where the Mexican herder gave +him food.</p> + +<p>From the sheep camp he went to McKnight’s ranch and stole a horse, riding +away without a saddle.</p> + +<p>Three weeks later a boy and a grown man rode into Camp Bowie, a government +post. Both were on a skinny, sore-back pony. This new found companion<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> had +a name and history of his own, which he was nursing in secret. He gave his +name to Billy as “Alias,” and that was the name he was known by around +Camp Bowie.</p> + +<p>Finally Billy, having disposed of his sore-back pony, started out for the +Apache Indian Reservation, with “Alias,” afoot. They were armed with an +old army rifle and a six-shooter, which they had borrowed from soldiers.</p> + +<p>About ten miles southwest of Camp Bowie these two young desperados came +onto three Indians, who had twelve ponies, a lot of pelts and several +saddles, besides good fire-arms, and blankets. In telling of the affair +afterwards, Billy said: “It was a ground-hog case. Here were twelve good +ponies, a supply of blankets, and five heavy loads of pelts. Here were +three blood-thirsty savages revelling in luxury and refusing help to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> two +free-born, white, American citizens, foot-sore and hungry. The plunder had +to change hands. As one live Indian could place a hundred United States +soldiers on our trail, the decision was made.</p> + +<p>“In about three minutes there were three dead Indians stretched out on the +ground, and with their ponies and plunder we skipped. There was no fight. +It was the softest thing I ever struck.”</p> + +<p>About one hundred miles from this bloody field of battle, the surplus +ponies and plunder were sold and traded off to a band of Texas emigrants.</p> + +<p>Finally the two young brigands settled down in Tucson, where Billy’s skill +as a monte dealer, and card player kept them in luxuriant style, and gave +them prestige among the sporting fraternity.</p> + +<p>Becoming tired of town life, the two desperadoes hit the trail for San +Simon,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> where they beat a band of Indians out of a lot of money in a +“fake” horse race.</p> + +<p>The next we hear of Billy Bonney is in the State of Sonora, Old Mexico, +where he went alone, according to his own statement.</p> + +<p>In Sonora he joined issues with a Mexican gambler named Melquiades Segura. +One night the two murdered a monte dealer, Don Jose Martinez, and secured +his “bank roll.”</p> + +<p>Now the two desperadoes shook the dust of Sonora from their feet and +landed in the city of Chihuahua, the capital of the State of Chihuahua, +several hundred miles to the eastward, across the Sierra Madres +mountains.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<p class="title">A FIERCE BATTLE WITH APACHE INDIANS. SINGLE HANDED BILLY BONNEY LIBERATES SEGURA FROM JAIL.</p> + +<p><br />In the city of Chihuahua, the two desperadoes led a hurrah life among the +sporting elements. Finally their money was gone and their luck at cards +went against them. Then Billy and Segura held up and robbed several monte +dealers, when on the way home after their games had closed for the night. +One of these monte dealers had offended Billy, which caused his death.</p> + +<p>One morning before the break of day, this monte dealer was on his way +home; a peon was carrying his fat “bank roll” in a buckskin bag, finely +decorated with gold and silver threads.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>When nearing his residence in the outskirts of the city, Segura and young +Bonney made a charge from behind a vacant adobe building. The one-sided +battle was soon over. A popular Mexican gambler lay stretched dead on the +ground. The peon willingly gave up the sack of gold and silver.</p> + +<p>Now towards the Texas border, in a north-easterly direction, a distance of +three hundred miles, as fast as their mounts could carry them.</p> + +<p>When their horses began to grow tired, other mounts were secured. Their +bills were paid enroute, with gold doubloons taken from the buckskin sack.</p> + +<p>On reaching the Rio Grande river, which separates Texas from the Republic +of Mexico, the young outlaws separated for the time being.</p> + +<p>Billy Bonney finally met up with his Silver City chum, Jesse Evans, and +they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> became partners in crime, in the bordering state of Texas, and the +Territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Many robberies and some murders +were committed by these smooth-faced boys, and they had many narrow +escapes from death, or capture. Fresh horses were always at their command, +as they were experts with the lasso, and the scattering ranchmen all had +bands of ponies on the range.</p> + +<p>On one occasion the boys ate dinner with a party of Texas emigrants, and +were well treated. Leaving the emigrant camp, a band of renegade Apache +Indians were seen skulking in the hills. The boys concealed themselves to +await results, as they felt sure a raid was to be made on the emigrants, +who were headed for the Territory of Arizona. There were only three men in +the party, and several women and children.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>Just at dusk, the boys, who were stealing along their trail in the low, +flint covered hills, heard shooting.</p> + +<p>Realizing that a battle was on, Billy Bonney and Jesse Evans put spurs to +their mounts and reached the camp just in time.</p> + +<p>By this time it was dark. The three men had succeeded in standing off the +Indians for awhile, but finally a rush was made on the camp, by the reds, +with blood curdling war whoops.</p> + +<p>At that moment the two young heroes charged among the Indians and sprang +off their horses, with Winchester rifles in hand.</p> + +<p>For a few moments the battle raged. One bullet shattered the stock of +Billy’s rifle, cripping his left hand slightly. He then dropped the rifle +and used his pistol.</p> + +<p>When the battle was over, eight dead<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> Indians lay on the ground.</p> + +<p>The emigrants had shielded themselves by getting behind the wagons. Two of +the men were slightly wounded, and the other dangerously shot through the +stomach. One little girl had a fractured skull from a blow on the head +with a rifle. The mother of the child fainted on seeing her daughter fall.</p> + +<p>In telling of this battle, Billy Bonney said the war-whoops shouted by +himself and Jesse, as they charged into the band of Indians, helped to win +the battle. He said a bullet knocked the heel off one of his boots, and +that Jesse’s hat was shot off his head. He felt sure that the man shot +through the stomach died, though he never heard of the party after +separating.</p> + +<p>Soon after the Indian battle Billy Bonney and Jesse Evans landed in the +Mexican village of La Mesilla, New <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>Mexico, and there met up with some of +Jesse’s chums. Their names were Jim McDaniels, Bill Morton, and Frank +Baker.</p> + +<p>During their stay in Mesilla, Jim McDaniels christened Billy Bonney, +“Billy the Kid,” and that name stuck to him to the time of his death.</p> + +<p>Finally these three tough cowboys started for the Pecos river with Jesse +Evans. “Billy the Kid” promised to join them later, as he had received +word that his Old Mexico chum, Segura, was in jail in San Elizario, Texas, +below El Paso. This word had been brought by a Mexican boy, sent by +Segura.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” told the boy to wait in Mesilla till he and Segura got there.</p> + +<p>It was the fall of 1876. Mounted on his favorite gray horse, “Billy the +Kid” started at six o’clock in the evening for the eighty-one mile ride to +San Elizario.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>A swift ride brought him into El Paso, then called Franklin, a distance of +fifty-six miles, before midnight. Here he dismounted in front of Peter +Den’s saloon to let his noble “Gray” rest. While waiting, he had a few +drinks of whiskey, and fed “Gray” some crackers, there being no horse feed +at the saloon.</p> + +<p>Now for the twenty-five mile dash down the Rio Grande river, over a level +road to San Elizario. It was made in quick time. Daylight had not yet +begun to break.</p> + +<p>Dismounting in front of the jail, the “Kid” knocked on the front door. The +Mexican jailer asked; “Quien es?” (Who’s that?)</p> + +<p>The “Kid” replied in good Spanish: “Open up, we have two American +prisoners here.”</p> + +<p>The heavy front door was opened, and the jailer found a cocked pistol +pointed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> at him. Now the frightened guard gave up his pistol and the keys +to the cell in which Segura was shackled and handcuffed.</p> + +<p>In the rear of the jail building there was another guard asleep. He was +relieved of his fire-arms and dagger.</p> + +<p>When Segura was free of irons the two guards were gagged so they couldn’t +give an alarm, and chained to a post.</p> + +<p>The two outlaws started out in the darkest part of the night, just before +day, Segura on “Gray” and the “Kid” trotting by his side, afoot.</p> + +<p>An hour later the two desperadoes were at a confederate’s ranch across the +Rio Grande river, in Old Mexico.</p> + +<p>After filling up with a hot breakfast, the “Kid” was soon asleep, while +Segura kept watch for officers. The “Kid’s” noble “Gray” was fed and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> with +a mustang, kept hidden out in the brush.</p> + +<p>Now the ranchman rode into San Elizario to post himself on the jail break.</p> + +<p>Hurrying back to the ranch, he advised his two guests to “hit the high +places,” as there was great excitement in San Elizario.</p> + +<p>Reaching La Mesilla, New Mexico, the two young outlaws found the boy who +had carried the message to “Billy the Kid,” from Segura, and rewarded him +with a handful of Mexican gold.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” AND SEGURA MAKE SUCCESSFUL ROBBERY RAIDS INTO MEXICO. A BATTLE WITH INDIANS. THE “KID” JOINS HIS CHUM, JESSE EVANS.</p> + +<p><br />After a few daring raids into Old Mexico, with Segura, the “Kid” landed in +La Mesilla, New Mexico.</p> + +<p>Here he fell in with a wild young man by the name of Tom O’Keefe. +Together, they started for the Pecos river to meet Jesse Evans and his +companions.</p> + +<p>Instead of taking the wagon road, the two venturesome boys cut across the +Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, which took in most of the high +Guadalupe range of mountains, which separates the Pecos and Rio Grande +rivers.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>First they rode into El Paso, Texas, and loaded a pack mule with +provisions.</p> + +<p>A few days out of El Paso, the boys ran out of water, and were puzzled as +to which way to ride.</p> + +<p>Finally a fresh Indian trail was found, evidently leading to water. It was +followed to the mouth of a deep canyon. For fear of running into a trap, +the “Kid” decided to take the canteen and go afoot, leaving his mount and +the pack mule with O’Keefe, who was instructed to come to his rescue +should he hear yelling and shooting.</p> + +<p>A mile of cautious traveling brought the “Kid” to a cool spring of water. +The ground was tramped hard with fresh pony and Indian tracks.</p> + +<p>After filling the canteen, and drinking all the water he could hold, the +“Kid” started down the canyon to join his companion.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>He hadn’t gone far when Indians, afoot, began pouring out of the cliff to +the right, which cut off his retreat down the canyon. There was nothing to +do but return towards the spring, as fast as his legs could carry him.</p> + +<p>The twenty half-naked braves were gaining on him, and shouting +blood-curdling war-whoops.</p> + +<p>Like a pursued mountain lion, the “Kid” sprang into the jungles of a steep +cliff. Foot by foot his way was made to a place of concealment.</p> + +<p>The Indians seeing him leave the trail, scrambled up into the bushy cliff. +Now the “Kid’s” trusty pistol began to talk, and several young braves, who +were leading the chase passed to the “happy hunting ground.” The “Kid” +said the body of one young buck went down the cliff and caught on the +over-hanging<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> limb of a dead tree, and there hung suspended in plain view.</p> + +<p>Many shots were fired at the “Kid” when he sprang from one hiding place to +another. One bullet struck a rock near his head, and the splinters gave +him slight wounds on the face and neck.</p> + +<p>Reaching the extreme top of a high peak, the young outlaw felt safe, as he +could see no reds on his trail. Being exhausted he soon fell asleep. On +hearing the yelling and shooting, Tom O’Keefe stampeded, leaving the +“Kid’s” mount and the pack mule where they stood.</p> + +<p>Reaching a high bluff, which was impossible for a horse to climb, O’Keefe +quit his mount and took it afoot. From cliff to cliff, he made his way +towards the top of a peak. Finally his keen eyesight caught the figure of +a man, far away across a deep canyon, trying to reach the top of a +mountain peak. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> surmised that the bold climber must be the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>At last young O’Keefe’s strength gave out and he lay down to sleep. His +hands and limbs were bleeding from the scratches received from sharp +rocks, and he was craving water.</p> + +<p>Being refreshed from his long night’s sleep, the “Kid” headed for the big +red sun, which was just creeping up out of the great “Llano Estacado,” +(Staked Plains), over a hundred miles to the eastward, across the Pecos +river.</p> + +<p>Finally water was struck and he was happy. Then he filled up on wild +berries, which were plentiful along the borders of the small sparkling +stream of water.</p> + +<p>Three days later the young hero outlaw reached a cow-camp on the Rio +Pecos. He made himself known to the cowboys, who gave him a good horse to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +ride, and conducted him to the Murphy-Dolan cow-camp, where his chum, +Jesse Evans, was employed. In this camp the “Kid” also met his former +friends, McDaniels, Baker, and Morton.</p> + +<p>Here the “Kid” was told of the smouldering cattle war between the +Murphy-Dolan faction on one side, and the cattle king, John S. Chisum, on +the other.</p> + +<p>Many small cattle owners were arrayed with the firm of Murphy and Dolan, +who owned a large store in Lincoln, and were the owners of many cattle.</p> + +<p>On John S. Chisum’s side were Alex A. McSween, a prominent lawyer of +Lincoln—the County seat of Lincoln County—and a wealthy Englishman by +the name of John S. Tunstall, who had only been in America a year.</p> + +<p>McSween and Tunstall had formed a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> co-partnership in the cattle business, +and had established a general trading store in Lincoln.</p> + +<p>It was now the early spring of 1877. Jesse Evans tried to persuade “Billy +the Kid” to join the Murphy-Dolan faction, but he argued that he first had +to find Tom O’Keefe, dead or alive, as it was against his principles to +desert a chum in time of danger.</p> + +<p>For nearly a year a storm had been brewing between John Chisum and the +smaller ranchmen. Chisum claimed all the range in the Pecos valley, from +Fort Sumner to the Texas line, a distance of over two hundred miles.</p> + +<p>Naturally there was much mavericking, in other words, stealing unbranded +young animals from the Chisum bands of cattle, which ranged about +twenty-five miles on each side of the Pecos river.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>Chisum owned from forty to sixty thousand cattle on this “Jingle-bob” +range. His cattle were marked with a long “Jingle-bob” hanging down from +the dew-lap. In branding calves the Chisum cowboys would slash the dew-lap +above the breast, leaving a chunk of hide and flesh hanging downward. When +the wound healed the animal was well marked with a dangling “Jingle-bob.” +Thus did the Chisum outfit get the name of the “Jingle-bobs.”</p> + +<p>Well mounted and armed, “Billy the Kid” started in search of Tom O’Keefe. +He was found at Las Cruces, three miles from La Mesilla, the County seat +of Dona Ana County, New Mexico. It was a happy meeting between the two +smooth-faced boys. Each had to relate his experience during and after the +Indian trouble.</p> + +<p>O’Keefe had gone back to the place<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> where he had left the “Kid’s” mount +and the pack mule. There he found the “Kid’s” horse shot dead, but no sign +of the mule. His own pony ran away with the saddle, when he sprang from +his back.</p> + +<p>Now O’Keefe struck out afoot, towards the west, living on berries and such +game as he could kill, finally landing in Las Cruces, where he swore off +being the companion of a daring young outlaw.</p> + +<p>“Billy the Kid” tried to persuade O’Keefe to accompany him back to the +Pecos valley, to take part in the approaching cattle war, but Tom said he +had had enough of playing “bad-man from Bitter Creek.”</p> + +<p>Now the “Kid” went to a ranch, where he had left his noble “Gray,” and +with him started back towards the Pecos river.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<p class="title">THE STARTING OF THE BLOODY LINCOLN COUNTY WAR. THE MURDER OF TUNSTALL. +“BILLY THE KID” IS PARTIALLY REVENGED WHEN HE KILLS MORTON AND BAKER.</p> + +<p><br />Arriving back at the Murphy-Dolan cow-camp on the Pecos river, “Billy the +Kid” was greeted by his friends, McDaniels, Morton and Baker, who +persuaded him to join the Murphy and Dolan outfit, and become one of their +fighting cowboys. This he agreed to do, and was put on the pay-roll at +good wages.</p> + +<p>The summer and fall of 1877 passed along with only now and then a scrap +between the factions. But the clouds of war were lowering, and the “Kid” +was anxious for a battle.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>Still he was not satisfied to be at war with the whole-souled young +Englishman, John S. Tunstall, whom he had met on several occasions.</p> + +<p>On one of his trips to the Mexican town of Lincoln, to “blow in” his +accumulated wages, the “Kid” met Tunstall, and expressed regret at +fighting against him.</p> + +<p>The matter was talked over and “Billy the Kid” agreed to switch over from +the Murphy-Dolan faction. Tunstall at once put him under wages and told +him to make his headquarters at their cow-camp on the Rio Feliz, which +flowed into the Pecos from the west.</p> + +<p>Now the “Kid” rode back to camp and told the dozen cowboys there of his +new deal. They tried to persuade him of his mistake, but his mind was made +up and couldn’t be changed.</p> + +<p>In the argument, Baker abused the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> “Kid” for going back on his friends. +This came very near starting a little war in that camp. The “Kid” made +Baker back down when he offered to shoot it out with him on the square.</p> + +<p>Before riding away on his faithful “Gray,” the “Kid” expressed regrets at +having to fight against his chum Jesse Evans, in the future.</p> + +<p>At the Rio Feliz cow camp, the “Kid” made friends with all the cowboys +there, and with Tunstall and McSween, when he rode into Lincoln to have a +good time at the Mexican “fandangos” (dances.)</p> + +<p>A few “killings” took place on the Pecos river during the fall, but “Billy +the Kid” was not in these fights.</p> + +<p>In the early part of December, 1877, the “Kid” received a letter from his +Mexican chum whom he had liberated from the jail in San Elizario, Texas, +Melquiades Segura, asking that he meet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> him at their friend’s ranch across +the Rio Grande river, in Old Mexico, on a matter of great importance.</p> + +<p>Mounted on “Gray,” the “Kid” started. Meeting Segura, he found that all he +wanted was to share a bag of Mexican gold with him.</p> + +<p>While visiting Segura, a war started in San Elizario over the Guadalupe +Salt Lakes, in El Paso County, Texas.</p> + +<p>These Salt Lakes had supplied the natives along the Rio Grande river with +free salt for more than a hundred years. An American by the name of +Howard, had leased them from the State of Texas, and prohibited the people +from taking salt from them.</p> + +<p>A prominent man by the name of Louis Cardis, took up the fight for the +people. Howard and his men were captured and allowed their liberty under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +the promise that they would leave the Salt Lakes free for the people’s +use.</p> + +<p>Soon after, Howard killed Louis Cardis in El Paso. This worked the natives +up to a high pitch.</p> + +<p>Under the protection of a band of Texas Rangers, Howard returned to San +Elizario, twenty-five miles below El Paso.</p> + +<p>On reaching San Elizario the citizens turned out in mass and besieged the +Rangers and the Howard crowd, in a house.</p> + +<p>Many citizens of Old Mexico, across the river, joined the mob. Among them +being Segura and his confederate, at whose ranch “Billy the Kid” and +Segura were stopping.</p> + +<p>As “Billy the Kid” had no interest in the fight, he took no part, but was +an eye witness to it, in the village of San Elizario.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>Near the house in which Howard and the Rangers took refuge, lived Captain +Gregario Garcia, and his three sons, Carlos, Secundio, and Nazean-ceno +Garcia. On the roof of their dwelling they constructed a fort, and with +rifles, assisted in protecting Howard and the Rangers from the mob.</p> + +<p>The fight continued for several days. Finally, against the advice of +Captain Gregario Garcia, the Rangers surrendered. They were escorted up +the river towards El Paso, and liberated. Howard, Charlie Ellis, John +Atkinson, and perhaps one or two other Americans, were taken out and shot +dead by the mob. Thus ended one of the bloody battles which “Billy the Kid” enjoyed as a witness.</p> + +<p>The following year the present Governor of New Mexico, Octaviano A. +Larrazolo, settled in San Elizario, Texas,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> and married the pretty +daughter of Carlos Garcia, who, with his father and two brothers, so nobly +defended Howard and the Rangers.</p> + +<p>Now “Billy the Kid,” with his pockets bulging with Mexican gold, given him +by Segura, returned to the Tunstall-McSween cow camp, on the Rio Feliz, in +Lincoln County, New Mexico.</p> + +<p>In the month of February, 1878, W. S. Morton, who held a commission as +deputy sheriff, raised a posse of fighting cowboys and went to one of the +Tunstall cow-camps on the upper Ruidoso river, to attach some horses, +which were claimed by the Murphy-Dolan outfit.</p> + +<p>Tunstall was at the camp with some of his employes, who “hid out” on the +approach of Morton and the posse.</p> + +<p>It was claimed by Morton that Tunstall fired the first shot, but that +story<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> was not believed by the opposition.</p> + +<p>In the fight, Tunstall and his mount were killed. While laying on his face +gasping for breath, Tom Hill, who was later killed while robbing a sheep +camp, placed a rifle to the back of his head and blew out his brains.</p> + +<p>This murder took place on the 18th day of February, 1878.</p> + +<p>Before sunset a runner carried the news to “Billy the Kid,” on the Rio +Feliz. His anger was at the boiling point on hearing of the foul murder. +He at once saddled his horse and started to Lincoln, to consult with +Lawyer McSween.</p> + +<p>Now the Lincoln County war was on with a vengeance and hatred, and the +“Kid” was to play a leading hand in it. He swore that he would kill every +man who took part in the murder of his friend Tunstall.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>At that time, Lincoln County, New Mexico, was the size of some states, +about two hundred miles square, and only a few thousand inhabitants, +mostly Mexicans, scattered over its surface.</p> + +<p>On reaching the town of Lincoln, the “Kid” was informed by McSween that E. +M. Bruer had been sworn in as a special constable, and was making up a +posse to arrest the murderers of Tunstall.</p> + +<p>“Billy the Kid” joined the Bruer posse, and they started for the Rio Pecos +river.</p> + +<p>On the 6th day of March, the Bruer posse ran onto five mounted men at the +lower crossing of the Rio Penasco, six miles from the Pecos river. They +fled and were pursued by Bruer and his crowd.</p> + +<p>Two of the fleeing cowboys separated from their companions. The “Kid” +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>recognized them as Morton and Baker, his former friends. He dashed after +them, and the rest of the posse followed his lead.</p> + +<p>Shots were being fired back and forth. At last Morton’s and Baker’s mounts +fell over dead. The two men then crawled into a sink-hole to shield their +bodies from the bullets.</p> + +<p>A parley was held, and the two men surrendered, after Bruer had promised +them protection. The “Kid” protested against giving this pledge. He +remarked: “My time will come.”</p> + +<p>Now the posse started for the Chisum home ranch, on South Spring river, +with the two handcuffed prisoners.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 9th day of March, the Bruer posse started with the +prisoners for Lincoln, but pretended to be headed for Fort Sumner.</p> + +<p>The posse was made up of the following<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> men: R. M. Bruer, J. G. Skurlock, +Charlie Bowdre, “Billy the Kid,” Henry Brown, Frank McNab, Fred Wayt, Sam +Smith, Jim French, John Middleton and McClosky.</p> + +<p>After traveling five miles they came to the little village of Roswell. +Here they stopped to allow Morton time to write a letter to his cousin, +the Hon. H. H. Marshall, of Richmond, Virginia.</p> + +<p>Ash Upson was the postmaster in Roswell, and Morton asked him to notify +his cousin in Virginia, if the posse failed to keep their pledge of +protection.</p> + +<p>McClosky, who was standing near, remarked: “If harm comes to you two, they +will have to kill me first.”</p> + +<p>The party started out about 10 A. M. from Roswell. About 4 P. M., Martin +Chavez of Picacho, arrived in Roswell and reported to Ash Upson that the +posse and their prisoners had quit the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> main road to Lincoln and had +turned off in the direction of Agua Negra, an unfrequented watering place. +This move satisfied the postmaster that the doom of Morton and Baker was +sealed.</p> + +<p>On March the eleventh, Frank McNab, one of the Bruer posse, rode up to the +post-office and dismounted. Mr. Upson expressed surprise and told him that +he supposed he was in Lincoln by this time. Now McNab confessed that +Morton, Baker and McClosky were dead.</p> + +<p>Later, Ash Upson got the particulars from “Billy the Kid” of the killing.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” and Charlie Bowdre were riding in the lead as they neared +Blackwater Spring. McClosky and Middleton rode by the side of the two +prisoners. The balance of the posse followed behind.