He had stopped his wagon on a lonely road about four miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to empty his bladder. Soon after, the family moved farther west where Henry McCarty started getting into trouble. In researching his book, Edwards analyzed photographs of Billy the Kid and Roberts, and dug into the details of Robertss account of his life and compared them with known facts about Billy the Kid. 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. Garrett claims that he stayed in Maxwells house with his men for the entire night. Portrait of American gunman Billy the Kid (18591881). We approached these houses cautiously, and when within earshot, heard the sound of voices conversing in Spanish. The Billy the Kid Museum opened in Hico nearly 40 years after Robertss death, and the city actively celebrates the connection. William Wallace agrees, also citing that McGinn has, meager qualifications. They mistook OFolliard for Bonney, however,and fatally shot him. It was at this point that many sources say the Kid began his life of crimestarting with stealing and progressing to murder. The Regulators and the new sheriffs forces clashed in July 1878 at whats become known as the Battle of Lincoln. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Brazels trial for the murder of Garrett lasted only one day, on May 4, 1909. According to popular legend, Garrett and McCarty were friends before he became an outlaw, but there is no historical evidence to support the theory. McCartys new stepfather was a part-time prospector who frequently went off on extended trips. Texas. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 'I don't travel with it.'. in Spanish. 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. New Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett and his posse captured Billy the Kid at a place called Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. He was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, as well as Doa Ana County, New Mexico. 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. While Garrett was there, he was forced to defend himself from a local bully, Mariano Leiva, by shooting him in the shoulder. At some point, someone shot and killed Garrett, but exactly who did it has been a subject of debate. Corrections? Director Sam Peckinpah Writer But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. Its an area tailor-made for rustlers, and Billy knows it well. Soon a man arose from the ground, in full view, but too far away to recognize. It was taken at the ranch of John Tunstall, an Englishman rancher who organized the gang to protect his properties against rivals, The photo, zoomed in to see Billy the Kid more closely, wasdiscovered in 2015 and has since been estimated to be worth $5 million. Wallace reneged on his promise., Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. Marshals Posse. Billy the Kid then stayed off the radar until January 1880, when he was drinking in a bar near Santa Fe. WebOn the night of July 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned down outlaw Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. Along with deputies Thomas McKinney and John Poe, Garrett reached the Fort on the night of July 14, 1881. He was bareheaded. Rumor has it that the Kid has taken a shine to Maxwells sister Paulita, though its likely shes not the only local girl to have caught his eye. Pat Garrett eventually shot and murdered him in July 1881. Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty to Irish immigrants in New York City around 1859. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Garrett was away from Lincoln on county business when the Kid made his escape. This is the real story of Billy the Kid. After he thought about it, though, he told [Morrison] that he was Billy the Kid. Billy the Kids life and mystique have inspired countless novels, films, and songs. He managed to locate his stepfathers place in New Mexico, where he holed up for a few weeks. Memorial marking spot where Pat Garrett was killed. The moment word got out about his escape, New Mexicos governor put another $500 bounty on the Kid, dead or alive. Garrett and his men laid siege to the Dedrick ranch at Bosque Grande on November 30th, expecting to find Billy the Kid. The Regulators were able to ambush and kill Brady, but that didnt put an end to things. One of his first acts was to capture Billy the Kid, sending him to trial for the murder of the Lincoln sheriff and his deputy. Billy then drew fast and shot Grant in the head before making his escape. He died by the gun of Sherriff Pat Garrett at age 21. During an interview in 1983, Pat Garretts last surviving daughter, Elizabeth, claimed that her father did not kill the Kid. He was high-spirited and, as his notoriety grew, so did his cockiness. The official version is that Garrett was shot and killed by Wayne Brazel, a cowboy involved in a leasing dispute with Garrett. Brazel said he shot Garrett in self-defense. He was tried and acquitted in a trial in which the only other known person at the scene of the shooting did not testify and the jury returned a verdict in 15 minutes. He soon, however, hailed his friend, who was sleeping in the room, told him to get up and make some coffee, adding: Give me a butcher knife and I will go over to Petes and get some beef; Im hungry. The Mexican arose, handed him the knife, and the Kid, hatless and in his stocking-feet, started to Maxwells, which was but a few steps distant. What historians do know is that Garrett was elected sheriff of Lincoln County in November 1880, on a platform promising to end the violence between two groups of warring landowners feuding over dry goods and cattle interests in the county. 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. While trying to verify the photo, Abrams approached Robert Stahl, a retired professor emeritus at Arizona State University who is no stranger to the history of Billy the Kid. McCarty, was a member of the Regulators gang. He Was a Fast-Rising Judge in Arkansas. Quien es? (Whos that? At some point, due to the debate, there had been a movement to have the supposed bodies of the Kid and his mother exhumed for DNA testing. El Paso Times 1934: Pistol That Killed Billy the Kid Will Be Returned to Garretts Widow. He then bought a horse ranch, leased it, and became involved in a heated dispute over the lease. He said that he had theories as to why McCarty would have taken a photo with the man who eventually killed him, pointing to the cigars as signs that Garrett and his lawmen were celebrating capturing McCarty. Richardson appointed Charles Daniels to the state Supreme Court, whom McGinn is married to. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. He Ended His Career in Disgrace. It's my work, he'd say, and I do it for pay And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way Up to some paradise Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice And ride a horse along a trail. The case dates back to 1881so why the New Years Eve deadline you may ask? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. For all of you Wild, Wild West aficionados out there, here is a post that is sure to be interesting! 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. It was a good racket, but he couldnt stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy it. Wikimedia CommonsPat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. Portrait of Pat Garrett from The Story of the Outlaws. He murdered two deputies, James Bell and Bob Olinger, during the escape. 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). A Los Angeles forensic video expert said facial recognition software indicates that it is most likely Garrett and Billy the Kid in the picture, according to a signed declaration. 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. Now the law had yet another reason to be after Billy the Kid. Garrett decided to seek out Peter Maxwell, an old friend who lived in the area, in the hope that he could receive some details about the fugitives whereabouts. Another hypothesis is that Billy the Kid was in fact Ollie L. (Brushy Bill) Roberts, who escaped, lived in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, rode in Wild West shows, and died in 1950 in Hico, Texas. However, he was unable to remember important events in Billys life such as the Lincoln prison escape, he didnt really look like the outlaw, he was illiterate while the Kid wasnt and finally, his birth date was recorded in his family Bible as 1879. *Source: Texas State Historical Association. After Patricks departure, his widow took the young Henry McCarty and his brother out to Indiana, where she met a man named Bill Antrim. There were various men in the American Southwest who went by the moniker "Billy the Kid." 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. Mysteries of the Old West: Did Pat Garrett Kill Billy the Kid? 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. WebFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Young Guns 2 at Amazon.com. He came directly towards me. Word reached him of the death, but he didnt cut his trip short and missed the funeral. The Kid was known to be friendly and personable and a smart dresser, often wearing a Mexican sombrero. As a child, Billy the Kid went under the name of Henry McCarty. There is little or no evidence to back up any of these claims. Garrett had hoped to apprehend the men while they were asleep, but Lee and Gililland set themselves up as lookouts on the roof of the bunkhouse. During the Kids time as an outlaw, Pat Garrett was elected Sheriff and sent after him. From his step I could perceive he was either barefooted or in his stocking-feet, and held a revolver in his right hand and a butcher knife in his left. Tim Sweet, owner of the Billy the Kid museum, previously said that he was 95 per cent sure that Garrett is in the photo. A cropped version of the sole fully authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. A stranger named Joe Grant came into the saloon and sidled up to near the spot where Billy was drinking. Little is known about Billy the Kids early days, but Billy the Kid was free for just three months before his final encounter with Pat Garrett. The next scene with Jason Robards, James Coburn is sporting a nice moustache. 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. Richardson is a known Billy the Kid aficionado, and is considering the pardon because of an alleged promise by Governor Lew Wallace. Garrett delivered Webb and Davis to the sheriff of San Miguel County and rode on to Puerto de Luna. 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!' Exactly how Billy the Kid was shot to death on July 14, 1881 has been the subject of widespread speculation. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid The defining issue revolves around the belief that Wallace promised this pardon in exchange for Kids knowledge in a murder case involving three men. Film Review: The Kid. When he was unable to make mortgage payments on his ranch, the county auctioned off his personal belongings, but that raised only $650. In 2010, many petitioned the New Mexico governors office to grant Billy the pardon they say Lew Wallace had promised him 130 years before, but it never came to pass. Afterward, he moved even farther west to New Mexico Territory. Some argue his book about Billy Bonney is the only reason why The Kid is remembered today. Thinking fast, Billy told Grant that he admired his revolver and asked if he could look at it. 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. Born Henry McCarty, he was the first of two boys raised by a small Irish Catholic family in New York City. He also obtained a deputy U.S. Marshals commission to have jurisdiction in other counties. Garrett did not pursue re-election for sheriff of Lincoln County in 1882. A tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from Beijings Forbidden City to Taipei's National Palace Museum. Thats him! Simultaneously the Kid must have seen, or felt, the presence of a third person at the head of the bed. Garrett settled a truce with the fugitives to retrieve his deputy, who died on the way to Las Cruces. 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. The Kid's freedom was short lived however, when Garrett set down to find him on July 14, 1881. At that moment a man sprang quickly into the door, looking back, and called twice in Spanish, Who comes there? No one replied and he came on in. Carl Adamson took Garrett to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and was soon joined by Brazel on horseback. Billy's arrest found him in Garrett's custody. Noticing it only had three rounds loaded, he subtly rotated the drum to an empty cylinder and handed it back. The following day, the Kid was buried in the Fort Sumner cemetery. He continues to look into whether the Kid rightfully deserves a posthumous pardon as promised by Governor Wallace. 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. Updates? But they were only able to arrest John Webb, an accused murderer, along with horse thief George Davis. When Notorious Outlaw Billy the Kid Briefly Joined a U.S. The next time the Kid encountered the sheriff however, it would be his last. However, Poe and several other people say they moved the body quickly, dressed it and prepared it for a wake. Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Its all just part of the areas mythology. Once again, Billy broke out of jail and went on the run. Believing the photo to include Billy the Kid (which would make it just the second known photo of him), Guijarro eventually found an authentication firm that verified his claim with facial recognition analysis and valued it at $5 million. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The Kid was known to be friendly and personable and a smart dresser, often wearing a Mexican sombrero. 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. WebHe fled to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where he eventually joined a gang, one of whose members was Billy the Kid.. At Stinking Springs (near present-day Taiban, New Mexico), On December 23, 1880 a posse led by Pat Garrett captured Rudabaugh, Billy the Kid, Billy Wilson, and other members of the gang.They were taken to Las Vegas, but the danger of 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. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, a dark vest and pants, and was in his shirtsleeves. Related story from us: One of the men who killed Bonnie & Clyde was Bonnies secret admirer. They saw a group of men nearby who were speaking in Spanish. Brazel used the land to raise goats, which was unacceptable to the Garrets. Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan ride tall in Vincent DOnofrios fresh take on the saga of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Garrett, who had been tracking the Kid for When Billy called Cahill a son of a bitch, the fight was on and soon the men were wrestling over Billys (stolen) revolver. 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. Several said the tintype was likely taken between 1879 and 1880, which coincides with the August 2, 1880, date someone had written on the photo,Abrams said. 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. Adamson agreed to meet with Garrett and Brazel to iron out an agreement. 'I told him "The biggest thing you could do right now is get the picture out and let people look at it and give you feedback",' Stahl said. He, too, knows Fort Sumner; he had once worked for Maxwell as a ranch hand. 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Furthermore, several of Billys friends say he only had a knife and not a gun. By 1876 he was hunting buffalo, until a dispute with another hunter, Joe Briscoe, ended up with Garrett killing Briscoe. Mysteries and theories still surround the outlaw's death and burial in Indiana, 85 years later. He is either a folk hero that single-handedly stood up against a corrupt government system, or he is a ruthless outlaw and cop killer that left a wake of terror in his path.. Frank Abrams, a North Carolina attorney, first spotted the tintype photo in Asheville in 2011. During this fight, the Army was forced to intervene and the Regulators lost many of their men. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Brushy Bill was very well known around these parts, says Jane Klein, historian at the Billy the Kid Museum. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Are Double-Sided Graves the Solution to London's Burial Crisis? Wow, a new Sam Peckinpah western! As for Billy the Kid, hes long since passed become an icon of American history, even a folk hero of sorts. But then I might. See. Either way, Billy sensed that trouble was coming and decided to head it off at the pass. In New Mexico, Garrett worked as a cowboy for Pedro Pete Maxwell but quit to open a saloon. 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. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an original edition became quite valuable over the years. To Poes great surprise, he recognized in the camper an old friend and former partner, in Texas, named Jacobs. Bonney and the others escaped. He said that the Kid had certainly been about, but he did not know whether he had left or not. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. During a card game, Billy the Kid accused another player of cheating. Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress/LC-DIG-highsm-29831. The two talked of this and that. Garrett went on to be a rancher, customs collector, sheriff of another county, and terrible gambler. We'll see what happens,' Abrams said. In 2008, for instance, Bonham sold Billy's gun for $64,350. Hewas elected to the office of sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, winning ahead ofincumbent Sheriff George Kimball. They fired at the men from behind a wall, and Brady died after being shot at least a dozen times. Pat Garrett. Carl Adamson agreed to take the goats until Brazel discovered his estimate of the number of goats had been wrong and demanded the buyer take all 1,800 goats. He was to outlaws what Wyatt Earp was to lawmen, an iconic figure whose legacy persists on to this day. Richardson told the Associated Press on Wednesday, I dont know where Ill end up. 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. Mblitch CC BY-SA 3.0. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Billy the Kid was also still stealing. In December 1880, he had brought in the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid on charges of murdering a former county sheriff. 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. before being shot dead. Why Billy The Kid Is The Most Infamous Gunslinger Of The Wild West. Billy the Kid, that heasked Sheriff Kimball to appoint him deputy sheriff until his term officiallybegan in January of 1881. According to Robert M. Utley's definitive Billy the Kid, by the time his life ended on July 14, 1881, at age 21, McCarty/Antrim/Bonney had killed four men for certain, one perhaps, and participated in killing perhaps five more. Click here to sign a petition for the pardon of Billy the Kid, or click here to sign a petition opposed to that pardon. ', This undated file photo (left) is thought to be an image of famed gunslinger Billy the Kid near the age of 18. He contacted the governor to exchange a witness statement for a pardon. 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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. Shortly after his death, war broke out between the Jesse Evans Gang and the Regulators, who backed Tunstall. The Kid testified as promised, but the pardon was never granted. 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