The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-03

hot and had got them. Billy had MUIR
dered man on the Indian reservation
while they were stealing horses. He
was to be hanged May %, 1881. He
escaped from Lincoln county Jail just
before the date set, taking the lives of
a United States marshal and a deputy
sheriff in order to accomplish his feat.
"The rumor reached me that Billy
was at Peter MaXwell's ranch, and on
July II 1 went there, leaving two of my
men outside. I was we'll acquainted
with Maxwell, who was lying on bed
in the corner when I entered. I stood
my Winchester against the wall and
sitting down. on the bed commenced
chatting to him. 1 soon went to the
matter 1 had in hand and said under
stood that Billy had been heard of
around his vicinity. Maxwell answered
nonchalantly to the effect that he had
not seen him, but his words did not
convey the conviction that he was
speaking the truth.
1--WE had not been chatting more than
fifteen or twenty minutes before Billy
emerged from the woods across the
road and entered the house with a
rush.
"He had been across the street to
order a Mexican there to make some
coffee for him and had seen my men,
whom he had accosted. They had not
answered him, fact which had arous-
ed his suspicious. He had darted into
the house and came upstairs in his
stocking feet. My face was in the
shadow when he entered. He rushed
over at me with knife in one hand
and a gun in the other. His gun al
most touched me, when he laid his
hand on my thigh and shouted: who
are your"
Too Quick for BiIIv.
"He drew back and fired as if he
knew well enough who 1 was, as un-
doubtedly he did, but my bullet was the
quickest and BILLY the Kid" rolled
over dead"
BILLY the Kid" was from New York
state and was but twenty-five when
he allowed Sheriff Garrett to get the
drop on him, with fatal results. Like
most of his class, Billy had many
friends and was regarded by a few
as the best kind of a good fellow.
"a man with nerve behind g. gun
is worth twenty-five who are after
him." added Sheriff Garrett, in regard
to some questions about Harry Tracy.
Bret Harte never limned character
of the desperate type more interest
ing than this same Tracy. For sever
al weeks now the story of his thrilling
adventures with sheriff's posses, blood
MALTA of the law, have made reading
matter of a character that would move
the flaccid corpuscles in even a FOSSILS
anatomy, and however great his crimes
may be, this desperate, uncouth outlaw
has in brief space of time sprung
into the position of a national hero.
His recent escapade, the shooting of
his Jail chum, Merrill, in the back in
a lonely spot in the forest, shows how
absolutely selfish and heartless the Sc
attic terror is at heart.
The splitting of blood has not daunt-
ed and never will daunt Tracy for a
minute, any life that he thought stood
between him and safety being ruth
lessly sacrificed without a second
thought.
Tracy is supposed to bear the ban
ner record of all bad men, either past
or present. The authorities of at least
half a dozen states want him for such
crimes as horse stealing, robbery and
murder. AS a jail breaker he also takes
the medal, there being, apparently, nc
system In vogue for combining prison
ers that he is not able to laugh at
Axneriment with and break through.