Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-06-16

In July, 1881, after Billy had been
at large some two months, Sheriff Gar
rett heard that the Kid had been seen
in the vicinity of Fort Sumner. Ac-
companied by two deputies, Garrett re-.
manned in the vicinity of Fort Sumner
week, but informa ton about the Kid
was hard to get, in view of the bonds
of terror in which the desperate held
the entire community. One night, af.
ter vainly watching a suspected house
until midnight, Garrett suggested that
call be made on Peter Maxwell, who
lived in one of the old buildings at
the fort, and who was brave enough
to tell what he knew about the. Kids
whereabouts. Garrett stepped into
MaxwelPs room to talk to him, while
his deputies sat on the porch in the
bright New Mexican moonlight Soon
a man, clad in shirt and trousers, and
carrying q knife in one hand and q
revolver in the other, hurried toward
the building, and as he stepped on the
porch, cried:
"Quien es? Quien esq" c'Whois it?"J
One of the deputies, having no idea
that this could be Billy the Kid, told
him to put up his gun and not be
alarmed. At the same time he rose
and walked toward Billy, but, 1.-THE as
a cat, the desperate leaped through the
open doorway into Maxwelps room.
Something probably the sixth sense
said to be given to all hunted things
told Billy that all was not right in the
room. Coming into the dark from the
bright moonlight he could not make
out objects distinctly, consequently he
could not see Garrett sitting at the
foot of the bed. Coming to the edge
of the bed. and putting his hand on
the coverlet within a few inches of
Garrett, Billy asked Maxwell:
"Say, Pete. who are those fellows
out there?"
Garrett recognized the voice as that
of Billy the Kid, and slipped his holster
| around so he could get at his revolver.
At the same time Billy caught sight
of the figure on the bed. Covering Gar.
rett with his revolver, he sprang back.
ward, crying: "Quien esp
The instant's pause was fatal to Billy
the Kid, for, almost before the Spanish
words had dropped from the desper-
ADDS lips, CARROTS revolver had
spoken. The Kid fell to the floor, shot
through the heart, his revolver being
discharged by his convulsive movement
as he fell.
The qualities that caused Pat Garrett
to be known as the coolest head in the
| Southwest were shown in this encoun-
ter. AS he fired, Garrett leaned to the
left, thinking that he could get Billy's
bullet in his right side. 'That would
give me chance to get another shot
at him." explained the Sheriff grimly.
AS soon as the shots were heard the
deputies outside called CARROTS name,
but again the presence of mind of the
born gun fighter was manifested. Gar.
rett did not answer, thinking that per-
haps his gasping foe on the floor was
not fatally wounded, and that the
sound of the Sheriffs voice would give
Billy the Kid a chance to get in an
| effective shot.
Could a Lombroso have studied this
mere boy, who seemed to have been
born with a tigers blood thirst, ne
| doubt science would have received an
Interesting contribution. Without O
spark of pity for his numerous victims
and with no fear of his enemies in his
heart, Billy the Kid presented a
peculiar phenomenon. His desire was
to kill, and it seemed to make little
difference to him whether he killed in
the most cowardly manner or whether
he boldly faced the weapons of his
| enemies. Few men have been the
Kids equal with the revolver, and none
ever made a more terrifying record
with that universal weapon of the
| frontier.
| Dying, as he had lived, like a wild
| beast, this beardless, soulless youth
who had about him none of the attri
butes that usually gain the Western
desperate a certain sort of admiration
must remain wholly the most unac
countable figure in frontier history
| From Outing.