Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-06-21

lie leads me without fear.
go where leaves of roses blow,
Where the laurels bloom, fade and die:
Igo where all things 60. II. B. 5.
CHILLY THE KID"
A Boy Ds.perado. APPALLING ecord Of
Cleveland Leader.
Tho doings of a noted boy desperate,
known by the euphoni0us title of Billy
the Kid, have been frequently chronicled
in the telegraphic columns. "Billy the
Kid is bound to achieve even more fame
than the noted Wild Bill, who, according
to western lore, used to kill a man or two
before breakfast. Billy's field Of opera
tiOns had been mostly confined to the
broad prairies of that boundless state,
New Mexico. Billy is a terror and Mr..
Lutte Wilcox of the Las Vegas, n. NJ,
Daily Optic, now visiting in this city,
knows all about the terror of the plains.
This coming to the cars Of Leader man,
he sought out the far western journalist,
subjected him to the torture of an inter.
view and elected tho following facts
"Thc kid" according 10 report, was
once q New York boOtblack. Reading
dime novels and trashy story papers turned
his head, and he bought . revolver and
started for the boundless West. On tho
way he fingered long enough in Ohio to
kill tho first man, after which he made
tracks for Texas, where he became q cow
boy. Ills deadly skill as marksLlan and
his unquenchable desire for gore soon
gave him the name and famc he coveted
that of brutal desperate. He was one
of the leaders in the Lincoln county, New
Mexico, war, killing several men. After
this fight was over he became the leader
of gang of outlaws and committed mur-
derous atrocities. So offensive did his
operations become that tho governor of
the state offered five hundred dollars re-
ward for his capture. The citizens COM
bined to help the officers Of the law bring
the fugitive to justice, and after hard
chase of two weeks he was captured and
jailed. He, with four companions, was
tried at Messilla, N. NJ, and sentenced to
be hung on May 3, 1881. While in Jail he
confessed to Mr.. Wilcox that he had killed
no less than 32 men. "The Kid p" is less
blue eyes and a beartlless face.
He swOre that he would never swing,
and declared that he would break Jail, and
the night of April 80.
He had warned the authorities that he
would mako his escape, rcmarking, "YOu
know, boys, that in order to make this
hanging success you must have me there,
and / don't intend to be present" He
struck his guard over the head with the
heavy shackles that were on his wrists, and
then snatching the revolver from the belt
of the guard hc quickly ended the latter's
life with bullet. lie then coOlly walked
up to the house, just across the street,
where the other guard lived, and picking
up shotgun, seated himself to await the
guards return. A few moments later the
latter, unconscious of any danger, strolled
toward the house. A voice called out.
"Hello, old fc!low!' The guard
looked up and saw Billy tho Kid
with the gun in his hand. A
second later there was loud report and
the guard staggered dying from a wound in
the side. TO make sure of his work Billy
sent the contents Of the other barrel into
the guards BODY. This made the second
man that he had killed within ten minutes
Dropping tic shotgun he entered rear
room which was used for storing supplies
and armed himself with half dozen six.
shooters, a Winchester repeating rifle and
all the ammunition he could conveniently
carry. The report of the gun had caused
quite a number of people to assemble
around the building, and when Billy ap-
peared on the porch evoiy man reached for
his pistol. With his Winchester rifle at
his side, not raising it to his shoulder,
Billy began to shoot and tbs men began to
scatter.
81 am fighting the whole world for my
lise," said he, and mean business.
He then ordered one of the men to get him
a horse and filc. He mounted the
former and with the latter filed off the
shackles on ono of his legs, and, not stop
ping to remove the other, tied the severed
manacle with its chain TO his belt SO that
it should not impede his movements. Not
aman in the crowd dared to draw bead
on him, and, saying that he did not intend
Billy started out Of town on gallop. Be-
fore he had gone far the horse {" bucked +"
and threw him. He jumped up, and at
the muzzle of his pistol compelled ono of
the men to catch his horse, which he re-
mounted and rode away, and has not
since been seen or heard of. It seems
almost incredible that one man could take
possession of a town and mako his escape
in the face of score OF armed men; but
such is the fact.
Billy is said to be a master of the, use of
the revolver. He is dead shot and can
shoot quicker than any man in New Mex
leo. He can use an ordinary Colts revol-
yer IS quickly as another man can a self
cooking pistol. He shoots with his left
hand as accurately as hs does with his
right, and his aim with a revolver in each
hand, shooting simultaneously, is unerring.
With Winchester rifle he can shoot as
we'll with the gun at his side, without ap-
parently taking any aim as most men can
in the usual way. His equal for tho quick
and unerring use of firearms has never
been known in New York.
Since coming to Cleveland, said Mr.. Will
cox, hear that the Kid since his daring
escaps has killed three more men who were
in the employ of John Chisum, the cattle
king. The COW boys, four in number,
were seated, 80 says . report, around fire
when the Kid" rode up and inquired,
"are you working for old John Chisum %
Yes" was the reply. ." Then here's
your pay" A bullet from the Kids pistol
pierced the mans brains at the same mo-
ment. Seeing the murder of their COM
rade, the other cowboys sprang to their
feet, but before they could draw their 8
shooters that Of the Kid had exploded
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