The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-02-28

III Notwithstanding. In the citi
8A~A zenship of the community
there rough men. for the
early days were typical of those of other min
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 was delicately nodded his
skin as fair girls. his hands small and fin
gers tapering. 1.-the, graceful self-reliant. he
gave every promise of an honorable career.
This boy-Wiam H. Bonney-was employed
in local store and considered most ac-
commodating clerk The gruff community
convused with horror and dumfounded with
establishment afternoon when the
spread like wildhre that Bonney had hacked
man to death with butcherk knife and was flee
ing for his life on the back of stolen horse.
The murder particularly atrocious. 1t
was the result of alteration in which young
Bonney was crossed. Prior to this the boy had
never been questioned. In 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 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
pressed he escaped eastward over the Oregon
mountains, when it was thought he was headed
/ for Mexico.
| The Start Of Bad Mans Trail
4 western town surprised.
/ The majority of the people still defended him.
there some reason, his friends declared, for
/ his strange act. But news came of the way
! he 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 his murderous exploits filed the hearts
of 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 country, 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
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.
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 de-
veloped 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
III 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 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 bound become q
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 XIII?
The Kid killed more men, wantonly and for
sheer love of murder. than any other man oil
whom there is record in the west. 1t will never
be known just how many he assasnatetd. He
defenseless He knew pangs of conscience
He had not one single redeeming trait Ht
would murder friend as quickly as an enemy
He thought nothing of appearing before cool
|, in charge of chuck" wagon, on a lonely desert
range ask for something to eat, compliment thu
man upon the quality of the food he had pre-
pared. with apparent gratitude. He would ash
him. as if the idea had suddenly popped into his
head, whether he was an oficer-o7 had been
Then as though in doubt, he would shoot him II
his tracks. This is exaggeration. mai
whom he left for dead. and who survived Ions
enough to tel the story. authority for thu
statement shortly after his arrival on the Peco
river
The boy was terror before whom everybod.
fed He rode the fastest horses, he helped him
! ! self to the best there in every community h
visited wiggled out of any number of tigh
: places and shot his way to freedom a doze
times.
Shortly after his arrival in the valley, he wa
persuaded because of his reputation a ba
man to assist in the arrest of three men charges
: with murder. They were captured without tn
firing of a shot. placed horses. ironed an
) started jalward. To the deputy sheriff, VIII
: with him followed the prisoners across LONG
r dusty sand plain, he turned suddenly and sale
Lets kill those fellows"
"Why? They haven't done anything to us"
They're guilty anyway. and wen Just saw
the county expense"
! NO Billy. they have not given US a chance {
!. ! shoot at them-they have not tried to escape"
) The deputy tried to argue with him. for h