The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07
,om ALLY THE KID DIED.
sr MOMENTS OF THE FA-
The oTs RANDIT OF NEW MEXICO.

for Days-Sketch of the
IT, Desperado's Career-When
s,boolboy, He Shot a Man for In
.ring His Mother
,or this Is the room in which Bill
I-id was killed" The greaser who
O. 90 my question seemed surprised
~ .,uld take any interest in the de-
0" -,cb an ordinary every day affair
pD s,otne ARRAY and that should care
49,, room in which the man met his
81 mas plainly beyond his understand
M room was one of several i'll the
~,rch owned by a herder named
q Sou lust on the outskirts of Lincoln
New Mexico. Prior to my visit
se,tion of the country the eastern
had been full of the escapades of
,+orjors Billy, who was said to have
New York boy named Callahan.
r.,.1 afterwards found to be erroneous,
.o true story of his life was told me
man who figured for a time as the
4 w.. most valued assistant in his raids.
~ name of The Lieutenant" as he was
,.s is suppressed as he is still living,
dis p prominent cattle owner in the ter
.,orv Few know of his past record and
nisanxious to bury it forever.
palv was born and raised in Denton
s. mn Texas. AS a school boy, he was
V,,a5 for his bravery and fearlessness and
sslarce extent was intractable. He was
vi quite Is years old when he
81 '.sievei his first notoriety. Coming home
lam school one day, he saw his mother
r'ring over the gate waiting for him to
SD5 him on an errand.Just ahead of Billy
90 burly man who gave every evidence
being intoxicated. Just as he reached
4 gate he leaned over and said something
her. BHlys mother gave cry of an
ar and Jumped back saying as she did
!. Billy, that man insulted mel!
The slight little school boy at once jump
for the ruffian, who being twice mis-
he, easily kept the boy away, all the
a lille taundng him with epithets. En-
aged beyond endurance, Billy drew
n mall revolver, which he carried, and shot
Il ae bully through the head, killing him
Il Fstantly. Billy's mother tainted at the
q rabt When she recovered her son had
q asappeared, leaving a note to say that
h would notify her of his whereabouts
}, soon as he reached a place of safety.
4 That was the beginning of his criminal
sreer The officers of the law were
4 Eon on his track, and Billy was compell-
d to flee from place to place to avoid ar
nst He changed his name several times,
n but was always found out. He had sew
4 aal narrow escapes from capture, and
Mce braved the shots from the pistols
4 Of three deputy sheriffs who were after
BIN.
After several months of alternate run
ming and working, Billy drifted up into
New Mexico and obtained work on the
Chisum ranch, near Roswell. Constant
association with danger had changed the
boy into a man, and under an assumed
name he was known for miles around as
the youngest and one of the best cowboys
in the territory. For two years he dwelt
10 comparative safety on the ranch, and
made many friends by his cheerful tenn
perament and general good fellowship.
When the Lincoln county fence war broke
out Billy was one of the ablest defenders
Of the Chisum ranch interests, and in
skirmishes with "rustlers," as cattle
thieves were called, demonstrated his
wonderful quickness and dexterity with
the pistol. That was where he gained
fame as Billy, the Kid, and it was an I'M
fortunate fame for him, as it spread to
where the laws representatives were
searching for him, and guided them TO
his whereabouts.
That was the turning point in his ca
reer. Tired of being hunted about like a
rabid dog, he determined to turn upon his
pursuers. q defended my mother from
the attack of a ruffian," he declared to
old jim Chisum on one occasion, as he
was preparing for another flight f'They
want to arrest me for it, so 1 will give
taem something to arrest me for"
so girding on his belt and revolver, Billy
sailed forth and joined the very Rust
lers against whom he had been fighting
Iney were, for the most part, men who
had been fugitives from the law for sun
ary ugly deeds, and in their society he
found the safety he could not get among
honest folks. His natural intrepidity fitted
iuIh Tor leader of the band and such he
became. From that time on, reign of
terror began in that section of the coun-
Try. Cattle stealing was rampant and
any owner, who ventured to demonstrate
against the theft, found a short answer in
'Ae bark of a pistol.
bAly did not even respect the Chisum
ranch cattle-in fact, he stole more from
'udI oulht than any other, mainly be-
cause the brand offered such an easy
MARI Una 1t was U burned upon the shout
oei vi the cattle. Billy's brand, registered
ul 'Iie county seat was o. X. o. With a
t'9 ioh he would take a u calf,
olidnge the U into an o, add the X and O.
'i nv ,hen 1t was his to all appearances.
NoW ana then his band did not hesitate
~ Hola up the blackboard and relieve the
laVelers OF their valuables, and in some
.t thelr lives when opposition was
suo"n. Skirmishes between the Rustlers
~ sIeIiIIs were of frequent occurrence,
~ 'Ae bandits came out ahead OF
ass many crimes were laid at Billy's
III mat he had nothing to do with. For
-5'iee' ranch was set on fire one night
u as the owner and his son rushed out
we turning building they were shot
IN IN ambush. Billy with his men were
,Ies away from the place when il hap
80, 800, out he was blamed for IT, If a
ian a, was found dead on the prairie the YER
~ was against Billy, although he had
A. in IN the vicinity for days.
h. ldSl the government took a hand in
NE, natter and soldiers were sent out to
80 up the Rustlers. After few
-, NS Oh sklrmishing, the band was sur
Io r'V ana captured after a fierce bat
a. NY neing among the prisoners. He
'oAen 70 Lincoln and locked up in a
L. 'uildlng and placed under a heavy
III nat night a gang of men. who
bis suffered at the hands of Billy and
rco, '"u' surrounded the Jail with in
'o lynch him. The guards were
ene . 9lronS hint not to interfere, and
Va. ,Et'"' after ascertaining that Billy
ed s.,. only prisoner in the Jam suggest
u,. ing dre to the structure and shoot
Aanes '''' as he tried to escape from the