</p> + +<p>Finally Brown and McNab spurred up their horses and rode up to <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>McClosky +and Middleton. McNab shoved a cocked pistol at McClosky’s head saying: +“You are the s— of a b— that’s got to die before harm can come to these +fellows, are you?”</p> + +<p>Now the trigger was pulled and McClosky fell from his horse, dead, shot +through the head.</p> + +<p>“Billy the Kid” heard the shot and wheeled his horse around in time to see +the two prisoners dashing away on their mounts. The “Kid” fired twice and +Morton and Baker fell from their horses, dead. No doubt it was a put up +job to allow the “Kid” to kill the murderers of his friend Tunstall, with +his own hands.</p> + +<p>The posse rode on to Lincoln, all but McNab, who returned to Roswell. The +bodies of McClosky, Morton and Baker were left where they fell. Later they +were buried by some sheep herders.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>Thus ends the first chapter of the bloody Lincoln County war.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<p class="title">THE MURDER OF SHERIFF BRADY AND HIS DEPUTY, HINDMAN, BY THE “KID” AND HIS +BAND. “BILLY THE KID” AND JESSE EVANS MEET AS ENEMIES AND PART AS FRIENDS.</p> + +<p><br />On returning to Lincoln, “Billy the Kid” had many consultations with +Lawyer McSween about the murder of Tunstall. It was agreed to never let up +until all the murderers were in their graves.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” heard that one of Tunstall’s murderers was seen around Dr. +Blazer’s saw mill, near the Mescalero<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> Apache Indian Reservation, on South +Fork, about forty miles from Lincoln. He at once notified Officer Dick +Bruer, who made up a posse to search for Roberts, an ex-soldier, a fine +rider, and a dead shot.</p> + +<p>As the posse rode up to Blazer’s saw mill from the east, Roberts came +galloping up from the west. The “Kid” put spurs to his horse and made a +dash at him. Both had pulled their Winchester rifles from the scabbards. +Both men fired at the same time, Robert’s bullet went whizzing past the +“Kid’s” ear, while the one from “Billy the Kid’s” rifle, found lodgment in +Robert’s body. It was a death wound, but gave Roberts time to prove his +bravery, and fine marksmanship.</p> + +<p>He fell from his mount and found concealment in an outhouse, from where he +fought his last battle.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span>The posse men dismounted and found concealment behind the many large saw +logs, scattered over the ground.</p> + +<p>For a short time the battle raged, while the lifeblood was fast flowing +from Robert’s wound. One of his bullets struck Charlie Bowdre, giving him +a serious wound. Another bullet cut off a finger from George Coe’s hand. +Still another went crashing through Dick Bruer’s head, as he peeped over a +log to get a shot at Roberts; Bruer fell over dead. This was Robert’s last +shot, as he soon expired from the wound “Billy the Kid” had given him.</p> + +<p>A grave yard was now started on a round hill near the Blazer saw mill, and +in later years, Mr. and Mrs. George Nesbeth, a little girl, and a strange +man, who had died with their boots on—being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> fouly murdered—were buried +in this miniature “Boot Hill” cemetery.</p> + +<p>Two of the participants in the battle at Blazer’s saw mill, Frank and +George Coe, are still alive, being highly respected ranchmen on the +Ruidoso river, where both have raised large families.</p> + +<p>After the battle at Blazer’s mill, the Coe brothers joined issues with +“Billy the Kid” and fought other battles against the Murphy-Dolan faction. +In one battle Frank Coe was arrested and taken to the Lincoln jail. +Through the aid of friends he made his escape.</p> + +<p>Now that their lawful leader, Dick Bruer, was in his grave, the posse +returned to Lincoln. Here they formed themselves into a band, without +lawful authority, to avenge the murder of Tunstall, until not one was left +alive. By common consent, “Billy the Kid” was appointed their leader.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>In Lincoln, lived one of “Billy the Kid’s” enemies, J. B. Mathews, known +as Billy Mathews. While he had taken no part in the killing of Tunstall, +he had openly expressed himself in favor of Jimmie Dolan and Murphy, and +against the other faction.</p> + +<p>On the 28th day of March, Billy Mathews, unarmed, met the “Kid” on the +street by accident. Mathews started into a doorway, just as the “Kid” cut +down on him with a rifle. The bullet shattered the door frame above his +head.</p> + +<p>Major William Brady, a brave and honest man, was the sheriff of Lincoln +County. He was partial to the Murphy-Dolan faction, and this offended the +opposition. He held warrants for “Billy the Kid” and his associates, for +the killing of Morton, Baker, and Roberts.</p> + +<p>On the first day of April, 1878, Sheriff Brady left the Murphy-Dolan +store,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> accompanied by George Hindman and J. B. Mathews to go to the Court +House and announce that no term of court would be held at the regular +April term.</p> + +<p>The sheriff and his two companions carried rifles in their hands, as in +those days every male citizen who had grown to manhood, went well armed.</p> + +<p>The Tunstall and McSween store stood about midway between the Murphy-Dolan +store and the Court House.</p> + +<p>In the rear of the Tunstall-McSween store, there was an adobe corral, the +east side of which projected beyond the store building, and commanded a +view of the street, over which the sheriff had to pass. On the top of this +corral wall, “Billy the Kid” and his “warriors” had cut grooves in which +to rest their rifles.</p> + +<p>As the sheriff and party came in sight, a volley was fired at them from +the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> adobe fence. Brady and Hindman fell mortally wounded, and Mathews +found shelter behind a house on the south side of the street.</p> + +<p>Ike Stockton, who afterwards became a killer of men, and a bold desperado, +in northwestern New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado, and who was killed +in Durango, Colorado, at that time kept a saloon in Lincoln, and was a +friend of the “Kid’s.” He ran out of his saloon to the wounded officers. +Hindman called for water; Stockton ran to the Bonita river, nearby, and +brought him a drink in his hat.</p> + +<p>About this time, “Billy the Kid” leaped over the adobe wall and ran to the +fallen officers. As he raised Sheriff Brady’s rifle from the ground, J. B. +Mathews fired at him from his hiding place. The ball shattered the stock +of the sheriff’s rifle and plowed a furrow<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> through the “Kid’s” side, but +it proved not to be a dangerous wound.</p> + +<p>Now “Billy the Kid” broke for shelter at the McSween home. Some say that +he fired a parting shot into Sheriff Brady’s head. Others dispute it. At +any rate both Brady and Hindman lay dead on the main street of Lincoln.</p> + +<p>This cold-blooded murder angered many citizens of Lincoln against the +“Kid” and his crowd. Now they became outlaws in every sense of the word.</p> + +<p>From now on the “Kid” and his “warriors” made their headquarters at +McSween’s residence, when not scouting over the country searching for +enemies, who sanctioned the killing of Tunstall.</p> + +<p>Often this little band of “warriors” would ride through the streets of +Lincoln to defy their enemies, and be royally treated by their friends.</p> + +<p>Finally, George W. Peppin was <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>appointed Sheriff of the County, and he +appointed a dozen or more deputies to help uphold the law. Still bloodshed +and anarchy continued throughout the County, as the “Kid’s” crowd were not +idle.</p> + +<p>San Patricio, a Mexican plaza on the Ruidoso river, about eight miles +below Lincoln, was a favorite hangout for the “Kid” and his “warriors,” as +most of the natives there were their sympathizers.</p> + +<p>One morning, before breakfast, in San Patricio, Jose Miguel Sedillo +brought the “Kid” news that Jesse Evans and a crowd of “Seven River +Warriors” were prowling around in the hills, near the old Bruer ranch, +where a band of the Chisum-McSween horses were being kept.</p> + +<p>Thinking that their intentions were to steal these horses, the “Kid” and +party<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> started without eating breakfast. In the party, besides the “Kid,” +were Charlie Bowdre, Henry Brown, J. G. Skerlock, John Middleton, and a +young Texan by the name of Tom O’Phalliard, who had lately joined the +gang.</p> + +<p>On reaching the hills, the party split, the “Kid” taking Henry Brown with +him.</p> + +<p>Soon the “Kid” heard shooting in the direction taken by the balance of his +party. Putting spurs to his mount, he dashed up to Jesse Evans and four of +his “warriors,” who had captured Charlie Bowdre, and was joking him about +his leader, the “Kid.” He remarked: “We are hungry, and thought we would +roast the ‘Kid’ for breakfast. We want to hear him bleat.”</p> + +<p>At that moment a horseman dashed up among them from an arroyo. With a +smile, Charlie Bowdre said, pointing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> at the “Kid;” “There comes your +breakfast, Jesse!”</p> + +<p>With drawn pistol, “Old Gray” was checked up in front of his former chum +in crime, Jesse Evans.</p> + +<p>With a smile, Jesse remarked: “Well, Billy, this is a h—l of a way to +introduce yourself to a private picnic party.”</p> + +<p>The “Kid” replied: “How are you, Jesse? It’s a long time since we met.”</p> + +<p>Jesse said: “I understand you are after the men who killed that +Englishman. I, nor none of my men were there.”</p> + +<p>“I know you wasn’t, Jesse,” replied the “Kid.” “If you had been, the ball +would have been opened before now.”</p> + +<p>Soon the “Kid” was joined by the rest of his party and both bands +separated in peace.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” AND GANG STAND OFF A POSSE AT THE CHISUM RANCH. A BLOODY BATTLE IN LINCOLN, WHICH LASTED THREE DAYS.</p> + +<p><br />As time went on, Sheriff Peppin appointed new deputies on whom he could +depend. Among these being Marion Turner, of the firm of Turner & Jones, +merchants at Roswell, on the Pecos river.</p> + +<p>For several years, Turner had been employed by cattle king John Chisum, +and up to May, 1878 had helped to fight his battles, but for some reason +he had seceded and became Chisum’s bitter enemy.</p> + +<p>Marion Turner was put in charge of the Sheriff’s forces in the Pecos +valley,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> and soon had about forty daring cowboys and cattlemen under his +command. Roswell was their headquarters.</p> + +<p>Early in July, “Billy the Kid” and fourteen of his followers rode up to +the Chisum headquarters ranch, five miles from Roswell, to make that their +rendezvous.</p> + +<p>Turner with his force tried to oust the “Kid” and gang from their +stronghold, but found it impossible, owing to the house being built like a +fort to stand off Indians, but he kept out spies to catch the “Kid” +napping.</p> + +<p>One morning, Turner received word that the “Kid” and party had left for +Fort Sumner on the upper Pecos river. The trail was followed about twenty +miles up the river, where it switched off towards Lincoln, a distance of +about eighty or ninety miles.</p> + +<p>The trail was followed to Lincoln,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> where it was found that +“Billy the Kid” and gang had taken possession of McSween’s fine eleven-room +residence, and were prepared to stand off an army.</p> + +<p>On arriving in Lincoln with his posse, Turner was joined by Sheriff Peppin +and his deputies, and they made the “Big House,” as the Murphy-Dolan store +was called, their headquarters.</p> + +<p>For three days shots were fired back and forth from the buildings, which +were far apart.</p> + +<p>On the morning of July 19th, 1878, Marion Turner concluded to take some of +his men to the McSween residence and demand the surrender of the “Kid” and +his “warriors.” With Turner were his business partner, John A. Jones and +eight other fearless men.</p> + +<p>At that moment the “Kid” and party were in a rear room holding a +consultation,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> otherwise some of the advancing party might have been +killed.</p> + +<p>On reaching the thick adobe wall of the building, through which portholes +had been cut, Turner and his men found protection against the wall between +these openings.</p> + +<p>When the “Kid” and party returned to the port-holes they were hailed by +Turner, who demanded their surrender, as he had warrants for their arrest.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” replied: “We, too, hold warrants for you and your gang, which we +will serve on you, hot from the muzzles of our guns.”</p> + +<p>About this time Lieut. Col. Dudley, of the Ninth Cavalry, arrived from Ft. +Stanton with a company of infantry and some artillery.</p> + +<p>Planting his cannons midway between the belligerent parties, Col. Dudley +proclaimed that he would turn his guns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> loose on the first of the two, who +fired over the heads of his command.</p> + +<p>Despite this warning, shots were fired back and forth, but no harm was +done.</p> + +<p>Now Martin Chavez, who at this writing is a prosperous merchant in Santa +Fe, rode up with thirty-five Mexicans, whom he had deputized to protect +McSween and the “Kid’s” party.</p> + +<p>Col. Dudley asked him under what authority he was acting. He replied that +he held a certificate as deputy sheriff under Brady. Col. Dudley told him +that as Sheriff Brady was dead, and a new sheriff had been appointed, his +commission was not in effect. Still he proclaimed that he would protect +the “Kid” and McSween.</p> + +<p>Now Col. Dudley ordered Chavez off the field of battle, or he would have +his men fire on them. When the guns were pointed in their direction, the +Chavez<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> crowd retreated to the Ellis Hotel. Here he ordered his followers +to fire on the soldiers if they opened up on the “Kid” and party with +their cannon.</p> + +<p>Toward night the Turner men, who were up against the McSween residence, +between the port-holes, managed to set fire to the front door and windows. +A strong wind carried the blaze to the woodwork of other rooms.</p> + +<p>Mrs. McSween and her three lady friends had left the building before the +fight started. She had made one trip back to see her husband. The firing +ceased while she was in the house.</p> + +<p>In the front parlor, Mrs. McSween had a fine piano. To prevent it from +burning, the “Kid” moved it from one room to another until it was finally +in the kitchen.</p> + +<p>The crowd made merry around the piano, singing and “pawing the ivory,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> as +the “Kid” expressed it to the writer a few months later.</p> + +<p>After dark, when the fiery flames began to lick their way into the +kitchen, where the smoke begrimed band were congregated, a question of +surrender was discussed, but the “Kid” put his veto on the move. He stood +near the outer door of the kitchen, with his rifle, and swore he would +kill the first man who cried surrender. He had planned to wait until the +last minute, then all rush out of the door together, and make a run for +the Bonita river, a distance of about fifty yards.</p> + +<p>Finally the heat became so great, the kitchen door was thrown open.</p> + +<p>At this moment one Mexican became frightened and called out at the top of +his voice not to shoot, that they would surrender. The “Kid” struck the +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>fellow over the head with his rifle and knocked him senseless.</p> + +<p>When the Mexican called out that they would surrender, Robert W. Beckwith, +a cattleman of Seven Rivers, and John Jones, stepped around the corner of +the building in full view of the kitchen door.</p> + +<p>A shot was fired at Beckwith and wounded him on the hand. Then Beckwith +opened fire and shot Lawyer McSween, though this was not a death shot. +Another shot from Beckwith’s gun killed Vicente Romero. Now the “Kid” +planted a bullet in Beckwith’s head, and he fell over dead. Leaping over +Beckwith’s body, the band made a run for the river. The “Kid” was in the +lead yelling: “Come on, boys!” Tom O’Phalliard was in the rear. He made +his escape amidst flying bullets, without a scratch, although he had +stopped to pick<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> up his friend Harvey Morris. Finding him dead he dropped +the body.</p> + +<p>McSween fell dead in the back yard with nine bullets in his body, which +was badly scorched by the fire, before he left the building.</p> + +<p>It was 10 P. M. when the fight had ended. Seven men had been killed and +many wounded. Only two of Turner’s posse were killed, while the “Kid” lost +five,—McSween, Morris and three Mexicans.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> + +<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” KILLS TWO MORE MEN. AT THE HEAD OF A RECKLESS BAND, HE +STEALS HORSES BY THE WHOLESALE. HE BECOMES DESPERATELY IN LOVE WITH MISS DULCUIEA DEL TOBOSO.</p> + +<p><br />After their escape from Lincoln, “Billy the Kid” got his little band +together, and made a business of stealing stock and gambling. Their +headquarters were made in the hills near Fort Stanton—only a few miles +above Lincoln. The soldiers at the Fort paid no attention to them.</p> + +<p>Now Governor Lew Wallace, the famous author of “Ben Hur,” of Santa Fe, the +capital of the Territory of New Mexico, issued a proclamation granting a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +pardon to “Billy the Kid” and his followers, if they would quit their +lawlessness, but the “Kid” laughed it off as a joke.</p> + +<p>On the 5th day of August, “Billy the Kid” and gang rode up in plain view +of the Mescalero Indian Agency and began rounding up a band of horses.</p> + +<p>A Jew by the name of Bernstein, mounted a horse and said he would go out +and stop them. He was warned of the danger, but persisted in his purpose +of preventing the stealing of their band of gentle saddle horses.</p> + +<p>When Mr. Bernstein rode up to the gang and told them to “vamoose,” in +other words, to hit the road, the “Kid” drew his rifle and shot the poor +Jew dead. This was the “Kid’s” most cowardly act. His excuse was that he +“didn’t like a Jew, nohow.”</p> + +<p>During the fall the government had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> given a contract to a large gang of +Mexicans to put up several hundred tons of hay at $25 a ton. As they drew +their pay, the “Kid” and gang were on hand to deal monte and win their +money.</p> + +<p>When the contract was finished, there was no more business for the “Kid’s” +monte game, so with his own hand, as told to the author by himself, he set +fire to the hay stacks one windy night.</p> + +<p>Now the Government gave another contract for several hundred tons of hay +at $50 a ton—as the work had to be rushed before frost killed the grass.</p> + +<p>When pay day came around the “Kid’s” monte game was raking in money again.</p> + +<p>The new stacks were allowed to stand, as it was too late in the season to +cut the grass for more hay.</p> + +<p>During the fall the “Kid” and some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> of his gang made trips to Fort Sumner. +Bowdre and Skurlock always remained near their wives in Lincoln, but +finally those two outlaws moved their families to “Sumner,” where a +rendezvous was established. Here one of their gang, who always kept in the +dark, and worked on the sly, lived with his Mexican wife, a sister to the +wife of Pat Garrett. His name was Barney Mason, and he carried a curse of +God on his brow for the killing of John Farris, a cowboy friend of the +writer’s, in the early winter of 1878.</p> + +<p>On one of his trips to Fort Sumner, “Billy the Kid” fell desperately in +love with a pretty little seventeen-year-old half-breed Mexican girl, whom +we will call Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. She was a daughter of a once famous +man, and a sister to a man who owned sheep on a thousand hills. The +falling in love with this pretty, young miss, was virtually<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> the cause of +“Billy the Kid’s” death, as up to the last he hovered around Fort Sumner +like a moth around a blazing candle. He had no thought of getting his +wings singed; he couldn’t resist the temptation of visiting this pretty +little miss.</p> + +<p>During the month of September, 1878, the “Kid” and part of his gang +visited the town of Lincoln, and on leaving there stole a large band of +fine range horses from Charlie Fritz and others.</p> + +<p>This band of horses was driven to Fort Sumner, thence east to Tascosa in +the wild Panhandle of Texas, on the Canadian river.</p> + +<p>While disposing of these horses to the cattlemen and cowboys, the “Kid” +and his gang camped for several weeks at the “LX” cattle ranch, twenty +miles below Tascosa.</p> + +<p>It was here, during the months of <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>October and November, 1878, that the +writer made the acquaintance of “Billy the Kid,” Tom O’Phalliard, Henry +Brown, Fred Wyat, John Middleton, and others of the gang whose names can’t +be recalled.</p> + +<p>The author had just returned from Chicago where he had taken a shipment of +fat steers, and found this gang of outlaws camped under some large +cottonwood trees, within a few hundred yards of the “LX” headquarter ranch +house.</p> + +<p>For a few weeks, much of my time was spent with “Billy the Kid.” We became +quite chummy. He presented me with a nicely bound book, in which he wrote +his autograph. I had previously given him a fine meerschaum cigar holder.</p> + +<p>While loafing in their camp, we passed off the time playing cards and +shooting at marks. With our Colt’s 45 pistols I could hit the mark as +often as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> the “Kid,” but when it came to quick shooting, he could get in +two shots to my one.</p> + +<p>I found “Billy the Kid” to be a good natured young man. He was always +cheerful and smiling. Being still in his teens, he had no sign of a beard. +His eyes were a hazel blue, and his brown hair was long and curly. The +skin on his face was tanned to a chestnut brown, and was as soft and +tender as a baby’s. He weighed about one hundred and forty pounds, and was +five feet, eight inches tall. His only defects were two upper front teeth, +which projected outward from his well shaped mouth.</p> + +<p>During his many visits to Tascosa, where whiskey was plentiful, the “Kid” +never got drunk. He seemed to drink more for sociability than for the +“love of liquor.”</p> + +<p>Here Henry Brown and Fred Wyat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> quit the “Kid’s” outlaw gang and went to +the Chickasaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, where the parents of +half-breed Fred Wyat lived.</p> + +<p>It is said that Fred Wyat, in later years, served as a member of the +Oklahoma Legislature.</p> + +<p>Henry Brown became City Marshal of Caldwell, Kansas, and while wearing his +star rode to the nearby town of Medicine Lodge, with three companions and +in broad day light, held up the bank, killing the president, Wiley Payne, +and his cashier, George Jeppert. This put an end to Henry Brown, as the +enraged citizens mobbed the whole band of “bad men.”</p> + +<p>The snow had begun to fly when the “Kid” and the remnant of his gang +returned to Fort Sumner, New Mexico.</p> + +<p>One of his followers, John Middleton, had sworn off being an outlaw and +rode<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> away from Tascosa, for southern Kansas, where the author met him in +later years. He had settled down to a peaceful life.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” made his headquarters at Fort Sumner, so as to be near his +sweetheart. He made several raids into Lincoln County to steal cattle and +horses. On one of these trips to Lincoln County, his respect for women and +children, avoided a bloody battle with United States soldiers.</p> + +<p>In the month of February, 1879, Wm. H. McBroom, at the head of a United +States surveying crew, established a camp at the Roberts ranch on the +Penasco creek, in the Pecos valley.</p> + +<p>While absent with most of his crew, Mr. McBroom left a young man, +twenty-two years of age, Will M. Tipton, in charge of the camp and extra +mules. A young Mexican by the name of Nicholas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> Gutierez was detailed to +help young Tipton care for the stock.</p> + +<p>Their camp was within a few hundred feet of the Roberts home, on the bank +of the creek. One morning Mr. Roberts started up the river to Roswell to +buy supplies, leaving his wife, grown daughter, and five-year-old son at +the ranch.</p> + +<p>Late that evening, Captain Hooker and some negro soldiers pitched camp +near the Roberts home. They had several American prisoners with them, to +be taken to Fort Stanton and placed in jail.</p> + +<p>That night after supper, Mr. Will M. Tipton, who at this writing, 1920, is +a highly respected citizen of Santa Fe, New Mexico, says he and Nicolas +Gutierez were sitting on the bank of the creek in their camp. He was +playing a guitar while Nicolas was singing. Just then a horseman climbed +up the steep embankment<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> from the bed of the creek, and dismounted.</p> + +<p>This stranger began asking questions about the soldiers’ camp, where the +camp-fires blazed brilliantly in the pitchy darkness.</p> + +<p>Finally the stranger gave a shrill whistle, and soon a companion rode into +camp, out of the bed of the creek.</p> + +<p>This second visitor was a slender, boyish young man, who seemed anxious to +learn all about the soldiers’ camp.</p> + +<p>In a few moments three negro soldiers strolled into camp and chatted +awhile. When they left to return to their quarters, the two strangers bade +Tipton and his companion goodnight, and rode down the bed of the creek.</p> + +<p>At noon next day, Mr. Roberts returned from Roswell. On meeting young +Tipton, he remarked: “You boys had ‘Billy the Kid’ as a visitor last +night.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> He then told of meeting the “Kid” and his band of “warriors” that +morning, and of how the “Kid” told of his visit to the McBroom camp. He +told Will Tipton that the small young man was the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>“Billy the Kid” had told Roberts that they had planned to make a charge +into the soldiers’ camp and liberate the prisoners, who were friends of +theirs, but finding that Mrs. Roberts and the children were alone, and +that the soldiers’ camp was so near the Roberts home, they gave up the +proposed battle, knowing that the shooting would disturb Mrs. Roberts and +the family.</p> + +<p>Mr. Roberts explained to Mr. Tipton that he had always fed the “Kid” and +his “warriors” when they happened by his place, hence their friendship for +him.</p> + +<p>Now the “Kid” and his party rode to Lincoln to use their influence in a +peaceful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> way to liberate their friends, whom Capt. Hooker intended to +turn over to the new sheriff of Lincoln County.