The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1903-03-26

~ nv the poker table, said Mr.. Gar
rett. "and therefore ] knew him well.
He had half a dozen characters. very
much after his own stamp. with whom
he associated. No crime was too des-
perafe for them 10 commit. There was
no conjunction on their part OF taking
life or n dozen lives, for the matter
OF fact, II II became necessary.
we had been after the gang pretty
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 rs. 1881. He cs-
capped from the Lincoln county Jail just
before the date set. taking the lives OF
United States marshal and n deputy
sheriff In order TO accomplish his feat.
The rumor reached me that Billy
was at Peter Maxwells ranch and on
July IL went there leaving two OF my
men outside. ! was well acquainted
with Maxwell. who was lying on bed
in the corner when ! entered. ! stod
my Winchester against the wall and
sitting down on the bed commenced
chatting with him. soon went to the
matter ! had In hand and said I'M
derstood that Billy had been heard OF
arund this vicinity. Maxwell answered
not seen him, but his words did not
convey the conviction that he was
speaking the truth.
we had not been chatting more
than fifteen or twenty minutes before
Billy emerged from the woods across
the road anu entered the house with
rush.
lie had been across the street to or
der a Mexican there to ~, coffee for
him and had seen my M, whom he
had accosted. They had not answered
him, fact which had aroused his sus-
plcions. 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 a
knife in one hand gun In the other.
His gun almost touched me when he
laid his hand on my thigh and shouted
Who are you?"
lie drew back and fred as IL lie
knew well enough who ! 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 few as the best
kind OF a good fellow.
"a man with nerve behind a gun IL
worth twenty-five who are after him."
added Sheriff Garrett in reply to some
questions about Harry Tracy.
Bret Harte never llmned character
Of the desperate type more interesting
than this same Tracy. For several years
now the stories OF his thrilling advcn-
lures with sheriff's posses. bloodhounds
and the ordinary paraphernalia OF the
law have made reading matter of a
character that would move the flaccid
cofpusles In even 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 cscapade, the shooting OF
his Jail chnm. Merrill. In the back In n
lonely spot In the forest shows how alb
solutcly selfish and heartloss the Seat
tie terror II at heart.
The spilling OF blood has not daunt-
cd and never will daunt Tracy for
minute. any life that he thought stood
hctw cen him and safety being ruthless
ly sacrificed without 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
system In vogue for confining prisoners
that he Is not able To laugh at, expert
ment with and break through.
In the course OF his recent expert
cnccs Harry Tracy has had hundreds
OF men and hounds following him at
time and II almost seems as II he had
sometimes utilized hypnotic spell in
stead of accomplishing such miracles
as he has done by ordinary means.
BEN STlLLWOOD.