Amid controversy, Garrett was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 2, 1902. The man, local blacksmith Frank Cahill, called Billy a pimp. https://www.historynet.com/death-of-billy-the-kid-as-pat-garrett-tells-it/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot. It was taken at the ranch of John Tunstall, an Englishman rancher who organized the gang to protect his properties against rivals, The photo, zoomed in to see Billy the Kid more closely, wasdiscovered in 2015 and has since been estimated to be worth $5 million. So, why is the notorious Billy the Kid up for this pardon, you ask? He never spoke. Although the book was not successful when it was released, an original edition became quite valuable over the years. Some of those in favor of Kids pardon have filed a petition, including defense attorney Randi McGinn who has offered to handle the case for free. For instance, Poe does not remember the significant incident at the peach orchard. He moved in with an El Paso prostitute; when Curry learned of Garretts situation, he withdrew his offer. During the Kids time as an outlaw, Pat Garrett was elected Sheriff and sent after him. In 2010, many petitioned the New Mexico governors office to grant Billy the pardon they say Lew Wallace had promised him 130 years before, but it never came to pass. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pat-Garrett, HistoryNet - Pat Garrett Was the Last Great Frontier Lawman, Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Biography of Pat Garrett, Robert Garrett - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Exactly what happened after that has been the subject of speculation ever since, but everyone agrees on one fact: On the night of July 14, Billy the Kid was shot to death in Maxwells home. He was the sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, as well as Doa Ana County, New Mexico. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; the judge set his execution day for May 13. Unfortunately, by the time the Kid was fifteen years old his mother had passed away from tuberculosis. The Regulators were able to ambush and kill Brady, but that didnt put an end to things. Billy the Kid was there when it happened and went to the courts to convince them that the sheriff and his posse had committed murder. Billy's arrest found him in Garrett's custody. Memorial marking spot where Pat Garrett was killed. As a society back then, people were tough, strong, and fearless, and yet this little guy is known as the most deadly outlaw of them all, says Daniel A. Edwards, author of Billy the Kid: An Autobiography. Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. After making sure his siblings had homes with relatives, Pat headed west in 1869 and found work as a cowboy in Dallas for about six years. We'll see what happens,' Abrams said. Portrait of Pat Garrett from The Story of the Outlaws. Here's how Sheriff Pat Garrett related his side of the story. President Roosevelt supported Garrett as complaints piled up and went so far as to invite him to a reunion for the Rough Riders in San Antonio in April of 1905. Does Billy the Kid Deserve the Pardon He was Promised? Garretts friend George Curry was now the Territorial Governor of New Mexico and promised to appoint him as superintendent of the territorial prison at Santa Fe. But when he unwisely returned to the area a few days later, he was locked up in the stockade pending the arrival of law enforcement. Furthermore, several of Billys friends say he only had a knife and not a gun. When Garrett was appointed Sheriff of Dona Ana County in April of 1896, it took two years for him to gather enough evidence to ask a judge in Las Cruces for warrants to arrest William McNew, Oliver M. Lee, James Gililland, and Bill Carr. After this look at Billy the Kid, read up on other legendary Wild West figures like legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley and Bass Reeves, the bullet-dodging black lone ranger. In 2008, for instance, Bonham sold Billy's gun for $64,350. We unsaddled here, got some coffee, and, on foot, entered an orchard which runs from this point down to a row of old buildings, some of them occupied by Mexicans, not more than sixty yards from Maxwells house. Whatever happened, the answer will probably remain a secret forever. While trying to verify the photo, Abrams approached Robert Stahl, a retired professor emeritus at Arizona State University who is no stranger to the history of Billy the Kid. He was then sent back to Lincoln County, where he was scheduled to be executed on May 13. Wow, a new Sam Peckinpah western! Lew Wallaces descendant William Wallace argues that pardoning Billy the Kid would, declare Lew Wallace to have been a dishonorable liar. Henry got the better of Cahill and shot him, inflicting a wound that would kill him the next day. Tim Sweet, owner of the Billy the Kid museum, previously said that he was 95 per cent sure that Garrett is in the photo. 