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. Maxwell lit a candle to illuminate the room and the body of Billy the Kid lay motionless, with Garretts bullet lodged in his heart. 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. Thinking fast, Billy told Grant that he admired his revolver and asked if he could look at it. He stated that he decided against the pardon, because of a lack of conclusiveness and the historical ambiguity as to why Gov. So, why is the notorious Billy the Kid up for this pardon, you ask? 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. 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. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid 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. His age, appearance, and size won him his 'Kid' moniker. It is believed to benow worth millions of dollars. He was armed with a knife and a gun. In July, Garrett caught wind that Billy might be staying with a friend in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. He was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, as well as Doa Ana County, New Mexico. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. 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. Antrim tolerated this briefly but the two eventually had a falling out and McCarty left for good, making sure to steal a gun and some clothes on his way out. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, declined to follow through with that pardon. Shortly after his death, war broke out between the Jesse Evans Gang and the Regulators, who backed Tunstall. 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. ), correspondent Darren Gross has come across a watchable web encoding of a Peckinpah TV drama that seems to be more or less lost. Good star performances (Jean Simmons, Bradford The abandoned U.S. Army post on the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail is now the home of rancher Peter Maxwell. Although he claimed to have killed 21 men, the actual number is likely less than 10. Billy the Kid was a late 19th-century thief and gunfighter. Click here to sign a petition for the pardon of Billy the Kid, or click here to sign a petition opposed to that pardon. Quien es? (Whos that? Wikimedia CommonsThe full-length version of the sole completely authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. By 1876 he was hunting buffalo, until a dispute with another hunter, Joe Briscoe, ended up with Garrett killing Briscoe. Garrett is the man who eventually killed Billy the Kid, born as Henry McCarty. Pats son Dudley arranged with Jesse Brazel for a five-year lease of the Garretts Bear Canyon Ranch. 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. 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. At some point, someone shot and killed Garrett, but exactly who did it has been a subject of debate. For starters, Billy the Kids name wasnt Billy and he wasnt born in the western United States. He died by the gun of Sherriff Pat Garrett at age 21. 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. 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. He was reportedly killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, who later burnished the legend of the Wild West outlaw. 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. 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. Its now summer 1881. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Following Billy the Kids death, the media turned him into a folk hero and made Garrett out to be the bad guy. She writes, A promise is a promise and should be enforced. Garrett was away from Lincoln on county business when the Kid made his escape. Along with deputies Thomas McKinney and John Poe, Garrett reached the Fort on the night of July 14, 1881. A very similar situation arose with yet another disputed photo of Billy in 2017. Marshal named Robert Widenmann, there as part of a federal effort to restore order, who let him out (presumably sparing him the hassle of planning his third jail escape). 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. 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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. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing another Sheriff, but Billy managed to escape. A handwriting expert in Texas compared a signature from Garrett on the photo with ten documents with his known handwriting. 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. Garrett then supposedly shot McCarty dead. The other account is that it was McCarty who entered the home, holding his knife, when he noticed a dark figure in the house, and again asked 'Who Is it?' Retreating rapidly across the room he cried: Quien es? This time however, he was sentenced to hang for the death of Sheriff Brady. 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 two men were fined for disturbing the peace. But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. New Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett and his posse captured Billy the Kid at a place called Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. The men inside were pretty tough and the battle started to turn against the lawmen, but then reinforcements arrived from a nearby army base. On his way to freedom, charming Billy killed two of his jailers. To Poes great surprise, he recognized in the camper an old friend and former partner, in Texas, named Jacobs. Before the sun came up, the Kid was underground with nothing but a wooden marker for his grave. Wikimedia CommonsLew Wallace, before he became governor. A cropped version of the sole fully authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. While still young, his family relocated to New Mexico. At the same time he served as a deputy U.S. marshal. Alternate titles: Brushy Bill, Henry McCarty, William H. Bonney, Jr. 