Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-03-11
BILLY THE KID !
n Tale OF shs ssrs.r
Cwsstsss Ter tsis rsperl
BY w. W. williams

none attracted more attention or com
mitted more desperate deeds than
Billy the Kidd He was a young. boy
ish-looking fellow. with r retreating
chin and a hooked nose-not Of the Ro-
man order. but more like the beak Of a
parrot. A stranger would never pick
him out for desperate man, but he was
all thatthe name implies. For reckless
dare-deviltry. hSndiness witha gun and
bravery almost supernatural, he never
had an equal among the many OF his
class who made things lively on the
border in New Mexico and helped 20 I'll
the graveyaris. Hundreds Of times be
looked death In the face with that steel +
blue. cold eve Of his. which did not /,
seem 20 know how 10 finch. When oc- 4
casicn seemed 10 demand 81 he shot his 4
enemy dead in his tracks and turned /
upon his heel with a cool indifference. /
or fed 20 one OF his strou Eholds. as &C
casion seemed 20 require. The shots
that were fred al him by good marks
men were without number. but for
years he appeared to have charmed
hfe. which no bullet. be il never so well
aimed. could cut short. The chances
which he took 20 escape punishment
for his crimes are almost incredible
when related. No Jail could hold him
nor could any number Of guards keep
him in their charge. He always found
some way 20 escape. and in doing so
usually left q trail Of blood behind him.
The incident IN the career Of Billy
the Kid. which 1 am about % relate, was
given 70 me by Mr.. ". H. Sammons. Of
Lake City. Col. Mr. Sammons' part IL
the affair win appear in the narrative.
Il said.
"In the spring o. 1851 the com
mauder % the government post at Fort
Craig. y. NJ. received word from Fort
Cummings. near Cooks Peak. that
gang % White Mountain Apaches were
OF the reservatiou. and that they were
piundeTlng and killing the settlers by
way OF diversion; shat they were sup
posed 70 have crossed the Rio Grande
and 10 be making their way towards
the Organ OF san Andree mountains,
In New Mexico. 4 call for troops was
made 10 go out and intercept them.
Dispatches were 20 be carried 70 Fort
Stanton. near the Pecos river. 10 this
effect. Capt. Jack Crawford. the poet
scout" was then in the employ q the
post as dispatch carrier. he was noti-
ned 20 leave at day break with the word
that would alarm and warn The settlers
IL the pecos valley aud enable the off,
cers al Fort stanton 10 put cavalry in
the field and drive the Indians back 10
their reservation west OF the Rio
Grande. beyond the Black Range noun
tains. I was stopping at the post for q
. few days on a visit 10 Capt. Jack. being
E an old friend and acquaintance OF hi.
years before IN the Black Hills. I vol
b unteered 10 accompany him upon has
hard and perilous trip. we left For
= Craig shortly after day break. carrying
our saddles and blankets across the RiC
= Grande In g boat and swimming oui
T. animals. which consisted OF two saddle
horses and a government pack mule, {
2 very nimble-footed animal that wa.
l. trained TO follow and could be depended
e upon 10 be at our heels whenever caml
% was made. We were soon in our sad
S dies after the river was crossed. an,
o made for the Tucson ranch. the onl.
place where water was 20 be had Tor
= distance Of IS miles. having 10 eros
what was known a. the Dry Tornado
N a desert, sand and aikaI waste, bein,
about l25 miles long and from 60 20 S
h wide. IL lies Just east OF the Ri
. Grande river. We arrived az the ranc.
about nine o'clock shat evening. yer
. much fatigued from the bot and dust
Y ride. Remaining there until daybreal
h. we once more hit the trail for what
: known as Dripping Springs where IN
last water was 10 be had until "
- reached some Of the tributaries OF IN
! Pecos river 10 the east OF the mouI
= tains. which we must cross that da
. snd which lay between the Pecos va
icy and the Rio Grande.
I'VE arrived al the SPRINGS aboS
noon. having covered about 30 mile
- since daybreak. Capt. Jack advised tai
\ ing a siests Of two hours. Our cOur.
- from Fort Craig had been in a s0utl
a easterly direction 10 the Tucson ranc
~ where we intercepted the old trail ~
ming from Fort Stanton 70 Silver Cit
our course 10 the springs having bee
about due east. After lOosening OF
cinches and watering and feeding OF
- horses. we partook Of our scanty di
: ner OF bareback and canned horse al
lay down 10 rest. We had finished Of
= siesta, and had started 10 get ready
he renew our journey when ] cast my ey
= 20 the southeast and beheld what '
"a supposed 20 be a band OF Indians abo
- mile away coming toward Us. L
:. Indos,' was my only remark. as by
:. wave OF the hand ! called the attenti
Of Capt. Jack 10 them. There "
TO - '.sH'eH'he