The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-07-17
AN OUTLAWS WILD LIFE.
HOW BILLY THE pID" WAS Drawn
TO HIS DOM
Career of a Noted Outlaw i'm the
southwest - How The slayer of
Many Wen Met Els Death,

Billy the Kid, the notorious outlaw,
was passionately fond of women, and
they idolized him. He smoked cigar
cites, never drank, and had the physique
of an Apollo, with the eyes of god
flashing as the stars on the darkest
night As a horseman he was daring
and graceful and with his Winchester,
or self-cocking Smith & Wcsson, man
who never missed his aim. The winter
of 1879 he spent at Sascaso, on the
Canadian river. He considered himself
greatly wronged by the confscation of
his cattle ard the price set upon his
head by the government, while John
Chiselm, for whom he had lost all,
turned a cold shoulder upon him. That
sourcd Billy's disposition. Advised
by his best friends to emigrate
10 Old Mexico, and turn over new
leaf, he swore that he would not, but
would return to New Mexico and make
good his losses in financial sense. He
did return, and from that time on his
hand was raised against those who had
betrayed him and the authorities. He
and his party were coraled in ranch in
Central New Mexico in the winter of
1882 by their enemies, and bcsieged till
famine brought a council of war. All
were in favor Of slirrendering but the
Kid; but to save their lives, and on the
promise of fair treatment by their cap
tors, he surrendered with them. At this
time he had killed twenty-five men-onc
for each year of his life He asserted
that his conscience was clear, and that
he had not killed any one except in self
defence. After their capture he and his
friends were taken to Las Vegas and
placed on board of passenger train of
the Santa Fe and Topeka road.
There was terrible excitement in the
town, ano a mob had been formed to
lynch them. All but Billy of the prs-
oners covered under the car seats filled
with fear; but he, with shackled hands,
threw UP the car window and laughed in
the faces of his would-be slayers, and
told the sheriff that if he would give him
back his Winchester he would stand the
whole mob off. The sheriff. cool and
nervy man-fnally told the mob that if
they did not cease he would strike the
shackles from them, give them back
their arms and let the people suffer the
consequences. He had given his word
to his prisoners that he would protect
them, and the mob would only reach
them over his dead body. At this the
crowd withdrew, and the train took
these noted men to Santa Fe, where they
were kept in Jail till the court convened,
and then taken to Las Cruces, in the val
ley of the Rio Grande for trial Billy
was convicted of murder and sente need
to be hanged in Lincoln county, and his
escort to the gallows was Deputy United
States Marshal Bob Ollinger and one
guard. Owing to Billy'S reputation
United States Marshal John Shcr-
man, Jr., had caused to be made a spe-
cial kind of shacklcs of steel rings and
Yale locks, and weighing thirty pounds.
These were placed on the prisoner.
When half of their journey had been
traversed they stopped at a ranch for din
ner, Billy b2ing left alone in the room
with the guard, while Ollinger crossed
the placita to get his dinner. Just what
happened will rcvcr be known. In some
way or other the Kid got near enough to
the guard to crush his skull with his
shackles, and then, to complete his work,
drew the mans revolver and shot him
twice. Ollinger, hearing the shots, came
running back, but Billy met him at the
door with a gun in his hands that had
been left there, saving, Look out for
yourself, Bob" shot him dead. Billy
then gathered up their welpons, forced
the people at the hacienda to cut the
shacllles from him, which was done at a
blacksmith shop, and competed them to
lasso and saddle the finest horse in the
corral. The animal was bronca, and
Billy, being stiifcncd from his shackles
and captivity, on attempting to mount
was thrown. He came down on his feet,
however, had the animal caught again,
and the second attempt was success.
He flew away.
Bob O!linger was one of the ncrvicst
deputies aud best shots in the country,
and was selected as Billy's escort on this
account and he made his boasts to Billy
when he started that he would "stay"
with him till he swung him from the
gallows. Billy quietly smiled and an
swered, There S many slip 'twiXt cup
and lip" Twenty-four hours after Billy
made his celebrated escape from the ha-
cienda he was met by two men who had
been prominent IN the Lincoln county
war, in opposition to Billy. Just what
occurred there was never known either,
but the dead bodies were found, pierced
with bullets, by the pursuing party that
had organized and gone after Billy. For
several months nothing was heard of
him, and it was supposed that he had
gone to South America or Mexico If
he had, the last tragic scene in his event
full life would in all probability never
have been written. On the banks of the
Rio Pecos, in one Of the most beautiful
spots in the valley, Fort Sumner was
built. 1t was for long time an import
ant post, and was at one period the res,
ervation for the exploits of Kit Carson
and his old comrade hunter, Indian
fighter and trappcr Maxwell.
The post, with its magnificent or
chards, win eyards, grand avenues of ala
medals (cottonwoodS) lining its APP
proaches, fine buildings. etc, was finally
abandoned by the government, and was
purchased by Maxwell, who had married
a wealthy Spanish lady, obtaining by
the union nOsseSsiOn of the cplphrota1