Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-14

sheriff who hunted down and kille
the notorious outlaw, Billy the Kid,
is visiting New York for the first TIM
in his life He was appointed col
lector of customs az FL Paso, Tex, las
winter, says the New York World.
The former sheriff, who is stayin,
at the Marlborough, is rocking arount
New York by himself mostly. H
went to the Brighton Beach race
Saturday and spent the evening at tn,
beach, and he hasn't done yet marvel
ling at the tremendous crowds.
He is a very tall and very straigh
and looks sturdy and strong in every
inch of his six feet four. His manner
is subdued and he talks in d low tone
and modestly when the conversation
is about himself. To the direct ques
ton, Sheriff, how many notches are
there on your gum" he blushed like 6
school girl, and said:
ooh, they are only scratches. They
were all accidents, mine were"
How He "Got" the Outlaw.
1t was twenty-one years ago that
Billy Bonney, with record of killing
eleven men, was brought to book by
this quiet, determined man. Garrett
was a deputy sheriff in Las Cruces.
He had kept small store in the new
country, and on occasions had sat op-
posite Billy the Kid at the poker
table. The outlaw, whose exploits
were the talk of the country then, as
Tracy's are today had associated
with him a gang of six men who broke
every law and defied all authority.
eve had got the gang" said Gar
rett yesterday, when pressed to tell
the true story of how he killed the
outlaw Three were dead and three
were alive. Billy had murdered a
man on the Indian reservation while
stealing horses, and he was sentenced
to be hanged on May %, 1881. He
broke out of the Lincoln county jail a
few nights before that and escaped
after killing a deputy sheriff and a
United States marshal. I was sent
after Kim
ION the night of July II I got to
Peter Maxwell's ranch. I left my two
men outside and went in to see Max
well, whom | knew well. Peter was
lying in bed in corner | put my
Winchester against the wall and sat
down on the bed to talk with him. I
told him | had heard that Billy had
been seen around there. He said he
hadn't seen him. l knew by his man
ner that he wasn't telling the truth,
and wlrile we were sitting there talk
ing Billy came in.
He had gone across the road I
learned afterward and ordered a Mexi-
can there to get up and make him
some coffee, When he came back to
the ranch house he saw my two men
and accosted them in Spanish. They
made no answer, and he darted into
the house and upstairs in his stocking
feet My face was in a shadow when
he appeared in the doorway and he
darted over to me with his knife in
one hand and his gun in the other.
He had his gun within a foot of me
when he laid his hand on my knee and
demanded, who are your
Garrett Fired First.
HE sprang back instantly and
fired But ] had fired first and the
ball went through his heart. I fired a
second time but the bullet went over
him. He had fallen.
"A hundred different stories have
been told about how | killed Billy,
but this is the true one. I've got a
tintype of Billy at home, the only
one in existence, | believe and as |
was on the way to the train left it
at photographers to be enlarged, for
General Lew Wallace, who wants to
write an article about him.
There were many good traits
about Billy. He came from New York
state somewhere He was only 2S
years old when he died, but he had
been up to all kinds of deviltry for six
or seven years. He wasn't what youG
call a killer He never made a CUR
play he didn't mean, and he never
shot up town or committed any sucl
foolishness. I've met worse men thar
Billy"
Garrett discussed Tracy, the North
western bandit, and inquired will
much interest if it was true that h
had been wounded. He said:
"A man with nerve with a gun i
worth twenty-five who are after him.
Garrett said he had heard tina
Bat Masterson, whom he knew II
Dodge City years ago, was fined TO
nqrTvln0 a nicfn1 IN IL,
former sheriff expressed no sympath,
for him.
4 never carry gum" ne said. IN
forty-four IS upstairs in my gripsacE
and will stay there. Before Pres
dent Roosevelt appointed me Co
lector at Ell Paso | never carried
gun off duty, and l never allowed on
OF my deputies to carry one unless h
was on duty"
The collector said that when Their
was trouble in WASHINGTON las
December over his appointment b
had little talk with President Roos
welt which went something like this
Garrett, they say you're a DRUM
ard?
1T isn't true, Mr.. President. B,
I've been drinking all my life
you're charged with being a gar
bler?"
Il know the difference between
straight and a flush, Mr.. Presider
and in my section of the country
man who doesn't know this doesr
know enough to keep the flies OF
fly season.
I'm told you're an atheist and ;