1943: Billy The Kid Killed 62 Years Ago

July 28, 1943

Billy The Kid Killed 62 Years Ago

1881 Newspaper Story Describes Outlaw’s Slaying

Editor’s Note: Sixty-two years ago a bullet ended the career of Billy the Kid, notorious outlaw of the Southwest: The Rio Grande Republican, in its July 23, 1881 issue, reported the slaying and reviewed the outlaw’s life. The following article including the headline, taken from the Rio Grande Republican, was arranged by Mrs. L. A. Cardwell, of Las Cruces, N.M.

“Kid, The Killer Killed”

“William Bonny, alias Antrim, alias, Billy the Kid, fatally meets Pat Garrett, the Lincoln County Sheriff.

The death of the young desperado known as “Billy the Kid,” who succumbed to the fatal bullet of Sheriff Pat Garrett, of Lincoln County, on Friday night of last week, is the subject of great rejoicing throughout the entire territory, and many are the persons who had incurred his displeasures who will rest much easier with him below than above the ground.

Since he entered the killing business two years ago, the Kid has been a terror to honest, law-loving people, and hence the general feeling of satisfaction at his decease and deep-seated gratitude to the man who marked him for burial.

“Sheriff Garrett and his tow assistants, when they started for Fort Sumner in pursuance of this official duty, took their lives into their hands. It was a death game they proposed to play, with the chances strictly even, but there was no shirking of the task nor flinching from the duty which Mr. Garrett felt rested upon him to accomplish this end.

REPORTS TOWNS MOVED TO ENLARGE REWARD – “It is not to be supposed that the paltry $500 reward offered for the Kid’s life or capture could have been of much influence in instigating Sheriff Garrett to the deed of bravery and we are bound to give credit to his conscientious duty as an officer, but yet it is not to be supposed that the reward offered nor any other substantial testimonial of gratitude will come amiss to him.

The people certainly owe him much, and nearly every town in the territory is moving to show a cash appreciation of its gratitude. All are equally interested and every place should come up with its mite. Mr. Garrett states that it is his intention to resign his office now that he has the burden of this duty off his hands. His retirement will be a loss to Lincoln County. He has, however, achieved a fame which will be undying, and all will wish him all possible success in whatever new undertaking he may engage.

“Meager news of the ended career of the noted young desperado mentioned above was brought to Las Cruces by Dave Woods, who came in from Silver City on Tuesday. However, although the story was not generally credited, the public mind was prepared for the verification of the rumor which came in the New Mexican, from Santa Fe, and the Optic, of Las Vegas, on the next train. From these papers particulars below are gathered:

“Ever since the lad’s murder of and the escape from the guars at Lincoln, two months ago, Sheriff Garrett has kept the work of his recapture constantly in view and has made everything work together to this end. Without acting hastily he has worked energetically for the accomplishment of his object. The task was fraught with the greatest danger and he appreciated it fully.

SHERIFF STARTED MISSION WITH TOW ASSISTANTS – From a letter from Mr. Brazil received by the sheriff, the first definite news was gained that the Kid was at Fort Sumner, San Miguel County, about 120 miles north of Stanton. Immediately upon receipt of the letter, he set out for that place taking with him John W. Poe and T. L. McKinney. They rode into Sumner Friday night and ascertained that Billy the Kid was stopping at the house of a Mexican friend named Juan Chavez. Not deeming it best to swoop down upon him as he was undoubtedly on the alert for danger, the sheriff and his assistants preceded to the house of Pete Maxwell, where Pat at mid-sight entered, leaving his companions at the door, and in a low tone of voice asked Pete if Billy the Kid was on his premises.

He was told that he was not – but not far off. The conversation between the two men had not lasted two minutes when a man in his stocking feet, heavily armed and with a stealthy step, pushed the open door noise-lessly aside and entered.

“Maxwell took in the situation at a glance and whispered in hardly audible tones, “That’s him.” Pat knew what that meant, but had no time to prepare himself for action so he dropped behind the head of the bed and remained in a crouching position until the outlaw approached the bed on which Maxwell was reclining. Kid apparently alarmed at having seen the two men outside for he asked hurriedly of Maxwell. “Who are they?” and repeated the question quickly. Maxwell made no reply, and the Kid then caught sight of Garrett. He did not apparently recognize the man but pointed his revolver at him and asked “Who is it?”

“Garrett had not had time to draw his revolver, and finding it had reached a point at which caution or delay would prove fatal, reached around and got it. The Kid started back, but for some reason or other did not fire. Perhaps this was because he had no idea that Garrett was in that part of the country and suspected no harm. Whatever his reason was his delay proved fatal. With his desperate enemy’s weapon aimed full at his breast at a distance of a few feet, Pat Garrett, with his quickness and precision for which he is famed, pulled down on the Kid and fired. The bullet pierced the heart and in a moment, without the utterance of a word, death ensued. The sheriff fired a second shot before he had time to see the effect of the first one, but in the excitement he missed his mark.

