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A DARING DKSPERADO.“ BILLY the kid,” and his bloodyRECORD OF CRIME.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 breakfast. 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 Leader 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 west. 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 war, killing several men. After this fight was over he became the leader of gang of outlaws, and committed mi derous atrocites. So offensive did ] operations become that the goven of the State offered five hundred dolls reward for his capture. The citize combined to help the officers of the li bring the fugitive to justice, and afi a hard chase of two weeks he was a tnred and jailed. He, writh four co panions, was tried at Mesilla, N. 5 and sentenced to be hung on May I 1881. While in jail he confessed Mr. Wilcox that he had killed no 1lt; than thirty-two men. “The Kid” less than twenty-one years of age, tl and slender, with blue eyes and abeai less face.He had warned the authorities th he would make his escape, remarkinj “You know, boys, that in order make this hanging a success you mu have me there, and I don’t intend he present. ” He struck his guard ov the head with the hand shackles th were on his wrists, and then snatchii the revolver from the belt of the guar he quickly ended the latter’s life wii i bullet. He then coolly walked up 1 ;he house just across the street, whe:;he other guard lived, and, picking t i shot-gun, seated himself to await tf guard’s return. A few moments lab ;he latter, unconscious of any dange strolled toward the house. A voilt; sailed out, “ Hello, old fellow I” Tl piard looked up and saw “Billy tl Kid” with the gun in his hand. . second later there was a loud repor ind the guard staggered, dying from vound in the side. To make sure ( lis work, Billy sent the contents of tl ither barrel into the guard’s bod; rhis made the second man he had kille vithin ten minutes. Dropping tl ihot-gun, he entered a rear room whic vas used for storing supplies, an srmed himself with half a dozen si ihooters, a Winchester repeating rifls md all the ammunition he could coi -eniently carry. The report of the gu lad caused quite a number of people i issemble around the building, an vhen Billy appeared on the porch ever nan reached for his pistol. With h: Winchester rifle at his side, not raisin t to his shoulder, Billy began to shooi snd the men began to scatter.“Iam fighting the whole world fc ny life,” said he, “and I mean bus less.” He then ordered one of th aen to get him a horse and a file. H nounted the former, and with th atter filed off the shackles upon one e lis legs, and, not stopping to remov he other,tied the severed manacle wit ts chain to his belt, so that it slioul iot impede his movements. Not aan in the crowd dared to draw a bea n him, and, saying that he did no ntend to steal the horse and would*!* urn it, Billy started out of town on allop. Before he had gone far tb orse “bucked” and threw him. H umped up, and at the muzzle of hi istol compelled one of the men tlt; atch his horse, which he remonntei nd rode away, and has not since beei een or heard of. It seems almost in redible that one man could take pos ission of a town and make his escapi l the face of a score of armed men ut such is the fact.Billy is said to be a master of the uslt;E the revolver. He is a dead shot ad can shoot quicker than any mar l New Mexico. He can use an ordi ary Colt’s revolver as quickly as aother man can a self-cocking pistol.[e shoots with his left hand as accu-itely as he does with his right, and is aim with a revolver in each hand, tooting simultaneously, is unerring. rith a Winchester rifle he can shoot i well with the gun at his side, with-it apparently taking any aim, as most en can shoot in the usual way. His [ual for the quick and unerring use of rearms has never been known in New iexico.Since coming to Cleveland, said Mr. rilcox, I hear that the Kid, since his uring escape, has killed three more en who were in the employ of John lisum, the cattle king. The cowboys, ur in number, were seated, so says a port, around a fire, when “the Kid” de up and inquired : “ Are you work-g for old John Chisum ?” “Yes,” is the reply. “Then here’s your ivf” A b»1M fmm tho Tfirl’a niafnipierced the man’s brain the same mo-ment. 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 down on the one remaining, the murderer shouted, “Hold up!” The command was promptly obeyed. “Now,” continued Billy, “ I want 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.
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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
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