After three years on the run and several other murders, Pat Garrett finally arrested Billy in early 1881. What you may not know is that the long dead Kid may be up for a pardon from current New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. A very similar situation arose with yet another disputed photo of Billy in 2017. Afterward, he moved even farther west to New Mexico Territory. 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. When Notorious Outlaw Billy the Kid Briefly Joined a U.S. In 1879 he married Juanita Gutierrez, who died in childbirth less than a year after their marriage. And that included his last escape, from the custody of Sheriff Garrett. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. On the evening of April 28, 1881, Billy was left under the supervision of a single guard in the jailhouse while the rest of the staff hit the saloon across the street. Billy supposedly aimed his gun at Poe while backing into the nearest door, which happened to be Maxwells bedroom. 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. The Regulators found themselves cornered and under siege in a local saloon by elements of the local sheriffs posse. Soon a man arose from the ground, in full view, but too far away to recognize. The photo of the Kid discovered in 2015 has since been estimated to be worth $5 million. Garrett claims that he stayed in Maxwells house with his men for the entire night. I wont put a price on it, quite frankly its priceless. 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. 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. And this was before McDonald's. Though some say hed previously killed several members of the Apache tribe, the first kill (out of 20 or more total) widely attributed to Billy the Kid came in 1876. Garrett and his men laid siege to the Dedrick ranch at Bosque Grande on November 30th, expecting to find Billy the Kid. Its the last day of Richardsons term. As is the case with so many mythologized historical figures, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. He was a gambler and heavy drinker andoften deeply in debt. For those of you scratching your heads wondering who Billy the Kid is; he is the western outlaw also known as William Bonney. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an originaledition became quite valuable over the years. 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. Memorial marking spot where Pat Garrett was killed. He then bought a horse ranch, leased it, and became involved in a heated dispute over the lease. And yet with the good cheer came a surprising ruthlessness. In 1931, locals raised money to give him a proper headstone. Richard Stockton is a freelance science and technology writer from Sacramento, California. 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. A tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from Beijings Forbidden City to Taipei's National Palace Museum. Garretts friend George Curry was now the Territorial Governor of New Mexico and promised to appoint him as superintendent of the territorial prison at Santa Fe. Here's how Sheriff Pat Garrett related his side of the story. Click here to sign a petition for the pardon of Billy the Kid, or click here to sign a petition opposed to that pardon. Once again, Billy the Kid was now on the run. Wikimedia CommonsPat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. But this time it was a U.S. Billy became a fugitive. 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. Maybe they lacked imagination, though "Willy Wet Behind the Ears" doesn't scan particularly well. WebPat Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County in 1880 on a reform ticket with the expectation that he would reinstate justice in the area. Before he reached the bed, I whispered: Who is it, Pete? but received no reply for a moment. John Miller, an Arizona man, also claimed he was the outlaw. There were at least 26 newspaper articles written that claimed Billy was still alive after July 14, 1881. 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. A suspicion lingered that Brazel or someone else conspired to execute Garrett, a lawman with many enemies. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. However, the Kid later escaped, shooting dead two deputies and riding out of town Sheriff Pat Garrett shoots Henry McCarty, popularly known as Billy the Kid, to death at the Maxwell Ranch in New Mexico. Henry got the better of Cahill and shot him, inflicting a wound that would kill him the next day. A struggle or two, a little strangling sound as he gasped for breath, and the Kid was with his many victims. Garrett tried to break the lease when he learned his creditor, W.W. Bill Cox, was financing Brazel. Before resigning in disgrace, federal judge William Story preceded the more celebrated hanging judge Isaac Parker in Arkansas Western District. At first, nobody knew which side they were there to take, but when they fell in with Bradys men and set the saloon on fire, Billy the Kid and just a few other Regulators were able to flee. A few months later, Garrett married Apolinaria Gutierrez, his sister-in-law. A handwriting expert in Texas compared a signature from Garrett on the photo with ten documents with his known handwriting. 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.. The Kid's freedom was short lived however, when Garrett set down to find him on July 14, 1881. Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, declined to pardon Western outlaw Billy the Kid during his last hours in office. The two men knew each other and had socialized with one another; it might be a stretch to call them friends. The first is that Garrett sat down down to speak with the homeowner when McCarty unexpectedly came in with his gun drawn, asking 'Who is it? Hes since been romanticized in print, and on stage, television, and film as an emblem of the lawless West. Pat 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 who killed Billy the Kid (q.v.). For horse theft, of course. But they were only able to arrest John Webb, an accused murderer, along with horse thief George Davis. They made it safely, however, and Garrett collected the $500 state bounty on Billys head. Lee and Gililland stayed on the run for another eight months and finally surrendered. By 1892 Garrett and his family had relocated to Uvalde, Texas, where he befriended John Nance Garner, a future United States vice-president. 