The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-06-08
BILLY THE KIDD NAN ALL bad" "
By Arthur Chapman.

l
ado. 1t was n: an envlable task this.
to essay too overmatch a man who
knew the desert as the average matt
nee idol knows his Broadway, and
whose "gameness' matched his fero-
city. but Garrett undertook the re-
sponsibility WITH open eyes. He in
vaded the territory of Billy the Kid
and carried out his plans so eleverly
that he succeeded in trapping the des-
perado.
Organizing a posse of twenty-five de-
termined men. many of Whom hao
lost friends at the hands of the Kid.
Garrett set out after his man. Bob
Ollinger. who was as brave, faithful
and skilled a man as ever hunted
desperate in frontier days, and a dep
uty named Stewart, were Garretts
lieutenants. On the Kids side there
was a resolute band, including Billy
Wilson, Dave Rudebaugh and Tom
Pickett, these three being almost as
desperate criminals as their beardless
leader. CARROTS posse divided in two
bands. the larger, consisting of fifteen
men, being headed by the sheriff and
his two lieutenants. CARROTS party
succeeded in bringing the Kid, Billy
Wilson, Tom Pickett and one other at
bay in an old cabin at Sinking Springs.
The outlaws fastened their horses near
the cabin and fortified the place. Gar
rett stationed his men about fifty
yards from the cabin behind some
natural rock Notifications, and at 3.3O
O'Clock in the afternoon the battle
opened. A continuous fire was kept
I'D on both sides. The posse kept we'll
under cover and none of CARROTS
men was hurt, but one of the outlaws
was killed by bullet that penetrated
the cabin door. About twilight, when
their ammunition ran low, the outlaws
made a break for liberty. The Kid
stole out to where the horses stood,
intending to lead them to the cabin
where all could mount and ride away.
He hesitated in getting the bunch as
far as the door. when one Of the ami
mails was killed, falling against the
entrance in such way that it was
partially blocked. Billy once more
took his stand with the besieged. but,
when the posse began to surround the
house with the intention Of firing it
when it became dark, the outlaws con-
cluded to surrender. Dave Rudebaugh
stepped out in the dusk and held up
his hands, shouting as he did so that
he surrendered. Billy Wilson and
Pickett followed, and all were securely
shackled hand and foot and taken to
Las Vegas.
When it became noised about Las
| Vegas that Billy the Kid was made
captive, mob was soon formed. Gar
rett had anticipated lynching, and
had put his prisoners in box car, over
which he, Ollinger, Stewart and their
little band stood guard. Three hundred
Mexicans and whites swept down upon
Garrett and his men, demanding the
prisoners. The sight of the Kid, who
shook his manacled hands at the crowd
and begged Garrett to turn him loose
with a brace of pistols" inflamed the
mob to fury. The train could not move
for an hour, but during that long sixty
minutes Garrett and his bold deputies,
with weapons drawn, held the mob at
bay. Could the crowd have laid hands
on the outlaws, short work would have
been made of them, but every man in
the mob knew the temper Of Pat Gar
rett and the men at his back: and the
train finally pulled out with the des-
peradoes unscathed.
The outlaws were duly tried, and
Billy the Kid and Rudebaugh were
sentenced to be hanged, the latter for
having murdered jailer at Las Vegas
the year before, in an attempt to rescue
some imprisoned partners in crime.
The judge, in pronouncing sentence on
Billy the KID made it impressive by
! declaring severely:
"And you are sentenced to be hanged
by the neck until you are dead: dead,
dead-'
Wlereupo1 the boyist prisoner
laughed in the judges face and chant
ed in mockery:
"And you can go to III. HI, h-l"
Not for an instant did the Kids con-
fidence desert him. Though shackled
hand and foot and guarded day and
night, he was constantly on the watch
for chance to make his escape. When
the day of his hanging was but two
weeks distant, Billy saw his chance
The redoubtable Ollinger, who was one
CT the Kids guards, was eating supper
at a coffee house across the street.
Another deputy, J. W. Bell, guarded
the Kid while the desperate ate. In
order to permit Billy to carry the food
to his mouth, both handouts had been
fastened to one wrist. Bell relaxed
his vigilance for one instant when
within striking distance of his prisoner.
Quick as thought Billy's manacled
hand came down on the deputy's head,
stretching him out, half stunned.
Snatching Bells pistol, Billy shot the