</p> + +<p>In Lincoln the “Kid” met his former chum, Jesse Evans, and they started +out to celebrate the meeting. With Jesse Evans was a desperado named +William Campbell.</p> + +<p>One night a lawyer named Chapman, who had been sent from Las Vegas to +settle up the McSween estate, was in the saloon, when Campbell shot at his +feet to make him dance. The lawyer protested indignantly and was shot dead +by Campbell.</p> + +<p>Jimmie Dolan and J. B. Mathews, being present, were later arrested, along +with Campbell, for this killing.</p> + +<p>Dolan and Mathews came clear at the preliminary trial, and Campbell was +bound over to the Grand Jury. He was taken to Fort Stanton and placed in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +jail. There he made his escape and has never been heard of in that part of +the country since.</p> + +<p>Now “Billy the Kid” and Tom O’Phalliard rode back to Fort Sumner, but soon +returned to Lincoln, where they were arrested by Sheriff Kimbrall and his +deputies—merely as a matter of performing their duty, but with no +intention of disgracing them. They were turned over to Deputy Sheriff T. +B. Longworth and guarded in the home of Don Juan Patron, where they were +wined and dined.</p> + +<p>On the 21st day of March, 1879, Deputy Sheriff Longworth received orders +to place his two prisoners in the town jail—a filthy hole.</p> + +<p>Arriving at the jail door, the “Kid” told Mr. Longworth that he had been +in this jail once before, and he swore he would never go into it again, +but to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> avoid making trouble, he would go back on his pledge.</p> + +<p>On a pine door to one of the cells, the “Kid” wrote with his pencil: +“William Bonney was incarcerated first time, December 22nd, 1878—Second +time, March 21st, 1879, and hope I will never be again. W. H. Bonney.”</p> + +<p>This inscription showed on the old jail door for many years after it was +written.</p> + +<p>The first time the “Kid” was put in this jail he walked right out, and +this second time, he broke down the door when he got ready to go.</p> + +<p>After breaking out of the jail, the “Kid” and O’Phalliard spent a couple +of weeks in Lincoln, carrying their rifles whenever they walked through +the street, in plain view of the sheriff.</p> + +<p>In April, they returned to Fort Sumner and were joined by Charlie Bowdre<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +and Skurlock. Jesse Evans had left for the lower Pecos, where he was later +killed, according to reports.</p> + +<p>The summer was spent by the “Kid” and his followers stealing cattle and +horses.</p> + +<p>In October they went to Roswell and stole 118 head of John Chisum’s +fattest steers, and later sold them to Colorado beef buyers. The “Kid” +claimed that Chisum owed him for fighting his battles during the Lincoln +County war, and he was using this method to get his pay.</p> + +<p>From now on, for the next year, the “Kid” and gang did a wholesale +business in stealing cattle. Tom Cooper and his gang had joined issues +with the “Kid” and party, and they established headquarters at the +Portales Lake—a salty body of water at the foot of the Staked Plains, +about seventy-five miles east of Fort Sumner.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>Here a permanent camp was pitched against a cliff of rock, at a fresh +water spring, and it afterward became noted as “Billy the Kid’s” cave. A +rock wall had been built against the cliff to take in the spring, and +afforded protection as a fort in case of a surprise from Indians or +law-officers.</p> + +<p>They had the whole country to themselves, as there were no +inhabitants—only drifting bands of buffalo hunters.</p> + +<p>Raids were made into the Texas Panhandle, the western line being a few +miles east of their camp, and fat steers stolen from the “LX” and “LIT” +cattle ranges on the Canadian river.</p> + +<p>These herds of stolen steers were driven to Tularosa, in Dona Ana County, +New Mexico, and turned over to Pat Cohglin, the “King of Tularosa,” who +had a contract to furnish beef to the U. S. soldiers at Ft. Stanton. +Cohglin<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> had made a deal with “Billy the Kid” to buy all the steers he +could steal in the Texas Panhandle, and deliver to him in Tularosa.</p> + +<p>In January, 1880, the “Kid” added another notch on the handle of his +pistol as a mankiller. He and a crowd of the Chisum cowboys were +celebrating in Bob Hargroves’ saloon in Fort Sumner. A bad-man from Texas, +by the name of Joe Grant, was filling his hide full of “Kill-me-quick” +whiskey, in the Hargroves’ saloon.</p> + +<p>Grant pulled a fine, ivory-handled Colt’s pistol from the scabbard of +Cowboy Finan, putting his own pistol in place of it.</p> + +<p>Here the “Kid” asked Grant to let him look at this beautiful, +ivory-handled pistol. The request was granted. Then the “Kid” revolved the +cylinder and saw there were two empty chambers. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> let the hammer down so +that the first two attempts to shoot would be failures.</p> + +<p>Now the pretty pistol was handed back to Grant and he stuck it in his +scabbard.</p> + +<p>A little later Grant stepped behind the bar, so as to face the crowd, and +jerking his pistol, he began knocking glasses off the bar with it. Eyeing +“Billy the Kid,” he remarked: “Pard, I’ll kill a man quicker than you +will, for the whiskey.”</p> + +<p>The “Kid” accepted the challenge. Grant fired at the “Kid,” but the hammer +struck on an empty chamber. Now the “Kid” planted a ball between Grant’s +eyes and he fell over dead.</p> + +<p>At the Bosque Grande, on the Pecos river, the three Dedrick boys, Sam, +Dan, and Mose, owned a ranch, which became quite a rendezvous for the +“Kid’s” and Tom Cooper’s gangs. From here the herds of stolen Panhandle, +Texas, cattle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> were started across the waterless desert to the foot of the +Capitan mountains, a distance of about one hundred miles.</p> + +<p>Here Dave Rudabaugh, who had the previous fall killed the jailer in Las +Vegas in trying to liberate his friend, Webb, joined “Billy the Kid’s” +gang. Also Billy Wilson and Tom Pickett joined the party, and their time +was spent stealing cattle and horses.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + +<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” ADDS ONE MORE NOTCH TO HIS GUN AS A KILLER. +TRAPPED AT LAST BY PAT GARRETT AND POSSE. TWO OF HIS GANG KILLED. IN JAIL AT SANTA FE.</p> + +<p><br />In the year 1879, rich gold ore had been struck on Baxter mountain, three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +miles from White Oaks Spring, about thirty miles north of Lincoln, and the +new town of White Oaks was established, with a population of about one +thousand souls.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” had many friends in this hurrah mining camp. He had shot up the +town, and was wanted by the law officers.</p> + +<p>On the 23rd day of November, 1880, the “Kid” celebrated his birthday in +White Oaks, under cover, among friends.</p> + +<p>On riding out of town with his gang after dark, he took one friendly shot +at Deputy Sheriff Jim Woodland, who was standing in front of the Pioneer +Saloon. The chances are he had no intention of shooting Woodland, as he +was a warm friend to his chum, Tom O’Phalliard, who was riding by his +side. O’Phalliard and Jim Woodland had come to New Mexico from Texas +together, a few years<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> previous. Woodland is still a resident of Lincoln +County, with a permanent home on the large Block cattle ranch.</p> + +<p>This shot woke up Deputy Sheriffs Jim Carlyle and J. N. Bell, who fired +parting shots at the gang, as they galloped out of town.</p> + +<p>The next day a posse was made up of leading citizens of White Oaks with +Deputy Sheriff Will Hudgens and Jim Carlyle in command. They followed the +trail of the outlaw gang to Coyote Spring, where they came onto the gang +in camp. Shots were exchanged. “Billy the Kid” had sprung onto his horse, +which was shot from under him.</p> + +<p>When the “Kid’s” gang fired on the posse, Johnny Hudgens’ mount fell over +dead, shot in the head.</p> + +<p>The weather was bitter cold and snow lay on the ground. Without overcoat +or gloves, “Billy the Kid” rushed for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> hills, afoot, after his horse +fell. The rest of the gang had become separated, and each one looked out +for himself.</p> + +<p>In the outlaws’ camp the posse found a good supply of grub and plunder.</p> + +<p>Jim Carlyle appropriated the “Kid’s” gloves and put them on his hands. No +doubt they were the real cause of his death later.</p> + +<p>With “Billy the Kid’s” saddle, overcoat and the other plunder found in the +outlaws’ camp, the posse returned to White Oaks, arriving there about +dark.</p> + +<p>It would seem from all accounts that “Billy the Kid” trailed the posse +into White Oaks, where he found shelter at the Dedrick and West Livery +Stable. He was seen on the street during the night.</p> + +<p>On November 27th, a posse of White Oaks citizens under command of Jim +Carlyle and Will Hudgens, rode to the Jim Greathouse road-ranch, about +forty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> miles north, arriving there before daylight. Their horses were +secreted, and they made breastworks of logs and brush, so as to cover the +ranch house, which was known to be a rendezvous of the “Kid’s” gang.</p> + +<p>After daylight the cook came out of the house with a nosebag and ropes to +hunt the horses which had been hobbled the evening before.</p> + +<p>This cook, Steck, was captured by the posse behind the breastworks. He +confessed that the “Kid” and his gang were in the house.</p> + +<p>Now Steck was sent to the house with a note to the “Kid” demanding his +surrender. The reply he sent back by Steck read: “You can only take me a +corpse.”</p> + +<p>The proprietor of the ranch, Jim Greathouse, accompanied Steck back to the +posse behind the logs.</p> + +<p>Jimmie Carlyle suggested that he go<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> to the house unarmed and have a talk +with the “Kid.” Will Hudgens wouldn’t agree to this until after Greathouse +said he would remain to guarantee Carlyle’s safe return. That if the “Kid” +should kill Carlyle, they could take his life.</p> + +<p>A time limit was set for Carlyle’s return, or Greathouse would be killed. +This was written on a note and sent by Steck to the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>When Carlyle entered the saloon, in the front part of the log building, +the “Kid” greeted him in a friendly manner, but seeing his gloves sticking +out of Carlyle’s coat pocket, he grabbed them, saying: “What in the h—l +are you doing with my gloves?” Of course this brought back the misery he +had endured without gloves after the posse raided their camp at Coyote +Spring.</p> + +<p>Here he invited Carlyle up to the bar<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> to take his last drink on earth—as +he said he intended to kill him when the whiskey was down.</p> + +<p>After Carlyle had drained his glass the “Kid” pulled his pistol and told +him to say his prayers before he fired.</p> + +<p>With a laugh the “Kid” put up his pistol, saying, “Why, Jimmie, I wouldn’t +kill you. Let’s all take another friendly drink.”</p> + +<p>Now the time was spent singing and dancing. Every time the gang took a +drink, Carlyle had to join them in a social glass.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” afterwards told friends that he had no intention of killing +Carlyle, that he just wanted to detain him till after dark, so they could +make a dash for liberty.</p> + +<p>The time had just expired when the posse were to kill Jim Greathouse, if +Carlyle was not back. At that moment a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> man behind the breastworks fired a +shot at the house. Carlyle supposed this shot had killed Greathouse, which +would result in his own death. He leaped for the glass window, taking sash +and all with him. The “Kid” fired a bullet into him. When he struck the +ground he began crawling away on his hands and knees, as he was badly +wounded. Now the “Kid” finished him with a well aimed shot from his +pistol.</p> + +<p>The men behind the logs were witnesses to this murder,—as they could see +Carlyle crawling away from the window. Now they opened fire with a +vengeance on the building. The gang had previously piled sacks of grain +and flour against the doors, to keep out the bullets.</p> + +<p>In the excitement, Jim Greathouse slipped away from the posse and ran +through the woods. Finding one of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> own hobbled ponies, he mounted him +and rode away. He was later shot by desperado Joe Fowler, with a +double-barrel shot gun, as he lay in bed asleep. This murder took place on +Joe Fowler’s cattle ranch west of Socorro, New Mexico.</p> + +<p>After dark the posse concluded to return to White Oaks, as they were cold +and hungry. They had brought no grub with them, and they dared not build a +fire to keep warm, for fear of being shot by the gang.</p> + +<p>A few hours later the “Kid” and gang made a break for liberty, intending +to fight the posse to a finish, they not knowing that the officers had +departed.</p> + +<p>All night the gang waded through the deep snow, afoot. They arrived at Mr. +Spence’s ranch at daylight, and ate a hearty breakfast. Then continued +their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> journey towards Anton Chico on the Pecos river.</p> + +<p>About daylight that morning, Will Hudgens, Johnny Hurley, and Jim Brent +made up a large posse and started to the Greathouse road-ranch. Arriving +there, they found the place vacated. The buildings were set afire, then +the journey continued on the gang’s trail, in the deep snow.</p> + +<p>A highly respected citizen, by the name of Spence, had established a +road-ranch on a cut-off road between White Oaks and Las Vegas. The gang’s +trail led up to this ranch, and Mr. Spence acknowledged cooking breakfast +for them.</p> + +<p>Now Mr. Spence was dragged to a tree with a rope around his neck to hang +him. Many of the posse protested against the hanging of Spence, and his +life was spared, but revenge was taken by burning up his buildings.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>The “Kid’s” trail was now followed into a rough, hilly country and there +abandoned. Then the posse returned to White Oaks.</p> + +<p>In Anton Chico, the “Kid” and his party stole horses and saddles, and rode +down the Pecos river.</p> + +<p>A few days later, Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, arrived in +Anton Chico from Fort Sumner, to make up a posse to run down the “Kid” and +his gang.</p> + +<p>At this time the writer and Bob Roberson had arrived in Anton Chico from +Tascosa, Texas, with a crew of fighting cowboys, to help run down the +“Kid,” and put a stop to the stealing of Panhandle, Texas, cattle.</p> + +<p>The author had charge of five “warriors,” Jas. H. East, Cal Polk, Lee +Hall, Frank Clifford (Big-Foot Wallace), and Lon Chambers. We were armed +to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> teeth, and had four large mules to draw the mess-wagon, driven by +the Mexican cook, Francisco.</p> + +<p>Bob Roberson was in charge of five riders and a mess-wagon.</p> + +<p>At our camp, west of Anton Chico, Pat Garrett met us, and we agreed to +loan him a few of our “warriors.” The writer turned over to him three men, +Jim East, Lon Chambers and Lee Hall. Bob Roberson turned over to him three +cowboys, Tom Emmory, Bob Williams, and Louis Bozeman.</p> + +<p>We then continued our journey to White Oaks in a raging snow storm.</p> + +<p>Pat Garrett started down the Pecos river with his crew, consisting of our +six cowboys, his brother-in-law, Barney Mason, and Frank Stewart, who had +been acting as detective for the Panhandle cattlemen’s association.</p> + +<p>At Fort Sumner, Pat Garrett <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>deputized Charlie Rudolph and a few Mexican +friends, to join the crowd which now numbered about thirteen men.</p> + +<p>Finding that the “Kid” and party had been in Fort Sumner, and made the old +abandoned United States Hospital building, where lived Charlie Bowdre and +his half-breed Mexican wife, their headquarters, Pat Garrett concluded to +camp there. He figured that the outlaws would return and visit Mrs. +Charlie Bowdre, whose husband was one of the outlaw band.</p> + +<p>In order to get a true record of the capture of “Billy the Kid” and gang, +the author wrote to James H. East, of Douglas, Arizona, for the facts. Jim +East is the only known living participant in that tragic event. His +reputation for honesty and truthfulness is above par wherever he is known. +He served eight years as sheriff of Oldham<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> County, Texas, at Tascosa, and +was city marshal for several years in Douglas, Arizona.</p> + +<p>Herewith his letter to the writer is printed in full:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<p class="right"><span style="padding-right: 4em;">“Douglas, Arizona,</span><br /> +<span style="padding-right: 3em;">May 1st, 1920.</span></p> + +<p>Dear Charlie:</p> + +<p>Yours of the 29th received, and contents noted. I will try to answer +your questions, but you know after a lapse of forty years, one’s +memory may slip a cog. First: We were quartered in the old Government +Hospital building in Ft. Sumner, the night of the first fight. Lon +Chambers was on guard. Our horses were in Pete Maxwell’s stable. +Sheriff Pat Garrett, Tom Emory, Bob Williams, and Barney Mason were +playing poker on a blanket on the floor.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span>I had just laid down on my blanket in the corner, when Chambers ran in +and told us that the ‘Kid’ and his gang were coming. It was about +eleven o’clock at night. We all grabbed our guns and stepped out in +the yard.</p> + +<p>Just then the ‘Kid’s’ men came around the corner of the old hospital +building, in front of the room occupied by Charlie Bowdre’s woman and +her mother. Tom O’Phalliard was riding in the lead. Garrett yelled +out: ‘Throw up your hands!’ But O’Phalliard jerked his pistol. Then +the shooting commenced. It being dark, the shooting was at random.</p> + +<p>Tom O’Phalliard was shot through the body, near the heart, and lost +control of his horse. ‘Kid’ and the rest of his men whirled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> their +horses and ran up the road.</p> + +<p>O’Phalliard’s horse came up near us, and Tom said: ‘Don’t shoot any +more, I am dying.’ We helped him off his horse and took him in, and +laid him down on my blanket. Pat and the other boys then went back to +playing poker.</p> + +<p>I got Tom some water. He then cussed Garrett and died, in about thirty +minutes after being shot.</p> + +<p>The horse that Dave Rudabaugh was riding was shot, but not killed +instantly. We found the dead horse the next day on the trail, about +one mile or so east of Ft. Sumner.</p> + +<p>After Dave’s horse fell down from loss of blood, he got up behind +Billy Wilson, and they all went to Wilcox’s ranch that night.</p> + +<p>The next morning a big snow storm set in and put out their trail,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> so +we laid over in Sumner and buried Tom O’Phalliard.</p> + +<p>The next night, after the fight, it cleared off and about midnight, +Mr. Wilcox rode in and reported to us that the “Kid,” Dave Rudabaugh, +Billy Wilson, Tom Pickett, and Charlie Bowdre, had eaten supper at his +ranch about dark, then pulled out for the little rock house at +Stinking Spring. So we saddled up and started about one o’clock in the +morning.</p> + +<p>We got to the rock house just before daylight. Our horses were left +with Frank Stewart and some of the other boys under guard, while +Garrett took Lee Hall, Tom Emory and myself with him. We crawled up +the arroyo to within about thirty feet of the door, where we lay down +in the snow.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>There was no window in this house, and only one door, which we would +cover with our guns.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” had taken his race mare into the house, but the other three +horses were standing near the door, hitched by ropes to the vega +poles.</p> + +<p>Just as day began to show, Charlie Bowdre came out to feed his horse, +I suppose, for he had a moral in one hand. Garrett told him to throw +up his hands, but he grabbed at his six-shooter. Then Garrett and Lee +Hall both shot him in the breast. Emory and I didn’t shoot, for there +was no use to waste ammunition then.</p> + +<p>Charlie turned and went into the house, and we heard the ‘Kid’ say to +him: ‘Charlie, you are done for. Go out and see if you can’t get one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +of the s—of—b’s before you die.’</p> + +<p>Charlie then walked out with his hand on his pistol, but was unable to +shoot. We didn’t shoot, for we could see he was about dead. He +stumbled and fell on Lee Hall. He started to speak, but the words died +with him.</p> + +<p>Now Garrett, Lee, Tom and I, fired several shots at the ropes which +held the horses, and cut them loose—all but one horse which was half +way in the door. Garrett shot him down, and that blocked the door, so +the ‘Kid’ could not make a wolf dart on his mare.</p> + +<p>We then held a medicine talk with the Kid, but of course couldn’t see +him. Garrett asked him to give up, Billy answered: ‘Go to h—l, you +long-legged s— of a b!’</p> + +<p>Garrett then told Tom Emory<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> and I to go around to the other side of +the house, as we could hear them trying to pick out a port-hole. Then +we took it, time about, guarding the house all that day. When nearly +sundown, we saw a white handkerchief on a stick, poked out of the +chimney. Some of us crawled up the arroyo near enough to talk to +‘Billy.’ He said they had no show to get away, and wanted to +surrender, if we would give our word not to fire into them, when they +came out. We gave the promise, and they came out with their hands up, +but that traitor, Barney Mason, raised his gun to shoot the ‘Kid,’ +when Lee Hall and I covered Barney and told him to drop his gun, which +he did.</p> + +<p>Now we took the prisoners and the body of Charlie Bowdre to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +Wilcox ranch, where we stayed until next day. Then to Ft. Sumner, +where we delivered the body of Bowdre to his wife. Garrett asked Louis +Bousman and I to take Bowdre in the house to his wife. As we started +in with him, she struck me over the head with a branding iron, and I +had to drop Charlie at her feet. The poor woman was crazy with grief. +I always regretted the death of Charlie Bowdre, for he was a brave +man, and true to his friends to the last.</p> + +<p>Before we left Ft. Sumner with the prisoners for Santa Fe, the ‘Kid’ +asked Garrett to let Tom Emory and I go along as guards, which, as you +know, he did.</p> + +<p>The ‘Kid’ made me a present of his Winchester rifle, but old Beaver +Smith made such a roar about an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> account he said ‘Billy’ owed him, +that at the request of ‘Billy,’ I gave old Beaver the gun. I wish now +I had kept it.</p> + +<p>On the road to Santa Fe, the ‘Kid’ told Garrett this: That those who +live by the sword, die by the sword. Part of that prophecy has come +true. Pat Garrett got his, but I am still alive.</p> + +<p>I must close. You may use any quotations from my letters, for they are +true. Good luck to you. Mrs. East joins me in best wishes.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 8em;">Sincerely yours,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">JAS. H. EAST.”</span></p></div> + +<p>The author had previously written to Jim East about “Billy the Kid’s” +sweetheart, Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. Here is a quotation from his answer, +of April 26th, 1920: “Your recollection of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> Dulcinea del Toboso, about +tallies with the way I remember her. She was rather stout, built like her +mother, but not so dark.</p> + +<p>“After we captured ‘Billy the Kid’ at Arroyo Tivan, we took him, Dave +Rudabaugh, Billy Wilson, and Tom Pickett—also the dead body of Charlie +Bowdre—to Fort Sumner.</p> + +<p>“After dinner Mrs. Toboso sent over an old Navajo woman to ask Pat Garrett +to let ‘Billy’ come over to the house and see them before taking him to +Santa Fe. So Garrett told Lee Hall and I to guard ‘Billy’ and Dave +Rudebough over to Toboso’s, Dave and ‘Billy’ being shackled together. As +we went over the lock on Dave’s leg came loose, and ‘Billy’ being very +superstitious, said: ‘That is a bad sign. I will die, and Dave will go +free,’ which, as you know, proved true.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>“When we went in the house only Mrs. Toboso, Dulcinea, and the old Navajo +woman were there.</p> + +<p>“Mrs. Toboso asked Hall and I to let ‘Billy’ and Dulcinea go into another +room and talk awhile, but we did not do so, for it was only a stall of +‘Billy’s’ to make a run for liberty, and the old lady and the girl were +willing to further the scheme. The lovers embraced, and she gave ‘Billy’ +one of those soul kisses the novelists tell us about, till it being time +to hit the trail for Vegas, we had to pull them apart, much against our +wishes, for you know all the world loves a lover.”</p> + +<p>It was December 23rd, 1880, when the “Kid” and gang, Dave Rudebaugh, Tom +Pickett and Billy Wilson—were captured, and Charlie Bowdre killed.</p> + +<p>The prisoners were taken to the nearest railroad, at Las Vegas, where a +mob<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> tried to take them away from the posse, to string them up.</p> + +<p>They were placed in the County jail at Santa Fe, the capital of the +Territory of New Mexico, as the penitentiary was not yet completed.</p> + +<p>Dave Rudebaugh was tried and sentenced to death for the killing of the +jailer in Las Vegas. Later he made his escape and has never been heard of +since.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> + +<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” IS SENTENCED TO HANG. HE KILLS HIS TWO GUARDS AND MAKES GOOD HIS ESCAPE.</p> + +<p><br />In the latter part of February, 1881, “Billy the Kid” was taken to Mesilla +to be tried for the murder of Roberts at Blazer’s saw mill. Judge Bristol +presided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> over the District Court, and assigned Ira E. Leonard to defend +the “Kid.” He was acquitted for the murder of Roberts.</p> + +<p>In the same term of court, the “Kid” was put on trial for the murder of +Sheriff Wm. Brady, in April, 1878. This time he was convicted, and +sentenced to hang on the 13th day of May, 1881, in the Court House yard in +Lincoln.</p> + +<p>Deputy United States Marshall, Robert Ollinger, and Deputy Sheriff David +Wood, drove the “Kid” in a covered back to Fort Stanton, and turned him +over to Sheriff Pat Garrett.</p> + +<p>As Lincoln had no suitable jail, an upstairs room in the large adobe Court +House was selected as the “Kid’s” last home on earth—as the officers +supposed, but fate decided otherwise.</p> + +<p>Bob Ollinger and J. W. Bell were selected to guard “Billy the Kid” until<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +the time came for shutting off his wind with a rope.