The death of Billy the Kid

Jan 07, 2007 01:01:57

On November 7, 1880 the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, George Kimbell, resigned with two months left on his term. As Kimbell's successor, the county appointed Garrett, a member of the Democratic Party and a gunman of some reputation who had promised to restore law and order. Garrett was charged with tracking down and arresting a friend from his saloon keeping days, Henry McCarty, a jail escapee and Lincoln County War participant who often went by the aliases Henry Antrim and William Harrison Bonney, but is better known as Billy the Kid. McCarty was an alleged murderer who had participated in the Lincoln County War. He was said to have killed 21 men, one for every year of his life, but the actual total was probably closer to nine. New Mexico governor Lew Wallace had personally put a $500 reward on McCarty's capture. During a December 19th shootout, Garrett killed Tom O'Folliard, a friend of the Kid's. A few nights later, the sheriff's posse killed Charlie Bowdre, captured The Kid and his companions, and transported the captives to Mesilla, New Mexico for trial. Though he was convicted, The Kid managed to escape from jail on April 18, 1881, after killing his guards J. W. Bell and Bob Olinger. On the following July 14th, Garrett visited Fort Sumner, New Mexico to question a friend of The Kid's about the outlaw's whereabouts. He learned that The Kid was staying with a mutual friend, Pete Maxwell. At around midnight, Garrett went to Maxwell's house. The Kid was asleep in another part of the house, but woke up hungry in the middle of the night and entered the kitchen where Garrett was standing in the shadows. The Kid did not recognize the man standing in dark. "Quien es (Who is it)? Quien es?" The Kid asked repeatedly. Garrett replied by shooting at The Kid twice, the first shot hitting him in the heart, and the second one going wild. (Some historians have questioned Garrett's account of the shooting, alledging the incident happened differently. They claim that Garrett went into Paulita Maxwell's room and tied her up. The Kid walked into her room, and Garrett ambushed him with a single blast from his Sharps rifle.) There has been much dispute regarding if Pat Garrett actually did kill Billy The Kid. The way Garrett allegedly killed McCarty without warning eventually sullied the lawman's reputation. Garrett claimed that Billy the Kid had entered the room armed with a pistol, but no gun was found on his body. Other accounts claim he entered carrying a kitchen knife. There is no hard evidence to support this; however, if he did so it is likely he intended to cut some food for himself, since he had no idea anyone was waiting for him. Regardless of how he died, Billy was a wanted criminal and as sheriff Garrett chose not to give him a chance to surrender. Still, at the time the shooting solidified Garrett's fame as a lawman and gunman, and led to numerous appointments to law enforcement positions, as well as requests that he pursue outlaws in other parts of New Mexico. Source - Wikipedia