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?' Born on New York Citys East Side, Billy as a child migrated with his parents to Kansas; his father died there, and the mother and her two boys moved to Colorado, where she remarried. The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid. After three years on the run and several other murders, Pat Garrett finally arrested Billy in early 1881. 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. 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. 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). 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. 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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. When she succumbed and died in late 1874, Antrim was a couple of days ride away. 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. Billy the Kid (left) and Brushy Bill Roberts (right). Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, declined to pardon Western outlaw Billy the Kid during his last hours in office. There is little or no evidence to back up any of these claims. Are Double-Sided Graves the Solution to London's Burial Crisis? But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. Historians say that this photo shows outlaw Billy the Kid, circled second from left, and Pat Garrett, circled far right, taken in 1880. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, The Persevering Pilot And Author Who Charted Her Own Course, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. This time however, he was sentenced to hang for the death of Sheriff Brady. They are personal things, and things that make complete sense for him to be upset about if his story was true.. 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. However, Abrams isn't interested in finding out anytime soon. 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. 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. 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. 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. He came directly towards me. These qualities contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and a folk hero. 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. Why Billy The Kid Is The Most Infamous Gunslinger Of The Wild West. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing 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. Did Pat Garrett kill Billy the Kid as per the official tale? 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. Garretts adversaries attained copies of the photos and sent them to Roosevelt along with a note telling the President that Powers was not a cattleman, but the proprietor of a rowdy saloon. 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. But before that could happen, Billy snuck out of jail yet again and stole another horse which he rode hard for New Mexico Territory where he was still wanted for robbery. But they were only able to arrest John Webb, an accused murderer, along with horse thief George Davis. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. The Washington Post One Mans Quest to Bury the Wild West Mystery of Billy the Kids Death. As a result of one of the many ambushes that occurred, Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady and one of his deputies were found dead, having been shot by the Kid. Offer subject to change without notice. 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. It was at this point that many sources say the Kid began his life of crimestarting with stealing and progressing to murder. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Together the couple had nine children four girls and five boys. Corrections? One of Bonneys men was killed; Bonney and the rest of his men were captured. I believe he lived, had many more adventures before he finally died in Hico in 1950. He was celebrated for his gun skills and, according to popular legend killed 21 men - one for each year of his short life. They made it safely, however, and Garrett collected the $500 state bounty on Billys head. Henry got the better of Cahill and shot him, inflicting a wound that would kill him the next day. These qualities contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and a folk hero. A judge apparently ruled against the efforts, but that hasnt stopped present Governor Richardsons interest in the case. In 1879 he married Juanita Gutierrez, who died in childbirth less than a year after their marriage. Here's how Sheriff Pat Garrett related his side of the story. He then worked in Graham County as a farmhand, teamster, and cowboy. Mysteries of the Old West: Did Pat Garrett Kill 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. Richardson appointed Charles Daniels to the state Supreme Court, whom McGinn is married to. The Kid's freedom was short lived however, when Garrett set down to find him on July 14, 1881. The extended dance of Garrett fired twice, hitting Billy once, and killing him. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; the judge set his execution day for May 13. On the night ofJuly 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned down outlaw Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner. When Billy called Cahill a son of a bitch, the fight was on and soon the men were wrestling over Billys (stolen) revolver. On his way to freedom, charming Billy killed two of his jailers. 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Carl Adamson took Garrett to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and was soon joined by Brazel on horseback. They saw a group of men nearby who were speaking in Spanish. But then they took him to the jail house Where they try to turn a man into a mouse. Pat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. Lee and Gililland stayed on the run for another eight months and finally surrendered. The Kid was catapulted into legend due to the $500 bounty - then a staggering amount - on his head. 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. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. 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. I walked to the head of the bed and sat down on it, beside him, near the pillow. 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. New Mexico Office of the State Historian. He raised quickly his pistol, a self-cocker, within a foot of my breast. In 1903, Garrett got into a public brawl with his employee, George Gaither. 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. Garrett rode to Maxwells house late that night and hid in Maxwells kitchen. Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, declined to follow through with that pardon. Garrett and his men laid siege to the Dedrick ranch at Bosque Grande on November 30th, expecting to find Billy the Kid. On April 15th, Judge Warren Bristol sentenced Billy the Kid to hang, but he escaped before the sentence was carried out. 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. 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. The abandoned U.S. Army post on the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail is now the home of rancher Peter Maxwell. An experienced outlaw (even at a tender age) would surely have recognized two deputies standing on the porch. In December 1880, he had brought in the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid on charges of murdering a former county sheriff. Quien es? (Whos that? Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. Brazel used the land to raise goats, which was unacceptable to the Garrets. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces, shouting, Lock me up. As a child, Billy the Kid went under the name of Henry McCarty. 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. Soon a man arose from the ground, in full view, but too far away to recognize. The Kid remained and Garrett was true to his word and arrested his former friend. 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. Brushy Bill Roberts, who died in 1950, claimed that he was the Kid. He was a gambler and heavy drinker andoften deeply in debt. He added: 'People ask me all the time, what do you think its worth, what do you think its worth. He was to outlaws what Wyatt Earp was to lawmen, an iconic figure whose legacy persists on to this day. He had stopped his wagon on a lonely road about four miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to empty his bladder. Billy had numerous friends and people sympathetic to his plight at the Fort, so the lawmen found it difficult to extract any information. Despite his young age, Kid was said to have killed anywhere between 9 and 21 men. It is believed to benow worth millions of dollars. 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. In April 1878, the Regulators ambushed Brady and four of his deputies on a main street in Lincoln. The two men were fined for disturbing the peace. Hes since been romanticized in print, and on stage, television, and film as an emblem of the lawless West. As is the case with so many mythologized historical figures, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. At around 9 pm, Garrett and his deputies rode to a peach orchard in the area to chat with Maxwell. McCarty, was a member of the Regulators gang. He would tell people around here, You know, I have a secret and one of these days youre going to find out what it is. He didnt want to tell his story at first. For starters, Billy the Kids name wasnt Billy and he wasnt born in the western United States. But when he unwisely returned to the area a few days later, he was locked up in the stockade pending the arrival of law enforcement. Wikimedia CommonsThe full-length version of the sole completely authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. But then I might. ', This undated file photo (left) is thought to be an image of famed gunslinger Billy the Kid near the age of 18. Pat Garrett was away at the time and didnt try to track the Kid until he received information that the outlaw was holed up in a ranch at Fort Sumner, some 140 miles away from Lincoln. Its now summer 1881. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Richard Stockton is a freelance science and technology writer from Sacramento, California. The Regulators were able to ambush and kill Brady, but that didnt put an end to things. What prompted this last minute decision? Following Billy the Kids death, the media turned him into a folk hero and made Garrett out to be the bad guy. Before resigning in disgrace, federal judge William Story preceded the more celebrated hanging judge Isaac Parker in Arkansas Western District. 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. Somehow, he managed to reach a friends house, where he was allowed to rest and recover from his ordeal in the desert. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). The moment word got out about his escape, New Mexicos governor put another $500 bounty on the Kid, dead or alive. Pat Garrett (2nd from right) with friends on the porch in Roswell, New Mexico. What you may not know is that the long dead Kid may be up for a pardon from current New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. 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. The image could be the last known picture of Billy the Kid, who was born Henry McCarty. CNN A Pardon for The Notorious Billy the Kid? Billy then managed to cut through his leg irons and steal a horse to make his escape. The authenticity of the photo has since been disputed, despite National Geographic standing behind it. Thereafter, Garrett was a rancher near Roswell, N.M. (188296), deputy sheriff and then sheriff of Dona Ana County, N.M. (18961902), and collector of customs at El Paso, Texas (190206). In 1882, Garrett and his ghost writer, Marshall Upson, published The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. 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Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Whos that?) All this occurred in a moment. Along with deputies Thomas McKinney and John Poe, Garrett reached the Fort on the night of July 14, 1881. 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. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. But surely even the man who shot charming, murderous Billy the Kid deserved a better end than a bullet while watering the desert. The Regulators and the new sheriffs forces clashed in July 1878 at whats become known as the Battle of Lincoln. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The sheriff and two deputies, John Poe and Thomas McKinney, saddle up and set out in search of their quarry. The men inside were pretty tough and the battle started to turn against the lawmen, but then reinforcements arrived from a nearby army base. I wont put a price on it, quite frankly its priceless. Memorial marking spot where Pat Garrett was killed. 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. Wallace reneged on his promise., Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. A cropped version of the sole fully authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. There are two theories about what happened at the house where Garrett found and killed McCarty. Originally published in the August 2006 issue of American History. 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. When we reached the porch in front of the building, I left Poe and McKinney at the end of the porch, about twenty feet from the door of Petes room, and went in.