</p> + +<p>The room selected for the “Kid’s” home was large, and in the northeast +corner of the building, upstairs. There were two windows in it, one on the +east side and the other on the north, fronting the main street.</p> + +<p>In order to get out of this room one had to pass through a hall into +another room, where a back stairs led down to the rear yard.</p> + +<p>In a room in the southwest corner of the building, the surplus firearms +were kept, in a closet, or armory. One room was assigned as the Sheriff’s +private office.</p> + +<p>The “Kid’s” furniture consisted of a pair of steel hand-cuffs, steel +shackles for his legs, a stool, and a cot.</p> + +<p>Bob Ollinger, the chief guard, was a large, powerful middle-aged man, +with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> a mean disposition. He and the “Kid” were bitter enemies on account +of having killed warm friends of each other during the bloody Lincoln +County war. It is said that Ollinger shot one of the “Kid’s” friends to +death while holding his right hand with his, Ollinger’s, left hand. After +this local war had ended, the fellow stepped up to Ollinger to shake hands +and to bury the hatchet of former hatred. Ollinger extended his left hand, +and grabbed the man’s right, holding it fast until he had shot him to +death. Of course this cowardly act left a scar on “Billy the Kid’s” heart, +which only death could heal.</p> + +<p>J. W. Bell was a tall, slender man of middle age, with a large knife scar +across one cheek. He had come from San Antonio, Texas. He held a grudge +against the “Kid” for the killing of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> friend, Jimmie Carlyle, +otherwise there was no enmity between them.</p> + +<p>In the latter part of April, Cowboy Charlie Wall had four Mexicans helping +him irrigate an alfalfa field, above the Mexican village of Tularosa, on +Tularosa river.</p> + +<p>A large band of Tularosa Mexicans appeared on the scene one morning, to +prevent young Wall from using water for his thirsty alfalfa.</p> + +<p>When the smoke of battle cleared away, four Tularosa Mexicans lay dead on +the ground and Charlie Wall had two bullet wounds in his body, though they +were not dangerous wounds.</p> + +<p>Now, to prevent being mobbed by the angry citizens of Tularosa, which was +just over the line in Dona Ana County, Wall and his helpers made a run, on +horseback, for Lincoln, to surrender to Sheriff Pat Garrett.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>The Sheriff allowed them to wear their pistols and to sleep in the old +jail. At meal times they accompanied either Bob Ollinger or J. W. Bell, to +the Ellis Hotel across the main street, which ran east and west through +town.</p> + +<p>Charlie Wall did his loafing while recovering from his bullet wounds, in +the room where the “Kid” was kept.</p> + +<p>On the morning of April 28th, 1881, Sheriff Garrett prepared to leave for +White Oaks, thirty-five miles north, to have a scaffold made to hang the +“Kid” on. Before starting, he went into the room where the “Kid” sat on +his stool, guarded by Ollinger, who was having a friendly chat with +Charlie Wall—the man who gave the writer the full details of the affair. +J. W. Bell was also present in the room.</p> + +<p>Garrett remarked to the two guards: “Say, boys, you must keep a close +watch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> on the ‘Kid,’ as he has only a few more days to live, and might +make a break for liberty.”</p> + +<p>Bob Ollinger answered: “Don’t worry, Pat, we will watch him like a goat.”</p> + +<p>Now Ollinger stepped into the other room and got his double-barrel shot +gun. With the gun in his hand, and looking towards the “Kid,” he said: +“There are eighteen buckshot in each barrel, and I reckon the man who gets +them will feel it.”</p> + +<p>With a smile, “Billy the Kid” remarked: “You may be the one to get them +yourself.”</p> + +<p>Now Ollinger put the gun back in the armory, locking the door, putting the +key in his pocket. Then Garrett left for White Oaks.</p> + +<p>About five o’clock in the evening, Bob Ollinger took Charlie Wall and the +other four armed prisoners to the Ellis Hotel,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> across the street, for +supper. Bell was left to guard the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>According to the story “Billy the Kid” told Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, and other +friends, after his escape, he had been starving himself so that he could +slip his left hand out of the steel cuff. The guards thought he had lost +his appetite from worry over his approaching death.</p> + +<p>J. W. Bell sat on a chair, facing the “Kid,” several paces away. He was +reading a newspaper. The “Kid” slipped his left hand out of the cuff and +made a spring for the guard, striking him over the head with the steel +cuff. Bell threw up both hands to shield his head from another blow. Then +the “Kid” jerked Bell’s pistol out of its scabbard. Now Bell ran out of +the door and received a bullet from his own pistol. The body of Bell +tumbled down the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> back stairs, falling on the jailer, a German by the name +of Geiss, who was sitting at the foot of the stairs.</p> + +<p>Of course Geiss stampeded. He flew out of the gate towards the Ellis +Hotel.</p> + +<p>On hearing the shot, Bob Ollinger and the five armed prisoners, got up +from the supper table and ran to the street. Charlie Wall and the four +Mexicans stopped on the sidewalk, while Ollinger continued to run towards +the court house.</p> + +<p>After killing Bell, the “Kid” broke in the door to the armory and secured +Ollinger’s shot-gun. Then he hobbled to the open window facing the hotel.</p> + +<p>When in the middle of the street, Ollinger met the stampeded jailer, and +as he passed, he said: “Bell has killed the “Kid.” This caused Ollinger to +quit running. He walked the balance of the way.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>When directly under the window, the “Kid” stuck his head out, saying: +“Hello, Bob!”</p> + +<p>Ollinger looked up and saw his own shotgun pointed at him. He said, in a +voice loud enough to be heard by Wall and the other prisoners across the +street: “Yes, he has killed me, too!”</p> + +<p>These words were hardly out of the guard’s mouth when the “Kid” fired a +charge of buckshot into his heart.</p> + +<p>Now “Billy the Kid” hobbled back to the armory and buckled around his +waist two belts of cartridges and two Colt’s pistols. Then taking a +Winchester rifle in his hand, he hobbled back to the shot gun, which he +picked up. He then went out on the small porch in front of the building. +Reaching over the ballisters with the shotgun, he fired the other charge +into Ollinger’s body. Then breaking the shotgun in two, across the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> +ballisters, he threw the pieces at the corpse, saying: “Take that, you s— +of a b—, you will never follow me with that gun again.”</p> + +<p>Now the “Kid” hailed the jailer, old man Geiss, and told him to throw up a +file, which he did. Then the chain holding his feet close together was +filed in two.</p> + +<p>When his legs were free, the “Kid” danced a jig on the little front porch, +where many people, who had run out to the sidewalk across the street, on +hearing the shots, were witnesses to this free show, which couldn’t be +beat for money.</p> + +<p>Geiss was hailed again and told to saddle up Billy Burt’s, the Deputy +County Clerk’s, black pony and bring him out on the street. This black +pony had formerly belonged to the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>When the pony stood on the street, ready for the last act, the “Kid” went<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +down the back stairs, stepping over the dead body of Bell, and started to +mount. Being encumbered with the weight of two pistols, two belts full of +ammunition, and the rifle, the “Kid” was thrown to the ground, when the +pony began bucking, before he had got into the saddle.</p> + +<p>Now the “Kid” faced the crowd across the street, holding the rifle ready +for action.</p> + +<p>Charlie Wall told the writer that he could have killed him with his +pistol, but that he wanted to see him escape. Many other men in the crowd +felt the same way, no doubt.</p> + +<p>When the pony was brought back the “Kid” gave Geiss his rifle to hold, +while he mounted. The rifle being handed back to him when he was securely +seated in the saddle, then he dug the pony in the sides with his heels, +and galloped west. At the edge of town he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> waved his hat over his head, +yelling: “Three cheers for Billy the Kid!” Now the curtain went down, for +the time being.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> + +<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” GOES BACK TO HIS SWEETHEART IN FORT SUMNER. SHOT THROUGH +THE HEART BY SHERIFF PAT GARRET, AND BURIED BY THE SIDE OF HIS CHUM, TOM O’PHALLIARD.</p> + +<p><br />A few days after the “Kid’s” escape, Billy Burt’s black pony returned to +Lincoln dragging a rope. He had either escaped or been turned loose by the +“Kid.”</p> + +<p>The next we hear of the “Kid” he visited friends in Las Tablas, and stole<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> +a horse from Andy Richardson. From there he headed for Fort Sumner to see +his sweetheart, Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. It was said he tried to persuade +her to run away with him, and go to old Mexico to live in happiness ever +afterward. But that sweet little Dulce refused to leave mamma.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” found shelter and concealment in the home of Mrs. Charlie Bowdre +and her mother. One night a few weeks after his escape, the writer was +within whispering distance of “Billy the Kid.”</p> + +<p>Myself and a crowd of cowboys had attended a Mexican dance. Mrs. Charlie +Bowdre was there, dressed like a young princess. She captured the heart of +the author, so that he danced with her often, and escorted her to the +midnight supper.</p> + +<p>About three o’clock in the morning the dance broke up and the writer +escorted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> the pretty young widow, Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, to her adobe home. +At the front door, I almost got down on my knees pleading for her to let +me go into the house and talk awhile, but no use, she insisted that her +mother would object.</p> + +<p>Now a wine-soaked young cowboy with jingling spurs on his high-heel boots, +staggered into camp and “piled” into bed, spread on the ground under a +cottonwood tree, to dream of Mexican “Fandangos,” where the girls have no +choice of partners. Without an introduction the man walks up to the girl +of his choice and leads her out on the floor to dance to his heart’s +content.</p> + +<p>About six months later, in the fall of 1881, after the “Kid” had been +killed, the writer was in Fort Sumner again, and attended a dance with +Mrs. Charlie Bowdre. Now she explained the reason for not letting me enter +the house. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +said at that time, “Billy the Kid,” who was in hiding at +her home, was on the inside of the door listening to our conversation. +That he recognized my voice.</p> + +<p>Here Mrs. Bowdre told me the facts in the case, of how “Billy the Kid” met +his death, bare-headed and bare-footed, with a butcher knife in his hand.</p> + +<p>While in hiding in Fort Sumner the “Kid” stole a saddle horse from Mr. +Montgomery Bell, who had ridden into town from his ranch fifty miles +above, on the Rio Pecos.</p> + +<p>Bell supposed the horse had been ridden off by a common Mexican thief. He +hired Barney Mason and a Mr. Curington to go with him to hunt the animal. +They started down the stream, Bell keeping on one side of the river, while +Mason and Curington headed for a sheep camp in the foot hills.</p> + +<p>Riding up to the tent in the sheep<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> camp, the “Kid” stepped out with his +Winchester rifle, and hailed them.</p> + +<p>Barney Mason was armed to the teeth, and was on a swift horse. He had on a +new pair of spurs and nearly wore them out making his get-away.</p> + +<p>Mr. Curington rode up to his friend, “Billy the Kid,” and had a friendly +chat.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” told Mr. Curington to tell Montgomery Bell that he would return +his horse, or pay for him.</p> + +<p>When Curington reported the matter to Mr. Bell, he was satisfied and +searched no more for the animal.</p> + +<p>After the “Kid’s” escape from Lincoln, Sheriff Pat Garrett “laid low,” and +tried to find out the “Kid’s” whereabouts through his friends and +associates.</p> + +<p>In March, 1881, a Deputy United States Marshal by the name of John W.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> Poe +arrived in the booming mining camp of White Oaks. He had been sent to New +Mexico by the Cattlemen’s Association of the Texas Panhandle. Cattle King +Charlie Goodnight, being the president of the association, had selected +Mr. Poe as the proper man to put a stop to the stealing of Panhandle +cattle by “Billy the Kid” and gang.</p> + +<p>After the “Kid’s” escape, Pat Garrett went to White Oaks and deputized +John W. Poe to assist him in rounding up the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>From now on Mr. Poe made trips out in the mountains trying to locate the +young outlaw. The “Kid’s” best friends argued that he was “nobody’s fool,” +and would not remain in the United States, when the Old Mexico border was +so near. They didn’t realize that little Cupid was shooting his tender +young heart full of love-darts, straight<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> from the heart of pretty little +Miss Dulcinea del Toboso, of Fort Sumner.</p> + +<p>Early in July, Pat Garrett received a letter from an acquaintance by the +name of Brazil, in Fort Sumner, advising him that the “Kid” was hanging +around there. Garrett at once wrote Brazil to meet him about dark on the +night of July 13th at the mouth of the Taiban arroyo, below Fort Sumner.</p> + +<p>Now the sheriff took his trusted deputy, John W. Poe, and rode to Roswell, +on the Rio Pecos. There they were joined by one of Mr. Garret’s fearless +cowboy deputies, “Kip” McKinnie, who had been raised near Uvalde, Texas.</p> + +<p>Together the three law officers rode up the river towards Fort Sumner, a +distance of eighty miles. They arrived at the mouth of Taiban arroyo an +hour after dark on July 13th, but Brazil was not there to meet them. The +night was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> spent sleeping on their saddle blankets.</p> + +<p>The next morning Garrett sent Mr. Poe, who was a stranger in the country, +and for that reason would not be suspicioned, into Fort Sumner, five miles +north, to find out what he could on the sly, about the “Kid’s” presence. +From Fort Sumner he was to go to Sunny Side, six miles north, to interview +a merchant by the name of Mr. Rudolph. Then when the moon was rising, to +meet Garrett and McKinnie at La Punta de la Glorietta, about four miles +north of Fort Sumner.</p> + +<p>Failing to find out anything of importance about the “Kid,” John W. Poe +met his two companions at the appointed place, and they rode into Fort +Sumner.</p> + +<p>It was about eleven o’clock, and the moon was shining brightly, when the +officers rode into an old orchard and <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>concealed their horses. Now the +three continued afoot to the home of Pete Maxwell, a wealthy stockman, who +was a friend to both Garrett and the “Kid.” He lived in a long, one-story +adobe building, which had been the U. S. officers’ quarters when the +soldiers were stationed there. The house fronted south, and had a wide +covered porch in front. The grassy front yard was surrounded by a picket +fence.</p> + +<p>As Pat Garrett had courted his wife and married her in this town, he knew +every foot of the ground, even to Pete Maxwell’s private bed room.</p> + +<p>On reaching the picket gate, near the corner room, which Pete Maxwell +always occupied, Garrett told his two deputies to wait there until after +he had a talk with half-breed Pete Maxwell.</p> + +<p>The night being hot, Pete Maxwell’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> door stood wide open, and Garrett +walked in.</p> + +<p>A short time previous, “Billy the Kid” had arrived from a sheep camp out +in the hills. Back of the Maxwell home lived a Mexican servant, who was a +warm friend to the “Kid.” Here “Billy the Kid” always found late +newspapers, placed there by loving hands, for his special benefit.</p> + +<p>This old servant had gone to bed. The “Kid” lit a lamp, then pulled off +his coat and boots. Now he glanced over the papers to see if his name was +mentioned. Finding nothing of interest in the newspapers, he asked the old +servant to get up and cook him some supper, as he was very hungry.</p> + +<p>Getting up, the servant told him there was no meat in the house. The “Kid” +remarked that he would go and get some from Pete Maxwell.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span>Now he picked up a butcher knife from the table to cut the meat with, and +started, bare-footed and bare-headed.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” passed within a few feet of the end of the porch where sat John +W. Poe and Kip McKinnie. The latter had raised up, when his spur rattled, +which attracted the “Kid’s” attention. At the same moment Mr. Poe stood up +in the small open gateway leading from the street to the end of the porch. +They supposed the man coming towards them, only partly dressed, was a +servant, or possibly Pete Maxwell.</p> + +<p>The “Kid” had pulled his pistol, and so had John Poe, who by that time was +almost within arm’s reach of the “Kid.”</p> + +<p>With pistol pointing at Poe, at the same time asking in Spanish: “Quien +es?” (Who is that?), he backed into Pete Maxwell’s room. He had repeated +the above question several times.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>On entering the room, “Billy the Kid” walked up to within a few feet of +Pat Garrett, who was sitting on Maxwell’s bed, and asked: “Who are they, Pete?”</p> + +<p>Now discovering that a man sat on Pete’s bed, the “Kid” with raised pistol +pointing towards the bed, began backing across the room.</p> + +<p>Pete Maxwell whispered to the sheriff: “That’s him, Pat.” By this time the +“Kid” had backed to a streak of moonlight coming through the south window, +asking: “Quien Es?” (Who’s that?)</p> + +<p>Garrett raised his pistol and fired. Then cocked the pistol again and it +went off accidentally, putting a hole in the ceiling, or wall.</p> + +<p>Now the sheriff sprang out of the door onto the porch, where stood his two +deputies with drawn pistols.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>Soon after, Pete Maxwell ran out, and came very near getting a ball from +Poe’s pistol. Garrett struck the pistol upward, saying: “Don’t shoot +Maxwell!”</p> + +<p>A lighted candle was secured from the mother of Pete Maxwell, who occupied +a nearby room, and the dead body of “Billy the Kid” was found stretched +out on his back with a bullet wound in his breast, just above the heart. +At the right hand lay a Colt’s 41 calibre pistol, and at his left a +butcher knife.</p> + +<p>Now the native people began to collect,—many of them being warm friends +of the “Kid’s.” Garrett allowed them to take the body across the street to + +a carpenter shop, where it was laid out on a bench. Then lighted candles +were placed around the remains of what was once the bravest, and coolest +young outlaw who ever trod the face of the earth.</p> + +<p>The next day, this, once mother’s <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>darling, was buried by the side of his +chum, Tom O’Phalliard, in the old military cemetery.</p> + +<p>He was killed at midnight, July 14th, 1881, being just twenty-one years, +seven months and twenty-one days of age, and had killed twenty-one men, +not including Indians, which he said didn’t count as human beings.</p> + +<p>A few months after the killing of the “Kid,” a man was coining money, +showing “Billy the Kid’s” trigger finger, preserved in alcohol. Seeing +sensational accounts of it in the newspapers, Sheriff Garrett had the body +dug up, but found his trigger-finger was still attached to the right hand.</p> + +<p>During the following spring in the town of Lincoln, the sheriff auctioned +off the “Kid’s” saddle, and the blue-barrel, rubber-handled, double +action<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> Colt’s 41 calibre pistol, which the “Kid” held in his hand when +killed.</p> + +<p>There were only two bidders for the pistol, the writer and the deputy +county clerk, Billy Burt, who got it for $13.50. Its actual value was +about $12.00.</p> + +<p>Since then many pistols have been prized as keepsakes from the supposed +idea that the “Kid” had held each one of them in his hand when he fell. +Many were presented to friends with a sincere thought that they were +genuine.</p> + +<p>As an illustration we will quote a few lines from a friendly letter, dated +May 10th, 1920, written by the present game warden, Mr. J. L. DeHart of +the state of Montana: “Later in March, 1895, I was ushered into office as +sheriff of Sweet Grass County, Montana, and a former resident of New +Mexico, and an acquaintance of ‘Billy the Kid,’ later a resident of +Livingston, Montana, by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> the name of William Dawson, upon this momentous +occasion, presented me with a splendid Colt’s six-shooter, forty-five +calibre, seven inch barrel, and ivory handle, said to have been the +property of the notorious “Billy the Kid,” when killed by Sheriff Pat +Garrett, at the Maxwell ranch house. I have always considered this piece +of artillery a valuable relic, and with much trouble have retained it. +Most of my diligent watch, however, upon this gun, was brought about as a +result of being named as state game warden in 1913, by His Excellency, +Governor S. V. Stewart.”</p> + +<p>“Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise,” is a true saying.</p> + +<p>No doubt Mr. DeHart has felt proud over the ownership of the pistol “Billy the Kid” +was supposed to have in his hand at the time of his death.</p> + +<p>This is not the only “Billy the Kid”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> pistol in existence. It would be a +safe gamble to bet that there are a wagon load of them scattered over the +United States.</p> + +<p>The Winchester rifle taken from the “Kid” at the time of his capture at +Stinking Spring, was raffled off in the spring of 1881, and the writer won +it. He put it up again in a game of “freeze out” poker. As one of my +cowboys, Tom Emory, was an expert poker player, I induced him to play my +hand. I then went to bed. On going down to the Pioneer Saloon, in White +Oaks, early next morning, the night barkeeper told me a secret, under +promise that I keep it to myself. He said he was stretched out on the bar +trying to take a nap. The poker game was going on near him. When he lay +down all had been “freezed out” but Tom Emory and Johnny Hudgens. Just +before daylight,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> Emory won all the chips, in a big show down, and I was +the owner of “Billy the Kid’s” rifle for the second time, but only for a +moment, as Johnny Hudgens gave Tom Emory $20.00 for the gun, under the +pretense that Hudgens had won it. Emory almost shed tears when he told me +of losing the rifle in what he thought was a winning hand. Of course I +didn’t dispute it, as I had given a promise to keep silent.</p> + +<p>“Billy the Kid” came very near having a stone monument placed on his grave +for the benefit of posterity—so that the curious among the unborn +generations would know the exact spot where this “Claude Duval” of the +southwest was planted.</p> + +<p>One day, on the Plaza in the city of Santa Fe, in about the year 1916, the +writer met Mrs. Gertrude Dills, wife of Lucius Dills, the Surveyor General +of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> New Mexico, a daughter of Judge Frank Lea of White Oaks, and a niece +to that whole-souled prince among men, the father of the city of Roswell, +Captain J. C. Lea. She suggested that the writer get up a subscription to +place a lasting monument on the grave of “Billy the Kid,” so that future +generations would know where he was buried. As a little girl, Mrs. Dills +was once tempted to crawl under the bed, when “Billy the Kid” and gang +shot up the town of White Oaks.</p> + +<p>I at once went to the monument establishment of Mr. Louis Napoleon, and +selected a fine marble monument, with the understanding that the +inscription not be cut on it until after I had located the grave.</p> + +<p>Many years ago, Will E. Griffin, who is still a resident of Santa Fe, +moved all the bodies of the soldiers buried in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> old military cemetery, +at Fort Sumner, to the National Cemetery at Santa Fe. He says, when the +work was finished, the only graves left in the grave-yard, were those of +“Billy the Kid” and his chum, Tom O’Phalliard. On these two graves, close +together, still remained the badly rotted wooden head boards.</p> + +<p>Since then the old cemetery has been turned into an alfalfa field, and the +chances are, all signs of this noted young outlaw’s resting place have +been obliterated.</p> + +<p>Soon after selecting the monument, I happened to be in the town of +Tularosa, and brought up the subject to my old cowboy friend, John P. +Meadows. He at once subscribed five dollars towards the erection of the +monument. He said “Billy the Kid” had befriended him in 1879, when he +needed a friend, and for that reason he would like to perpetuate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> his +memory. He thought it would be no trouble to raise the desired amount in +Tularosa, but the first man he struck for a subscription, Mr. Charlie +Miller, former state engineer, discouraged him. Mr. Miller went straight +up in the air with indignation at the idea of placing a monument at the +grave of a blood-thirsty outlaw. Soon after this, Mr. Miller was murdered, +when Pancho Villa made his bloody raid on Columbus, New Mexico.</p> + +<p>This is as far as the grave of “Billy the Kid” came to being marked, as +the writer has been too busy on other matters, to visit Fort Sumner and +try to locate his last resting place.</p> + +<p>In closing, I wish to state that with all his faults, “Billy the Kid” had +many noble traits. In White Oaks, during the winter of 1881, the writer +talked with a man who actually shed tears in telling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> of how he lay almost +at the point of death, with smallpox, in an old abandoned shack in Fort +Sumner, when the “Kid” found him. A good supply of money was given by the +“Kid,” and a wagon and team hired to haul him to Las Vegas, where medical +attention could be secured.