American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-02-27

was hazardous to travel in the
country without an escort. but
~ the magnet Of wealth In the
-p mines drew men to the scene
~ Notwithstanding. In the citt
@ zenship of the community
there were rough men, for the
ca'iy uays were typical Of those Of other min.
.ns-camps isolated In the mountains and distant
from civilization.
IN that community there lived a boy Of seven
Teen years Of age. respected and loved by all. He
Wa 9 iavor1te among the young men and consid-
ered a model youth by the old. He was gentle
az q child. His face was delicately nodded. his
Ism as fair as a girls. his hands small and I'm
sss .aperlpg. 1.-the, graceful. self-reliant. he
gave every promise OF an honorable career.
This boy-William H. Bonney-was emn,oved
IN q local store and was considered a most ac.
commodating clerk. The grun community was
CONFUSED with horror and dumfounded with
astonlsnment one afternoon when the news
spieau IKE w1idhre that Bonney had hacked a
man 70 oeath with a butcher-k knife 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
nonney 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 mad added theft to murder, and In seeking a
pace OF safety left behind him a trail as broad
as though he were following a macadam road.
a the point OF a revolver he compelled
~ exchange horses with him, seized
the pest mounts at the various ranches along his
way and spread CONSERVATION wherever he went
ne ioiIowed the Mimbres river toward Deming
pursued by a posse from Silver City. Closely
pressed. he escaped eastward over the Oregon
mountains, when 1t was thought he was headed
for Mexico.
Tho Start Of a Bad Mans Trail.
A western town was never more surprised.
The majority Of the people still defended him.
tnere was some reason, his friends declared. for
MS 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
mamie 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
single-handed. He boldly traded horses, obtained
credit, bought supplies, because he could shoot
straight with a 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 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 It was his life
or the other mans. The fact that he was quick
with a 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 dam
gerous to his punchers," said the boy.
At once he commenced to use this mans cow
h0Va a tQrgaf1 IN nrQctfco n N Io honon a nopc
pafgn 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
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 own.
How Many Men Did He kII2
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. It will never
be known just how many he assasinatetd. He
was a butcher who took delight in Staying the
defenseless. He knew no pangs Of conscience.
He had not one single redeeming trait. He
would murder a friend as quickly as an enemy.
He thought nothing of appearing before a cook
n charge of a chuck wagon. on a lonely desert
range, ask for something to eat. compliment the
man upon the quality Of the food he had pre-
pared, with apparent gratitude. He would ask
him, as II the idea had suddenly popped into his
read. whether he was an oficer-o- had been.
Then. as though in doubt, he would shoot him in
lis tracks. This Is no exaggeration. A man
whom he left for dead. and who survived long
enough to tel the story. was authority for the
statement. shortly after his arrival on the Pecos
liver.
The hey was a terror before whom everybody
led. He rode the fastest horses, he helped him
elf to the best there was In every community he
wiggled out Of any number Of tight
,laces. and shot his way to freedom a dozen
Shortly after his arrival in the valley, he was
because of his reputation as a bad
nan, to assist In the arrest of three men charged
nth murder. They were captured without the
ring Of a shot. placed on horses. ironed and
tarted 1ailward. To the deputy sheriff. who
nth him followed the prisoners across a long.
usty sand plain. he turned suddenly and said.
Lets kill those fellows"
why? They haven't done anything to us"
sThex'ra guilfY ANYWAY and wall Inst aaxn =