TEXT OF SHERIFF’S REPORT TO GOVERNOR – “Below is given Sheriff Garrett’s report made to Acting Governor Rich, which contains also the verdict of the coroner:

“Fort Sumner, New Mexico, July 15, 1881.

“To His Excellency, the Governor of New Mexico:

“I have the honor to inform your Excellency that I had received several communications from persons in and about Fort Sumner that William Bonney, alias the Kid, had been there, or in that vicinity for sometime.

“In view of these reports, I deemed it my duty to go there and ascertain whether there was any truth in them or not, all the time doubting the accuracy; but on Monday, July 11 I left home taking with me John W. Poe and T.L McKinney, men in whose courage and sagacity I relied implicitly, and just below Fort Sumner, on Wednesday, 13th, I remained concealed near the houses until night, and then entered the fort about midnight, and went to Mr. P. Maxwell’s room. I found him in bed, and had just commenced talking to him about the object of my visit at such an unusual hour, when a man entered the room in stocking feet, with a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other.

“He came and placed his hand on the bed just beside me, and in a low whisper said “Who is it?” and repeated the question he asked of Mr. Maxwell.

“I at once recognized the man and knew he was the Kid, and reached behind me for my pistol, feeling almost certain of receiving a ball from him at the moment of doing so, as I felt sure he had now recognized me, but fortunately he drew back from the bed at noticing my movement, and, although he had his pistol pointing at my breast, he delayed to fire and asked in Spanish, “Quien es? Quien es?”

“This gave me time to bear on him and the moment I did so I pulled the trigger and he received the death wound, for the ball struck him in the left breast and pierced his heart. He never spoke, but died in a minute. It was my desire to have been able to take him alive, but his coming upon me so suddenly and unexpectedly leads me to believe that he had seen me enter the room, or had informed by someone of the fact; and that he came there armed with pistol and knife expressly to kill me if he could. Under that impression, I had no alternative but o kill him or suffer death at his hands.

“I herewith annex a copy of the verdict rendered by the jury called in by the justice of the peace (ex-officio coroner) the original of which is in the hands of the prosecuting attorney of the First Judicial District.”

(The verdict is given in Spanish in Garrett’s report, and upon being translated, is as follows :)

“We the jury, unanimously say that William Bonny came to his death from a wound in the breast in the region of the heart, fired from a pistol in the hand of Pat F. Garrett, and our decision is that the action of the said Pat Garrett was justifiable homicide; and are united in the opinion that the gratitude of all the community is due to said

Garrett for his action and that he deserves to be compensated.(Signed) M. Rudolph, foreman: Antonio Saavedra, Pedro Antonio Lucero, Jose Silva, Sabal Gutierrez, Lorenzo Jaramillo.

“I am governor, very respectfully your excellency’s obedient servant Pat. F. Garrett, sheriff of Lincoln County.”

“The Kid lingered at Fort Sumner, it is claimed, because of a mutual regard existing between himself and a sister of Pete Maxwell, and also for the reason that being among friends he felt safer there than anywhere else. He was allowing his hair and beard to grow and was putting his skin through a coloring process which he fondly hoped would so completely Mexicanize him as to give him a thorough disguise. Had he been left alone there is no telling what kind of an awakening he might have given the people when his plans had matured.

MOVED TO NEW MEXICO FROM NEW YORK STATE – “The Kid was born in New York state and his true name was McCarthy. His mother and stepfather came to Silver City when he was quite young, however, and it was there that he was best known in his youthful days of innocence. His career of crime began some three years ago and since that has so improved his time that he bragged of having killed a man for each year of his age. He was 23 years old. He assisted in murdering Sheriff Brady and Deputy Sheriff Hindman, of Lincoln; killed Burnstein, clerk at the Mescalero Apache Agency, and Al Roberts, who was living at the agency: killed Robert Beckwith and Charles Crawford at Lincoln, July, ’78; William Morrow, Frank Baker and McCloskey, at Blue Water, Capitan Mountains, March, ’78; a half-breed Indian, John Farris, and Grant at Fort Sumner; a blacksmith at Camp Apache, and finally killed Bob Olinger and J.W. Bell at Lincoln County Jail while escaping last time.

These comprise all who are positively known to have been his victims, but here are probably others whom nobody knows of. With the exception of the last two, there was none of the extenuating circumstances attending the crimes of this youth which generally invites misguided sympathy to most noted outlaws. He followed the shooting business as he might have done a more honorable calling, for the money there was in it, and he would contract to kill men at any time for so much a head. His best friend and worst enemy were alike to him when his price was offered. As a consequence there are few who will mourn his loss or who feel incumbent upon them to avenge his death.

In the cemetery at Fort Sumner were laid the remains of the young outlaw with only a simple slab marked ‘Billy the Kid,’ to designate the spot.

Comments

[William D. Kidd]

RIP, Billy...

[Bonnie]

I have been told all of my life that I am related to Billy the Kidd. So whenever I find out more about him, I am interested. Thanks for this information.