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. Billy the Kid has long been one of the many names associated with the Wild West, alongside the Bob Dalton Gang, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cole Younger, Jesse James, and more. A quick online search reveals more than 50 films in which Billy the Kid is either the main character or a secondary one. Updates? Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Now the law had yet another reason to be after Billy the Kid. During a card game, Billy the Kid accused another player of cheating. 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. As Currys inauguration was not for a few months, Garrett returned to El Paso to look for work. And when it was stolen in 1981 and then quickly recovered in Florida, New Mexicos governor had it flown back home. 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. During the ensuing confrontation, the sheriff and his posse, loyal to Tunstalls rivals, shot Tunstall off his horse and then picked up his own gun and used it to kill him with a shot to the back of the head. Billy the Kid didnt make it all the way to New Mexico. The man who had leased the ranch, Wayne Brazel, alleged that Garrett had drawn a gun on him and that the killing was self-defense. 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. Pat Garrett (2nd from right) with friends on the porch in Roswell, New Mexico. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid, the whole story, thats part of who we are now, Eidson says. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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." Corrections? He then worked in Graham County as a farmhand, teamster, and cowboy. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. A handwriting expert in Texas compared a signature from Garrett on the photo with ten documents with his known handwriting. 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. Set of wooden folding chairs sells for 5.3MILLION after Live like the mob! For deaths, sure. 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. El Paso Times 1934: Pistol That Killed Billy the Kid Will Be Returned to Garretts Widow. He moved in with an El Paso prostitute; when Curry learned of Garretts situation, he withdrew his offer. The man, local blacksmith Frank Cahill, called Billy a pimp. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Billy supposedly aimed his gun at Poe while backing into the nearest door, which happened to be Maxwells bedroom. He was orphaned as a teen. On the evening of July 14, Garrett waited inside Maxwell's bedroom. As a child, Billy the Kid went under the name of Henry McCarty. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an original edition became quite valuable over the years. Using the name Billy Antrim and nicknamed the kid for his youth and boyish appearance, McCarty soon came to be known as Billy the Kid and found work as a cowboy and ranch hand in Arizona. 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. 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 He Was a Fast-Rising Judge in Arkansas. On July 12, 1898, Garrett and his men encountered Oliver M. Lee and James Gililland at Wildy Well near Orogrande, Texas. The months-long war came to a climax with the July 19, 1878, Battle of Lincoln, also called 'The Five-Day Battle'. Bonney woke up and went into the kitchen, presumably to get something to eat. They are personal things, and things that make complete sense for him to be upset about if his story was true.. In April 1878, the Regulators ambushed Brady and four of his deputies on a main street in Lincoln. He was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, as well as Doa Ana County, New Mexico. Texas. You can read all about Billys last night from the point of view of the man who shot him. Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, had been on the trail for months. 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 Garrett on July 14, 1881, in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. 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 and Garrett went to court, and Brazel agreed to cancel his lease with Garrett providing he could sell his 1,200 goats. I've always been somebody who's interested in history and background.'. McNew and Carr were the first to be arrested. Hewas elected to the office of sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, winning ahead ofincumbent Sheriff George Kimball. For example, a Mrs. Wood of Seven Rivers said she served the outlaw dinner three days after he was supposed to have died. In the aftermath of the apparent shooting, numerous people claimed to have met the Kid. 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. For starters, Billy the Kids name wasnt Billy and he wasnt born in the western United States. Garrett tried to break the lease when he learned his creditor, W.W. Bill Cox, was financing Brazel. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What prompted this last minute decision? 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!' The disputed photo bought by Randy Guijarro, allegedly showing Billy the Kid (center). It was a good racket, but he couldnt stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy it. 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. New Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett and his posse captured Billy the Kid at a place called Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. Either way, Billy sensed that trouble was coming and decided to head it off at the pass. 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. McCarty, a member of the Regulators, vowed to avenge Tunstall's death. One of Garretts deputies went to check the roof and was fatally shot. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Unfortunately, by the time the Kid was fifteen years old his mother had passed away from tuberculosis. 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. He was then sent back to Lincoln County, where he was scheduled to be executed on May 13. But his parents did not long survive the Civil War that devastated the South, leaving the children heavily in debt. 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. Click here to sign a petition for the pardon of Billy the Kid, or click here to sign a petition opposed to that pardon. But mostly because of the cattle that went missing. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces, shouting, Lock me up. Three days later, Garrett and his men surrounded the fugitives at Stinking Springs. 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. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. This is the real story of Billy the Kid. I believe all communities are built on legends, and in Hamilton County Brushy Bills stories connect us to those wild days of the frontier.. He moved to Texas, where Governor John Ireland appointed him to the Texas Rangers. But That Was Just the Beginning. Join us for a daily celebration of the worlds most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places. Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, declined to follow through with that pardon. But they were only able to arrest John Webb, an accused murderer, along with horse thief George Davis. Frank Abrams, a North Carolina attorney, first spotted the tintype photo in Asheville in 2011. 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. The authenticity of the photo has since been disputed, despite National Geographic standing behind it. 'I don't travel with it.'. 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. 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. Born Henry McCarty, he was the first of two boys raised by a small Irish Catholic family in New York City. Richardson told the Associated Press on Wednesday, I dont know where Ill end up. 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?" The Regulators were able to ambush and kill Brady, but that didnt put an end to things. Marshals Posse. 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. They mistook OFolliard for Bonney, however,and fatally shot him. Garrett then supposedly shot McCarty dead. I guess well just all have to anxiously await the outcome of this deceased outlaws judicial fate. Offer subject to change without notice. It was at this point that many sources say the Kid began his life of crimestarting with stealing and progressing to murder. 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. 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. And yet with the good cheer came a surprising ruthlessness. Billy became a fugitive. After the escape, Garrett set out to remove Billy from the landscape, one way or another. Wallace reneged on his promise., Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. By 1892 Garrett and his family had relocated to Uvalde, Texas, where he befriended John Nance Garner, a future United States vice-president. 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.