Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-02-14

the magnet of wealth in the
0HU mines drew to the scene
Notwithstanding. In the citi-
49, zenship of the community
there were rough men, for the
early days were typical of those of other min
ing-camps isolated in the mountains and distant
SSom civilization
In that community there lived a boy of seven
teen years Of age. respected and loved by all He
was favorite among the young men and consid-
cred model youth by the old He gentle
as child. His face delicately nodded. his
skin a. fair u girls. his hands small and I'm
gers tapering. 1.-the. graceful selfreliant. he
gave every promise of an honorable career.
This boy-William H. Bonney-was employed
commodating clerk. The grun community was
convulsed with horror and dumfounded with
astonishment afternoon when the news
spread like wildhre that Bonney had hacked q
man to death with a butcher-knife and was fee
ing for his life on 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 4 demon. within few minutes
he had added theft to MURDER and in seeking a
place of safety left behind him a trail as broad
rs though he were following a 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.
pursued by posse from Silver City. Closely
pressed. he escaped eastward over the Oregon
mountains. when It was thought he was headed
for Mexico.
Tho start Of a Bad Mans Trail
D A western town never more surprised.
The majority of the people still defended him:
there was some reason. his friends declared, for
his strange act But as 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
tps on his murderous exploits filled the hearts
o. men with fear. The boys in western
hiNery became forever after Billy the Kid His
name Of Bonney is all but forgotten. As the Kid.
he stands as one of the great historical figures
Of 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 revolver and had threatened the
lives OF number of men. Then with all dis
patch he pushed on to the Valley of the Pecos.
This was the 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
nrst alteration he realized that 1t his life
or the other mans The fact that he quick
with a gun made him feared. He became embit-
tered against 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 this mans cow
boys targets to practice He began 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 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 kIII7
The Kid killed more men. wantonly and for
sheer love of murder. than any other man of
whom there is a record In the west. 1t will
be known just how many he assasinatetd He
was butcher who took delight in Staying the
defenseless. He knew no pangs Of conscience
He had not single redeeming trait. He
would murder friend as quickly as an enemy
He thought nothing of appearing before cook
in charge of a chuck wagon, lonely desert
range, ask for something to eat, compliment the
upon the quality of the food he had pre-
pared, with apparent gratitude. He would ask
him. II the idea had suddenly popped into his
head whether he oficer-or had been.
Then. as though in doubt. he would shoot him in
his tracks. This is 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 was a 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
lpersuaded. because of his reputation a bad
man. assist in the arrest of three men charged
Z with murder. They were captured without the
firing of a shot. placed on 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 US"
They're guilty anyway and we'll just
county eXDense"