Word reached him of the death, but he didnt cut his trip short and missed the funeral. Unfortunately, by the time the Kid was fifteen years old his mother had passed away from tuberculosis. Captured and brought in to Las Vegas, New Mexico, he was described as "in a joyous mood" He called out to an acquaintance, "Thought I jes drop in and see how you fellers in Vegas air behavin' yerselves." US Marshal Service How Much Did It Cost to Find Billy the Kid? One of them suddenly got up, walked out of the orchard, and leaped over a fence. Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, declined to follow through with that pardon. Garrett invited Tom Powers to go along and introduced Powers to the President as a prominent Texas cattleman; they sat for photographs with Roosevelt. Out on his own, McCarty slipped across the border into Arizona Territory, which technically made him a federal fugitive from justice though the federal government didnt have a huge presence in Arizona at the time and Henry was pretty much free to do as he liked. Garrett settled a truce with the fugitives to retrieve his deputy, who died on the way to Las Cruces. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an originaledition became quite valuable over the years. The sheriff and two deputies, John Poe and Thomas McKinney, saddle up and set out in search of their quarry. Billy the Kid, that heasked Sheriff Kimball to appoint him deputy sheriff until his term officiallybegan in January of 1881. 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Pat Garrett (2nd from right) with friends on the porch in Roswell, New Mexico. The abandoned U.S. Army post on the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail is now the home of rancher Peter Maxwell. Now the law had yet another reason to be after Billy the Kid. The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid. He is thought to have been 17 when he killed his first man in 1877 - although some historians say he could have been as young as 15 as the true year of his birth is not known. A suspicion lingered that Brazel or someone else conspired to execute Garrett, a lawman with many enemies. A cropped version of the sole fully authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. Who Killed The Sheriff Who Shot Billy the Kid? However, Poe and several other people say they moved the body quickly, dressed it and prepared it for a wake. Richard Stockton is a freelance science and technology writer from Sacramento, California. He also wouldnt have backed into a darkened doorway where more danger possibly lurked. Well, let me explain by starting with a little history lesson. In 1931, locals raised money to give him a proper headstone. Soon after, the family moved farther west where Henry McCarty started getting into trouble. The pardon was on behalf of the killing of Sherriff William Brady in 1878. However, just two days later, he escaped and his life as a fugitive began. The self-described history buff said the group picture of five men was part of a set and sat on his wall for several years. That same year, a man named Randy Guijarro bought an old photo for $2 at a shop in Fresno, California. In 2008, for instance, Bonham sold Billy's gun for $64,350. However, the true figure is believed to be somewhere between four and nine. They lived in a slum on Manhattans east side and his father, Patrick, died soon after his first son was born. Web2013-08-26 To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West ; 2013-08-24 To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West ; 2013-08-17 The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid ; 2012-03-25 Michael Flynn - The January Dancer The next time the Kid encountered the sheriff however, it would be his last. It is believed to be now worth millions of dollars, According to popular legend, Billy the Kid (left) and Garrett were friends before he became known an outlaw, but there is no historical evidence to support the theory. As one of the few Regulators whod made it out of the Battle of Lincoln, Billy the Kid Was now a prime target for local law enforcement. Billy the Kid didnt make it all the way to New Mexico. Now a fugitive, Henry McCarty had to lay low. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces, shouting, Lock me up. The violence kicked off February 1878 with the murder of John Tunstall by the members of the Jesse Evans Gang, led by the then-sheriff of Lincoln County, William Brady. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. There are two theories about what happened at the house where Garrett found and killed McCarty. Garrett tried to break the lease when he learned his creditor, W.W. Bill Cox, was financing Brazel. The Regulators found themselves cornered and under siege in a local saloon by elements of the local sheriffs posse. At about age 21, Billy the Kid was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. Its all just part of the areas mythology. Soon afterwards he was captured and shot by Lincoln County sheriff, Patrick Floyd Garrett in a sting operation. He left his deputies outside as he entered the room in a bid to rouse his friend and question him. After making sure his siblings had homes with relatives, Pat headed west in 1869 and found work as a cowboy in Dallas for about six years. Once again, Billy the Kid was now on the run. He then worked in Graham County as a farmhand, teamster, and cowboy. Following Billy the Kids death, the media turned him into a folk hero and made Garrett out to be the bad guy. Billy's arrest found him in Garrett's custody. Billy the Kid (left) and Brushy Bill Roberts (right). He was bareheaded. Billy the Kid was a late 19th-century thief and gunfighter. Some of those in favor of Kids pardon have filed a petition, including defense attorney Randi McGinn who has offered to handle the case for free. