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A DARING DESPERADO.The doings of a noted boy desperado, known by the euphonious title of “Billy the Kid,” have been frequently chronicled in the telegraphic columns. “ Billy the Kid” is bound to achieve even more fame than the noted Wild Bill, who, according to western lore, used to kill a man or two before break fast. Billy’s field of operations has been mostly confined thus far to the broad prairies of that boundless State, New Mexico. Billy is a terror, and Lute Wilcox, of the Las Yegas, N. M., Daily Optic, now visiting in the city, knows all about the terror of the plains. This coming to the ears of a Lemler man, he sought out the far western journalist, subjected him to the torture as an interview, and elicited the following facts : “ The Kid,” according to report, was once a New York bootblack. Beading dime novels and trashy story papers turned his head, and he bought himself a revolver and started for the boundless wrest. On the way he lingered long enough in Ohio to kill his first man, after which he made tracks for Texas, where he became a cow boy. His deadly skill as a marksman and his unquenchable desire for gore, gave him the name and fame he coveted—that of a brutal desperado. He was one of the leaders in the Lincoln county, New Mexico wrer, killing several men. After this fight w'as over he became the leader of a gang of outlaws, and committed murderous atrocites. So offensive did his operations become that the governor of the State offered five hundred dollars reward for his capture. The citizens combined to help the officers of the law bring the fugitive to justice, and after a hard chase of twre weeks he was captured and jailed. He, with four companions, was tried at Mesilla, N. M., and sentenced to be hung on May 3d, 1881. While in jail he confessed to Mr. Wilcox that he had killed no less than thirty-two men. “The Kid” is less than twenty-one years of age, tall and slender, with blue eyes and a beardless face.He had warned the authorities that he would make his escape, remarking “You know, boys, that in order to make this hanging a success you must have me there, and I don’t intend to lie present. ” He struck his guard over the head with the hand shackles that were on his wrists, and then snatching the revolver from the belt of the guard, he quickly ended the latter’s life with a bullet. He then coolly wralked up to the house just across the street, where the other guard lived, and, picking up a shot-gun, seated himself to await the guard’s return. A few moments later the latter, unconscious of any danger, strolled toward the house. A voice called out, “ Hello, old fellow I” The guard looked up and saw' “Billy the Kid” with the gun in his hand, second later there was a loud report, and the guard staggered, dying from a wound in the side. To make sure of his work, Billy sent the contents of the other barrel into the guard’s body. This made the second man be had killed within ten minutes. Dropping the shot-gun, he entered a rear room which was used for storing supplies, and armed himself with half a dozen six shooters, a Winchester repeating rifle, and all the ammunition he could conveniently carry. The report of the gun had caused quite a number of people to assemble around the building, and when Billy appeared on the porch every man reached for his pistol. With his Winchester rifle at his side, not raising it to his shoulder, Billy began to shoot, and the men began to scatter.“Iam fighting the whole world for my life,” said he, “and I mean business.” He then ordered one of the men to get him a horse and a file. He mounted the former, and with the latter filed off the shackles upon one of his legs, and, not stopping to remove the other,tied the severed manacle with its chain to his belt, so that it should not impede his movements. Not a man in the crowd dared to draw a beadpierced the man’s brain the same moment. Seeing the murder of their comrade, the other cowboys sprang to their feet, but before they could draw their six-shooters, that of. the Kid had exploded twice again, and two more of the cowboys fell. Pulling dowrn on the one remaining, the murderer shouted, “Hold up!” The command was promptly obeyed. “Now,” continued Billy, “ I w'ant you to live to take a message to old John Chisum for me. Tell him that during the Lincoln county war he promised to pay me five dollars a day for fighting for him. I fought for him and never got a cent. Now I intend to kill his men wherever I meet them, giving him credit for five dollars every time I drop one until the debt is squared, and, if I happen to meet him before, I will kill him and call the whole account settled. All I am living for now is to get even with my enemies, and I expect to be in this country till I do that.The Kid then rode away toward the Pecos, and the cowboy, after seeing that his friends were all dead, made all haste to the nearest camp, where he told his story and secured assistance to bury the bodies of the murdered men. Heavy rewards are out for the Kid, but there seems to be but one man in all that section with nerve enough to follow' the Kid ; that is the sheriff, Pat Garrett, who is on his trail, and, unless killed himself, will get the Kid eventually.—Cleveland Leader.on him, and, saying that he did not intend to steal the horse and would‘return it, Billy started out of town on a gallop. Before he had gone far the horse “ bucked” and threw him. He iumped up, and at the muzzle of his pistol compelled one of the men to ;atch his horse, which he remounted ind rode away, and has not since been seen or heard of. It seems almost in-sredible that one man could take possession of a town and make his escape n the face of a score of armed men ; iut such is the fact.Billy is said to be a master of the use f the revolver. He is a dead shot, aid can shoot quicker than any man n New Mexico. He can use an ordi-lary Colt’s revolver as quickly as mother man can a self-cocking pistol. Ie shoots with his left hand as accu-ately as he does with his right, and us aim with a revolver in each hand, hooting simultaneously, is unerring. Yith a Winchester rifle he can shoot .s well with the gun at his side, with-ut apparently taking any aim, as most iien can shoot in the usual way. His qual for the quick and unerring use of rearms has never been known in New lexico.Since coming to Cleveland, said Mr. Pilcox, I hear that the Kid, since his aring escape, has killed three more len who were in the employ of John Ihisum, the cattle king. The cowboys, sir in number, were seated, so says a sport, around a fire, when “the Kid” ude up and inquired : “ Are you work-lg for old John Chisum?” “Yes,” 'as the reply. “Then here’s your
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Middletown Transcript
Middletown, Delaware, US
Fri, Jul 22, 1881
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University O.
NM, USA 27 Apr 2025
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Middletown New Era
Middletown Transcript
