The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-01-13

able jury verdict or an easy sentence is
not held out to them when Pat makes the
arrests. Somehow he avoids the necessity
for trials, for when he gets through with
his charges the coroner is the only official
interested in subsequent proceedings
There was time when Pat preferred Civ
ing the courts a chance, and he even re-
signed in favor of juries and judges. But
that style seems not to be effective in New
Mexico, and now Pat goes about the bust
ness in way more satisfactory to the lead
ing citizens of the territory
Cattle rustling has not been wholly sus-
pended since the days of the famous "Lin-
coin county war" but with the decline of
the range business and the disasters that
overcame the cattlemen of the west there
has been no wholesale stealing of cattle as
was known in the booming days of the
range, and what petty thievery was com,
mitted was not thought serious enough to
be noticed. In recent years, however, the
cattle business has been gradually picking
up, and with it has come more notice
able increase in cattle stealing The big
cattle companies of eastern New Mexico
last year banded together to run these
thieves down, and through the courts they
cowboys to the penitentiary.
Since June a band of men has been
robbing postoifices, stagecoaches, ranches
and occasionally passenger train. For
time their identity was unknown, but it
has developed that these men are of the
band of cattle rustlers which moved out of
Donna Ana county when Pat Garrett
moved -. Two of them have since died
will hrvl 04-S v,% H,4,- h0l
ed dangerously wounded, and it is hoped
that the remainder Of the band has left
the country permanently.
The most famous capture that Garrett
ever made was the arrest of a noted out
law who flourished in New Mexico from
1876 to 1881. Billy the Kid was despera-
do of fierce and UNCOVER able temper, DOS,
sessed of a reckless daring, a magnificent
horseman and an unerring shot with either
rifle or revolver, His whole life was so full
of incident and his record for fighting and
never surrendering was so we'll known that
the entire country seemed In abiect fear OF
him. He could swagger about without be-
ing disturbed by the settlers whose ranges
he raided at will, stealing horses and cat
tie, which he readily found market for in
Texas or elsewhere In open warfare and
in secret he had killed 90 white men, be-
sides an unknown number of Indians.
His career from the time he was IA years
OF age, when he abbed man in a saloon
inSilver City, until his death at the age OF
II was an unbroken succession of crimes
from petty thefts to cold blooded murder.
AT the time of his later depredations,
when his career as a salaried cowboy had
been ended by his numerous escapades and
deliberate murders committed as an out
come of the feud between rival cattle own
ers, Pat Garrett was living upon a ranch
near Roswell, on the Pecos river Billy
and his followers were stealing horses and
cattle and selling them to people who did
not make close inquiry as to how he came
in possession of the stock and spending
his money lavishly at saloons in the settle
ments, where no officer of the law dared tC
disturb him. When some official. full oil
zeal and tainted by his associates, did or,
ganize strong posse and start an expedi
tion to round up" the Kid, he had innu
merable friends who always gave hin
timely warning and who assisted him tt
escape until the pursuit was abandoned
NO one cared TO have the i'll will Of the
outlaw, and many cultivated his friend
ship as a matter Of policy.
Jarrett held a commission as deputy
United States marshal and determined t.
capture this hjd. lie set about it system
atically, and with fl small posse camped OF
the outlaw trail for several weeks, an
finally rounded him up in deserted cab
in, where, after a futile resistance. th
Kid finally surrendered.
After being tried and sentenced to deaf
the outlaw was turned over to Garrett q
Fort Stanton, and he took him to Lincol
and placed guard of two men over him /
vacant room on the second floor of til
building that served as a courthouse
few days later the Kid caught his guard i
trap, shot his iailer, and, taking sho
gun. rushed to the window in time [
n '''" >-'-.-''"-~ $3.50 So