Detail from a larger photo alleged to show Bonney (left) playing croquet in New Mexico in 1878. Garrett was away from Lincoln on county business when the Kid made his escape. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. fourth photo of Billy the Kid is found The full-length version of the sole completely authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. Exactly what happened after that has been the subject of speculation ever since, but everyone agrees on one fact: On the night of July 14, Billy the Kid was shot to death in Maxwells home. He was orphaned as a teen. People in Hico, Texaspopulation 1,780 and home to the Billy the Kid Museumtell a slightly different version. For all of you Wild, Wild West aficionados out there, here is a post that is sure to be interesting! Now, Billy the Kid and the Regulators were in trouble with the new sheriff that had been appointed for causing so much bloodshed and murder. Garrett and his lawman tracked down McCarty to modern day Taiban, New Mexico, where the group surrendered in December 1880. Brushy Bill was very well known around these parts, says Jane Klein, historian at the Billy the Kid Museum. Billy the Kidborn William Henry McCarty, but also known as William H. Bonneyoriginally came from New York. Were not trying to deceive anyone. He was a gambler and heavy drinker andoften deeply in debt. Of course, the above is Pat Garretts account which has been disputed by many people ever since. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces, shouting, Lock me up. He had stopped his wagon on a lonely road about four miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to empty his bladder. In April 1878, the Regulators ambushed Brady and four of his deputies on a main street in Lincoln. Billy the Kid - Crime Museum Billy's arrest found him in Garrett's custody. Despite these accusations, McGinn claims that her only link to the administration is that she offered to handle the case for free because of Richardsons lifelong interest in Billy the Kid. In the aftermath of the Lincoln County War, Lew Wallace, the new territorial governor of New Mexico, published a wanted list which included the Kid, who was implicated in the murder of Sheriff Brady in 1878, shortly after Brady arrested the Kid. Soon afterwards he was captured and shot by Lincoln County sheriff, Patrick Floyd Garrett in a sting operation. It was a game of two, Billy said, and I got there first.. McCartys new stepfather was a part-time prospector who frequently went off on extended trips. This is the real story of Billy the Kid. Updates? But surely even the man who shot charming, murderous Billy the Kid deserved a better end than a bullet while watering the desert. Financially, Garrett was a failure. Scholarly opinion is divided over whether that or William H. Bonney, Jr. (the name he used later, as in the trial), was his true name. After this look at Billy the Kid, read up on other legendary Wild West figures like legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley and Bass Reeves, the bullet-dodging black lone ranger. Soon after, the family moved farther west where Henry McCarty started getting into trouble. Nine years older than Billy, he'd been a buffalo hunter, hired gun, and cowboy before he ran for sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, on a law-and-order platform. Billy had numerous friends and people sympathetic to his plight at the Fort, so the lawmen found it difficult to extract any information. Carl Adamson never appeared at the trial as a witness, and Brazel was acquitted. A struggle or two, a little strangling sound as he gasped for breath, and the Kid was with his many victims. While in prison, the Kid escaped againthis time killing two guards in the process. McNew and Carr were the first to be arrested. As is the case with so many mythologized historical figures, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. 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. Garrett fired twice, hitting Billy once, and killing him. For instance, Poe does not remember the significant incident at the peach orchard. During a card game, Billy the Kid accused another player of cheating. John Miller, an Arizona man, also claimed he was the outlaw. We had ridden to within a short distance of Maxwells grounds when we found a man in camp and stopped. But then they took him to the jail house Where they try to turn a man into a mouse. August 10th, 2010. In 1901 Garrett was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as Collector of Customs in El Paso. Outlaws have a romantic air about them and I think the people in Hamilton County really enjoy having this as part of the history.. What is far more relevant to the case is the issue of discrepancy in the testimonies of Garrett, Poe, the coroner and several other people. The extended dance of 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. A suspicion lingered that Brazel or someone else conspired to execute Garrett, a lawman with many enemies. 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. Maybe they lacked imagination, though "Willy Wet Behind the Ears" doesn't scan particularly well. These absences got longer and more common as McCartys mother got sick with tuberculosis and became more dependent on the men in her family to look after her. He Was a Fast-Rising Judge in Arkansas. Does Billy the Kid Deserve the Pardon He was Promised? In July, Garrett caught wind that Billy might be staying with a friend in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Billy the Kid didnt make it all the way to New Mexico. 