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. Richardson is a known Billy the Kid aficionado, and is considering the pardon because of an alleged promise by Governor Lew Wallace. 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. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an original edition became quite valuable over the years. In Hico Billy is everywhere, from a statue downtown, to the standee in the Chamber of Commerce, to the monumental arch over Robertss grave. He died by the gun of Sherriff Pat Garrett at age 21. Mysteries of the Old West: Did Pat Garrett Kill Billy the Kid? Its an area tailor-made for rustlers, and Billy knows it well. With a few words, which fell like a murmur on our ears, he went to the fence, jumped it, and walked down towards Maxwells house. The Kid was known to be friendly and personable and a smart dresser, often wearing a Mexican sombrero. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing another Sheriff, but Billy managed to escape. 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. They lived in a slum on Manhattans east side and his father, Patrick, died soon after his first son was born. 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. She writes, A promise is a promise and should be enforced. Henry Woodson Strong scouted for famed Indian fighter Ranald S. Mackenzie. Unfortunately, by the time the Kid was fifteen years old his mother had passed away from tuberculosis. In November 1950, Morrison filed a petition on behalf of Brushy Bill. Garrett, who had been tracking the Kid for Garrett became involved again when he heard a tip that the Kid was hiding out in the Fort. It was a good racket, but he couldnt stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy it. 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. In the dark, Billy had gone to cut a slice of meat. But he came up with a plan to get himself off by providing Governor Lew Wallace with information about the murder of a prominent lawyer that hed witnessed recently. But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. A little over a year later, the New Mexico territorial legislature voted to give Garrett the $500 he was owed. 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. 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. Garrett was so impatient to capture the outlawWilliam Bonney, a.k.a. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. He Ended His Career in Disgrace. 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. WebIn the scene where Garrett gets a hot shave, he then leaves clean shaven, as Bob Dylan follows him out. Updates? They are personal things, and things that make complete sense for him to be upset about if his story was true.. WebBut he never did like to talk about it all that much. 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. The two men were fined for disturbing the peace. 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. The men inside were pretty tough and the battle started to turn against the lawmen, but then reinforcements arrived from a nearby army base. Why Billy The Kid Is The Most Infamous Gunslinger Of The Wild West. Pat Garrett eventually shot and murdered him in July 1881. I might not pardon him. In the midst of the act, he was shot in the back of the head. There are also suggestions that Billy and Garrett were friends and planned the whole incident so the fugitive could escape. By 1876 he was hunting buffalo, until a dispute with another hunter, Joe Briscoe, ended up with Garrett killing Briscoe. He left his deputies outside as he entered the room in a bid to rouse his friend and question him. Billy the Kid was a late 19th-century thief and gunfighter. Adamson agreed to meet with Garrett and Brazel to iron out an agreement. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. He states, Just think of all the good publicity New Mexico is receiving around the world on thisIts fun. This is a terrible place to put a fellow in.". On the evening of July 14, Garrett waited inside Maxwell's bedroom. We approached these houses cautiously, and when within earshot, heard the sound of voices conversing in Spanish. Pat Garrett was a man of the times. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life at the best online prices at eBay! I now believe without a doubt that Billy the Kid was not killed by Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner. For deaths, sure. Historians say that this photo shows outlaw Billy the Kid, circled second from left, and Pat Garrett, circled far right, taken in 1880. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). That same year, a man named Randy Guijarro bought an old photo for $2 at a shop in Fresno, California. Now the law had yet another reason to be after Billy the Kid. When he was a child,his father, John Lumpkin Garrett, bought a cotton plantation in Louisiana, and he grew up there with five sisters and two brothers. Garrett did not pursue re-election for sheriff of Lincoln County in 1882. Whatever happened, the answer will probably remain a secret forever. What prompted this last minute decision? 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. As Currys inauguration was not for a few months, Garrett returned to El Paso to look for work. 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). History Channel 9 Things You May Not Know About Billy the Kid, History Channel Billy the Kid Convicted of Murder, History Collection Billy the Kid Is Arrested for the First Time (1875). Garrett was able to get inside the house on July 14 and when Billy entered, Garrett shot him dead. Garrett learned that The Kid had been in and out of Sumner, New Mexico, and was staying there with Pete Maxwell. Garrett wouldn't find McCarty until two years later, a month after he was appointed sheriff. 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. 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!' Mysteries and theories still surround the outlaw's death and burial in Indiana, 85 years later. But it wasnt to be. El Paso Times 1934: Pistol That Killed Billy the Kid Will Be Returned to Garretts Widow. He was appointed deputy sheriff for the last two months of 1880 before taking office January 1, 1881. Four months later, Billy the Kid escaped just after his conviction for murder. