Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-08-25
The Life of Billy the Kid.
{ From tho St. Louis Globe Democrat. |

LAMy, N. NJ, July 25 In your paper
of Last Monday, which, owing to tho foods
aud washouts along the railroad, has just
reached here, sec you copy the long and
absurd sketch of Billy the Kid aud his
fictitious castle, furnished the Philadelphia
Times by its correspondent at Fort Sumner,
New Mexico, in letter duted July 10.
The Times correspondent gives, as tho hero
of an alleged wonderful adventure in the
castle of the famous Kid, md the authority
for his Munohauscnish pen picture Of TINT
rcdoubtablc boy devil, Mr.. Duncan, who
is described as having been at one timo
member of General Shcrman's staff, but,
when his adventure occurred, connected
with railroad surveying party, and "now
successful trader Mt Aamosa, Now Mex
ico." The whole story of the Kids gor-
gcous style is the widest bosh; his imprcg-
nable castle was clear case of castle in
Spain, and his gold braided broad cloth,
his royalty caparisonod stced, his black
buckskin trousers with rows of fringe and
eilver bells down the legs, and his $500
hat buziug with gold and jewels, werc the
gauzicst fabrics of whiskcyed brain.
But without any of the blazonry Of huns
bug and embroidery Of fiction, the history
of Billy the Kid" ecipses all BeadIe's
Jime romanoes of border ruflianism and
crime and dims by comparison the lustrc of
Missouri's pet heroes and exemplars, the
dashing Jameses. He needs no bogus sill
yer spurs stuck on his heels by Phila-
delphia scribber to send him gaoping
down to bloody and dare devilsh immor-
tality. The papers speak of him as Billy
Couley, Billy Coyle, Billy Donovan, and
Billy Ronpy, aad as many regions olamor
for the honor of his birth as for that of
ancient Homer. The New York Sun sets
him down as New York beer saloon
brawler of years sgo Springfield Ill.,,
Sherman, Toxas, Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
and several other places arc orodited with
his nativity.
TIE KIDS FIRST MURDER.
His real name was Billy MCCARTHY, and
ho was born in Now York. When he was
very small boy the family settled in Silver
City, Grant County, New Mexico, and ho
was raised in that place. After tho death
of his father his mother married man
named Antum, who is now living in George
town, New Mexico, and brother of Billy
is miner in that region. When he was
about Is years old he was jailed in Silver
City for robbing storc. Being very small
for his age. some ladies took pity on him
and assisted him to escape, which no did
by crawling up through tho chimney of
the Jail His feminine sympathizers then
furnished him clothes and money and he
skipped over into Arizona. Here, when he
was l6 or II years old, ho killed his first
man in the most deliberate, cold blocded
style. Pursuit was hot, and he Aod back
to New Mexico and took refuge among the
COW boys of Lincoln County, just about the
timo that tho Lincoln County war broke
out.
This war, according to Marion Turner,
who was conspicuous figure in it, origi.
nated in tho determination Of old John
Chisum and his partner, Alexander
McSwain, to establish q monopoly 10 tho
stock grazing business and make themselves
what they claimed to bo. tho outte kings of
of the Pecos Valley. They drove 10 S0,-
600 head of cattle. Tho herds Of the
smaller ranchers were swept away with the
rolling avalanche of hoofs aud horns. The
loosers attempted to reclaim their animals
Collisions between the hcrders were of con-
staut occurrence. The firm of Murphy,
Dolan & Co. headed tho ranohmcn aud
hordcrs opposed to Chisum & MoSwain.
Both sides enlisted all the strength and