</p> + +<p>Since the killing of the “Kid,” Kip McKinney has died with his boots off, +while Pat Garrett died with them on, being shot and killed on the road +between Tularosa and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Hence the only man now living +who saw the curtain go down on the last act of “Billy the Kid’s” eventful +life, is John W. Poe, at the present writing a wealthy banker in the +beautiful little city of Roswell, New Mexico. He has served one term as +sheriff of Lincoln County, and has helped to change that blood-spattered +county from an outlaw’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> paradise, to a land of happy, peaceful homes.</p> + +<p>Peace to William H. Bonney’s ashes, is the author’s prayer.</p> + + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">THE END.</p> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> + +<div class="vertsbox"> +<p class="center"><span class="huge">A Lone Star Cowboy</span></p> + +<p>Being the recollections of fifty years spent in the saddle, as cowboy and +New Mexico Ranger, on nearly every cow-trail in the wooly old west, when +the cowboys, buffalo hunters, and Indians had room to come and go, before +the “hoe-man” and wire fences cut off the trails.</p> + +<p>Fine cloth binding, 300 pages, with fourteen illustrations. Price +postpaid, $1.25.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center"><span class="huge">A Cowboy Detective</span></p> + +<p>Being the twenty-two years experience with Pinkerton’s National Detective +Agency, in all parts of the United States, British Columbia, Alaska and +Old Mexico.</p> + +<p>Fine cloth binding 525 pages and 22 illustrations. Price $1.50, post-paid.</p> + + +<p> </p> +<p class="center"><span class="huge">The Song Companion of A Lone Star Cowboy</span></p> + +<p>A booklet of old favorite cow-camp songs. Price postpaid, 35 cents.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="center">Address the author:<br /> +CHAS. A. SIRINGO,<br /> +P. O. Box 322,<br /> +Santa Fe, N. M.</p></div> + + + +<p> </p><p> </p> +<hr style="width: 50%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/back_cover.jpg" alt="" /></div> +<p class="center"><strong>PAT GARRETT</strong></p> + +<p class="center">The fearless sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, who killed “Billy the Kid.”<br /> +They had met by accident in a dark room, which meant that one, or both, had to die quick.</p> + + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's History of 'Billy the Kid', by Chas. A. 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A. Siringo + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: History of 'Billy the Kid' + +Author: Chas. A. Siringo + +Release Date: November 17, 2011 [EBook #38039] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF 'BILLY THE KID' *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive.) + + + + + + + + + + HISTORY OF .. .. .. .. "BILLY THE KID" + + + A cowboy outlaw whose youthful + daring has never been equalled in + the annals of criminal history. + + When a bullet pierced his heart + he was less than twenty-two years + of age, and had killed twenty-one + men, Indians not included. + + + [Illustration] + + + BY CHAS. A. SIRINGO + + + + +HISTORY OF "BILLY THE KID." + + +The true life of the most daring young outlaw of the age. + +He was the leading spirit in the bloody Lincoln County, New Mexico, war. +When a bullet from Sheriff Pat Garett's pistol pierced his breast he was +only twenty-one years of age, and had killed twenty-one men, not counting +Indians. His six years of daring outlawry has never been equalled in the +annals of criminal history. + + +By CHAS. A. SIRINGO. + +Author of: + +"Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony," "A Cowboy +Detective," and "A Lone Star Cowboy." + + + + +To my friend, George S. Tweedy--an honest, easy-going, second Abraham +Lincoln; this little volume is affectionately dedicated by the author, + +CHAS. A. SIRINGO. + + + Copyrighted 1920, by Chas. A. Siringo. + All rights reserved. + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The author feels that he is capable of writing a true and unvarnished +history of "Billy the Kid," as he was personally acquainted with him, and +assisted in his capture, by furnishing Sheriff Pat Garrett with three of +his fighting cowboys--Jas. H. East, Lee Hall and Lon Chambers. + +The facts set down in this narrative were gotten from the lips of "Billy +the Kid," himself, and from such men as Pat Garrett, John W. Poe, Kip +McKinnie, Charlie Wall, the Coe brothers, Tom O'Phalliard, Henry Brown, +John Middleton, Martin Chavez, and Ash Upson. All these men took an active +part, for or against, the "Kid." Ash Upson had known him from childhood, +and was considered one of the family, for several years, in his mother's +home. + +Other facts were gained from the lips of Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, who kept +"Billy the Kid," hid out at her home in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, after he +had killed his two guards and escaped. + +CHAS. A. SIRINGO. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +BILLY BONNEY KILLS HIS FIRST TWO MEN, AND BECOMES A DARING OUTLAW IN THE +REPUBLIC OF MEXICO. + + +In the slum district of the great city of New York, on the 23rd day of +November, 1859, a blue-eyed baby boy was born to William H. Bonney and his +good looking, auburn haired young wife, Kathleen. Being their first child +he was naturally the joy of their hearts. Later, another baby boy +followed. + +In 1862 William H. Bonney shook the dust of New York City from his shoes +and emigrated to Coffeeville, Kansas, on the northern border of the Indian +Territory, with his little family. + +Soon after settling down in Coffeeville, Mr. Bonney died. Then the young +widow moved to the Territory of Colorado, where she married a Mr. Antrim. + +Shortly after this marriage, the little family of four moved to Santa Fe, +New Mexico, at the end of the old Santa Fe trail. + +Here they opened a restaurant, and one of their first boarders was Ash +Upson, then doing work on the Daily New Mexican. + +Little, blue-eyed, Billy Bonney, was then about five years of age, and +became greatly attached to good natured, jovial, Ash Upson, who spent much +of his leisure time playing with the bright boy. + +Three years later, when the hero of our story was about eight years old, +Ash Upson and the Antrim family pulled up stakes and moved to the booming +silver mining camp of Silver City, in the southwestern part of the +Territory of New Mexico. + +Here Mr. and Mrs. Antrim established a new restaurant, and had Ash Upson +as the star boarder. + +Naturally their boarders were made up of all classes, both women and +men,--some being gamblers and toughs of the lowest order. + +Amidst these surroundings, Billy Bonney grew up. He went to school and was +a bright scholar. When not at school, Billy was associating with tough men +and boys, and learning the art of gambling and shooting. + +This didn't suit Mr. Antrim, who became a cruel step-father, according to +Billy Bonney's way of thinking. + +Jesse Evans, a little older than Billy, was a young tough who was a hero +in Billy's estimation. They became fast friends, and bosom companions. In +the years to come they were to fight bloody battles side by side, as +friends, and again as bitter enemies. + +As a boy, Mr. Upson says Billy had a sunny disposition, but when aroused +had an uncontrollable temper. + +At the tender age of twelve, young Bonney made a trip to Fort Union, New +Mexico, and there gambled with the negro soldiers. One "black nigger" +cheated Billy, who shot him dead. This story I got from the lips of "Billy +the Kid" in 1878. + +Making his way back to Silver City he kept the secret from his fond +mother, who was the idol of his heart. + +One day Billy's mother was passing a crowd of toughs on the street. One of +them made an insulting remark about her. Billy, who was in the crowd, +heard it. He struck the fellow in the face with his fist, then picked up +a rock from the street. The "tough" made a rush at Billy, and as he passed +Ed. Moulton he planted a blow back of his ear, and laid him sprawling on +the ground. + +This act cemented a friendship between Ed. Moulton and the future young +outlaw. + +About three weeks later Ed. Moulton got into a fight with two toughs in +Joe Dyer's saloon. He was getting the best of the fight. The young +blacksmith who had insulted Mrs. Antrim and who had been knocked down by +Ed. Moulton, saw a chance for revenge. He rushed at Moulton with an +uplifted chair. Billy Bonney was standing near by, on nettles, ready to +render assistance to his benefactor, at a moment's notice. The time had +now arrived. He sprang at the blacksmith and stabbed him with a knife +three times. He fell over dead. + +Billy ran out of the saloon, his right hand dripping with human blood. + +Now to his dear mother's arms, where he showered her pale cheeks with +kisses for the last time. + +Realizing the result of his crime, he was soon lost in the pitchy darkness +of the night, headed towards the southwest, afoot. For three days and +nights Billy wandered through the cactus covered hills, without seeing a +human being. + +Luck finally brought him to a sheep camp, where the Mexican herder gave +him food. + +From the sheep camp he went to McKnight's ranch and stole a horse, riding +away without a saddle. + +Three weeks later a boy and a grown man rode into Camp Bowie, a government +post. Both were on a skinny, sore-back pony. This new found companion had +a name and history of his own, which he was nursing in secret. He gave his +name to Billy as "Alias," and that was the name he was known by around +Camp Bowie. + +Finally Billy, having disposed of his sore-back pony, started out for the +Apache Indian Reservation, with "Alias," afoot. They were armed with an +old army rifle and a six-shooter, which they had borrowed from soldiers. + +About ten miles southwest of Camp Bowie these two young desperados came +onto three Indians, who had twelve ponies, a lot of pelts and several +saddles, besides good fire-arms, and blankets. In telling of the affair +afterwards, Billy said: "It was a ground-hog case. Here were twelve good +ponies, a supply of blankets, and five heavy loads of pelts. Here were +three blood-thirsty savages revelling in luxury and refusing help to two +free-born, white, American citizens, foot-sore and hungry. The plunder had +to change hands. As one live Indian could place a hundred United States +soldiers on our trail, the decision was made. + +"In about three minutes there were three dead Indians stretched out on the +ground, and with their ponies and plunder we skipped. There was no fight. +It was the softest thing I ever struck." + +About one hundred miles from this bloody field of battle, the surplus +ponies and plunder were sold and traded off to a band of Texas emigrants. + +Finally the two young brigands settled down in Tucson, where Billy's skill +as a monte dealer, and card player kept them in luxuriant style, and gave +them prestige among the sporting fraternity. + +Becoming tired of town life, the two desperadoes hit the trail for San +Simon, where they beat a band of Indians out of a lot of money in a +"fake" horse race. + +The next we hear of Billy Bonney is in the State of Sonora, Old Mexico, +where he went alone, according to his own statement. + +In Sonora he joined issues with a Mexican gambler named Melquiades Segura. +One night the two murdered a monte dealer, Don Jose Martinez, and secured +his "bank roll." + +Now the two desperadoes shook the dust of Sonora from their feet and +landed in the city of Chihuahua, the capital of the State of Chihuahua, +several hundred miles to the eastward, across the Sierra Madres +mountains. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +A FIERCE BATTLE WITH APACHE INDIANS. SINGLE HANDED BILLY BONNEY LIBERATES +SEGURA FROM JAIL. + + +In the city of Chihuahua, the two desperadoes led a hurrah life among the +sporting elements. Finally their money was gone and their luck at cards +went against them. Then Billy and Segura held up and robbed several monte +dealers, when on the way home after their games had closed for the night. +One of these monte dealers had offended Billy, which caused his death. + +One morning before the break of day, this monte dealer was on his way +home; a peon was carrying his fat "bank roll" in a buckskin bag, finely +decorated with gold and silver threads. + +When nearing his residence in the outskirts of the city, Segura and young +Bonney made a charge from behind a vacant adobe building. The one-sided +battle was soon over. A popular Mexican gambler lay stretched dead on the +ground. The peon willingly gave up the sack of gold and silver. + +Now towards the Texas border, in a north-easterly direction, a distance of +three hundred miles, as fast as their mounts could carry them. + +When their horses began to grow tired, other mounts were secured. Their +bills were paid enroute, with gold doubloons taken from the buckskin sack. + +On reaching the Rio Grande river, which separates Texas from the Republic +of Mexico, the young outlaws separated for the time being. + +Billy Bonney finally met up with his Silver City chum, Jesse Evans, and +they became partners in crime, in the bordering state of Texas, and the +Territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Many robberies and some murders +were committed by these smooth-faced boys, and they had many narrow +escapes from death, or capture. Fresh horses were always at their command, +as they were experts with the lasso, and the scattering ranchmen all had +bands of ponies on the range. + +On one occasion the boys ate dinner with a party of Texas emigrants, and +were well treated. Leaving the emigrant camp, a band of renegade Apache +Indians were seen skulking in the hills. The boys concealed themselves to +await results, as they felt sure a raid was to be made on the emigrants, +who were headed for the Territory of Arizona. There were only three men in +the party, and several women and children. + +Just at dusk, the boys, who were stealing along their trail in the low, +flint covered hills, heard shooting. + +Realizing that a battle was on, Billy Bonney and Jesse Evans put spurs to +their mounts and reached the camp just in time. + +By this time it was dark. The three men had succeeded in standing off the +Indians for awhile, but finally a rush was made on the camp, by the reds, +with blood curdling war whoops. + +At that moment the two young heroes charged among the Indians and sprang +off their horses, with Winchester rifles in hand. + +For a few moments the battle raged. One bullet shattered the stock of +Billy's rifle, cripping his left hand slightly. He then dropped the rifle +and used his pistol. + +When the battle was over, eight dead Indians lay on the ground. + +The emigrants had shielded themselves by getting behind the wagons. Two of +the men were slightly wounded, and the other dangerously shot through the +stomach. One little girl had a fractured skull from a blow on the head +with a rifle. The mother of the child fainted on seeing her daughter fall. + +In telling of this battle, Billy Bonney said the war-whoops shouted by +himself and Jesse, as they charged into the band of Indians, helped to win +the battle. He said a bullet knocked the heel off one of his boots, and +that Jesse's hat was shot off his head. He felt sure that the man shot +through the stomach died, though he never heard of the party after +separating. + +Soon after the Indian battle Billy Bonney and Jesse Evans landed in the +Mexican village of La Mesilla, New Mexico, and there met up with some of +Jesse's chums. Their names were Jim McDaniels, Bill Morton, and Frank +Baker. + +During their stay in Mesilla, Jim McDaniels christened Billy Bonney, +"Billy the Kid," and that name stuck to him to the time of his death. + +Finally these three tough cowboys started for the Pecos river with Jesse +Evans. "Billy the Kid" promised to join them later, as he had received +word that his Old Mexico chum, Segura, was in jail in San Elizario, Texas, +below El Paso. This word had been brought by a Mexican boy, sent by +Segura. + +The "Kid" told the boy to wait in Mesilla till he and Segura got there. + +It was the fall of 1876. Mounted on his favorite gray horse, "Billy the +Kid" started at six o'clock in the evening for the eighty-one mile ride to +San Elizario. + +A swift ride brought him into El Paso, then called Franklin, a distance of +fifty-six miles, before midnight. Here he dismounted in front of Peter +Den's saloon to let his noble "Gray" rest. While waiting, he had a few +drinks of whiskey, and fed "Gray" some crackers, there being no horse feed +at the saloon. + +Now for the twenty-five mile dash down the Rio Grande river, over a level +road to San Elizario. It was made in quick time. Daylight had not yet +begun to break. + +Dismounting in front of the jail, the "Kid" knocked on the front door. The +Mexican jailer asked; "Quien es?" (Who's that?) + +The "Kid" replied in good Spanish: "Open up, we have two American +prisoners here." + +The heavy front door was opened, and the jailer found a cocked pistol +pointed at him. Now the frightened guard gave up his pistol and the keys +to the cell in which Segura was shackled and handcuffed. + +In the rear of the jail building there was another guard asleep. He was +relieved of his fire-arms and dagger. + +When Segura was free of irons the two guards were gagged so they couldn't +give an alarm, and chained to a post. + +The two outlaws started out in the darkest part of the night, just before +day, Segura on "Gray" and the "Kid" trotting by his side, afoot. + +An hour later the two desperadoes were at a confederate's ranch across the +Rio Grande river, in Old Mexico. + +After filling up with a hot breakfast, the "Kid" was soon asleep, while +Segura kept watch for officers. The "Kid's" noble "Gray" was fed and with +a mustang, kept hidden out in the brush. + +Now the ranchman rode into San Elizario to post himself on the jail break. + +Hurrying back to the ranch, he advised his two guests to "hit the high +places," as there was great excitement in San Elizario. + +Reaching La Mesilla, New Mexico, the two young outlaws found the boy who +had carried the message to "Billy the Kid," from Segura, and rewarded him +with a handful of Mexican gold. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +"BILLY THE KID" AND SEGURA MAKE SUCCESSFUL ROBBERY RAIDS INTO MEXICO. A +BATTLE WITH INDIANS. THE "KID" JOINS HIS CHUM, JESSE EVANS. + + +After a few daring raids into Old Mexico, with Segura, the "Kid" landed in +La Mesilla, New Mexico. + +Here he fell in with a wild young man by the name of Tom O'Keefe. +Together, they started for the Pecos river to meet Jesse Evans and his +companions. + +Instead of taking the wagon road, the two venturesome boys cut across the +Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, which took in most of the high +Guadalupe range of mountains, which separates the Pecos and Rio Grande +rivers. + +First they rode into El Paso, Texas, and loaded a pack mule with +provisions. + +A few days out of El Paso, the boys ran out of water, and were puzzled as +to which way to ride. + +Finally a fresh Indian trail was found, evidently leading to water. It was +followed to the mouth of a deep canyon. For fear of running into a trap, +the "Kid" decided to take the canteen and go afoot, leaving his mount and +the pack mule with O'Keefe, who was instructed to come to his rescue +should he hear yelling and shooting. + +A mile of cautious traveling brought the "Kid" to a cool spring of water. +The ground was tramped hard with fresh pony and Indian tracks. + +After filling the canteen, and drinking all the water he could hold, the +"Kid" started down the canyon to join his companion. + +He hadn't gone far when Indians, afoot, began pouring out of the cliff to +the right, which cut off his retreat down the canyon. There was nothing to +do but return towards the spring, as fast as his legs could carry him. + +The twenty half-naked braves were gaining on him, and shouting +blood-curdling war-whoops. + +Like a pursued mountain lion, the "Kid" sprang into the jungles of a steep +cliff. Foot by foot his way was made to a place of concealment. + +The Indians seeing him leave the trail, scrambled up into the bushy cliff. +Now the "Kid's" trusty pistol began to talk, and several young braves, who +were leading the chase passed to the "happy hunting ground." The "Kid" +said the body of one young buck went down the cliff and caught on the +over-hanging limb of a dead tree, and there hung suspended in plain view. + +Many shots were fired at the "Kid" when he sprang from one hiding place to +another. One bullet struck a rock near his head, and the splinters gave +him slight wounds on the face and neck. + +Reaching the extreme top of a high peak, the young outlaw felt safe, as he +could see no reds on his trail. Being exhausted he soon fell asleep. On +hearing the yelling and shooting, Tom O'Keefe stampeded, leaving the +"Kid's" mount and the pack mule where they stood. + +Reaching a high bluff, which was impossible for a horse to climb, O'Keefe +quit his mount and took it afoot. From cliff to cliff, he made his way +towards the top of a peak. Finally his keen eyesight caught the figure of +a man, far away across a deep canyon, trying to reach the top of a +mountain peak. He surmised that the bold climber must be the "Kid." + +At last young O'Keefe's strength gave out and he lay down to sleep. His +hands and limbs were bleeding from the scratches received from sharp +rocks, and he was craving water. + +Being refreshed from his long night's sleep, the "Kid" headed for the big +red sun, which was just creeping up out of the great "Llano Estacado," +(Staked Plains), over a hundred miles to the eastward, across the Pecos +river. + +Finally water was struck and he was happy. Then he filled up on wild +berries, which were plentiful along the borders of the small sparkling +stream of water. + +Three days later the young hero outlaw reached a cow-camp on the Rio +Pecos. He made himself known to the cowboys, who gave him a good horse to +ride, and conducted him to the Murphy-Dolan cow-camp, where his chum, +Jesse Evans, was employed. In this camp the "Kid" also met his former +friends, McDaniels, Baker, and Morton. + +Here the "Kid" was told of the smouldering cattle war between the +Murphy-Dolan faction on one side, and the cattle king, John S. Chisum, on +the other. + +Many small cattle owners were arrayed with the firm of Murphy and Dolan, +who owned a large store in Lincoln, and were the owners of many cattle. + +On John S. Chisum's side were Alex A. McSween, a prominent lawyer of +Lincoln--the County seat of Lincoln County--and a wealthy Englishman by +the name of John S. Tunstall, who had only been in America a year. + +McSween and Tunstall had formed a co-partnership in the cattle business, +and had established a general trading store in Lincoln. + +It was now the early spring of 1877. Jesse Evans tried to persuade "Billy +the Kid" to join the Murphy-Dolan faction, but he argued that he first had +to find Tom O'Keefe, dead or alive, as it was against his principles to +desert a chum in time of danger. + +For nearly a year a storm had been brewing between John Chisum and the +smaller ranchmen. Chisum claimed all the range in the Pecos valley, from +Fort Sumner to the Texas line, a distance of over two hundred miles. + +Naturally there was much mavericking, in other words, stealing unbranded +young animals from the Chisum bands of cattle, which ranged about +twenty-five miles on each side of the Pecos river. + +Chisum owned from forty to sixty thousand cattle on this "Jingle-bob" +range. His cattle were marked with a long "Jingle-bob" hanging down from +the dew-lap. In branding calves the Chisum cowboys would slash the dew-lap +above the breast, leaving a chunk of hide and flesh hanging downward. When +the wound healed the animal was well marked with a dangling "Jingle-bob." +Thus did the Chisum outfit get the name of the "Jingle-bobs." + +Well mounted and armed, "Billy the Kid" started in search of Tom O'Keefe. +He was found at Las Cruces, three miles from La Mesilla, the County seat +of Dona Ana County, New Mexico. It was a happy meeting between the two +smooth-faced boys. Each had to relate his experience during and after the +Indian trouble. + +O'Keefe had gone back to the place where he had left the "Kid's" mount +and the pack mule. There he found the "Kid's" horse shot dead, but no sign +of the mule. His own pony ran away with the saddle, when he sprang from +his back. + +Now O'Keefe struck out afoot, towards the west, living on berries and such +game as he could kill, finally landing in Las Cruces, where he swore off +being the companion of a daring young outlaw. + +"Billy the Kid" tried to persuade O'Keefe to accompany him back to the +Pecos valley, to take part in the approaching cattle war, but Tom said he +had had enough of playing "bad-man from Bitter Creek." + +Now the "Kid" went to a ranch, where he had left his noble "Gray," and +with him started back towards the Pecos river. