Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-08-03
Of AN OUTLAW
MURDER0US CAREER OF BILLY
THE KID.
BUT TwEYTY-oNE YEAns OF AGE AND
ONE OF THE MOST NOTED OF DEsPER-
ADoEs-sHoT DOWN AT LAST
BY A sHERIFF-HIs EX-
CITING LIFE.
From the Philadelphia Times.l
Las VFaAa N NJ Julv

LAS VEGAS, n. NJ, July 10.
There is no doubt about il that
"Billy the Kid" the notorious bandit,
IS dead. He was killed on Saturday
by Sheriff Pat Garrett, of Lincoln Co.,
at Fort Sumner, l20 miles from here.
The Coroner's jury has returned a
verdict of justifiable homicide coupled
with a statement that Pat Garrett de.
served the thanks of the whole com.
munlty for ridding the country OF the
desperate. The Kid was q beardIess
youth and is said TO have been born in
New York and il is said that his real
name was Mccarthy. His boast was
that he had killed man for every
year ofhis age, which is probably true.
Sheriff Garrett receives the reward Of
$500 from the Territory and 5000 will
bo raised for him by the rejoicing peo.
pie. The verdict OF justifable homi.
eide is rather queer, as the Kid was
shot down without warning. He had
been in the neighborhood of Sumner
for some days, disguised as a Mexican.
Sheriff Garrett got upon his track
and on Saturday night was waiting
for him in the cabin of Pete Maxwell,
cattle man. Garrett had not been
in the room over twenty minutes
when the Kid entered in his stocking
feet, knife in hand, and ostensibly for
the purpose OF buying some meat He
observed CARROTS crouching form
near the bed, but before no could as.
certain who il was Garrett fred, the
ball passing through the dcsperado's
heart.
The Kid has shot a number of men
since his escape from Jail, about two
months ago. He was tried and sem
fenced TO be hanged and taken to
Lincoln, near Fort Stanton, for safe
keeping. He gave warning that he
would escape. One day he felled his
guard with blow from his shaekled
fists, snatched a revolver and sent q
bullet through his heart. Then he
walked across the street to the house
where another guard lived, waited for
him TO come up the street and shot
him dead. Then he armed himself
with Winchester rifle and lot of
revolvers and as the crowd gathered,
attracted by the noise, scattered people
right and left. He ordered one of the
men TO get him horse and file. He
mounted the horse and with the file he
removed the shackles from one of his
legs, and, not stopping to remove the
other, tied the severed manacle with
its chain to his belt so that it should
not impede his movements, Not man
in the crowd dared to draw bead on
him, and saying that ho did not intend
to steal the horse and would return il,
Billy started ont Of town on gallop.
Before he had gone far the horse
"bucked" and threw him. He jumped
up, and at the muzzle of his pistol
compelled one OF tho men to catch bis
horse, which he re-mounted and rode
away. Soon after he went to Fort
Sumner, where be had a sweetheart,
and disguised himself
A month ago 1t was generally be.
lIeved that the famous bandit known
as "Billy the Kid" was dead and as
the belief in the truth of the report
grew there was more and more rejoic.
ing Now, however, comes the report
that Billy is still in the land of the liv-
ing and that he is living in disguise at
Sumner. There is considerable excite
ment over the news. "Billy the Kid"
who has been greatly feared in this
portion of New Mexico, in Texas and
parts Of Colorado for several years
past, is the desperate concerning
whom less is known than any other
American outlaw who ever cut throats,
robbed stage coaches or stole cattle in
this far Western country. Your cor
respondent has accidentally made the
acquaintance Of young gentleman,
the son Of q former distinguished
member Of General Sherman's staff,
who had a wonderful experience with
the celebrated bandit, whose deeds
have been 80 much heralded Of late.
Young Duncan is now successful
trader at Alamosa, New Mexico, in
the "Black Range The news of the
renegade's death was TO the effect that
a.Billy the Kid" disguised and going
under another name, was shot and
killed by passengers Of stage.coach
within five miles of Alamosa, N. NJ,
on the afternoon of May 16, at thirty
minutes past one o'clock--just twenty
five hours and thirty minutes later
than he would have died by the rope
had he renamed in the jail Of little
New Mexico town, where he was con-
fined under sentence of death, which
sentence was to have been executed
on the 10Th Of May, al twelve o'clock
noon. On the ID Of May he escaped
from jail by knocking his jailer sense
less with the manaoles on his hands
and got away, after killing the Depu.
ty Sheriff and one other citizen. Dur
ing the two weeks freedom which fol.
lowed, this young terror of the plains
succeeded in taking seven more lives
than he already had TO answer for,
bringing his grand total Of known
butcheries up TO some thlrty.three or
. A. .I