Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07

bloody page ever written in the history Of cattle
in the United States.
A tenderfoot Alexander A. McSween, had
come to Lincoln. About the same time John
H Tunstall arrived from England. They went
into partnership, backed by Chisum, and built
q store and a bank at Lincoln. This invasion
Of his territory was bitterly resented by Murphy
and his allies.
Neither McSween nor Tunstan was fitted for
leadership In such ruthless campaign. The
former was a lawyer. He was possessed of
none Of the stark courage necessary to control
his own hired killers and to oppose the hardy
rufians imported by the other side as war
riOrs" TO take part in this savage feud. Tun-
stall was red-cheeked BritiSher, fond of adj
venture and big-game hunting, genial. open
hearted gentleman who to the day Of his
death failed entirely to understand that he had
become involved in implacable warfare.
From all the frontier States and Territories
but more particularly from Texas. outlaws and
road agents, stock thieves, ruf1ans and MUIR
derers gathered to take part in the carnival Of
crime about to begin.
THERE had been frequent collisions between
the two parties, but the outrage which
served a declaration of war was the murder
of Tunstall. At this time william H. Bonney,
later known as BILLY the Kid" the most noto-
rious rustler and killer Of New Mexico, first
comes into the picture as q cowboy working for
the Englishman. He was q lad not yet 10, but
in his wanderines he had already left behind
him trail Of blood.
Tunstan was killed by posse led by Billy
Morton, sent from Lincoln to attach some horses
owned by the former. There no justifica-
= ton whatever for the murder. The posse took
the horses with no opposition. With great diff
Guilty Tunstalls foreman, Brewer and Billy the
Kid, having learned of the approach of the
Morton party, had persuaded their employer
mot Tn at
took them hours to bring his stubborn mind to
accept this, and even then he was not at all
convinced. He had not injured any Of these
men. Why should they want to do him per-
sonal injury?
The posse pursued When Brewer and young
Billy saw that cloud of dust in the rear they
knew what it meant. Again the obstinate
streak in Tunstall dominated him. He refused
to run away. His companions left him hur-
riedly. and soon as the pursuit reached him
he was shot down.
The killing of Tunstall set a match to a
powder magazine Feeling ran so high that it
was dangerous to be a neutral. Armed men
rode the streets of Lincoln, watching one an
other with wary, smodering eyes.
THE party of the dead Tunstall struck swiftly
and sayagely. But they moved under some
faint color Of law, as did most of the ruflans
during this blood-thirsty campaign. Sheriff
Brady was friendly to the Murphy faction so
Brewer had himself appointed deputy by a
justice of the peace He gathered posse that
included as many murderous rufians as had
been in the Morton party. It included Frank
McNab, Doc Skurlock Charley Bowdre Fred
Waite, and, of course, Billy the Kid. Among
them was an Irishman named McCloskey who
should never have ridden with such a pack of
avenging wolves
The posse rode far before it flushed its game
Well down the PecoS Valley it jumped Billy