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE STARTING OF THE BLOODY LINCOLN COUNTY WAR. THE MURDER OF TUNSTALL. +"BILLY THE KID" IS PARTIALLY REVENGED WHEN HE KILLS MORTON AND BAKER. + + +Arriving back at the Murphy-Dolan cow-camp on the Pecos river, "Billy the +Kid" was greeted by his friends, McDaniels, Morton and Baker, who +persuaded him to join the Murphy and Dolan outfit, and become one of their +fighting cowboys. This he agreed to do, and was put on the pay-roll at +good wages. + +The summer and fall of 1877 passed along with only now and then a scrap +between the factions. But the clouds of war were lowering, and the "Kid" +was anxious for a battle. + +Still he was not satisfied to be at war with the whole-souled young +Englishman, John S. Tunstall, whom he had met on several occasions. + +On one of his trips to the Mexican town of Lincoln, to "blow in" his +accumulated wages, the "Kid" met Tunstall, and expressed regret at +fighting against him. + +The matter was talked over and "Billy the Kid" agreed to switch over from +the Murphy-Dolan faction. Tunstall at once put him under wages and told +him to make his headquarters at their cow-camp on the Rio Feliz, which +flowed into the Pecos from the west. + +Now the "Kid" rode back to camp and told the dozen cowboys there of his +new deal. They tried to persuade him of his mistake, but his mind was made +up and couldn't be changed. + +In the argument, Baker abused the "Kid" for going back on his friends. +This came very near starting a little war in that camp. The "Kid" made +Baker back down when he offered to shoot it out with him on the square. + +Before riding away on his faithful "Gray," the "Kid" expressed regrets at +having to fight against his chum Jesse Evans, in the future. + +At the Rio Feliz cow camp, the "Kid" made friends with all the cowboys +there, and with Tunstall and McSween, when he rode into Lincoln to have a +good time at the Mexican "fandangos" (dances.) + +A few "killings" took place on the Pecos river during the fall, but "Billy +the Kid" was not in these fights. + +In the early part of December, 1877, the "Kid" received a letter from his +Mexican chum whom he had liberated from the jail in San Elizario, Texas, +Melquiades Segura, asking that he meet him at their friend's ranch across +the Rio Grande river, in Old Mexico, on a matter of great importance. + +Mounted on "Gray," the "Kid" started. Meeting Segura, he found that all he +wanted was to share a bag of Mexican gold with him. + +While visiting Segura, a war started in San Elizario over the Guadalupe +Salt Lakes, in El Paso County, Texas. + +These Salt Lakes had supplied the natives along the Rio Grande river with +free salt for more than a hundred years. An American by the name of +Howard, had leased them from the State of Texas, and prohibited the people +from taking salt from them. + +A prominent man by the name of Louis Cardis, took up the fight for the +people. Howard and his men were captured and allowed their liberty under +the promise that they would leave the Salt Lakes free for the people's +use. + +Soon after, Howard killed Louis Cardis in El Paso. This worked the natives +up to a high pitch. + +Under the protection of a band of Texas Rangers, Howard returned to San +Elizario, twenty-five miles below El Paso. + +On reaching San Elizario the citizens turned out in mass and besieged the +Rangers and the Howard crowd, in a house. + +Many citizens of Old Mexico, across the river, joined the mob. Among them +being Segura and his confederate, at whose ranch "Billy the Kid" and +Segura were stopping. + +As "Billy the Kid" had no interest in the fight, he took no part, but was +an eye witness to it, in the village of San Elizario. + +Near the house in which Howard and the Rangers took refuge, lived Captain +Gregario Garcia, and his three sons, Carlos, Secundio, and Nazean-ceno +Garcia. On the roof of their dwelling they constructed a fort, and with +rifles, assisted in protecting Howard and the Rangers from the mob. + +The fight continued for several days. Finally, against the advice of +Captain Gregario Garcia, the Rangers surrendered. They were escorted up +the river towards El Paso, and liberated. Howard, Charlie Ellis, John +Atkinson, and perhaps one or two other Americans, were taken out and shot +dead by the mob. Thus ended one of the bloody battles which "Billy the +Kid" enjoyed as a witness. + +The following year the present Governor of New Mexico, Octaviano A. +Larrazolo, settled in San Elizario, Texas, and married the pretty +daughter of Carlos Garcia, who, with his father and two brothers, so nobly +defended Howard and the Rangers. + +Now "Billy the Kid," with his pockets bulging with Mexican gold, given him +by Segura, returned to the Tunstall-McSween cow camp, on the Rio Feliz, in +Lincoln County, New Mexico. + +In the month of February, 1878, W. S. Morton, who held a commission as +deputy sheriff, raised a posse of fighting cowboys and went to one of the +Tunstall cow-camps on the upper Ruidoso river, to attach some horses, +which were claimed by the Murphy-Dolan outfit. + +Tunstall was at the camp with some of his employes, who "hid out" on the +approach of Morton and the posse. + +It was claimed by Morton that Tunstall fired the first shot, but that +story was not believed by the opposition. + +In the fight, Tunstall and his mount were killed. While laying on his face +gasping for breath, Tom Hill, who was later killed while robbing a sheep +camp, placed a rifle to the back of his head and blew out his brains. + +This murder took place on the 18th day of February, 1878. + +Before sunset a runner carried the news to "Billy the Kid," on the Rio +Feliz. His anger was at the boiling point on hearing of the foul murder. +He at once saddled his horse and started to Lincoln, to consult with +Lawyer McSween. + +Now the Lincoln County war was on with a vengeance and hatred, and the +"Kid" was to play a leading hand in it. He swore that he would kill every +man who took part in the murder of his friend Tunstall. + +At that time, Lincoln County, New Mexico, was the size of some states, +about two hundred miles square, and only a few thousand inhabitants, +mostly Mexicans, scattered over its surface. + +On reaching the town of Lincoln, the "Kid" was informed by McSween that E. +M. Bruer had been sworn in as a special constable, and was making up a +posse to arrest the murderers of Tunstall. + +"Billy the Kid" joined the Bruer posse, and they started for the Rio Pecos +river. + +On the 6th day of March, the Bruer posse ran onto five mounted men at the +lower crossing of the Rio Penasco, six miles from the Pecos river. They +fled and were pursued by Bruer and his crowd. + +Two of the fleeing cowboys separated from their companions. The "Kid" +recognized them as Morton and Baker, his former friends. He dashed after +them, and the rest of the posse followed his lead. + +Shots were being fired back and forth. At last Morton's and Baker's mounts +fell over dead. The two men then crawled into a sink-hole to shield their +bodies from the bullets. + +A parley was held, and the two men surrendered, after Bruer had promised +them protection. The "Kid" protested against giving this pledge. He +remarked: "My time will come." + +Now the posse started for the Chisum home ranch, on South Spring river, +with the two handcuffed prisoners. + +On the morning of the 9th day of March, the Bruer posse started with the +prisoners for Lincoln, but pretended to be headed for Fort Sumner. + +The posse was made up of the following men: R. M. Bruer, J. G. Skurlock, +Charlie Bowdre, "Billy the Kid," Henry Brown, Frank McNab, Fred Wayt, Sam +Smith, Jim French, John Middleton and McClosky. + +After traveling five miles they came to the little village of Roswell. +Here they stopped to allow Morton time to write a letter to his cousin, +the Hon. H. H. Marshall, of Richmond, Virginia. + +Ash Upson was the postmaster in Roswell, and Morton asked him to notify +his cousin in Virginia, if the posse failed to keep their pledge of +protection. + +McClosky, who was standing near, remarked: "If harm comes to you two, they +will have to kill me first." + +The party started out about 10 A. M. from Roswell. About 4 P. M., Martin +Chavez of Picacho, arrived in Roswell and reported to Ash Upson that the +posse and their prisoners had quit the main road to Lincoln and had +turned off in the direction of Agua Negra, an unfrequented watering place. +This move satisfied the postmaster that the doom of Morton and Baker was +sealed. + +On March the eleventh, Frank McNab, one of the Bruer posse, rode up to the +post-office and dismounted. Mr. Upson expressed surprise and told him that +he supposed he was in Lincoln by this time. Now McNab confessed that +Morton, Baker and McClosky were dead. + +Later, Ash Upson got the particulars from "Billy the Kid" of the killing. + +The "Kid" and Charlie Bowdre were riding in the lead as they neared +Blackwater Spring. McClosky and Middleton rode by the side of the two +prisoners. The balance of the posse followed behind. + +Finally Brown and McNab spurred up their horses and rode up to McClosky +and Middleton. McNab shoved a cocked pistol at McClosky's head saying: +"You are the s-- of a b-- that's got to die before harm can come to these +fellows, are you?" + +Now the trigger was pulled and McClosky fell from his horse, dead, shot +through the head. + +"Billy the Kid" heard the shot and wheeled his horse around in time to see +the two prisoners dashing away on their mounts. The "Kid" fired twice and +Morton and Baker fell from their horses, dead. No doubt it was a put up +job to allow the "Kid" to kill the murderers of his friend Tunstall, with +his own hands. + +The posse rode on to Lincoln, all but McNab, who returned to Roswell. The +bodies of McClosky, Morton and Baker were left where they fell. Later they +were buried by some sheep herders. + +Thus ends the first chapter of the bloody Lincoln County war. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE MURDER OF SHERIFF BRADY AND HIS DEPUTY, HINDMAN, BY THE "KID" AND HIS +BAND. "BILLY THE KID" AND JESSE EVANS MEET AS ENEMIES AND PART AS FRIENDS. + + +On returning to Lincoln, "Billy the Kid" had many consultations with +Lawyer McSween about the murder of Tunstall. It was agreed to never let up +until all the murderers were in their graves. + +The "Kid" heard that one of Tunstall's murderers was seen around Dr. +Blazer's saw mill, near the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, on South +Fork, about forty miles from Lincoln. He at once notified Officer Dick +Bruer, who made up a posse to search for Roberts, an ex-soldier, a fine +rider, and a dead shot. + +As the posse rode up to Blazer's saw mill from the east, Roberts came +galloping up from the west. The "Kid" put spurs to his horse and made a +dash at him. Both had pulled their Winchester rifles from the scabbards. +Both men fired at the same time, Robert's bullet went whizzing past the +"Kid's" ear, while the one from "Billy the Kid's" rifle, found lodgment in +Robert's body. It was a death wound, but gave Roberts time to prove his +bravery, and fine marksmanship. + +He fell from his mount and found concealment in an outhouse, from where he +fought his last battle. + +The posse men dismounted and found concealment behind the many large saw +logs, scattered over the ground. + +For a short time the battle raged, while the lifeblood was fast flowing +from Robert's wound. One of his bullets struck Charlie Bowdre, giving him +a serious wound. Another bullet cut off a finger from George Coe's hand. +Still another went crashing through Dick Bruer's head, as he peeped over a +log to get a shot at Roberts; Bruer fell over dead. This was Robert's last +shot, as he soon expired from the wound "Billy the Kid" had given him. + +A grave yard was now started on a round hill near the Blazer saw mill, and +in later years, Mr. and Mrs. George Nesbeth, a little girl, and a strange +man, who had died with their boots on--being fouly murdered--were buried +in this miniature "Boot Hill" cemetery. + +Two of the participants in the battle at Blazer's saw mill, Frank and +George Coe, are still alive, being highly respected ranchmen on the +Ruidoso river, where both have raised large families. + +After the battle at Blazer's mill, the Coe brothers joined issues with +"Billy the Kid" and fought other battles against the Murphy-Dolan faction. +In one battle Frank Coe was arrested and taken to the Lincoln jail. +Through the aid of friends he made his escape. + +Now that their lawful leader, Dick Bruer, was in his grave, the posse +returned to Lincoln. Here they formed themselves into a band, without +lawful authority, to avenge the murder of Tunstall, until not one was left +alive. By common consent, "Billy the Kid" was appointed their leader. + +In Lincoln, lived one of "Billy the Kid's" enemies, J. B. Mathews, known +as Billy Mathews. While he had taken no part in the killing of Tunstall, +he had openly expressed himself in favor of Jimmie Dolan and Murphy, and +against the other faction. + +On the 28th day of March, Billy Mathews, unarmed, met the "Kid" on the +street by accident. Mathews started into a doorway, just as the "Kid" cut +down on him with a rifle. The bullet shattered the door frame above his +head. + +Major William Brady, a brave and honest man, was the sheriff of Lincoln +County. He was partial to the Murphy-Dolan faction, and this offended the +opposition. He held warrants for "Billy the Kid" and his associates, for +the killing of Morton, Baker, and Roberts. + +On the first day of April, 1878, Sheriff Brady left the Murphy-Dolan +store, accompanied by George Hindman and J. B. Mathews to go to the Court +House and announce that no term of court would be held at the regular +April term. + +The sheriff and his two companions carried rifles in their hands, as in +those days every male citizen who had grown to manhood, went well armed. + +The Tunstall and McSween store stood about midway between the Murphy-Dolan +store and the Court House. + +In the rear of the Tunstall-McSween store, there was an adobe corral, the +east side of which projected beyond the store building, and commanded a +view of the street, over which the sheriff had to pass. On the top of this +corral wall, "Billy the Kid" and his "warriors" had cut grooves in which +to rest their rifles. + +As the sheriff and party came in sight, a volley was fired at them from +the adobe fence. Brady and Hindman fell mortally wounded, and Mathews +found shelter behind a house on the south side of the street. + +Ike Stockton, who afterwards became a killer of men, and a bold desperado, +in northwestern New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado, and who was killed +in Durango, Colorado, at that time kept a saloon in Lincoln, and was a +friend of the "Kid's." He ran out of his saloon to the wounded officers. +Hindman called for water; Stockton ran to the Bonita river, nearby, and +brought him a drink in his hat. + +About this time, "Billy the Kid" leaped over the adobe wall and ran to the +fallen officers. As he raised Sheriff Brady's rifle from the ground, J. B. +Mathews fired at him from his hiding place. The ball shattered the stock +of the sheriff's rifle and plowed a furrow through the "Kid's" side, but +it proved not to be a dangerous wound. + +Now "Billy the Kid" broke for shelter at the McSween home. Some say that +he fired a parting shot into Sheriff Brady's head. Others dispute it. At +any rate both Brady and Hindman lay dead on the main street of Lincoln. + +This cold-blooded murder angered many citizens of Lincoln against the +"Kid" and his crowd. Now they became outlaws in every sense of the word. + +From now on the "Kid" and his "warriors" made their headquarters at +McSween's residence, when not scouting over the country searching for +enemies, who sanctioned the killing of Tunstall. + +Often this little band of "warriors" would ride through the streets of +Lincoln to defy their enemies, and be royally treated by their friends. + +Finally, George W. Peppin was appointed Sheriff of the County, and he +appointed a dozen or more deputies to help uphold the law. Still bloodshed +and anarchy continued throughout the County, as the "Kid's" crowd were not +idle. + +San Patricio, a Mexican plaza on the Ruidoso river, about eight miles +below Lincoln, was a favorite hangout for the "Kid" and his "warriors," as +most of the natives there were their sympathizers. + +One morning, before breakfast, in San Patricio, Jose Miguel Sedillo +brought the "Kid" news that Jesse Evans and a crowd of "Seven River +Warriors" were prowling around in the hills, near the old Bruer ranch, +where a band of the Chisum-McSween horses were being kept. + +Thinking that their intentions were to steal these horses, the "Kid" and +party started without eating breakfast. In the party, besides the "Kid," +were Charlie Bowdre, Henry Brown, J. G. Skerlock, John Middleton, and a +young Texan by the name of Tom O'Phalliard, who had lately joined the +gang. + +On reaching the hills, the party split, the "Kid" taking Henry Brown with +him. + +Soon the "Kid" heard shooting in the direction taken by the balance of his +party. Putting spurs to his mount, he dashed up to Jesse Evans and four of +his "warriors," who had captured Charlie Bowdre, and was joking him about +his leader, the "Kid." He remarked: "We are hungry, and thought we would +roast the 'Kid' for breakfast. We want to hear him bleat." + +At that moment a horseman dashed up among them from an arroyo. With a +smile, Charlie Bowdre said, pointing at the "Kid;" "There comes your +breakfast, Jesse!" + +With drawn pistol, "Old Gray" was checked up in front of his former chum +in crime, Jesse Evans. + +With a smile, Jesse remarked: "Well, Billy, this is a h--l of a way to +introduce yourself to a private picnic party." + +The "Kid" replied: "How are you, Jesse? It's a long time since we met." + +Jesse said: "I understand you are after the men who killed that +Englishman. I, nor none of my men were there." + +"I know you wasn't, Jesse," replied the "Kid." "If you had been, the ball +would have been opened before now." + +Soon the "Kid" was joined by the rest of his party and both bands +separated in peace. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +"BILLY THE KID" AND GANG STAND OFF A POSSE AT THE CHISUM RANCH. A BLOODY +BATTLE IN LINCOLN, WHICH LASTED THREE DAYS. + + +As time went on, Sheriff Peppin appointed new deputies on whom he could +depend. Among these being Marion Turner, of the firm of Turner & Jones, +merchants at Roswell, on the Pecos river. + +For several years, Turner had been employed by cattle king John Chisum, +and up to May, 1878 had helped to fight his battles, but for some reason +he had seceded and became Chisum's bitter enemy. + +Marion Turner was put in charge of the Sheriff's forces in the Pecos +valley, and soon had about forty daring cowboys and cattlemen under his +command. Roswell was their headquarters. + +Early in July, "Billy the Kid" and fourteen of his followers rode up to +the Chisum headquarters ranch, five miles from Roswell, to make that their +rendezvous. + +Turner with his force tried to oust the "Kid" and gang from their +stronghold, but found it impossible, owing to the house being built like a +fort to stand off Indians, but he kept out spies to catch the "Kid" +napping. + +One morning, Turner received word that the "Kid" and party had left for +Fort Sumner on the upper Pecos river. The trail was followed about twenty +miles up the river, where it switched off towards Lincoln, a distance of +about eighty or ninety miles. + +The trail was followed to Lincoln, where it was found that "Billy the +Kid" and gang had taken possession of McSween's fine eleven-room +residence, and were prepared to stand off an army. + +On arriving in Lincoln with his posse, Turner was joined by Sheriff Peppin +and his deputies, and they made the "Big House," as the Murphy-Dolan store +was called, their headquarters. + +For three days shots were fired back and forth from the buildings, which +were far apart. + +On the morning of July 19th, 1878, Marion Turner concluded to take some of +his men to the McSween residence and demand the surrender of the "Kid" and +his "warriors." With Turner were his business partner, John A. Jones and +eight other fearless men. + +At that moment the "Kid" and party were in a rear room holding a +consultation, otherwise some of the advancing party might have been +killed. + +On reaching the thick adobe wall of the building, through which portholes +had been cut, Turner and his men found protection against the wall between +these openings. + +When the "Kid" and party returned to the port-holes they were hailed by +Turner, who demanded their surrender, as he had warrants for their arrest. + +The "Kid" replied: "We, too, hold warrants for you and your gang, which we +will serve on you, hot from the muzzles of our guns." + +About this time Lieut. Col. Dudley, of the Ninth Cavalry, arrived from Ft. +Stanton with a company of infantry and some artillery. + +Planting his cannons midway between the belligerent parties, Col. Dudley +proclaimed that he would turn his guns loose on the first of the two, who +fired over the heads of his command. + +Despite this warning, shots were fired back and forth, but no harm was +done. + +Now Martin Chavez, who at this writing is a prosperous merchant in Santa +Fe, rode up with thirty-five Mexicans, whom he had deputized to protect +McSween and the "Kid's" party. + +Col. Dudley asked him under what authority he was acting. He replied that +he held a certificate as deputy sheriff under Brady. Col. Dudley told him +that as Sheriff Brady was dead, and a new sheriff had been appointed, his +commission was not in effect. Still he proclaimed that he would protect +the "Kid" and McSween. + +Now Col. Dudley ordered Chavez off the field of battle, or he would have +his men fire on them. When the guns were pointed in their direction, the +Chavez crowd retreated to the Ellis Hotel. Here he ordered his followers +to fire on the soldiers if they opened up on the "Kid" and party with +their cannon. + +Toward night the Turner men, who were up against the McSween residence, +between the port-holes, managed to set fire to the front door and windows. +A strong wind carried the blaze to the woodwork of other rooms. + +Mrs. McSween and her three lady friends had left the building before the +fight started. She had made one trip back to see her husband. The firing +ceased while she was in the house. + +In the front parlor, Mrs. McSween had a fine piano. To prevent it from +burning, the "Kid" moved it from one room to another until it was finally +in the kitchen. + +The crowd made merry around the piano, singing and "pawing the ivory," as +the "Kid" expressed it to the writer a few months later. + +After dark, when the fiery flames began to lick their way into the +kitchen, where the smoke begrimed band were congregated, a question of +surrender was discussed, but the "Kid" put his veto on the move. He stood +near the outer door of the kitchen, with his rifle, and swore he would +kill the first man who cried surrender. He had planned to wait until the +last minute, then all rush out of the door together, and make a run for +the Bonita river, a distance of about fifty yards. + +Finally the heat became so great, the kitchen door was thrown open. + +At this moment one Mexican became frightened and called out at the top of +his voice not to shoot, that they would surrender. The "Kid" struck the +fellow over the head with his rifle and knocked him senseless. + +When the Mexican called out that they would surrender, Robert W. Beckwith, +a cattleman of Seven Rivers, and John Jones, stepped around the corner of +the building in full view of the kitchen door. + +A shot was fired at Beckwith and wounded him on the hand. Then Beckwith +opened fire and shot Lawyer McSween, though this was not a death shot. +Another shot from Beckwith's gun killed Vicente Romero. Now the "Kid" +planted a bullet in Beckwith's head, and he fell over dead. Leaping over +Beckwith's body, the band made a run for the river. The "Kid" was in the +lead yelling: "Come on, boys!" Tom O'Phalliard was in the rear. He made +his escape amidst flying bullets, without a scratch, although he had +stopped to pick up his friend Harvey Morris. Finding him dead he dropped +the body. + +McSween fell dead in the back yard with nine bullets in his body, which +was badly scorched by the fire, before he left the building. + +It was 10 P. M. when the fight had ended. Seven men had been killed and +many wounded. Only two of Turner's posse were killed, while the "Kid" lost +five,--McSween, Morris and three Mexicans. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +"BILLY THE KID" KILLS TWO MORE MEN. AT THE HEAD OF A RECKLESS BAND, HE +STEALS HORSES BY THE WHOLESALE. HE BECOMES DESPERATELY IN LOVE WITH MISS +DULCUIEA DEL TOBOSO. + + +After their escape from Lincoln, "Billy the Kid" got his little band +together, and made a business of stealing stock and gambling. Their +headquarters were made in the hills near Fort Stanton--only a few miles +above Lincoln. The soldiers at the Fort paid no attention to them. + +Now Governor Lew Wallace, the famous author of "Ben Hur," of Santa Fe, the +capital of the Territory of New Mexico, issued a proclamation granting a +pardon to "Billy the Kid" and his followers, if they would quit their +lawlessness, but the "Kid" laughed it off as a joke. + +On the 5th day of August, "Billy the Kid" and gang rode up in plain view +of the Mescalero Indian Agency and began rounding up a band of horses. + +A Jew by the name of Bernstein, mounted a horse and said he would go out +and stop them. He was warned of the danger, but persisted in his purpose +of preventing the stealing of their band of gentle saddle horses. + +When Mr. Bernstein rode up to the gang and told them to "vamoose," in +other words, to hit the road, the "Kid" drew his rifle and shot the poor +Jew dead. This was the "Kid's" most cowardly act. His excuse was that he +"didn't like a Jew, nohow." + +During the fall the government had given a contract to a large gang of +Mexicans to put up several hundred tons of hay at $25 a ton. As they drew +their pay, the "Kid" and gang were on hand to deal monte and win their +money. + +When the contract was finished, there was no more business for the "Kid's" +monte game, so with his own hand, as told to the author by himself, he set +fire to the hay stacks one windy night. + +Now the Government gave another contract for several hundred tons of hay +at $50 a ton--as the work had to be rushed before frost killed the grass. + +When pay day came around the "Kid's" monte game was raking in money again. + +The new stacks were allowed to stand, as it was too late in the season to +cut the grass for more hay. + +During the fall the "Kid" and some of his gang made trips to Fort Sumner. +Bowdre and Skurlock always remained near their wives in Lincoln, but +finally those two outlaws moved their families to "Sumner," where a +rendezvous was established. Here one of their gang, who always kept in the +dark, and worked on the sly, lived with his Mexican wife, a sister to the +wife of Pat Garrett. His name was Barney Mason, and he carried a curse of +God on his brow for the killing of John Farris, a cowboy friend of the +writer's, in the early winter of 1878. + +On one of his trips to Fort Sumner, "Billy the Kid" fell desperately in +love with a pretty little seventeen-year-old half-breed Mexican girl, whom +we will call Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. She was a daughter of a once famous +man, and a sister to a man who owned sheep on a thousand hills. The +falling in love with this pretty, young miss, was virtually the cause of +"Billy the Kid's" death, as up to the last he hovered around Fort Sumner +like a moth around a blazing candle. He had no thought of getting his +wings singed; he couldn't resist the temptation of visiting this pretty +little miss. + +During the month of September, 1878, the "Kid" and part of his gang +visited the town of Lincoln, and on leaving there stole a large band of +fine range horses from Charlie Fritz and others. + +This band of horses was driven to Fort Sumner, thence east to Tascosa in +the wild Panhandle of Texas, on the Canadian river. + +While disposing of these horses to the cattlemen and cowboys, the "Kid" +and his gang camped for several weeks at the "LX" cattle ranch, twenty +miles below Tascosa. + +It was here, during the months of October and November, 1878, that the +writer made the acquaintance of "Billy the Kid," Tom O'Phalliard, Henry +Brown, Fred Wyat, John Middleton, and others of the gang whose names can't +be recalled. + +The author had just returned from Chicago where he had taken a shipment of +fat steers, and found this gang of outlaws camped under some large +cottonwood trees, within a few hundred yards of the "LX" headquarter ranch +house. + +For a few weeks, much of my time was spent with "Billy the Kid." We became +quite chummy. He presented me with a nicely bound book, in which he wrote +his autograph. I had previously given him a fine meerschaum cigar holder. + +While loafing in their camp, we passed off the time playing cards and +shooting at marks. With our Colt's 45 pistols I could hit the mark as +often as the "Kid," but when it came to quick shooting, he could get in +two shots to my one. + +I found "Billy the Kid" to be a good natured young man. He was always +cheerful and smiling. Being still in his teens, he had no sign of a beard. +His eyes were a hazel blue, and his brown hair was long and curly. The +skin on his face was tanned to a chestnut brown, and was as soft and +tender as a baby's. He weighed about one hundred and forty pounds, and was +five feet, eight inches tall. His only defects were two upper front teeth, +which projected outward from his well shaped mouth. + +During his many visits to Tascosa, where whiskey was plentiful, the "Kid" +never got drunk. He seemed to drink more for sociability than for the +"love of liquor." + +Here Henry Brown and Fred Wyat quit the "Kid's" outlaw gang and went to +the Chickasaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, where the parents of +half-breed Fred Wyat lived. + +It is said that Fred Wyat, in later years, served as a member of the +Oklahoma Legislature. + +Henry Brown became City Marshal of