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. I've always been somebody who's interested in history and background.'. 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. When she succumbed and died in late 1874, Antrim was a couple of days ride away. found himself on the wrong side of the law, The authenticity of the photo has since been disputed, Bass Reeves, the bullet-dodging black lone ranger. 'One day it may end up at an auction house somewhere. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an original edition became quite valuable over the years. WebPat Garrett, byname of Patrick Floyd Garrett, (born June 5, 1850, Chambers County, Ala., U.S.died Feb. 29, 1908, near Las Cruces, N.M.), Western U.S. lawman known as the man Word reached him of the death, but he didnt cut his trip short and missed the funeral. As you can imagine, there is much controversy arising from this investigationwhich side will you join? Apache scouts, the Pinkertons, and local Republican Party members all joined in to try and locate the Fountains, with no results. Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, had been on the trail for months.In December 1880, he had brought in the infamous outlaw Billy the He tried to work straight jobs (hotel worker, ranch hand) but quickly found himself on the wrong side of the law. He died by the gun of Sherriff Pat Garrett at age 21. Bonney and the others escaped. Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty to Irish immigrants in New York City around 1859. Richardsons deputy chief of staff Eric Witt wants to clarify that they are not offering a general pardon for all of Kids crimes, but rather a pardon for the individual case of killing a sheriff. Biggest diamond EVER sold at auction sells Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, 'Vindication': Georgia Harrison on ex Stephen Bear's sentencing, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' At the same time he served as a deputy U.S. marshal. Sheriff Pat Garrett shoots Henry McCarty, popularly known as Billy the Kid, to death at the Maxwell Ranch in New Mexico. Click here to sign a petition for the pardon of Billy the Kid, or click here to sign a petition opposed to that pardon. 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. His age, appearance, and size won him his 'Kid' moniker. The intruder came close to me, leaned both hands on the bed, his right hand almost touching my knee, and asked, in a low tone:Who are they Pete?at the same instant Maxwell whispered to me. Unfortunately, by the time the Kid was fifteen years old his mother had passed away from tuberculosis. Its the last day of Richardsons term. But before Garrett could get his prisoners to jail, he had to defend them from a lynch mob that formed around the train on the route to Santa Fe. Along with deputies Thomas McKinney and John Poe, Garrett reached the Fort on the night of July 14, 1881. Garrett, a one-time friend, was the new sheriff of Lincoln County. He got in trouble for petty thefts of things like food and clothing, but things got worse when stole some pistols from a Chinese laundry in 1875 and was sent to jail. The Kid was convicted and sentenced to hang, but the following April, he made an audacious escape from prisonand killed deputies James Bell and Bob Olinger in the process. Right, another photo of Billy the Kid, whowas celebrated for his gun skills and, according to popular legend killed 21 men - one for each year of his short life. After Patricks departure, his widow took the young Henry McCarty and his brother out to Indiana, where she met a man named Bill Antrim. The Kid testified as promised, but the pardon was never granted. From what Ive heard, [Brushy Bill] told a pretty credible tale, says Hamilton Historical Commission Chairman Jim Eidson. There is no doubt there that Billy the Kid is one of their own, and theyre happy to tell the world. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Now these are strange things for someone that is a fraud to focus on. At around the same time, Billy was hungry, so he woke up and walked towards the fresh meat that was hanging on the rafter above the porch outside of Maxwells bedroom. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. His parents were Irish immigrants who came to America and married just after turning 20. Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: Young Guns 2 The two men were fined for disturbing the peace. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Garrett was fatally shot on the road from the ranch to Las Cruces, N.M. The Gun That Killed Billy The Kid He continues to look into whether the Kid rightfully deserves a posthumous pardon as promised by Governor Wallace. Who is it?' Richardson is a known Billy the Kid aficionado, and is considering the pardon because of an alleged promise by Governor Lew Wallace. On the evening of July 14, Garrett waited inside Maxwell's bedroom. A very similar situation arose with yet another disputed photo of Billy in 2017. Those who oppose the pardon argue that there is no proof that Governor Wallace ever offered one; he may have simply tricked Kid in to offering up information. Billy the Kid convicted of murder During an interview in 1983, Pat Garretts last surviving daughter, Elizabeth, claimed that her father did not kill the Kid. Wallace reneged on his promise., Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. He moved to Texas, where Governor John Ireland appointed him to the Texas Rangers. He was 57. Once more, Sheriff Garrett was sent after the Kid. In the darkness, he could not see Garrett well and repeatedly asked: Who is it? Garrett replied with two gunshots, killing Bonney. Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid. 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. But then I might. I might not pardon him. Billy became a fugitive. The defining issue revolves around the belief that Wallace promised this pardon in exchange for Kids knowledge in a murder case involving three men. *Source: Texas State Historical Association. This story originally ran in 2017; it has been updated for 2022. He had already written down the jurys verdict and asked Segura, Anaya and the rest of the jury to sign it. Somewhere on his ride, he was surrounded by Apaches who took his stolen horse and left him to walk through the desert for miles back to civilization. He also wouldnt have backed into a darkened doorway where more danger possibly lurked. Pat Garrett The two men knew each other and had socialized with one another; it might be a stretch to call them friends. Once inside, he asked Maxwell: Who are these fellows outside Pete? Maxwell said: Thats him! to Garrett, who opened fire almost as soon as Billy said: who are you? in Spanish. Did Billy the Kid Cheat Death and Live on as 'Brushy Bill'? 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. The other known pictures of the outlaw were believed to have been taken in 1877, 1878 and 1879. William Wallace agrees, also citing that McGinn has, meager qualifications. There were various men in the American Southwest who went by the moniker "Billy the Kid." Adamson agreed to meet with Garrett and Brazel to iron out an agreement. Wikimedia CommonsLew Wallace, before he became governor. See. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973 Originally published in the August 2006 issue of American History. Billy the Kids life and mystique have inspired countless novels, films, and songs. Although the incident happened well over a century ago, it remains an intriguing mystery. And yet with the good cheer came a surprising ruthlessness. When the governors office refused to give Garrett his $500 reward (for reasons that remain unclear), local citizens chipped in and raised $7,000 for him instead. He states, Just think of all the good publicity New Mexico is receiving around the world on thisIts fun. There were at least 26 newspaper articles written that claimed Billy was still alive after July 14, 1881. A Strong-willed Texan Scout Joined the Confederacy at 15. When we reached the porch in front of the building, I left Poe and McKinney at the end of the porch, about twenty feet from the door of Petes room, and went in. He murdered two deputies, James Bell and Bob Olinger, during the escape. 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. Pat Garrett was a man of the times. A tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from Beijings Forbidden City to Taipei's National Palace Museum. I believe all communities are built on legends, and in Hamilton County Brushy Bills stories connect us to those wild days of the frontier.. After seeing a TV program in 2015 about the discovery of a photo of the outlaw playing croquet, Abrams was inspired to research him further. The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid - Atlas Obscura You can read all about Billys last night from the point of view of the man who shot him. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The men inside were pretty tough and the battle started to turn against the lawmen, but then reinforcements arrived from a nearby army base. Following Billy the Kids death, the media turned him into a folk hero and made Garrett out to be the bad guy. The following day, the Kid was buried in the Fort Sumner cemetery. In July, Garrett rode to Fort Sumner and learned the Kid was staying with the same Pedro Maxwell who had employed Garrett when he first arrived in New Mexico. 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. Pat Garrett | American lawman | Britannica Brazel used the land to raise goats, which was unacceptable to the Garrets. He made a deal with the governor that should he testify against persons involved in the Lincoln County War, he would receive a full pardon for involvement in Sheriff Bradys death and other misdeeds. On December 19, 1880, Bonney, Billy Wilson, Charlie Bowdre, Tom Pickett, and Tom OFolliard rode into Fort Sumner. The abandoned U.S. Army post on the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail is now the home of rancher Peter Maxwell. He was buried in the old military cemetery at Fort Sumner next to two of his gang members. Once again, Billy the Kid was now on the run. But it wasnt to be. Wikimedia CommonsPat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. Circa 1879-1880.
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