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing 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 hoped that Morrison could help him claim the pardon that New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace supposedly promised Billy the Kid back in 1879. The comments below have not been moderated. Since that time, debates have raged over Robertss claims, and whether he was truly one of the Wests most notorious gunmen or just an old man looking for attention. Noticing it only had three rounds loaded, he subtly rotated the drum to an empty cylinder and handed it back. 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. McGinn also says that Wallace assured Kid that he had the authority to exempt him from prosecution should he cooperate and share his knowledge, but that Wallace never held up his end of the deal. The next scene with Jason Robards, James Coburn is sporting a nice moustache. Once again, Billy broke out of jail and went on the run. I think people really like being associated with it now. Circa 1879-1880. As for Billy the Kid, hes long since passed become an icon of American history, even a folk hero of sorts. Pats son Dudley arranged with Jesse Brazel for a five-year lease of the Garretts Bear Canyon Ranch. Each landowner was supported by their own gang. 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. On December 19, 1880, Bonney, Billy Wilson, Charlie Bowdre, Tom Pickett, and Tom OFolliard rode into Fort Sumner. Financially, Garrett was a failure. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Portrait of American gunman Billy the Kid (18591881). He headed west with his family as a youth and had his first brush with the law in 1875 when he was arrested for stealing clothes from a Chinese laundry in Silver City, New Mexico. This man was Billy; he was lounging around the orchard at the same time the lawmen entered. The case dates back to 1881so why the New Years Eve deadline you may ask? The two would have nine children over the years. It was at the saloon that Pat Garrett met and often gambled with William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. The two were seen together so often they soon took on the nicknames of Big Casino and Little Casino. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. Billy the Kids life and mystique have inspired countless novels, films, and songs. He also obtained a deputy U.S. Marshals commission to have jurisdiction in other counties. One of Garretts deputies went to check the roof and was fatally shot. We'll see what happens,' Abrams said. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; 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. 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. Did Blues King Robert Johnson Sell His Soul To The Devil To Become The World's Greatest Musician? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The governor agreed and suggested that, for appearances sake, he should arrest Billy and lock him up in jail before taking his statement about the other murder. He Was a Fast-Rising Judge in Arkansas. Detail from a larger photo alleged to show Bonney (left) playing croquet in New Mexico in 1878. In 1901 Garrett was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as Collector of Customs in El Paso. He was then sent back to Lincoln County, where he was scheduled to be executed on May 13. After Patricks departure, his widow took the young Henry McCarty and his brother out to Indiana, where she met a man named Bill Antrim. Once more, Sheriff Garrett was sent after the Kid. Once again, Billy the Kid ended up in custody. In July, Garrett caught wind that Billy might be staying with a friend in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. But his parents did not long survive the Civil War that devastated the South, leaving the children heavily in debt. All rights reserved. The one that counted the one who still counts was variously known as Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim, Kid Antrim, William H. Bonney, Billy Bonney, and sometimes just The Kid. And when it was stolen in 1981 and then quickly recovered in Florida, New Mexicos governor had it flown back home. Exactly how Billy the Kid was shot to death on July 14, 1881 has been the subject of widespread speculation. 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. About two months later with no amnesty forthcoming, Billy realized hed been had and they were going to hang him instead. Richardson appointed Charles Daniels to the state Supreme Court, whom McGinn is married to. He had stopped his wagon on a lonely road about four miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to empty his bladder. Experts believe a picture that shows the New Mexico outlaw with Garrett would be worth much more. He said that the Kid had certainly been about, but he did not know whether he had left or not. He then worked in Graham County as a farmhand, teamster, and cowboy. Maxwell lit a candle to illuminate the room and the body of Billy the Kid lay motionless, with Garretts bullet lodged in his heart. Shortly after his death, war broke out between the Jesse Evans Gang and the Regulators, who backed Tunstall. 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. Real Clear Life. On ABCs, Good Morning America Friday, Richardson explained that the evidence of the case simply did not warrant a pardon. Its now summer 1881. Billy then drew fast and shot Grant in the head before making his escape. ', This undated file photo (left) is thought to be an image of famed gunslinger Billy the Kid near the age of 18. We concealed ourselves quickly and listened; but the distance was too great to hear words, or even distinguish voices. One particular misstep in the Kids life was his affiliation with the Lincoln County War. Were not trying to deceive anyone. When he was unable to make mortgage payments on his ranch, the county auctioned off his personal belongings, but that raised only $650. 'To me, it's one of the most intriguing and historically significant of those tintypes of the Old West. The months-long war came to a climax with the July 19, 1878, Battle of Lincoln, also called 'The Five-Day Battle'. By Kelly Mclaughlin For Mailonline and Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com and Associated Press, Published: 06:57 EST, 15 November 2017 | Updated: 10:53 EST, 15 November 2017.