Caldwell, Kansas, and while wearing his +star rode to the nearby town of Medicine Lodge, with three companions and +in broad day light, held up the bank, killing the president, Wiley Payne, +and his cashier, George Jeppert. This put an end to Henry Brown, as the +enraged citizens mobbed the whole band of "bad men." + +The snow had begun to fly when the "Kid" and the remnant of his gang +returned to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. + +One of his followers, John Middleton, had sworn off being an outlaw and +rode away from Tascosa, for southern Kansas, where the author met him in +later years. He had settled down to a peaceful life. + +The "Kid" made his headquarters at Fort Sumner, so as to be near his +sweetheart. He made several raids into Lincoln County to steal cattle and +horses. On one of these trips to Lincoln County, his respect for women and +children, avoided a bloody battle with United States soldiers. + +In the month of February, 1879, Wm. H. McBroom, at the head of a United +States surveying crew, established a camp at the Roberts ranch on the +Penasco creek, in the Pecos valley. + +While absent with most of his crew, Mr. McBroom left a young man, +twenty-two years of age, Will M. Tipton, in charge of the camp and extra +mules. A young Mexican by the name of Nicholas Gutierez was detailed to +help young Tipton care for the stock. + +Their camp was within a few hundred feet of the Roberts home, on the bank +of the creek. One morning Mr. Roberts started up the river to Roswell to +buy supplies, leaving his wife, grown daughter, and five-year-old son at +the ranch. + +Late that evening, Captain Hooker and some negro soldiers pitched camp +near the Roberts home. They had several American prisoners with them, to +be taken to Fort Stanton and placed in jail. + +That night after supper, Mr. Will M. Tipton, who at this writing, 1920, is +a highly respected citizen of Santa Fe, New Mexico, says he and Nicolas +Gutierez were sitting on the bank of the creek in their camp. He was +playing a guitar while Nicolas was singing. Just then a horseman climbed +up the steep embankment from the bed of the creek, and dismounted. + +This stranger began asking questions about the soldiers' camp, where the +camp-fires blazed brilliantly in the pitchy darkness. + +Finally the stranger gave a shrill whistle, and soon a companion rode into +camp, out of the bed of the creek. + +This second visitor was a slender, boyish young man, who seemed anxious to +learn all about the soldiers' camp. + +In a few moments three negro soldiers strolled into camp and chatted +awhile. When they left to return to their quarters, the two strangers bade +Tipton and his companion goodnight, and rode down the bed of the creek. + +At noon next day, Mr. Roberts returned from Roswell. On meeting young +Tipton, he remarked: "You boys had 'Billy the Kid' as a visitor last +night." He then told of meeting the "Kid" and his band of "warriors" that +morning, and of how the "Kid" told of his visit to the McBroom camp. He +told Will Tipton that the small young man was the "Kid." + +"Billy the Kid" had told Roberts that they had planned to make a charge +into the soldiers' camp and liberate the prisoners, who were friends of +theirs, but finding that Mrs. Roberts and the children were alone, and +that the soldiers' camp was so near the Roberts home, they gave up the +proposed battle, knowing that the shooting would disturb Mrs. Roberts and +the family. + +Mr. Roberts explained to Mr. Tipton that he had always fed the "Kid" and +his "warriors" when they happened by his place, hence their friendship for +him. + +Now the "Kid" and his party rode to Lincoln to use their influence in a +peaceful way to liberate their friends, whom Capt. Hooker intended to +turn over to the new sheriff of Lincoln County. + +In Lincoln the "Kid" met his former chum, Jesse Evans, and they started +out to celebrate the meeting. With Jesse Evans was a desperado named +William Campbell. + +One night a lawyer named Chapman, who had been sent from Las Vegas to +settle up the McSween estate, was in the saloon, when Campbell shot at his +feet to make him dance. The lawyer protested indignantly and was shot dead +by Campbell. + +Jimmie Dolan and J. B. Mathews, being present, were later arrested, along +with Campbell, for this killing. + +Dolan and Mathews came clear at the preliminary trial, and Campbell was +bound over to the Grand Jury. He was taken to Fort Stanton and placed in +jail. There he made his escape and has never been heard of in that part of +the country since. + +Now "Billy the Kid" and Tom O'Phalliard rode back to Fort Sumner, but soon +returned to Lincoln, where they were arrested by Sheriff Kimbrall and his +deputies--merely as a matter of performing their duty, but with no +intention of disgracing them. They were turned over to Deputy Sheriff T. +B. Longworth and guarded in the home of Don Juan Patron, where they were +wined and dined. + +On the 21st day of March, 1879, Deputy Sheriff Longworth received orders +to place his two prisoners in the town jail--a filthy hole. + +Arriving at the jail door, the "Kid" told Mr. Longworth that he had been +in this jail once before, and he swore he would never go into it again, +but to avoid making trouble, he would go back on his pledge. + +On a pine door to one of the cells, the "Kid" wrote with his pencil: +"William Bonney was incarcerated first time, December 22nd, 1878--Second +time, March 21st, 1879, and hope I will never be again. W. H. Bonney." + +This inscription showed on the old jail door for many years after it was +written. + +The first time the "Kid" was put in this jail he walked right out, and +this second time, he broke down the door when he got ready to go. + +After breaking out of the jail, the "Kid" and O'Phalliard spent a couple +of weeks in Lincoln, carrying their rifles whenever they walked through +the street, in plain view of the sheriff. + +In April, they returned to Fort Sumner and were joined by Charlie Bowdre +and Skurlock. Jesse Evans had left for the lower Pecos, where he was later +killed, according to reports. + +The summer was spent by the "Kid" and his followers stealing cattle and +horses. + +In October they went to Roswell and stole 118 head of John Chisum's +fattest steers, and later sold them to Colorado beef buyers. The "Kid" +claimed that Chisum owed him for fighting his battles during the Lincoln +County war, and he was using this method to get his pay. + +From now on, for the next year, the "Kid" and gang did a wholesale +business in stealing cattle. Tom Cooper and his gang had joined issues +with the "Kid" and party, and they established headquarters at the +Portales Lake--a salty body of water at the foot of the Staked Plains, +about seventy-five miles east of Fort Sumner. + +Here a permanent camp was pitched against a cliff of rock, at a fresh +water spring, and it afterward became noted as "Billy the Kid's" cave. A +rock wall had been built against the cliff to take in the spring, and +afforded protection as a fort in case of a surprise from Indians or +law-officers. + +They had the whole country to themselves, as there were no +inhabitants--only drifting bands of buffalo hunters. + +Raids were made into the Texas Panhandle, the western line being a few +miles east of their camp, and fat steers stolen from the "LX" and "LIT" +cattle ranges on the Canadian river. + +These herds of stolen steers were driven to Tularosa, in Dona Ana County, +New Mexico, and turned over to Pat Cohglin, the "King of Tularosa," who +had a contract to furnish beef to the U. S. soldiers at Ft. Stanton. +Cohglin had made a deal with "Billy the Kid" to buy all the steers he +could steal in the Texas Panhandle, and deliver to him in Tularosa. + +In January, 1880, the "Kid" added another notch on the handle of his +pistol as a mankiller. He and a crowd of the Chisum cowboys were +celebrating in Bob Hargroves' saloon in Fort Sumner. A bad-man from Texas, +by the name of Joe Grant, was filling his hide full of "Kill-me-quick" +whiskey, in the Hargroves' saloon. + +Grant pulled a fine, ivory-handled Colt's pistol from the scabbard of +Cowboy Finan, putting his own pistol in place of it. + +Here the "Kid" asked Grant to let him look at this beautiful, +ivory-handled pistol. The request was granted. Then the "Kid" revolved the +cylinder and saw there were two empty chambers. He let the hammer down so +that the first two attempts to shoot would be failures. + +Now the pretty pistol was handed back to Grant and he stuck it in his +scabbard. + +A little later Grant stepped behind the bar, so as to face the crowd, and +jerking his pistol, he began knocking glasses off the bar with it. Eyeing +"Billy the Kid," he remarked: "Pard, I'll kill a man quicker than you +will, for the whiskey." + +The "Kid" accepted the challenge. Grant fired at the "Kid," but the hammer +struck on an empty chamber. Now the "Kid" planted a ball between Grant's +eyes and he fell over dead. + +At the Bosque Grande, on the Pecos river, the three Dedrick boys, Sam, +Dan, and Mose, owned a ranch, which became quite a rendezvous for the +"Kid's" and Tom Cooper's gangs. From here the herds of stolen Panhandle, +Texas, cattle were started across the waterless desert to the foot of the +Capitan mountains, a distance of about one hundred miles. + +Here Dave Rudabaugh, who had the previous fall killed the jailer in Las +Vegas in trying to liberate his friend, Webb, joined "Billy the Kid's" +gang. Also Billy Wilson and Tom Pickett joined the party, and their time +was spent stealing cattle and horses. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +"BILLY THE KID" ADDS ONE MORE NOTCH TO HIS GUN AS A KILLER. TRAPPED AT +LAST BY PAT GARRETT AND POSSE. TWO OF HIS GANG KILLED. IN JAIL AT SANTA +FE. + + +In the year 1879, rich gold ore had been struck on Baxter mountain, three +miles from White Oaks Spring, about thirty miles north of Lincoln, and the +new town of White Oaks was established, with a population of about one +thousand souls. + +The "Kid" had many friends in this hurrah mining camp. He had shot up the +town, and was wanted by the law officers. + +On the 23rd day of November, 1880, the "Kid" celebrated his birthday in +White Oaks, under cover, among friends. + +On riding out of town with his gang after dark, he took one friendly shot +at Deputy Sheriff Jim Woodland, who was standing in front of the Pioneer +Saloon. The chances are he had no intention of shooting Woodland, as he +was a warm friend to his chum, Tom O'Phalliard, who was riding by his +side. O'Phalliard and Jim Woodland had come to New Mexico from Texas +together, a few years previous. Woodland is still a resident of Lincoln +County, with a permanent home on the large Block cattle ranch. + +This shot woke up Deputy Sheriffs Jim Carlyle and J. N. Bell, who fired +parting shots at the gang, as they galloped out of town. + +The next day a posse was made up of leading citizens of White Oaks with +Deputy Sheriff Will Hudgens and Jim Carlyle in command. They followed the +trail of the outlaw gang to Coyote Spring, where they came onto the gang +in camp. Shots were exchanged. "Billy the Kid" had sprung onto his horse, +which was shot from under him. + +When the "Kid's" gang fired on the posse, Johnny Hudgens' mount fell over +dead, shot in the head. + +The weather was bitter cold and snow lay on the ground. Without overcoat +or gloves, "Billy the Kid" rushed for the hills, afoot, after his horse +fell. The rest of the gang had become separated, and each one looked out +for himself. + +In the outlaws' camp the posse found a good supply of grub and plunder. + +Jim Carlyle appropriated the "Kid's" gloves and put them on his hands. No +doubt they were the real cause of his death later. + +With "Billy the Kid's" saddle, overcoat and the other plunder found in the +outlaws' camp, the posse returned to White Oaks, arriving there about +dark. + +It would seem from all accounts that "Billy the Kid" trailed the posse +into White Oaks, where he found shelter at the Dedrick and West Livery +Stable. He was seen on the street during the night. + +On November 27th, a posse of White Oaks citizens under command of Jim +Carlyle and Will Hudgens, rode to the Jim Greathouse road-ranch, about +forty miles north, arriving there before daylight. Their horses were +secreted, and they made breastworks of logs and brush, so as to cover the +ranch house, which was known to be a rendezvous of the "Kid's" gang. + +After daylight the cook came out of the house with a nosebag and ropes to +hunt the horses which had been hobbled the evening before. + +This cook, Steck, was captured by the posse behind the breastworks. He +confessed that the "Kid" and his gang were in the house. + +Now Steck was sent to the house with a note to the "Kid" demanding his +surrender. The reply he sent back by Steck read: "You can only take me a +corpse." + +The proprietor of the ranch, Jim Greathouse, accompanied Steck back to the +posse behind the logs. + +Jimmie Carlyle suggested that he go to the house unarmed and have a talk +with the "Kid." Will Hudgens wouldn't agree to this until after Greathouse +said he would remain to guarantee Carlyle's safe return. That if the "Kid" +should kill Carlyle, they could take his life. + +A time limit was set for Carlyle's return, or Greathouse would be killed. +This was written on a note and sent by Steck to the "Kid." + +When Carlyle entered the saloon, in the front part of the log building, +the "Kid" greeted him in a friendly manner, but seeing his gloves sticking +out of Carlyle's coat pocket, he grabbed them, saying: "What in the h--l +are you doing with my gloves?" Of course this brought back the misery he +had endured without gloves after the posse raided their camp at Coyote +Spring. + +Here he invited Carlyle up to the bar to take his last drink on earth--as +he said he intended to kill him when the whiskey was down. + +After Carlyle had drained his glass the "Kid" pulled his pistol and told +him to say his prayers before he fired. + +With a laugh the "Kid" put up his pistol, saying, "Why, Jimmie, I wouldn't +kill you. Let's all take another friendly drink." + +Now the time was spent singing and dancing. Every time the gang took a +drink, Carlyle had to join them in a social glass. + +The "Kid" afterwards told friends that he had no intention of killing +Carlyle, that he just wanted to detain him till after dark, so they could +make a dash for liberty. + +The time had just expired when the posse were to kill Jim Greathouse, if +Carlyle was not back. At that moment a man behind the breastworks fired a +shot at the house. Carlyle supposed this shot had killed Greathouse, which +would result in his own death. He leaped for the glass window, taking sash +and all with him. The "Kid" fired a bullet into him. When he struck the +ground he began crawling away on his hands and knees, as he was badly +wounded. Now the "Kid" finished him with a well aimed shot from his +pistol. + +The men behind the logs were witnesses to this murder,--as they could see +Carlyle crawling away from the window. Now they opened fire with a +vengeance on the building. The gang had previously piled sacks of grain +and flour against the doors, to keep out the bullets. + +In the excitement, Jim Greathouse slipped away from the posse and ran +through the woods. Finding one of his own hobbled ponies, he mounted him +and rode away. He was later shot by desperado Joe Fowler, with a +double-barrel shot gun, as he lay in bed asleep. This murder took place on +Joe Fowler's cattle ranch west of Socorro, New Mexico. + +After dark the posse concluded to return to White Oaks, as they were cold +and hungry. They had brought no grub with them, and they dared not build a +fire to keep warm, for fear of being shot by the gang. + +A few hours later the "Kid" and gang made a break for liberty, intending +to fight the posse to a finish, they not knowing that the officers had +departed. + +All night the gang waded through the deep snow, afoot. They arrived at Mr. +Spence's ranch at daylight, and ate a hearty breakfast. Then continued +their journey towards Anton Chico on the Pecos river. + +About daylight that morning, Will Hudgens, Johnny Hurley, and Jim Brent +made up a large posse and started to the Greathouse road-ranch. Arriving +there, they found the place vacated. The buildings were set afire, then +the journey continued on the gang's trail, in the deep snow. + +A highly respected citizen, by the name of Spence, had established a +road-ranch on a cut-off road between White Oaks and Las Vegas. The gang's +trail led up to this ranch, and Mr. Spence acknowledged cooking breakfast +for them. + +Now Mr. Spence was dragged to a tree with a rope around his neck to hang +him. Many of the posse protested against the hanging of Spence, and his +life was spared, but revenge was taken by burning up his buildings. + +The "Kid's" trail was now followed into a rough, hilly country and there +abandoned. Then the posse returned to White Oaks. + +In Anton Chico, the "Kid" and his party stole horses and saddles, and rode +down the Pecos river. + +A few days later, Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, arrived in +Anton Chico from Fort Sumner, to make up a posse to run down the "Kid" and +his gang. + +At this time the writer and Bob Roberson had arrived in Anton Chico from +Tascosa, Texas, with a crew of fighting cowboys, to help run down the +"Kid," and put a stop to the stealing of Panhandle, Texas, cattle. + +The author had charge of five "warriors," Jas. H. East, Cal Polk, Lee +Hall, Frank Clifford (Big-Foot Wallace), and Lon Chambers. We were armed +to the teeth, and had four large mules to draw the mess-wagon, driven by +the Mexican cook, Francisco. + +Bob Roberson was in charge of five riders and a mess-wagon. + +At our camp, west of Anton Chico, Pat Garrett met us, and we agreed to +loan him a few of our "warriors." The writer turned over to him three men, +Jim East, Lon Chambers and Lee Hall. Bob Roberson turned over to him three +cowboys, Tom Emmory, Bob Williams, and Louis Bozeman. + +We then continued our journey to White Oaks in a raging snow storm. + +Pat Garrett started down the Pecos river with his crew, consisting of our +six cowboys, his brother-in-law, Barney Mason, and Frank Stewart, who had +been acting as detective for the Panhandle cattlemen's association. + +At Fort Sumner, Pat Garrett deputized Charlie Rudolph and a few Mexican +friends, to join the crowd which now numbered about thirteen men. + +Finding that the "Kid" and party had been in Fort Sumner, and made the old +abandoned United States Hospital building, where lived Charlie Bowdre and +his half-breed Mexican wife, their headquarters, Pat Garrett concluded to +camp there. He figured that the outlaws would return and visit Mrs. +Charlie Bowdre, whose husband was one of the outlaw band. + +In order to get a true record of the capture of "Billy the Kid" and gang, +the author wrote to James H. East, of Douglas, Arizona, for the facts. Jim +East is the only known living participant in that tragic event. His +reputation for honesty and truthfulness is above par wherever he is known. +He served eight years as sheriff of Oldham County, Texas, at Tascosa, and +was city marshal for several years in Douglas, Arizona. + +Herewith his letter to the writer is printed in full: + + "Douglas, Arizona, + May 1st, 1920. + + Dear Charlie: + + Yours of the 29th received, and contents noted. I will try to answer + your questions, but you know after a lapse of forty years, one's + memory may slip a cog. First: We were quartered in the old Government + Hospital building in Ft. Sumner, the night of the first fight. Lon + Chambers was on guard. Our horses were in Pete Maxwell's stable. + Sheriff Pat Garrett, Tom Emory, Bob Williams, and Barney Mason were + playing poker on a blanket on the floor. + + I had just laid down on my blanket in the corner, when Chambers ran in + and told us that the 'Kid' and his gang were coming. It was about + eleven o'clock at night. We all grabbed our guns and stepped out in + the yard. + + Just then the 'Kid's' men came around the corner of the old hospital + building, in front of the room occupied by Charlie Bowdre's woman and + her mother. Tom O'Phalliard was riding in the lead. Garrett yelled + out: 'Throw up your hands!' But O'Phalliard jerked his pistol. Then + the shooting commenced. It being dark, the shooting was at random. + + Tom O'Phalliard was shot through the body, near the heart, and lost + control of his horse. 'Kid' and the rest of his men whirled their + horses and ran up the road. + + O'Phalliard's horse came up near us, and Tom said: 'Don't shoot any + more, I am dying.' We helped him off his horse and took him in, and + laid him down on my blanket. Pat and the other boys then went back to + playing poker. + + I got Tom some water. He then cussed Garrett and died, in about thirty + minutes after being shot. + + The horse that Dave Rudabaugh was riding was shot, but not killed + instantly. We found the dead horse the next day on the trail, about + one mile or so east of Ft. Sumner. + + After Dave's horse fell down from loss of blood, he got up behind + Billy Wilson, and they all went to Wilcox's ranch that night. + + The next morning a big snow storm set in and put out their trail, so + we laid over in Sumner and buried Tom O'Phalliard. + + The next night, after the fight, it cleared off and about midnight, + Mr. Wilcox rode in and reported to us that the "Kid," Dave Rudabaugh, + Billy Wilson, Tom Pickett, and Charlie Bowdre, had eaten supper at his + ranch about dark, then pulled out for the little rock house at + Stinking Spring. So we saddled up and started about one o'clock in the + morning. + + We got to the rock house just before daylight. Our horses were left + with Frank Stewart and some of the other boys under guard, while + Garrett took Lee Hall, Tom Emory and myself with him. We crawled up + the arroyo to within about thirty feet of the door, where we lay down + in the snow. + + There was no window in this house, and only one door, which we would + cover with our guns. + + The "Kid" had taken his race mare into the house, but the other three + horses were standing near the door, hitched by ropes to the vega + poles. + + Just as day began to show, Charlie Bowdre came out to feed his horse, + I suppose, for he had a moral in one hand. Garrett told him to throw + up his hands, but he grabbed at his six-shooter. Then Garrett and Lee + Hall both shot him in the breast. Emory and I didn't shoot, for there + was no use to waste ammunition then. + + Charlie turned and went into the house, and we heard the 'Kid' say to + him: 'Charlie, you are done for. Go out and see if you can't get one + of the s--of--b's before you die.' + + Charlie then walked out with his hand on his pistol, but was unable to + shoot. We didn't shoot, for we could see he was about dead. He + stumbled and fell on Lee Hall. He started to speak, but the words died + with him. + + Now Garrett, Lee, Tom and I, fired several shots at the ropes which + held the horses, and cut them loose--all but one horse which was half + way in the door. Garrett shot him down, and that blocked the door, so + the 'Kid' could not make a wolf dart on his mare. + + We then held a medicine talk with the Kid, but of course couldn't see + him. Garrett asked him to give up, Billy answered: 'Go to h--l, you + long-legged s-- of a b!' + + Garrett then told Tom Emory and I to go around to the other side of + the house, as we could hear them trying to pick out a port-hole. Then + we took it, time about, guarding the house all that day. When nearly + sundown, we saw a white handkerchief on a stick, poked out of the + chimney. Some of us crawled up the arroyo near enough to talk to + 'Billy.' He said they had no show to get away, and wanted to + surrender, if we would give our word not to fire into them, when they + came out. We gave the promise, and they came out with their hands up, + but that traitor, Barney Mason, raised his gun to shoot the 'Kid,' + when Lee Hall and I covered Barney and told him to drop his gun, which + he did. + + Now we took the prisoners and the body of Charlie Bowdre to the + Wilcox ranch, where we stayed until next day. Then to Ft. Sumner, + where we delivered the body of Bowdre to his wife. Garrett asked Louis + Bousman and I to take Bowdre in the house to his wife. As we started + in with him, she struck me over the head with a branding iron, and I + had to drop Charlie at her feet. The poor woman was crazy with grief. + I always regretted the death of Charlie Bowdre, for he was a brave + man, and true to his friends to the last. + + Before we left Ft. Sumner with the prisoners for Santa Fe, the 'Kid' + asked Garrett to let Tom Emory and I go along as guards, which, as you + know, he did. + + The 'Kid' made me a present of his Winchester rifle, but old Beaver + Smith made such a roar about an account he said 'Billy' owed him, + that at the request of 'Billy,' I gave old Beaver the gun. I wish now + I had kept it. + + On the road to Santa Fe, the 'Kid' told Garrett this: That those who + live by the sword, die by the sword. Part of that prophecy has come + true. Pat Garrett got his, but I am still alive. + + I must close. You may use any quotations from my letters, for they are + true. Good luck to you. Mrs. East joins me in best wishes. + + Sincerely yours, + JAS. H. EAST." + +The author had previously written to Jim East about "Billy the Kid's" +sweetheart, Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. Here is a quotation from his answer, +of April 26th, 1920: "Your recollection of Dulcinea del Toboso, about +tallies with the way I remember her. She was rather stout, built like her +mother, but not so dark. + +"After we captured 'Billy the Kid' at Arroyo Tivan, we took him, Dave +Rudabaugh, Billy Wilson, and Tom Pickett--also the dead body of Charlie +Bowdre--to Fort Sumner. + +"After dinner Mrs. Toboso sent over an old Navajo woman to ask Pat Garrett +to let 'Billy' come over to the house and see them before taking him to +Santa Fe. So Garrett told Lee Hall and I to guard 'Billy' and Dave +Rudebough over to Toboso's, Dave and 'Billy' being shackled together. As +we went over the lock on Dave's leg came loose, and 'Billy' being very +superstitious, said: 'That is a bad sign. I will die, and Dave will go +free,' which, as you know, proved true. + +"When we went in the house only Mrs. Toboso, Dulcinea, and the old Navajo +woman were there. + +"Mrs. Toboso asked Hall and I to let 'Billy' and Dulcinea go into another +room and talk awhile, but we did not do so, for it was only a stall of +'Billy's' to make a run for liberty, and the old lady and the girl were +willing to further the scheme. The lovers embraced, and she gave 'Billy' +one of those soul kisses the novelists tell us about, till it being time +to hit the trail for Vegas, we had to pull them apart, much against our +wishes, for you know all the world loves a lover." + +It was December 23rd, 1880, when the "Kid" and gang, Dave Rudebaugh, Tom +Pickett and Billy Wilson--were captured, and Charlie Bowdre killed. + +The prisoners were taken to the nearest railroad, at Las Vegas, where a +mob tried to take them away from the posse, to string them up. + +They were placed in the County jail at Santa Fe, the capital of the +Territory of New Mexico, as the penitentiary was not yet completed. + +Dave Rudebaugh was tried and sentenced to death for the killing of the +jailer in Las Vegas. Later he made his escape and has never been heard of +since. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +"BILLY THE KID" IS SENTENCED TO HANG. HE KILLS HIS TWO GUARDS AND MAKES +GOOD HIS ESCAPE. + + +In the latter part of February, 1881, "Billy the Kid" was taken to Mesilla +to be tried for the murder of Roberts at Blazer's saw mill. Judge Bristol +presided over the District Court, and assigned Ira E. Leonard to defend +the "Kid." He was acquitted for the murder of Roberts. + +In the same term of court, the "Kid" was put on trial for the murder of +Sheriff Wm. Brady, in April, 1878. This time he was convicted, and +sentenced to hang on the 13th day of May, 1881, in the Court House yard in +Lincoln. + +Deputy United States Marshall, Robert Ollinger, and Deputy Sheriff David +Wood, drove the "Kid" in a covered back to Fort Stanton, and turned him +over to Sheriff Pat Garrett. + +As Lincoln had no suitable jail, an upstairs room in the large adobe Court +House was selected as the "Kid's" last home on earth--as the officers +supposed, but fate decided otherwise. + +Bob Ollinger and J. W. Bell were selected to guard "Billy the Kid" until +the time came for shutting off his wind with a rope. + +The room selected for the "Kid's" home was large, and in the northeast +corner of the building, upstairs. There were two windows in it, one on the +east side and the other on the north, fronting the main street. + +In order to get out of this room one had to pass through a hall into +another room, where a back stairs led down to the rear yard. + +In a room in the southwest corner of the building, the surplus firearms +were kept, in a closet, or armory. One room was assigned as the Sheriff's +private office. + +The "Kid's" furniture consisted of a pair of steel hand-cuffs, steel +shackles for his legs, a stool, and a cot. + +Bob Ollinger, the chief guard, was a large, powerful middle-aged man, +with a mean disposition. He and the "Kid" were bitter enemies on account +of having killed warm friends of each other during the bloody Lincoln +County war. It is said that Ollinger shot one of the "Kid's" friends to +death while holding his right hand with his, Ollinger's, left hand. After +this local war had ended, the fellow stepped up to Ollinger to shake hands +and to bury the hatchet of former hatred. Ollinger extended his left hand, +and grabbed the man's right, holding it fast until he had shot him to +death. Of course this cowardly act left a scar on "Billy the Kid's" heart, +which only death could heal. + +J. W. Bell was a tall, slender man of middle age, with a large knife scar +across one cheek. He had come from San Antonio, Texas. He held a grudge +against the "Kid" for the killing of his friend, Jimmie Carlyle, +otherwise there was no enmity between them. + +In the latter part of April, Cowboy Charlie Wall had four Mexicans helping +him irrigate an alfalfa field, above the Mexican village of Tularosa, on +Tularosa river. + +A large band of Tularosa Mexicans appeared on the scene one morning, to +prevent young Wall from using water for his thirsty alfalfa. + +When the smoke of battle cleared away, four Tularosa Mexicans lay dead on +the ground and Charlie Wall had two bullet wounds in his body, though they +were not dangerous wounds. + +Now, to prevent being mobbed by the angry citizens of Tularosa, which was +just over the line in Dona Ana County, Wall and his helpers made a run, on +horseback, for Lincoln, to surrender to Sheriff Pat Garrett. + +The Sheriff allowed them to wear their pistols and to sleep in the old +jail. At meal times they accompanied either Bob Ollinger or J. W. Bell, to +the Ellis Hotel across the main street, which ran east and west through +town. + +Charlie Wall did his loafing while recovering from his bullet wounds, in +the room where the "Kid" was kept. + +On the morning of April 28th, 1881, Sheriff Garrett prepared to leave for +White Oaks, thirty-five miles north, to have a scaffold made to hang the +"Kid" on. Before starting, he went into the room where the "Kid" sat on +his stool, guarded by Ollinger, who was having a friendly chat with +Charlie Wall--the man who gave the writer the full details of the affair. +J. W. Bell was also present in the room. + +Garrett remarked to the two guards: "Say, boys, you must keep a close +watch on the 'Kid,' as he has only a few more days to live, and might +make a break for liberty." + +Bob Ollinger answered: "Don't worry, Pat, we will watch him like a goat." + +Now Ollinger stepped into the other room and got his double-barrel shot +gun. With the gun in his hand, and looking towards the "Kid," he said: +"There are eighteen buckshot in each barrel, and I reckon the man who gets +them will feel it." + +With a smile, "Billy the Kid" remarked: "You may be the one to get them +yourself." + +Now Ollinger put the gun back in the armory, locking the door, putting the +key in his pocket. Then Garrett left for White Oaks. + +About five o'clock in the evening, Bob Ollinger took Charlie Wall and the +other four armed prisoners to the Ellis Hotel, across the street, for +supper. Bell was left to guard the "Kid." + +According to the story "Billy the Kid" told Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, and other +friends, after his escape, he had been starving himself so that he could +slip his left hand out of the steel cuff. The guards thought he had lost +his appetite from worry over his approaching death. + +J. W. Bell sat on a chair, facing the "Kid," several paces away. He was +reading a newspaper. The "Kid" slipped his left hand out of the cuff and +made a spring for the guard, striking him over the head with the steel +cuff. Bell threw up both hands to shield his head from another blow. Then +the "Kid" jerked Bell's pistol out of its scabbard. Now Bell ran out of +the door and received a bullet from his own pistol. The body of Bell +tumbled down the back stairs, falling on the jailer, a German by the name +of Geiss, who was sitting at the foot of the stairs. + +Of course Geiss stampeded. He flew out of the gate towards the Ellis +Hotel. + +On hearing the shot, Bob Ollinger and the five armed prisoners, got up +from the supper table and ran to the street. Charlie Wall and the four +Mexicans stopped on the sidewalk, while Ollinger continued to run towards +the court house. + +After killing Bell, the "Kid" broke in the door to the armory and secured +Ollinger's shot-gun. Then he hobbled to the open window facing the hotel. + +When in the middle of the street, Ollinger met the stampeded jailer, and +as he passed, he said: "Bell has killed the "Kid." This caused Ollinger to +quit running. He walked the balance of the way. + +When directly under the window, the "Kid" stuck his head out, saying: +"Hello, Bob!" + +Ollinger looked up and saw his own shotgun pointed at him. He said, in a +voice loud enough to be heard by Wall and the other prisoners across the +street: "Yes, he has killed me, too!" + +These words were hardly out of the guard's mouth when the "Kid" fired a +charge of buckshot into his heart. + +Now "Billy the Kid" hobbled back to the armory and buckled around his +waist two belts of cartridges and two Colt's pistols. Then taking a +Winchester rifle in his hand, he hobbled back to the shot gun, which he +picked up. He then went out on the small porch in front of the building. +Reaching over the ballisters with the shotgun, he fired the other charge +into Ollinger's body. Then breaking the shotgun in two, across the +ballisters, he threw the pieces at the corpse, saying: "Take that, you s-- +of a b--, you will never follow me with that gun again." + +Now the "Kid" hailed the jailer, old man Geiss, and told him to throw up a +file, which he did. Then the chain holding his feet close together was +filed in two. + +When his legs were free, the "Kid" danced a jig on the little front porch, +where many people, who had run out to the sidewalk across the street, on +hearing the shots, were witnesses to this free show, which couldn't be +beat for money. + +Geiss was hailed again and told to saddle up Billy Burt's, the Deputy +County Clerk's, black pony and bring him out on the street. This black +pony had formerly belonged to the "Kid." + +When the pony stood on the street, ready for the last act, the "Kid" went +down the back stairs, stepping over the dead body of Bell, and started to +mount. Being encumbered with the weight of two pistols, two belts full of +ammunition, and the rifle, the "Kid" was thrown to the ground, when the +pony began bucking, before he had got into the saddle. + +Now the "Kid" faced the crowd across the street, holding the rifle ready +for action. + +Charlie Wall told the writer that he could have killed him with his +pistol, but that he wanted to see him escape. Many other men in the crowd +felt the same way, no doubt. + +When the pony was brought back the "Kid" gave Geiss his rifle to hold, +while he mounted. The rifle being handed back to him when he was securely +seated in the saddle, then he dug the pony in the sides with his heels, +and galloped west. At the edge of town he waved his hat over his head, +yelling: "Three cheers for Billy the Kid!" Now the curtain went down, for +the time being. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +"BILLY THE KID" GOES BACK TO HIS SWEETHEART IN FORT SUMNER. SHOT THROUGH +THE HEART BY SHERIFF PAT GARRET, AND BURIED BY THE SIDE OF HIS CHUM, TOM +O'PHALLIARD. + + +A few days after the "Kid's" escape, Billy Burt's black pony returned to +Lincoln dragging a rope. He had either escaped or been turned loose by the +"Kid." + +The next we hear of the "Kid" he visited friends in Las Tablas, and stole +a horse from Andy Richardson. From there he headed for Fort Sumner to see +his sweetheart, Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. It was said he tried to persuade +her to run away with him, and go to old Mexico to live in happiness ever +afterward. But that sweet little Dulce refused to leave mamma. + +The "Kid" found shelter and concealment in the home of Mrs. Charlie Bowdre +and her mother. One night a few weeks after his escape, the writer was +within whispering distance of "Billy the Kid." + +Myself and a crowd of cowboys had attended a Mexican dance. Mrs. Charlie +Bowdre was there, dressed like a young princess. She captured the heart of +the author, so that he danced with her often, and escorted her to the +midnight supper. + +About three o'clock in the morning the dance broke up and the writer +escorted the pretty young widow, Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, to her adobe home. +At the front door, I almost got down on my knees pleading for her to let +me go into the house and talk awhile, but no use, she insisted that her +mother would object. + +Now a wine-soaked young cowboy with jingling spurs on his high-heel boots, +staggered into camp and "piled" into bed, spread on the ground under a +cottonwood tree, to dream of Mexican "Fandangos," where the girls have no +choice of partners. Without an introduction the man walks up to the girl +of his choice and leads her out on the floor to dance to his heart's +content. + +About six months later, in the fall of 1881, after the "Kid" had been +killed, the writer was in Fort Sumner again, and attended a dance with +Mrs. Charlie Bowdre. Now she explained the reason for not letting me enter +the house. She said at that time, "Billy the Kid," who was in hiding at +her home, was on the inside of the door listening to our conversation. +That he recognized my voice. + +Here Mrs. Bowdre told me the facts in the case, of how "Billy the Kid" met +his death, bare-headed and bare-footed, with a butcher knife in his hand. + +While in hiding in Fort Sumner the "Kid" stole a saddle horse from Mr. +Montgomery Bell, who had ridden into town from his ranch fifty miles +above, on the Rio Pecos. + +Bell supposed the horse had been ridden off by a common Mexican thief. He +hired Barney Mason and a Mr. Curington to go with him to hunt the animal. +They started down the stream, Bell keeping on one side of the river, while +Mason and Curington headed for a sheep camp in the foot hills. + +Riding up to the tent in the sheep camp, the "Kid" stepped out with his +Winchester rifle, and hailed them. + +Barney Mason was armed to the teeth, and was on a swift horse. He had on a +new pair of spurs and nearly wore them out making his get-away. + +Mr. Curington rode up to his friend, "Billy the Kid," and had a friendly +chat. + +The "Kid" told Mr. Curington to tell Montgomery Bell that he would return +his horse, or pay for him. + +When Curington reported the matter to Mr. Bell, he was satisfied and +searched no more for the animal. + +After the "Kid's" escape from Lincoln, Sheriff Pat Garrett "laid low," and +tried to find out the "Kid's" whereabouts through his friends and +associates. + +In March, 1881, a Deputy United States Marshal by the name of John W. Poe +arrived in the booming mining camp of White Oaks. He had been sent to New +Mexico by the Cattlemen's Association of the Texas Panhandle. Cattle King +Charlie Goodnight, being the president of the association, had selected +Mr. Poe as the proper man to put a stop to the stealing of Panhandle +cattle by "Billy the Kid" and gang. + +After the "Kid's" escape, Pat Garrett went to White Oaks and deputized +John W. Poe to assist him in rounding up the "Kid." + +From now on Mr. Poe made trips out in the mountains trying to locate the +young outlaw. The "Kid's" best friends argued that he was "nobody's fool," +and would not remain in the United States, when the Old Mexico border was +so near. They didn't realize that little Cupid was shooting his tender +young heart full of love-darts, straight from the heart of pretty little +Miss Dulcinea del Toboso, of Fort Sumner. + +Early in July, Pat Garrett received a letter from an acquaintance by the +name of Brazil, in Fort Sumner, advising him that the "Kid" was hanging +around there. Garrett at once wrote Brazil to meet him about dark on the +night of July 13th at the mouth of the Taiban arroyo, below Fort Sumner. + +Now the sheriff took his trusted deputy, John W. Poe, and rode to Roswell, +on the Rio Pecos. There they were joined by one of Mr. Garret's fearless +cowboy deputies, "Kip" McKinnie, who had been raised near Uvalde, Texas. + +Together the three law officers rode up the river towards Fort Sumner, a +distance of eighty miles. They arrived at the mouth of Taiban arroyo an +hour after dark on July 13th, but Brazil was not there to meet them. The +night was spent sleeping on their saddle blankets. + +The next morning Garrett sent Mr. Poe, who was a stranger in the country, +and for that reason would not be suspicioned, into Fort Sumner, five miles +north, to find out what he could on the sly, about the "Kid's" presence. +From Fort Sumner he was to go to Sunny Side, six miles north, to interview +a merchant by the name of Mr. Rudolph. Then when the moon was rising, to +meet Garrett and McKinnie at La Punta de la Glorietta, about four miles +north of Fort Sumner. + +Failing to find out anything of importance about the "Kid," John W. Poe +met his two companions at the appointed place, and they rode into Fort +Sumner. + +It was about eleven o'clock, and the moon was shining brightly, when the +officers rode into an old orchard and concealed their horses. Now the +three continued afoot to the home of Pete Maxwell, a wealthy stockman, who +was a friend to both Garrett and the "Kid." He lived in a long, one-story +adobe building, which had been the U. S. officers' quarters when the +soldiers were stationed there. The house fronted south, and had a wide +covered porch in front. The grassy front yard was surrounded by a picket +fence. + +As Pat Garrett had courted his wife and married her in this town, he knew +every foot of the ground, even to Pete Maxwell's private bed room. + +On reaching the picket gate, near the corner room, which Pete Maxwell +always occupied, Garrett told his two deputies to wait there until after +he had a talk with half-breed Pete Maxwell. + +The night being hot, Pete Maxwell's door stood wide open, and Garrett +walked in. + +A short time previous, "Billy the Kid" had arrived from a sheep camp out +in the hills. Back of the Maxwell home lived a Mexican servant, who was a +warm friend to the "Kid." Here "Billy the Kid" always found late +newspapers, placed there by loving hands, for his special benefit. + +This old servant had gone to bed. The "Kid" lit a lamp, then pulled off +his coat and boots. Now he glanced over the papers to see if his name was +mentioned. Finding nothing of interest in the newspapers, he asked the old +servant to get up and cook him some supper, as he was very hungry. + +Getting up, the servant told him there was no meat in the house. The "Kid" +remarked that he would go and get some from Pete Maxwell. + +Now he picked up a butcher knife from the table to cut the meat with, and +started, bare-footed and bare-headed. + +The "Kid" passed within a few feet of the end of the porch where sat John +W. Poe and Kip McKinnie. The latter had raised up, when his spur rattled, +which attracted the "Kid's" attention. At the same moment Mr. Poe stood up +in the small open gateway leading from the street to the end of the porch. +They supposed the man coming towards them, only partly dressed, was a +servant, or possibly Pete Maxwell. + +The "Kid" had pulled his pistol, and so had John Poe, who by that time was +almost within arm's reach of the "Kid." + +With pistol pointing at Poe, at the same time asking in Spanish: "Quien +es?" (Who is that?), he backed into Pete Maxwell's room. He had repeated +the above question several times. + +On entering the room, "Billy the Kid" walked up to within a few feet of +Pat Garrett, who was sitting on Maxwell's bed, and asked: "Who are they, +Pete?" + +Now discovering that a man sat on Pete's bed, the "Kid" with raised pistol +pointing towards the bed, began backing across the room. + +Pete Maxwell whispered to the sheriff: "That's him, Pat." By this time the +"Kid" had backed to a streak of moonlight coming through the south window, +asking: "Quien Es?" (Who's that?) + +Garrett raised his pistol and fired. Then cocked the pistol again and it +went off accidentally, putting a hole in the ceiling, or wall. + +Now the sheriff sprang out of the door onto the porch, where stood his two +deputies with drawn pistols. + +Soon after, Pete Maxwell ran out, and came very near getting a ball from +Poe's pistol. Garrett struck the pistol upward, saying: "Don't shoot +Maxwell!" + +A lighted candle was secured from the mother of Pete Maxwell, who occupied +a nearby room, and the dead body of "Billy the Kid" was found stretched +out on his back with a bullet wound in his breast, just above the heart. +At the right hand lay a Colt's 41 calibre pistol, and at his left a +butcher knife. + +Now the native people began to collect,--many of them being warm friends +of the "Kid's." Garrett allowed them to take the body across the street to +a carpenter shop, where it was laid out on a bench. Then lighted candles +were placed around the remains of what was once the bravest, and coolest +young outlaw who ever trod the face of the earth. + +The next day, this, once mother's darling, was buried by the side of his +chum, Tom O'Phalliard, in the old military cemetery. + +He was killed at midnight, July 14th, 1881, being just twenty-one years, +seven months and twenty-one days of age, and had killed twenty-one men, +not including Indians, which he said didn't count as human beings. + +A few months after the killing of the "Kid," a man was coining money, +showing "Billy the Kid's" trigger finger, preserved in alcohol. Seeing +sensational accounts of it in the newspapers, Sheriff Garrett had the body +dug up, but found his trigger-finger was still attached to the right hand. + +During the following spring in the town of Lincoln, the sheriff auctioned +off the "Kid's" saddle, and the blue-barrel, rubber-handled, double +action Colt's 41 calibre pistol, which the "Kid" held in his hand when +killed. + +There were only two bidders for the pistol, the writer and the deputy +county clerk, Billy Burt, who got it for $13.50. Its actual value was +about $12.00. + +Since then many pistols have been prized as keepsakes from the supposed +idea that the "Kid" had held each one of them in his hand when he fell. +Many were presented to friends with a sincere thought that they were +genuine. + +As an illustration we will quote a few lines from a friendly letter, dated +May 10th, 1920, written by the present game warden, Mr. J. L. DeHart of +the state of Montana: "Later in March, 1895, I was ushered into office as +sheriff of Sweet Grass County, Montana, and a former resident of New +Mexico, and an acquaintance of 'Billy the Kid,' later a resident of +Livingston, Montana, by the name of William Dawson, upon this momentous +occasion, presented me with a splendid Colt's six-shooter, forty-five +calibre, seven inch barrel, and ivory handle, said to have been the +property of the notorious "Billy the Kid," when killed by Sheriff Pat +Garrett, at the Maxwell ranch house. I have always considered this piece +of artillery a valuable relic, and with much trouble have retained it. +Most of my diligent watch, however, upon this gun, was brought about as a +result of being named as state game warden in 1913, by His Excellency, +Governor S. V. Stewart." + +"Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise," is a true saying. + +No doubt Mr. DeHart has felt proud over the ownership of the pistol "Billy +the Kid" was supposed to have in his hand at the time of his death. + +This is not the only "Billy the Kid" pistol in existence. It would be a +safe gamble to bet that there are a wagon load of them scattered over the +United States. + +The Winchester rifle taken from the "Kid" at the time of his capture at +Stinking Spring, was raffled off in the spring of 1881, and the writer won +it. He put it up again in a game of "freeze out" poker. As one of my +cowboys, Tom Emory, was an expert poker player, I induced him to play my +hand. I then went to bed. On going down to the Pioneer Saloon, in White +Oaks, early next morning, the night barkeeper told me a secret, under +promise that I keep it to myself. He said he was stretched out on the bar +trying to take a nap. The poker game was going on near him. When he lay +down all had been "freezed out" but Tom Emory and Johnny Hudgens. Just +before daylight, Emory won all the chips, in a big show down, and I was +the owner of "Billy the Kid's" rifle for the second time, but only for a +moment, as Johnny Hudgens gave Tom Emory $20.00 for the gun, under the +pretense that Hudgens had won it. Emory almost shed tears when he told me +of losing the rifle in what he thought was a winning hand. Of course I +didn't dispute it, as I had given a promise to keep silent. + +"Billy the Kid" came very near having a stone monument placed on his grave +for the benefit of posterity--so that the curious among the unborn +generations would know the exact spot where this "Claude Duval" of the +southwest was planted. + +One day, on the Plaza in the city of Santa Fe, in about the year 1916, the +writer met Mrs. Gertrude Dills, wife of Lucius Dills, the Surveyor General +of New Mexico, a daughter of Judge Frank Lea of White Oaks, and a niece +to that whole-souled prince among men, the father of the city of Roswell, +Captain J. C. Lea. She suggested that the writer get up a subscription to +place a lasting monument on the grave of "Billy the Kid," so that future +generations would know where he was buried. As a little girl, Mrs. Dills +was once tempted to crawl under the bed, when "Billy the Kid" and gang +shot up the town of White Oaks. + +I at once went to the monument establishment of Mr. Louis Napoleon, and +selected a fine marble monument, with the understanding that the +inscription not be cut on it until after I had located the grave. + +Many years ago, Will E. Griffin, who is still a resident of Santa Fe, +moved all the bodies of the soldiers buried in the old military cemetery, +at Fort Sumner, to the National Cemetery at Santa Fe. He says, when the +work was finished, the only graves left in the grave-yard, were those of +"Billy the Kid" and his chum, Tom O'Phalliard. On these two graves, close +together, still remained the badly rotted wooden head boards. + +Since then the old cemetery has been turned into an alfalfa field, and the +chances are, all signs of this noted young outlaw's resting place have +been obliterated. + +Soon after selecting the monument, I happened to be in the town of +Tularosa, and brought up the subject to my old cowboy friend, John P. +Meadows. He at once subscribed five dollars towards the erection of the +monument. He said "Billy the Kid" had befriended him in 1879, when he +needed a friend, and for that reason he would like to perpetuate his +memory. He thought it would be no trouble to raise the desired amount in +Tularosa, but the first man he struck for a subscription, Mr. Charlie +Miller, former state engineer, discouraged him. Mr. Miller went straight +up in the air with indignation at the idea of placing a monument at the +grave of a blood-thirsty outlaw. Soon after this, Mr. Miller was murdered, +when Pancho Villa made his bloody raid on Columbus, New Mexico. + +This is as far as the grave of "Billy the Kid" came to being marked, as +the writer has been too busy on other matters, to visit Fort Sumner and +try to locate his last resting place. + +In closing, I wish to state that with all his faults, "Billy the Kid" had +many noble traits. In White Oaks, during the winter of 1881, the writer +talked with a man who actually shed tears in telling of how he lay almost +at the point of death, with smallpox, in an old abandoned shack in Fort +Sumner, when the "Kid" found him. A good supply of money was given by the +"Kid," and a wagon and team hired to haul him to Las Vegas, where medical +attention could be secured. + +Since the killing of the "Kid," Kip McKinney has died with his boots off, +while Pat Garrett died with them on, being shot and killed on the road +between Tularosa and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Hence the only man now living +who saw the curtain go down on the last act of "Billy the Kid's" eventful +life, is John W. Poe, at the present writing a wealthy banker in the +beautiful little city of Roswell, New Mexico. He has served one term as +sheriff of Lincoln County, and has helped to change that blood-spattered +county from an outlaw's paradise, to a land of happy, peaceful homes. + +Peace to William H. Bonney's ashes, is the author's prayer. + + +THE END. + + + + +A Lone Star Cowboy + +Being the recollections of fifty years spent in the saddle, as cowboy and +New Mexico Ranger, on nearly every cow-trail in the wooly old west, when +the cowboys, buffalo hunters, and Indians had room to come and go, before +the "hoe-man" and wire fences cut off the trails. + +Fine cloth binding, 300 pages, with fourteen illustrations. Price +postpaid, $1.25. + + +A Cowboy Detective + +Being the twenty-two years experience with Pinkerton's National Detective +Agency, in all parts of the United States, British Columbia, Alaska and +Old Mexico. + +Fine cloth binding 525 pages and 22 illustrations. Price $1.50, post-paid. + + +The Song Companion of A Lone Star Cowboy + +A booklet of old favorite cow-camp songs. Price postpaid, 35 cents. + + Address the author: + CHAS. A. SIRINGO, + P. O. Box 322, + Santa Fe, N. M. + + +[Illustration: PAT GARRETT + +The fearless sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, who killed "Billy the +Kid." They had met by accident in a dark room, which meant that one, or +both, had to die quick.] + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's History of 'Billy the Kid', by Chas. A. 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