Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1913-02-14


ing-camps 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 favorite among the young men and consid-
cred model youth by the old. He was gentle
as child. His face delicately nodded. his
skin as fair a girls, his hands small and fin
gers taperng. 1.-the, graceful, selfreliant. he
gave every promise of an honorable career.
This boy-William H. Bonney-was employed
In local store and was considered a most ac-
commodating clerk. The gruff community was
convulsed with horror and dumfounded with
establishment one afternoon when the news
spread like wildfre that Bonney had hacked a
to death with butcher-knife and was fee
Ing for his life on the back of stolen horse.
The murder particularly atrocious. 1t
was the result of an alteration in which young
Bonney 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 rnacadam road.
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 Mmbres river toward Deming
pursued by posse from Silver City. Closely
pressed. he escaped eastward over the Oregon
mountains, when 1t was thought he was headed
The Start OF Bad Mans Trail.
western town was never more surprised
The majority Of the people still defended him:
there 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 changed From that
time on his murderous exploits filed 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 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
electrical. Here he conceived the idea that
TO evade arrest he must fight his way to the front
SYnglehanded. 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.
This 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
first alteration he realized that 1t 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 1Salley too hot for him and dam
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 a spite against their employer made
him leader among the bands of armed thugs
es 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 a band of his owl
How Many Men Did He XIII?
The Kid killed men, wantonly and for
sheer love OF murder, than any other man Of
whom there is record in the west. 1t will never
be known Just how many he assasinatetd He
was d butcher who took delight in Staying the
defensaless. He knew pangs of conscience
He had not single redeeming trait. He
would murder friend quickly as an enemy
He thought nothing Of appearing before cook
In charge OF chuck wagon, a lonely desert
range ask Tor something to eat, compliment the
upon the quality Of the food he had pre-
pared, with apparent gratitude. He would ask
him. as il 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. 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 terror before whom everybody
ned. 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 az a bad
man, to assist In the arrest of three men charged
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 across 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
the county expense"
NO Billy, they have not given us chance to
shoot at them-they have not tried to escape
The deputy tried to argue with him. for be