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; the judge set his execution day for May 13. Texas. Pats son Dudley arranged with Jesse Brazel for a five-year lease of the Garretts Bear Canyon Ranch. While in prison, the Kid escaped againthis time killing two guards in the process. Little is known about Billy the Kids early days, but WebFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Young Guns 2 at Amazon.com. A little over a year later, the New Mexico territorial legislature voted to give Garrett the $500 he was owed. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Garrett, HistoryNet - Pat Garrett Was the Last Great Frontier Lawman, Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Biography of Pat Garrett, Robert Garrett - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). He also obtained a deputy U.S. Marshals commission to have jurisdiction in other counties. He escaped jail on April 28, however, killing two deputies, and remained at large until tracked down and ambushed by Garrett, who shot him dead on the evening of July 14 at the ranch home of Pete Maxwell. But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. He was buried, it is said, in Fort Sumner Cemetery, with his associates Tom OFolliard and Charlie Bowdre, and the epitaph Palsthough none of them are likely directly under the tombstone there today. There are different accounts regarding the tip-off that brought the lawmen to Fort Sumner, the encounter at the orchard, and the moments before and after the shooting. In November 1950, Morrison filed a petition on behalf of Brushy Bill. The victim, Patrick Floyd Jarvis Pat Garrett, was the former sheriff of Lincoln County best known for having killed outlaw Billy the Kid on July 14, 1881. Garrett served as sheriff of Doa Ana County from 1896 to 1900. He was murdered at about 10:30 on the morning of Feb. 29, 1908, some 5 miles east of Las Cruces. Though quick with a joke, he did not hesitate before pulling the trigger. Outlaws have a romantic air about them and I think the people in Hamilton County really enjoy having this as part of the history.. The Kid remained and Garrett was true to his word and arrested his former friend. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billy-the-Kid-American-outlaw, American Heritage - Billy the Kid: From Outlaw to Legend, PBS - American Experience - The Life and Legend of Billy the Kid, Billy the Kid - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). It struck me that it might be Petes brother-in-law, Manuel Abreu, who had seen Poe and McKinney, and wanted to know their business. A photo that was bought at a flea market for $10 shows Billy the Kid standing with the lawman who would ultimately kill him, experts have concluded. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The following day, the Kid was buried in the Fort Sumner cemetery. And yet with the good cheer came a surprising ruthlessness. On July 14, 1881, Sheriff Garrett, under the cover of shadows, shot Billy the Kid dead in a residence in Fort Sumner. There were at least 26 newspaper articles written that claimed Billy was still alive after July 14, 1881. A tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from Beijings Forbidden City to Taipei's National Palace Museum. One of two confirmed photographs of Billy the Kid (left), playing croquet in New Mexico, 1878. He was a wanted young man. Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, had been on the trail for months. As a society back then, people were tough, strong, and fearless, and yet this little guy is known as the most deadly outlaw of them all, says Daniel A. Edwards, author of Billy the Kid: An Autobiography. Soldier in range wars, cattle rustler, horse thief, but also universally described as charming, funny, a good singer and good dancer, at least bilingual, and an avid reader. Now, the stories of what actually happened next seem to clash, so suffice it to say that the Kid ended up in custody. In Naples, Praying With Skulls Is an Ancient Tradition, Show & Tell With the Staff of Chicagos Field Museum, A Visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships, A Journey Through Black History in Miniature, The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII, One Street: Chinatown-International District, Seattle, Hawaiis Native-Language Newspaper Archive, 'Discovering' Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Migration, The Real Story Behind George Washington's Dentures. In 2015, Stahl filed a petition in New Mexico Supreme Court in pursuit of a death certificate for the Kid, also known as William Bonney, from the state's medical examiner. Marshal named Robert Widenmann, there as part of a federal effort to restore order, who let him out (presumably sparing him the hassle of planning his third jail escape). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. It was at this point that many sources say the Kid began his life of crimestarting with stealing and progressing to murder. Pat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. After his release, Billy the Kid joined up with a posse called the Lincoln County Regulators in order to avenge Tunstalls death. But it wasnt to be. As Currys inauguration was not for a few months, Garrett returned to El Paso to look for work. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The report said: We, the jury, find that Billy the Kid (met) his death by a bullet which was fired from a gun in the hands of Pat F. Garrett. Garrett apparently lost the verdict by the next morning. Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress/LC-DIG-highsm-29831. