With his mother gone, teenage Henry McCarty was basically on his own. 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. 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. Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, had been on the trail for months. They all moved to Kansas together in 1870 and she married Antrim in 1873. But surely even the man who shot charming, murderous Billy the Kid deserved a better end than a bullet while watering the desert. He came directly towards me. People thought me bad before, but if ever I should get free, he said after finally being captured, Ill let them know what bad means., The following spring after a trial that had more to do with putting on a good show for the papers than searching for the truth of what happened in the Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid was found guilty and sentenced to hang. All rights reserved. I believe he lived, had many more adventures before he finally died in Hico in 1950. Garrettwas dismissed in1906 and returned to New Mexico. Were not trying to deceive anyone. The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid - Atlas Obscura Henry Woodson Strong scouted for famed Indian fighter Ranald S. Mackenzie. Billy the Kidborn William Henry McCarty, but also known as William H. Bonneyoriginally came from New York. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). There were at least 26 newspaper articles written that claimed Billy was still alive after July 14, 1881. The man, local blacksmith Frank Cahill, called Billy a pimp. The Regulators and the new sheriffs forces clashed in July 1878 at whats become known as the Battle of Lincoln. Billy had numerous friends and people sympathetic to his plight at the Fort, so the lawmen found it difficult to extract any information. McNew and Carr were the first to be arrested. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. For instance, Poe does not remember the significant incident at the peach orchard. Texas. The Regulators were able to ambush and kill Brady, but that didnt put an end to things. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. It was the last contact he ever had with Antrim. 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. There are also suggestions that Billy and Garrett were friends and planned the whole incident so the fugitive could escape. Little is known about Billy the Kids early days, but 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. He was a gambler and heavy drinker andoften deeply in debt. 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). In July, Garrett caught wind that Billy might be staying with a friend in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Hurricane (part 1) Bob Dylan Lyrics 2023 Atlas Obscura. On his way to freedom, charming Billy killed two of his jailers. In 1879 he married Juanita Gutierrez, who died in childbirth less than a year after their marriage. El Paso Times 1934: Pistol That Killed Billy the Kid Will Be Returned to Garretts Widow. About two months later with no amnesty forthcoming, Billy realized hed been had and they were going to hang him instead. 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. 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. Before he reached the bed, I whispered: Who is it, Pete? but received no reply for a moment. There are plenty of conspiracy theories about Garrett's assassination. *Source: Texas State Historical Association. A year after pulling the trigger, Pat Garrett wrote and published an account of what happened that night, and you can find that account here. Garrett claims that he stayed in Maxwells house with his men for the entire night. 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. The Gun That Killed Billy The Kid But Garrett resigned before long and returned to his ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Pat Garrett, the Ive just killed Pat Garrett! Deputy Lucero locked up Brazel, called for a coroners jury, and rode to the location of the murder. During an interview in 1983, Pat Garretts last surviving daughter, Elizabeth, claimed that her father did not kill the Kid. 15 Most Famous Cowboys and Outlaws of the Wild West But how much of the myth is actually true? Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) - IMDb McCarty, a member of the Regulators, vowed to avenge Tunstall's death. Now the law had yet another reason to be after Billy the Kid. Film Review: The Kid. Corrections? In 1882, Garrett and his ghost writer, Marshall Upson, published The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. As Currys inauguration was not for a few months, Garrett returned to El Paso to look for work. CNN A Pardon for The Notorious Billy the Kid? He was sentenced to hang and was then transferred to the courthouse and jail in Lincoln, but on April 28, 1881, he killed deputies James Bell and Robert Olinger and escaped. In 2008, for instance, Bonham sold Billy's gun for $64,350. 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 His age, appearance, and size won him his 'Kid' moniker. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; the judge set his execution day for May 13. Despite his young age, Kid was said to have killed anywhere between 9 and 21 men. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, a dark vest and pants, and was in his shirtsleeves. Although he claimed to have killed 21 men, the actual number is likely less than 10. 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. There are different accounts regarding the tip-off that brought the lawmen to Fort Sumner, the encounter at the orchard, and the moments before and after the shooting. 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. He murdered two deputies, James Bell and Bob Olinger, during the escape. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Although the book was not successful when it was released, an originaledition became quite valuable over the years. That same year, a man named Randy Guijarro bought an old photo for $2 at a shop in Fresno, California. We'll see what happens,' Abrams said. The sheriff and two deputies, John Poe and Thomas McKinney, saddle up and set out in search of their quarry. Quickly as possible I drew my revolver and fired, threw my body aside, and fired again. 'One day it may end up at an auction house somewhere. Omissions? Billy the Kid was also still stealing. While Garrett was there, he was forced to defend himself from a local bully, Mariano Leiva, by shooting him in the shoulder. He had already written down the jurys verdict and asked Segura, Anaya and the rest of the jury to sign it. It was a game of two, Billy said, and I got there first.. Perhaps he killed an innocent man as the fugitive escaped and fled to Mexico? Free shipping for many products! Dave Rudabaugh Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing another Sheriff, but Billy managed to escape. Garrett then supposedly shot McCarty dead. 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. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Garrett and his lawman tracked down McCarty to modern day Taiban, New Mexico, where the group surrendered in December 1880. The Lady Is My Wife - Trailers From Hell Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. 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. So, the Kid escaped custody and eluded the law for the next two years. He managed to locate his stepfathers place in New Mexico, where he holed up for a few weeks. Quien es? (Whos that? 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. I think people really like being associated with it now. 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. 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. Circa 1879-1880. It was a good racket, but he couldnt stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy it. Furthermore, several of Billys friends say he only had a knife and not a gun. One of Garretts deputies went to check the roof and was fatally shot. Whatever happened, the answer will probably remain a secret forever. He was 57. On December 19, 1880, Bonney, Billy Wilson, Charlie Bowdre, Tom Pickett, and Tom OFolliard rode into Fort Sumner. He then worked in Graham County as a farmhand, teamster, and cowboy. And this was before McDonald's. 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. 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. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. The two talked of this and that. 'To me, it's one of the most intriguing and historically significant of those tintypes of the Old West. There is little or no evidence to back up any of these claims. This is a terrible place to put a fellow in.". Garrett gets word that the Kid is hiding out near Maxwells place. If not, did someone else shoot the outlaw? 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.