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. Historians say that this photo shows outlaw Billy the Kid, circled second from left, and Pat Garrett, circled far right, taken in 1880. Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. When she succumbed and died in late 1874, Antrim was a couple of days ride away. He managed to locate his stepfathers place in New Mexico, where he holed up for a few weeks. Circa 1879-1880. He Ended His Career in Disgrace. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. In 1948, a paralegal named William V. Morrison was investigating a man named Joe Hines, a survivor of the Lincoln County War, the feud that helped make Billy the Kids name. They mistook OFolliard for Bonney, however,and fatally shot him. I might not pardon him. But mostly because of the cattle that went missing. He and an accomplice named John Mackie began swiping horses from a nearby Army fort and then selling them. Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan ride tall in Vincent DOnofrios fresh take on the saga of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. A few months later, Garrett married Apolinaria Gutierrez, his sister-in-law. 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. 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. Soon afterwards he was captured and shot by Lincoln County sheriff, Patrick Floyd Garrett in a sting operation. Amid controversy, Garrett was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 2, 1902. WebOn the night of July 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned down outlaw Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; 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 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. He also wouldnt have backed into a darkened doorway where more danger possibly lurked. Furthermore, several of Billys friends say he only had a knife and not a gun. Stealing his gun, Billy shot him dead and hobbled in chains to the wardens office where he grabbed a shotgun and perched in the window. In November 1880, he and three of his gang were captured, and the Kid was tried and convicted for the murder of Brady. As for Billy the Kid, hes long since passed become an icon of American history, even a folk hero of sorts. Billy the Kid, that heasked Sheriff Kimball to appoint him deputy sheriff until his term officiallybegan in January of 1881. The Regulators and the new sheriffs forces clashed in July 1878 at whats become known as the Battle of Lincoln. The months-long war came to a climax with the July 19, 1878, Battle of Lincoln, also called 'The Five-Day Battle'. Either way, Billy sensed that trouble was coming and decided to head it off at the pass. Garrett was so impatient to capture the outlawWilliam Bonney, a.k.a. These qualities contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and a folk hero. He was celebrated for his gun skills and, according to popular legend killed 21 men - one for each year of his short life. 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. The two men knew each other and had socialized with one another; it might be a stretch to call them friends. 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. Free shipping for many products! He was a wanted young man. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Carl Adamson never appeared at the trial as a witness, and Brazel was acquitted. When Billy called Cahill a son of a bitch, the fight was on and soon the men were wrestling over Billys (stolen) revolver. Did Billy the Kid Cheat Death and Live on as 'Brushy Bill'? He came directly towards me. But then they took him to the jail house Where they try to turn a man into a mouse. Omissions? 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. At some point after these murders, Lew Wallace became governor of New Mexico. Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty to Irish immigrants in New York City around 1859. Why Billy The Kid Is The Most Infamous Gunslinger Of The Wild West. A judge apparently ruled against the efforts, but that hasnt stopped present Governor Richardsons interest in the case. As is the case with so many mythologized historical figures, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Bonney woke up and went into the kitchen, presumably to get something to eat. He had already written down the jurys verdict and asked Segura, Anaya and the rest of the jury to sign it. Related story from us: One of the men who killed Bonnie & Clyde was Bonnies secret admirer. After the shooting, Garrett claimed the Kid had a .41 caliber pistol in his hand, Poe said it was a .38 caliber. Before I made the discoveries I made in my book, I did not have an opinion on Brushy Bill, says Edwards. In the aftermath of the apparent shooting, numerous people claimed to have met the Kid. Brazel used the land to raise goats, which was unacceptable to the Garrets. Before he reached the bed, I whispered: Who is it, Pete? but received no reply for a moment. In 1901 Garrett was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as Collector of Customs in El Paso. Sheriff Pat Garretts grandson, J.P. Garrett, argues that Richardson should have assigned an impartial historian to aid in the case, and believes that McGinns involvement may be a conflict of interest. Little as we then suspected it, this man was the Kid.