Soon a man arose from the ground, in full view, but too far away to recognize. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. They saw a group of men nearby who were speaking in Spanish. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. About two months later with no amnesty forthcoming, Billy realized hed been had and they were going to hang him instead. Historians say that this photo shows outlaw Billy the Kid, circled second from left, and Pat Garrett, circled far right, taken in 1880. With his mother gone, teenage Henry McCarty was basically on his own. Garrett was able to get inside the house on July 14 and when Billy entered, Garrett shot him dead. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; the judge set his execution day for May 13. Following Billy the Kids death, the media turned him into a folk hero and made Garrett out to be the bad guy. The image could be the last known picture of Billy the Kid, who was born Henry McCarty. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). I've always been somebody who's interested in history and background.'. Click here to sign a petition for the pardon of Billy the Kid, or click here to sign a petition opposed to that pardon. The Lady Is My Wife - Trailers From Hell While we await the rumored Blu-ray of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid to surface (or was Alex Cox misinformed? He soon, however, hailed his friend, who was sleeping in the room, told him to get up and make some coffee, adding: Give me a butcher knife and I will go over to Petes and get some beef; Im hungry. The Mexican arose, handed him the knife, and the Kid, hatless and in his stocking-feet, started to Maxwells, which was but a few steps distant. As a result of one of the many ambushes that occurred, Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady and one of his deputies were found dead, having been shot by the Kid. A few months later, Garrett married Apolinaria Gutierrez, his sister-in-law. In 1882, Garrett and his ghost writer, Marshall Upson, published The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. Amid controversy, Garrett was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 2, 1902. What historians do know is that Garrett was elected sheriff of Lincoln County in November 1880, on a platform promising to end the violence between two groups of warring landowners feuding over dry goods and cattle interests in the county. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Wikimedia CommonsThe full-length version of the sole completely authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. WebBut he never did like to talk about it all that much. Carl Adamson agreed to take the goats until Brazel discovered his estimate of the number of goats had been wrong and demanded the buyer take all 1,800 goats. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. By 1876 he was hunting buffalo, until a dispute with another hunter, Joe Briscoe, ended up with Garrett killing Briscoe. Now, Billy the Kid and the Regulators were in trouble with the new sheriff that had been appointed for causing so much bloodshed and murder. History tells us that the outlaw known as Billy the Kid (aka Henry McCarty, aka William Bonney) was gunned downat the ripe old age of 21by Sheriff Pat Richard Stockton is a freelance science and technology writer from Sacramento, California. Quien es? (Whos that? He was bareheaded. Here's how Sheriff Pat Garrett related his side of the story. One of Garretts deputies went to check the roof and was fatally shot. Director Sam Peckinpah Writer The Regulators and the new sheriffs forces clashed in July 1878 at whats become known as the Battle of Lincoln. Billy the Kid then stayed off the radar until January 1880, when he was drinking in a bar near Santa Fe. Billy the Kid is shot to death - HISTORY During the ensuing confrontation, the sheriff and his posse, loyal to Tunstalls rivals, shot Tunstall off his horse and then picked up his own gun and used it to kill him with a shot to the back of the head. This man was Billy; he was lounging around the orchard at the same time the lawmen entered. before being shot dead. 'One day it may end up at an auction house somewhere. By 1892 Garrett and his family had relocated to Uvalde, Texas, where he befriended John Nance Garner, a future United States vice-president. In 1903, Garrett got into a public brawl with his employee, George Gaither. He states, Just think of all the good publicity New Mexico is receiving around the world on thisIts fun. A quick online search reveals more than 50 films in which Billy the Kid is either the main character or a secondary one. He was to outlaws what Wyatt Earp was to lawmen, an iconic figure whose legacy persists on to this day. Biggest diamond EVER sold at auction sells Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, 'Vindication': Georgia Harrison on ex Stephen Bear's sentencing, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Garretts body was left on the side of the road. The Lincoln County justice of the peace was convinced but before Brady could be arrested, local deputies loyal to the sheriff arrested Billy and threw him in jail. Portrait of American gunman Billy the Kid (18591881). It was near midnight and Pete was in bed. Did Pat Garrett kill Billy the Kid as per the official tale? For example, a Mrs. Wood of Seven Rivers said she served the outlaw dinner three days after he was supposed to have died. McCartys new stepfather was a part-time prospector who frequently went off on extended trips. He was then sent back to Lincoln County, where he was scheduled to be executed on May 13. In the aftermath of the Lincoln County War, Lew Wallace, the new territorial governor of New Mexico, published a wanted list which included the Kid, who was implicated in the murder of Sheriff Brady in 1878, shortly after Brady arrested the Kid. Garrett, who had been tracking the Kid for Quickly as possible I drew my revolver and fired, threw my body aside, and fired again. Three days later, Garrett and his men surrounded the fugitives at Stinking Springs. These qualities contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and a folk hero. A judge apparently ruled against the efforts, but that hasnt stopped present Governor Richardsons interest in the case. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. Pat Garrett eventually shot and murdered him in July 1881. Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid, the whole story, thats part of who we are now, Eidson says. Born on New York Citys East Side, Billy as a child migrated with his parents to Kansas; his father died there, and the mother and her two boys moved to Colorado, where she remarried. fourth photo of Billy the Kid is found Billy became a fugitive. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He continues to look into whether the Kid rightfully deserves a posthumous pardon as promised by Governor Wallace. Historians say that this photo shows outlaw Billy the Kid, circled second from left, and Pat Garrett, circled far right, taken in 1880. The man, local blacksmith Frank Cahill, called Billy a pimp. Bonney and the others escaped. Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty to Irish immigrants in New York City around 1859. But this time it was a U.S. Henry Woodson Strong scouted for famed Indian fighter Ranald S. Mackenzie. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Mysteries of the Old West: Did Pat Garrett Kill Billy the Kid? But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. Shortly after his death, war broke out between the Jesse Evans Gang and the Regulators, who backed Tunstall. In December 1880 he was captured by Garrett and stood trial for murder in Mesilla, New Mexico, in April 1881; he was found guilty and was sentenced to hang. This is a terrible place to put a fellow in.". But he came up with a plan to get himself off by providing Governor Lew Wallace with information about the murder of a prominent lawyer that hed witnessed recently. The Washington Post One Mans Quest to Bury the Wild West Mystery of Billy the Kids Death. Garrett and his men had received information that the outlaws were coming and set up an ambush. A handwriting expert in Texas compared a signature from Garrett on the photo with ten documents with his known handwriting. Somehow, he managed to reach a friends house, where he was allowed to rest and recover from his ordeal in the desert. Garrett gets word that the Kid is hiding out near Maxwells place. Omissions? Retreating rapidly across the room he cried: Quien es? He also wouldnt have backed into a darkened doorway where more danger possibly lurked. Along with deputies Thomas McKinney and John Poe, Garrett reached the Fort on the night of July 14, 1881. Billy the Kid has long been one of the many names associated with the Wild West, alongside the Bob Dalton Gang, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cole Younger, Jesse James, and more. He had already written down the jurys verdict and asked Segura, Anaya and the rest of the jury to sign it. Billy the Kid - Crime Museum It was a good racket, but he couldnt stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy it. Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. Hines told him a whopper of a tale: Billy the Kid had not been killed in New Mexico but was alive and well and living in a town called Hico in Hamilton County, Texas, as one Ollie Brushy Bill Roberts. The second shot was useless; the Kid fell dead. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Richardsons deputy chief of staff Eric Witt wants to clarify that they are not offering a general pardon for all of Kids crimes, but rather a pardon for the individual case of killing a sheriff. Despite his young age, Kid was said to have killed anywhere between 9 and 21 men. Mysteries of the Old West: Did Pat Garrett Kill Billy the Kid? Garrett decided to seek out Peter Maxwell, an old friend who lived in the area, in the hope that he could receive some details about the fugitives whereabouts. Pat Garrett (2nd from right) with friends on the porch in Roswell, New Mexico. 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Billy the Kid convicted of murder Analysis: Did Pat Garrett Really Kill Outlaw Billy the Kid? Circa 1879-1880. In Hico Billy is everywhere, from a statue downtown, to the standee in the Chamber of Commerce, to the monumental arch over Robertss grave. The picture is the only known photo of the Regulators gang all together. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Corrections? After his release, Billy the Kid joined up with a posse called the Lincoln County Regulators in order to avenge Tunstalls death. Out on his own, McCarty slipped across the border into Arizona Territory, which technically made him a federal fugitive from justice though the federal government didnt have a huge presence in Arizona at the time and Henry was pretty much free to do as he liked. He was appointed deputy sheriff for the last two months of 1880 before taking office January 1, 1881. Garrett claims that he stayed in Maxwells house with his men for the entire night. Garrett was fatally shot on the road from the ranch to Las Cruces, N.M. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an original edition became quite valuable over the years. Pat Garrett The man who had leased the ranch, Wayne Brazel, alleged that Garrett had drawn a gun on him and that the killing was self-defense. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. 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Garrett, argues that Richardson should have assigned an impartial historian to aid in the case, and believes that McGinns involvement may be a conflict of interest. A very similar situation arose with yet another disputed photo of Billy in 2017. Now, the stories of what actually happened next seem to clash, so suffice it to say that the Kid ended up in custody. Another hypothesis is that Billy the Kid was in fact Ollie L. (Brushy Bill) Roberts, who escaped, lived in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, rode in Wild West shows, and died in 1950 in Hico, Texas. There are also suggestions that Billy and Garrett were friends and planned the whole incident so the fugitive could escape. But then I might. Nine years older than Billy, he'd been a buffalo hunter, hired gun, and cowboy before he ran for sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, on a law-and-order platform. But while under guard by two sheriff's deputies at a home, McCarty killed both men and then fled out of town on horseback. Even by frontier standards, he was young. August 10th, 2010. Billy the Kid When the governors office refused to give Garrett his $500 reward (for reasons that remain unclear), local citizens chipped in and raised $7,000 for him instead. He was celebrated for his gun skills and, according to popular legend killed 21 men - one for each year of his short life. The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid - Atlas Obscura In 1878, to settle a dispute over a large debt owed by Tunstalls business partner to a rival cohort of local businessmen, Sheriff William Brady and his posse attempted to seize around $40,000 worth of Tunstalls cattle.