The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1909-04-16
A NOTORIOUS OUTLAW
Fearless "9iIIy the Kid" Vino
ReveIed In Carnage.
ONLY A BOY, YET A TERROR,
This Youthful Desperate Of the South
western Territories Was but Twen-
ty-one When He Met Death at the
Hands Of Sheriff Pat Garrett.

western erritories was but wen
ty-one When He Met Death at the
Hands Of Sheriff Pat Garrett.
When General Lew Wallace was
governor Of New Mexico and the war
that ragged for several years between
the rival cattle companies was at It's
height Billy the Kid" had reached
the flood of his murderous career. He
arrived IN Lincoln county TO take sides
IN the cattle warfare. known and
feared in every range town and min
ing camp in the southwestern terri.
tories.
Pure wanton love Of carnage was all
that attracted him to Lincoln county
With the band Of desperadoes he led
he raided ranches, shot up" towns,
killed, burned houses and committed
outrage after outrage with the blind
recklessness Of a maniac Fear was
extinct within him. lie cared no more
for detachments Of cavalry than be
did for covering sherins.
Affairs In New Mexico finally came
to such a pass that half the cattlemen
paid the youthful despcrado tribute.
II was only after Pat f. Garrett was
made sheriff Of Lincoln county and the
author Of "Ben-Hur" General Wal
lacel urged that fearless gun fighter
and gambler to capture Billy the KID
that a determined effort was made 10
end his reign of terror.
The obstacles that Garrett had 10 en-
counter called for all his headlong en-
ergy and nerve Billy had the entire
countryside In q state Of abject terror.
friends were ready to give him timely
warning Of pursuit; ranchmen dared
not deny him Judgment or conceal
ment,
Pat Garrett undertook the capture in
October. 1850, and on Dec. 20 he sur
rounded the Kid and his bahd IN j
deserted house near Sinking Springs
After q siege lasting most Of the day
the outlaws ammunition was exhaust
ed. Billy the Kid surrendered. lie
and his four followers surrounded by
q great force of armed men. were taken
TO Las Vegas and thence to Santa F.
for safe keeping.
An array Of indictments charging
murder confronted him. He was tried
on one indictment and acquitted, then
tried on another and convicted. Il
carried himself throughout with sneer
ing defiance. After he had been sen.
fenced to hang Garrett took him 10
Fort Stanton. near Lincoln. Two depu
ties armed with Winchesters were as
signed TO guard him In the temporary
iail in the Murphy & Dolan store build
Ing.
In some mysterious fashion the
Kid possessed himself of a revolver
shot down his guards, seized their
weapons and appeared at the window
When another guard appeared the
prisoner riddled his body with buck
shot. Then he called 10 an old man on
the plaza 10 bring him a file. Filing
OF one Of his shackles, he called for
horse. One was brought and he 9
capped.
For nearly three months after t
Billy the Kid led a fugitive
Garrett logged him patiently and f.
ly got wind Of his hiding place
ranch Of Peter Maxwell, near !
Sumner. II was nearly midnichtlw
Garrett and two deputies quietly
preached the Maxwell hacienda. G
rett crept into the room where NJ
well was sleeping Softly awaken
the sleeper. he questioned him conce~
ing the whereabouts Of the KID.
Al that moment the hunted 20
sprang Into the room. callinZ out
Spanish, "Quien var c"Who CDR.
there?D IL was Billy He was q
armed. and as he reached for his T
Garrett shot him. The body of Y
liam Bonney BILLY the Kid was /"
led IN the military cemetery ut +
Stanton July -. 1881. His age at
time Of his death was twenty-One ye;
seven months. There his body IS 70
day. though In later years corpse ";
exhibited throughout the west as t.:
Of the famous young outlaw.-darpcf
Weekly.