Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-10
NEMESIS ON THE bad NAN"
etsry Of Pat Garrett, Famous Law Officer
Of the Southwest
low ONE TERROR WAS RUN DOWN
Brief N Life of Chilly the
KId"-shwed-On Gun In Action
Named for n federal
once.

the Mnlte HOUSE 10 Tue bendAt NtCthNig ~
pears the name of Patrick J. Garrett Of
Las Cruces, N. NJ, for collector Of customs
at Fl Paso. To the average reader there
IL little in the name TO distinguish 1t from
scores Of others, but the man who bears It
has a record for distinguished service and
unsurpassed daring. ~rivaiing the best OF
border fiction. As a Law oficer Pat Garrett
is a true example o. the strenuous life in
the southwest, ana ais nomination must
have been peculiarly gratifying to President
Roosevelt.
The southwest has been a prolific field
for bad" men, and fairly profitable also.
but their calling was not conducive to
longevity. Pat Garrett was their avenging
angel, relentless in pursuit, swift as light
ming with a gun, unerring In aim. as modest
as he is courageous, and under his gen.
sralship as United States deputy and sheri9
Of various counties for twenty years past
the crop Of border bad men grew beauti-
fully less, and finally disappeared. Those
who elected to remain and continue busi-
ness we're soon planted without cere-
mony.
story of "BiIly the Kid"
Mr.. CARROTS first great triumph as pro-
moter Of law and order happened twenty
years ago when he rid the country Of
"Billy the Kid" The exploits Of this motor
iOus desperate are often COMPOUNDED with
those OF the Apache Kid" They belong In
the same class, but the former was a New
Yorker born and the latter an Indian grad
uate graduate OF Carlisle. The right name
of BILLY the Kid" was William Bonney.
He was II years OF age when the family
settled in Santa Fe, in 1870. Later the
family moved to Silver City. N. M. a min
ing camp of 1000 people. 1t was an ideal
settlement for the hustler and the des-
perado. and young Bonney grew up in an
atmosphere OF pistol smoke and poker. He
soon imbibed the nervous necessity for kill
ing somebody; he must fix his social status.
His surroundings taught him that in no
other way could he be regarded as a south
western success. The sooner he got a notch
on the handle of his pistol the sooner he
would be regarded as in full southwestern
fellowship. At the age OF IA he killed his
man. When he reached 81 and a hole on
the hillside he had at least twenty killings
10 his credit.
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 we're stealing horses and cat
tie 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 In saloons in the settle
, ments, where no officer OF the law dared
disturb him.. When some Official, full OF
zeal and tainted by his associates, did or
ganize a strong posse and start an expe-
dition to round up" the Kid he had innu-
vNarahla Orlando uho a1uava OaVa him
timely warning and who assisted him to
escape until the pursuit. was abandoned.
No one cared to have the i'll will Of the
outlaw and many cultivated his friendship
as a matter Of policy. Garrett held a com
mission as deputy United States marshal,
but he never held an official position In
the county where he lived. He had taken
no part in any of the expeditions against
the Kid and had preferred what peace he
could obtain in a region where cowboys
we're stealing stock for their employers
from rival cattle companies and where two
factions were committing murder, arson and
robbery all the time.
Showing the Queer.
A detective in the employ of the treas
ury department came to Garrett at Ros-
well with Information that large sums OF
counterfeit money we're being circulated in
Lincoln county, the money being used to
purchase cattle in Mexico Of the ignorant
Mexicans, or being passed wherever an op-
portunity' offered. At the suggestion Of
Garrett a man was selected to Join the sup
posed gang OF counterfeiters The MAI
selected was Barney Mason, who had Just
been asked by the counterfeiters To ioir
them in their endeavor to dispose OF $50,
900 in the fraudulent currency. Mason wa,
aurnriaad Whan ha arrival In R0Quall ~
find that Garrett had already become awar,
Of the presence OF counterfeit money in tn,
county, and after telling his story of hi
interview with the schemers Mason wal
employed 10 act the detective. He set ou
for White Oaks to Join the counterfeiter
and met his men In a livery stable, wher,
be also found the Kid with two other out
laws hiding from Justice for various OF
lenses.
Mason was we'll known to the three out
laws. for he had always been on friendl
terms with them. They accosted him cor
daily. the Kid asking what business ma,
brought him over TO White Oaks Mason
reply lRtimated that he was intending It
take In" a herd Of horses supposed to b
near that place. The kid was suspicion
and. taking the other man aside, he advise
the immediate killing of Mason before the
made another move. But the others wante
no more trouble than was necessary an
they refused TO permit the Kid to satist
his thirst for blood by making Mason on
more victim. Meanwhile Mason was nc
idle. He gave prompt information to n
White Oaks officials of the secret presenc
Of the Kid and his band in the livery stabl
That night the Kid slipped away and whe
large posse Of citizens surrounded II
stable they we're met by the astonished PR
p%rietors, who were willing enough to pei
init a search, declaring that the Kid hs
not been seen by them for a long time. Tv
weeks later he was captured by Garrett an
a band Of cowboys. His trial took plat
in Lincoln county, N. NJ, resulting in col
yictlon and sentenced to be hanged.
Planning Escape.
Garrett put the Kid in the charge OF tv
two deputies by the names Of ollinger al
Bell These men. II reputation has q
honest tongue, should have both be,
hanged before Billy the Kid was born. HoN
ever. In the viCissitudes and the tendenl
to get thugs wrong end up. which ev'
now prevail In Southwestern quarters. tn
were officers OF the law.
They hac the Kid penned up In a litt
'dobe Jail. To watch i'm days more
their comfort they used to keep him u