The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-02-14

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BN4aA ches on the war-path. 1t
TNWM hazardous to travel in the
TSE country without escort. but
%yyEE the magnet of wealth in the
1AA mines drew to the scene
rzA Notwithstanding. In the citi-
a6szaS11 zenship of the community
there rough men, for the
early days were typical of those of other min
ingcamps isolated in 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 favorite among the young men and consid-
cred model youth by the old. He was gentle
as a child. His face decately nodded, his
skin fair a girls his hands small and fin
gers tapering. 1.-the, graceful, self-reliant, he
gave every promise Of an honorable career.
This hoy-William H. Bonney-was employed
in local store and was considered a most ac-
commodatng clerk. The gruf community was
convulsed with horror and dumfounded with
establishment afternoon when the news
spread like wd1re that Bonney had hacked a
man to death with butcherknife and was fee
ing for his life the back of a stolen horse.
The murder was particularly atrocious. It
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
place of safety left behind him a trail as broad
At the point Of a 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
pursued by a posse from Silver City. Closely
pressed. he escaped eastward over the Oregon
mountains when 1t thought be was headed
for Mexico
The Start of Bad Mans Trail
western town more surprised
The majority of the people still defended him;
there was some reason, his friends declared for
his strange act. But 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 changed. From that
time on his murdeTous 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
he stands one of the great historical figures
of the country. one of the worst youths that
ever lived prince of bad men. the youngest bad
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 revolver and had threatened the
lives of number of men. Then with all dis
patch he pushed to the Valley of the Pecos.
taking of human life
The Pecos Valley was filed with men who had
been driven out of Texas by the Rangers and
Billy the Kids association with these men de.
velope1 his mania for shedding blood. In his
first alteration he realized that it was his life
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
I'll 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 He began a cam
paign that drew upon him the enmity of every
body. The murder of these innocent men, purely
TO crafty a spite against their employer made
him a leader among the bands of armed thugs
of the region He had at a bound become a
celebrity and every group of bad men wanted
to claim him. But the Kid would have none of
that By degrees he gathered band of his own.
How Many Men Did He Kill?
The Kid killed men, wantonly and for
sheer love of murder, than any other man of
whom there is record in the west It will never
be known just how many he assasinatetd He
butcher who took delight in Staying the
defenseIess He knew no pangs of conscience
He had not single redeeming trait. He
would murder friend quickly an enemy
He thought nothing of appearing before cook
in charge of chuck wagon, a lonely desert
range, ask for something to eat compliment the
pared with apparent gratitude He would ask
him. if the idea had suddenly popped into his
head. whether he offcer-or had been
Then as though in doubt, he would shoot him in
his tracks This is no eXaggeration. man
whom he left for dead, and who survived long
enough to tel the story, authority for the
shortly after his arrival the Pecos
river
The boy a terror before whom everybody
fed. He rode the fastest horses, he helped him
self to the best there in every community he
visited wiggled out of any number of tight
places and shot his way to freedom dozen
times.
Shortly after his arrival in the valley he was
because of his reputation as a bad
man. to assist in the arrest of three men charged
with murder. They captured without the
firing of shot. placed horses ironed and
started jailward. To the deputy sheriff who
with him followed the prisoners across long,
dusty sand plain. he turned suddenly and said.
Let's kill those fellows
Why? They haven't done anything to u.s.
They're guilty anyway. and we'll just save
the county expense"
No, Billy, they have not given chance to
shoot at them-they have not tried to escape"
The deputy tried to argue with him. for he