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing Born in Alabama and reared in Louisiana, Garrett left home at about the age of 17 and headed for Texas and the life of a cowboy and buffalo hunter. Why Billy The Kid Is The Most Infamous Gunslinger Of The Wild West. New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson, has mere hours left to decide whether or not to pardon Billy the Kid in the killing of a sheriff. From his first robberies to his days as a frontier gunslinger to his epic death, Billy the Kid remains perhaps the definitive legend of the Wild West. As you can imagine, there is much controversy arising from this investigationwhich side will you join? He realized that the law had made its way to Fort Sumner, so he fled towards Maxwells compound. Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett (June 5, 1850 February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent known for killing Billy the Kid. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, The Persevering Pilot And Author Who Charted Her Own Course, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. And that included his last escape, from the custody of Sheriff Garrett. The moment word got out about his escape, New Mexicos governor put another $500 bounty on the Kid, dead or alive. Nevertheless, it says a lot about the continued American fascination with Billy the Kid that a mere photo of him would be valued at $5 million some 135 years after his death. Brazel used the land to raise goats, which was unacceptable to the Garrets. On April 15th, Judge Warren Bristol sentenced Billy the Kid to hang, but he escaped before the sentence was carried out. He never spoke. Amid controversy, Garrett was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 2, 1902. 'I don't travel with it.'. The report said: We, the jury, find that Billy the Kid (met) his death by a bullet which was fired from a gun in the hands of Pat F. Garrett . Garrett apparently lost the verdict by the next morning. However, there is no other evidence of this; we are relying on Anayas word alone for the entire existence of the jury and its verdict. According to legend, the judge shouted at the 21-year-old Kid that he was to hang by the neck until he was dead, dead, dead! Also according to legend, Billys last words on the record were to tell the judge he could go to hell, hell, hell!. During this fight, the Army was forced to intervene and the Regulators lost many of their men. In December 1880 he was captured by Garrett and stood trial for murder in Mesilla, New Mexico, in April 1881; he was found guilty and was sentenced to hang. He and an accomplice named John Mackie began swiping horses from a nearby Army fort and then selling them. The other account is that it was McCarty who entered the home, holding his knife, when he noticed a dark figure in the house, and again asked 'Who Is it?' When Garrett was appointed Sheriff of Dona Ana County in April of 1896, it took two years for him to gather enough evidence to ask a judge in Las Cruces for warrants to arrest William McNew, Oliver M. Lee, James Gililland, and Bill Carr. I might not pardon him. An experienced outlaw (even at a tender age) would surely have recognized two deputies standing on the porch. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. There is little or no evidence to back up any of these claims. Garrett related his side of the story in his The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid: I then concluded to go and have a talk with Peter Maxwell, Esq., in whom I felt sure I could rely. Another chance at a famous crime solving came after Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain and his eight-year-old son Henry vanished at White Sands, New Mexico, in 1896. Perhaps he killed an innocent man as the fugitive escaped and fled to Mexico? Garrett is the man who eventually killed Billy the Kid, born as Henry McCarty. ), correspondent Darren Gross has come across a watchable web encoding of a Peckinpah TV drama that seems to be more or less lost. Good star performances (Jean Simmons, Bradford In Chisum (1970), Pat Garret was played by 36-year-old Glenn Corbett, and Billy the Kid was played by 26-year-old Geoffrey Deuel. But That Was Just the Beginning. Garrett claims that he stayed in Maxwells house with his men for the entire night. He was a gambler and heavy drinker andoften deeply in debt. For example, a Mrs. Wood of Seven Rivers said she served the outlaw dinner three days after he was supposed to have died. There are also suggestions that Billy and Garrett were friends and planned the whole incident so the fugitive could escape. The other known pictures of the outlaw were believed to have been taken in 1877, 1878 and 1879. In 1879 he married Juanita Gutierrez, who died in childbirth less than a year after their marriage. Billy the Kid was up for a posthumous pardon for the murder for which he was to be hanged. Some believe that the Kid lived on as Brushy Bill Roberts, but others believe that the Kid was in fact buried the next day in the Fort Sumner cemetery. ', This undated file photo (left) is thought to be an image of famed gunslinger Billy the Kid near the age of 18. Returning to the building with pistol in one hand, knife in the other, Billy was startled and instead of opening fire, hesitated, repeatedly asking, in Spanish, "Who is it?" Garretts body was left on the side of the road. A judge apparently ruled against the efforts, but that hasnt stopped present Governor Richardsons interest in the case. Bonney and the others escaped. Garrettwas dismissed in1906 and returned to New Mexico. Once more, Sheriff Garrett was sent after the Kid. McCartys family life was total chaos from the start. With his mother gone, teenage Henry McCarty was basically on his own. Nobody is sure of the exact date he was born but it seems to have been sometime in September 1859 because theres a baptism record for him from the end of that month. Updates? At midnight, Garrett moved silently towards the Maxwell houses southeast corner, just outside Maxwells bedroom. He was 57. Once again, Billy broke out of jail and went on the run. They saw a group of men nearby who were speaking in Spanish. She writes, A promise is a promise and should be enforced. Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, declined to pardon Western outlaw Billy the Kid during his last hours in office. As for Billy the Kid, hes long since passed become an icon of American history, even a folk hero of sorts. History tells us that the outlaw known as Billy the Kid (aka Henry McCarty, aka William Bonney) was gunned downat the ripe old age of 21by Sheriff Pat The Lincoln County justice of the peace was convinced but before Brady could be arrested, local deputies loyal to the sheriff arrested Billy and threw him in jail. This story originally ran in 2017; it has been updated for 2022. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. After Patricks departure, his widow took the young Henry McCarty and his brother out to Indiana, where she met a man named Bill Antrim. It is only the fourth known photograph of Billy the Kid and is thought to be a trophy shot taken by Garrett and his posse after they arrested him for murdering a sheriff. About two months later with no amnesty forthcoming, Billy realized hed been had and they were going to hang him instead. Born Henry McCarty, he was the first of two boys raised by a small Irish Catholic family in New York City. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid. But mostly because of the cattle that went missing. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. The black and white image, taken in August 1880, shows the notorious outlaw with a gang of men, one of whom is Sheriff Pat Garrett,Billy the Kid's former friend and the man who gunned him down. Garrett was fatally shot on the road from the ranch to Las Cruces, N.M. American mafia founder Albert Anastasia's What a sparkler! After a week or two, he made a connection with some local cattle rustlers who made a living out of stealing cattle from a businessman named John Chisum in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Garrett fired twice, hitting Billy once, and killing him. Despite his young age, Kid was said to have killed anywhere between 9 and 21 men. In April 1878, the Regulators ambushed Brady and four of his deputies on a main street in Lincoln. Meanwhile, Billy encountered Poe and McKinney and apparently said Quien es? which means who is it? in Spanish. They fired at the men from behind a wall, and Brady died after being shot at least a dozen times. Real Clear Life. I believe he lived, had many more adventures before he finally died in Hico in 1950. Did Billy the Kid Cheat Death and Live on as 'Brushy Bill'? When you listen to his real story, he talks about how he wasnt an outlaw, how he never robbed banks or stagecoaches, how he resented the fact that Governor Lew Wallace reneged on his promise of a pardon in 1879 and left him to die, Edwards says. For example, Billy was extremely nave on the night in question. These qualities contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and a folk hero. Whether it was time with the infamous Regulators and his exploits during the Lincoln County War, or his dramatic escapes from custody culminating in his death at the hands of Pat Garrett in 1881, Billy the Kid is one of the most mythologized figures in American history. Billy the Kids life and mystique have inspired countless novels, films, and songs. It is only the fourth known photograph of Billy the Kid and is thought to be a trophy shot taken by Garrett and his posse after they arrested him. They made it safely, however, and Garrett collected the $500 state bounty on Billys head. A year after pulling the trigger, Pat Garrett wrote and published an account of what happened that night, and you can find that account here. Omissions? All rights reserved. Its now summer 1881. So, why is the notorious Billy the Kid up for this pardon, you ask? Richardson appointed Charles Daniels to the state Supreme Court, whom McGinn is married to. Stahl said he thought it was a 'high probability' that it was Garrett in the photo, but he wasn't sure if another man was Billy the Kid. Maxwell lit a candle to illuminate the room and the body of Billy the Kid lay motionless, with Garretts bullet lodged in his heart. Billy the Kid, byname of William H. Bonney, Jr., original name Henry McCarty?, (born November 23, 1859?, New York, New York, U.S.died July 14, 1881, Fort Sumner, New Mexico), American outlaw who was one of the most notorious gunfighters of the American West. He talked the guard into letting him out to use the outhouse and then on the way back in he slipped his chains and beat the guard to the ground. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. August 10th, 2010. I believe all communities are built on legends, and in Hamilton County Brushy Bills stories connect us to those wild days of the frontier.. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. This is a terrible place to put a fellow in.". He added: 'People ask me all the time, what do you think its worth, what do you think its worth. WebOn the night of July 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned down outlaw Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner. Wikimedia CommonsThe full-length version of the sole completely authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. His parents were Irish immigrants who came to America and married just after turning 20.
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