Perth Amboy evening news., 1908-03-02
BRAzEL COT A
DROP" ON HIM
Patrick Garrett, ROoseveIt's
Friend, is Shot in a Fight
in the West.
SLAYER OF "BILLY THE KID"

| SANTA FE, \. NJ, March 2.-Pat
rick F. Garrett, who could shoot as
quick as any man in the west, who
killed the notorious outlaw BILLY the
Kid" in 1885, was himself shot and
killed by Wayne Brazel at his home
near Las Cruces, N. M.
Garrett was a friend Of President
Roosevelt, who, admiring him, ap-
pointed him collector of customs at Ell
Paso, Tex, in December, 1901, soon
after President Mckinley was assassi-
mated. The appointment was made at
the strenuous urging Of General Lew
Wallace, who was governor OF New
Mexico when "Billy the KID was ter
rOrizing the southwest during the cat
tie war, but who found time and peace
ful serenity to write "Ben-Hur."
Garrett had been sheriff of Dona
Ana county and captain Of the Texas
Rangers. He never knew what fear
was. bad men" hurried to the next
territory when they learned he pur-
sued them.
| He has been breeding cattle on a
ranch near-~Las Cruces. Brazel has
been raising goats on nearby ranch
and, it is said. raising much else. They
quarreled over the use Of public
range. They met and, for a wonder,
Brazel, son Of an old settler, brought
| up here, with quicker eye and young
or nerves and muscles, got the drop on
Garrett.
| It was about IL a. M, the scene five
miles east Of Las Cruces. Brazel
swears 1t was in self defense. Brazel
is now in jail in Las Cruces, having
gone to that city Immediately after the
killing and surrendered.
Garrett was shot twice in the head,
Brazel using revolver. Brazel states
thAt Garrett pulled shotgun and
staAted to fire at him, when he drew
his revolver and fired. Brazel was on
horseback, accompanied by a friend,
and Garrett was In a buggy with
man named Miller. All were riding
toward Las Cruces when Brazel over
took Garrett and the quarrel over the
old range matter was renewed.
Garrett came to the west from Ken
tucky in the early seventies and first
settled at Uvalde, Tex. Then he re-
moved to the Pecos valley, in New
Mexico, where he was elected sheriff
of Lincoln county in 1878 on promising
to Glen out the cattle rustlers and
bad men.
Mr.. Roosevelt made Garrett collect
or of customs despite the earnest oppo-
sition Of Senator Marcus A. Hanna.
The appointment was one Of the presi-
dents earliest manifestations of his
preference for the daring, the wild, the
woody. General Lew Wallace took Pat
to the White House and told the story
| to Mr.. Roosevelt.
General Wallace had determined to
suppress the kid" whose name was
Mccarthy, and selected Garrett, then
sheriff Of Las Cruces, for the Job.
Garrett captured the "Kid" asleep,
and Mccarthy was tried, convicted
and sentenced to be hanged. When
sentence was pronounced he declared
there were three more men he would
kill before he died. One Of these, he
said, was Governor Wallace. Then
came McCarthy's murder Of his two
guards and his escape to the prairies
| After search lasting months Gar
rett learned that the "Kid" would
spend a certain night with certain
ranchman. Garrett got there first and
took a position near the bed in the
shadows of the room. After awhile
Mccarthy walked in. The moonlight
was streaming over him. He peered
into the darkness and saw the dim
outlines of Garrett. "Quien sabe?"
Mccarthy called and, receiving no an
swer, reached for his pistols. "Crackl"
went CARROTS pistol and the "Kid"
dropped dead in his tracks.
Hearing this story, Mr.. Roosevelt, it
Is reported, said:
"Tine. But they tell me you're a
gambler"
WELL" answered Garrett frankly,
I'm a gambler because / know that
three Of a kind beat two pair, and
there's not man in my part Of the
country who tries to brush the flies off
himself who isn't that much of a
gambler"
! Garrett was collector Of customs up
to two years ago. He always insisted
that he killed Billy the Kid" in self
defense and that he never took the
life of any but murderer,