Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1913-02-28

r. was hazardous to travel in the
country without an escort but
the magnet of wealth in the
@A9 mines drew men to the scene
Notwithstanding In the citi-
zenship of the community
there were rough men. for the
c@ry Gays We're typical of those of other min
ans-camps isolated in the mountains and distant
from civilization
In that community there lived boy or seven.
<Neen years OF age, respected and loved by all He
was favorite among the young men ana consid
cred model youth by the old. He was gentle
as child His face dellcately nodded his
SKIN as fair as a girls, his hands small and fin
sers tapering' 1.-the, graceful selfreliant. he
gave every promise Of honorable career
This boy-William H. Bonney-was emploved
IN local store and was considered a most ac-
'commodating clerk. The gruff community was
convused with horror and dumfounded with
Astonlsnment one afternoon when the news
spread like wildhre that Bonney had hacked a
man to death with butcherknife and was fee
ing Tor his life on the back Of a stolen horse
me 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 a demon within a few minutes
ne had added theft to murder and in seeking d
place OF safety left behind him a trail as broad
as though he were following a macadam road
AT the point of revolver he compelled
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 1t was thought he was headed
for Mexico
The start of a Bad Mans Trail.
western town was 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
ne 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,
ne 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
singlehanded. He boldly traded horses, obtained
credit bought supplies. because he could shoot
straight with revolver and had threatened the
lives of a 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 filed with men who had
been driven out of Texas by the Rangers, and
Billy the Kids association with these men de.
veoped his mania for shedding blood. In his
FIRST alteration he realized that 1t was his life
the other mans. The fact that he quick
with gun made him feared He became embit-
tered against OF the stockmen Immediately
upon his arrival in the valley.
'T1l 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 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 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 Kl2
The Kid killed men, wantonly and for
sheer love of murder, than any other of
whom there is a record in the west. It will never
be known Just how many he assasnatetd. He
was butcher who took delight In Staying the
defenseless. He knew pangs of conscience.
He had, not single redeeming trait He
would murder friend quickly as enemy.
He thought nothing of appearing before q cook
In charge of chuck" wagon, on a 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, If 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 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 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 was
persuaded. because of his reputation a bad
man, to assist In the arrest OF three men charged
with murder. They captured without the
firing of a shot, placed on horses, ironed and
startednjailward. 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 MS"
They're guilty anyway. and wen just save
the county expense"
mo. 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 he