The Arvada enterprise., 1913-02-13

there rough men. for the
early days 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
child. His face was delicatey nodded. his
skin as fair as girls his hands small and fin
gers tapering 1.-the, graceful, sefreant, he
gave every promise of an honorable
This boy-William H. Bonney-was employed
In local store and considered a most
commodatng clerk The gruf community
convulsed with horror and dumfounded with
astonshment afternoon when the
spread like wildfre that Bonney had hacked a
man to death with a butcherknife and was flee
ing for his life on the back of stolen horse
The murder was particularly atrocOus. 1t
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 demon, within a few minutes
he had added theft to murder. and in seeking
place of safety left behind him a trail broad
as though he following macadam 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 the Oregon
mountains. when it thought he headed
for Mexico
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 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 changed. From that
time his murderous exploits filled the hearts
of with fear. The boys name in western
history became forever after Rilly the Kid
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
lived prince of bad men, the youngest bad
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 wish 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 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 his life
or 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.
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 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 a leader among the bands of armed thugs
of the region. He had at 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 own
How Many Men Did He XIII?
The Kid killed more men. wantonly and for
sheer love of murder than any other man Of
whom there is record in the west 1t vii! never
be known just how many he assasinaetd. He
was a butcher who took delight in Staying the
defenseess. He knew pan9s Of conscience.
He had not single redeeming trait. He
would murder a friend quickly as an enemy.
He thought nothing of appearing before cook
in charge of a chuck" wagon. on 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 If the idea had suddenly popped into his
head whether he ofIicer-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
fed He rode the fastest horses, he helped him
self to the best there was in every community no
visited wiggled out OF any number OF tight
places and shot his way to freedom dozen
times.
shortly after his arrival in the valley, he was
persuaded because of his reputation bad
man to assist in the arrest OF three men charged
with murder. They captured without the
firing Of shot placed on horses ironed and
started jailward. To the deputy sherir, 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 wen Just save
the county expense"
NO Billy. they have not given us n chance tc
sboot n them-they have not tried TO escape"
The deputy tried to argue With him, for hr