The Red Cloud chief., 1913-02-13

notwithstanding In the citi.
zenshp of the community
there rough men, for the
early days were typical OF those OF other min
ing.camps isolated I'm the mountains and distant
from civilization
In that community there lived boy Of seven.
teen years OF age. respected and loved by all He
was a favorte among the young men and consid.
cred model youth by the old. lie was gentle
as child. His face was delicatey nodded his
skin as fair as a girls his hands small and fin
gers taperng. 1.-the, graceful. selfreant, he
gave every promise Of an honorable career.
This boy-William IT, Bonney-was employed
in a local store and was considered a most nc.
commodating clerk. The grur community was
convulsed with horror and dumfounded with
establishment one afternoon when the news
spread like wildfre that Bonney had hacked n
man to death with butcher knife and was fee.
Ing for his life on the back OF a stolen horse
The murder was particularly atrocious II
was the result OF an alteration in which young
BOnney was crossed. Prior to this the boy had
never been questioned In an instant he was
transformed into demon. within few minutes
he had added theft to murder and In seeking a
place Of safety left behind him trail /as broad
as though he were following macadam road
At the point OF revolver he compelled
strangers to exchange horses with him, seized
the best mounts at the various ranches along his
way and spread CONSERVATION wherever he went
He followed the Mimbres river toward Deming
puTsueu Dy n posse from silver CITY. Closely
pressed no escaped eastward over the Oregon
mountains, when 1t was thought he was headed
for Mexico.
The Start Of a Bad Mans Trail
A western town was never surprised
The majority of the people still defended him:
there was some reason, his friends declared for
his strange act. but AZ news came OF the way
he was striking terror In the Valley OF the Pecos
where the toughest men in the southwest lived
the mind OF the public was changed From that
time on his murderous exploits filled the hearts
OF men with fear The boys name in western
history became forever after Billy the Kid His
name Of Bonney Is all but forgotten. As the KID
no stands as one Of the great historical figures
or the COW country. one OF the worst youths that
ever lived, prince OF bad men, the youngest bad
man Of all
His appearance among the prospectors and
amid the mining camps OF the Oregon mountains
was electrical Here he conceived the idea that
to evade arrest he must fight his way to the front
single handed He boldly traded horses obtained
credit bought supplies, because he could shoot
straight with a revolver and had threatened the
lives or a number OF men. Then with all dis.
patch he pushed on to the Valley OF the Pecos
This was tho scene OF the boys exploits in the
taking OF human life
The Pecos Valley was filled with men who had
been driven out OF Texas by the Rangers, and
Billy the Kids association with these men de.
veloped his mania for shedding blood. In his
or the other mans. The fact that he was quick
with gun made him feared. He became embit.
tered against one of the stOckmen Immediately
upon his arrival In the valley.
TN make this valley too hot for him and dan.
gerous to his punchers" said the boy.
At once he commenced to use this mans cow
boys as targets to practice on. He began a cam
paign that drew upon him the enmity Of every
body The murder OF these innocent men, purely
to crafty spite against their employer made
him a leader among the bands of armed thugs
Of the region. He had at bound become
celebrity. and every group Of bad men wanted
to claim him. But the Kid would have none Of
that BY degrees he gathered a band Of his own
How Many Men Did He kiI9
The Kid killed more men, wantonly and for
sheer love Of murder. than any other man OF
whom there Is record in the west. II will never
be known Just how many he assasinatetd He
was q butcher who took delight In Staying the
defenseless. He knew no pangs OF conscience
He had not one single redeeming trait. He
would murder friend as quickly as an enemy
He thought nothing OF appearing before a cook
In charge OF chuck" wagon, on lonely desert
range. ask for something to eat. compliment the
man upon the quality Of the food he had pre-.
pared. with apparent gratitude He would ask
him. as II the idea had suddenly popped into his
head. whether he was oficer--or had been.
Then as though In doubt. he would shoot him in
his tracks. This is no exaggeration. A man
whom he left for dead. and who survived long
enough to tel the story, authority for the
statement. shortly after his arrival on the Pecos
river.
The boy terror before whom everybody
fed. He rode the fastest horses, he helped him.
self to the best there was In every community he
visited, wiggled out OF any number of tight
places and shot his way to freedom a dozen
times.
Shortly after his arrival In the valley, he was
persuaded because OF his reputation as a bad
m oaic In fhp cf threo charu oN
with murder. They were captured without the
firing of shot, placed on horses. ironed and
started jailward, To the deputy sheriff. who
with him followed the prisoners long
dusty sand plain. he turned suddenly and said
Lets kill those fellows"
why? They haven't done anything to US"
They're guilty anyway. and wen just save
Nv