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. Garrett and his men had received information that the outlaws were coming and set up an ambush. Brazel used the land to raise goats, which was unacceptable to the Garrets. They were acquitted of the Fountain killings, and the charges for killing the deputy were dismissed. In 2015, Stahl filed a petition in New Mexico Supreme Court in pursuit of a death certificate for the Kid, also known as William Bonney, from the state's medical examiner. New Mexico Office of the State Historian. Once again, Billy the Kid was now on the run. 2023 Atlas Obscura. WebPat Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County in 1880 on a reform ticket with the expectation that he would reinstate justice in the area. Brushy Bill was very well known around these parts, says Jane Klein, historian at the Billy the Kid Museum. Eidsons official position on the story echoes that of the rest of the Historical Commissionwe keep an open mind. After the cease fire, McCarty and most of the Regulators fled town, but they were followed by Garrett, who wanted to cash in on the bounty on McCarty's head. The Gun That Killed Billy The Kid Analysis: Did Pat Garrett Really Kill Outlaw Billy the Kid? These qualities contributed to his image as both a notorious outlaw and a folk hero. Garretts adversaries attained copies of the photos and sent them to Roosevelt along with a note telling the President that Powers was not a cattleman, but the proprietor of a rowdy saloon. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The extended dance of Frank Abrams, who bought the photo at a flea market says experts in forensics and facial recognition have verified the picture after several months of examination, Jackson Mahomes grabs woman by the throat in security footage, Driver dead after overturned tanker truck explodes in Maryland, Ukrainian solider fighting in Bakhmut fires machine gun at Russians, Judge makes damning comments before sentencing Murdaugh for life, Aftermath of tanker explosion in Maryland seen in drone footage, Trump Jr. leads 'MAGA wrecking crew' in song for Guilfoyle's B-day, Wheel of Fortune contestant answers food puzzle wrong, Drone footage shows aftermath of petrol depot explosion in Jakarta, 17-feet of snow blankets San Bernardino mountain range, CCTV captures women leaving the flat after killing Saul Murray, Shocking moment out-of-control truck veers of the road, Russian mouthpiece claims London is now the 'main evil' during TV rant, 'Now, it's in a safe deposit box,' Abrams said on Tuesday. Garrett was able to get inside the house on July 14 and when Billy entered, Garrett shot him dead. 'Right now, that is not the first thing on my mind. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 'Only known photograph discovered' of Billy the Kid and Pat Interviewed later by a reporter, he took in his surroundings and asked, "Is the jail at Santa Fe any better than this? But That Was Just the Beginning. 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!' Its all just part of the areas mythology. The Kid was catapulted into legend due to the $500 bounty - then a staggering amount - on his head. Little is known about Billy the Kids early days, but By 1892 Garrett and his family had relocated to Uvalde, Texas, where he befriended John Nance Garner, a future United States vice-president. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. The report said: We, the jury, find that Billy the Kid (met) his death by a bullet which was fired from a gun in the hands of Pat F. Garrett . Garrett apparently lost the verdict by the next morning. However, there is no other evidence of this; we are relying on Anayas word alone for the entire existence of the jury and its verdict. Richardson is a known Billy the Kid aficionado, and is considering the pardon because of an alleged promise by Governor Lew Wallace. Once inside, he asked Maxwell: Who are these fellows outside Pete? Maxwell said: Thats him! to Garrett, who opened fire almost as soon as Billy said: who are you? in Spanish. ', This undated file photo (left) is thought to be an image of famed gunslinger Billy the Kid near the age of 18. 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. The Kid remained and Garrett was true to his word and arrested his former friend. Billy lights out for old Fort Sumner on the Pecos River, some 150 miles northeast of Lincoln. William Wallace agrees, also citing that McGinn has, meager qualifications. Pat Garrett was away at the time and didnt try to track the Kid until he received information that the outlaw was holed up in a ranch at Fort Sumner, some 140 miles away from Lincoln. He was reportedly killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, who later burnished the legend of the Wild West outlaw. Word reached him of the death, but he didnt cut his trip short and missed the funeral. Financially, Garrett was a failure. American mafia founder Albert Anastasia's What a sparkler! The other known pictures of the outlaw were believed to have been taken in 1877, 1878 and 1879. He had stopped his wagon on a lonely road about four miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to empty his bladder. Shortly after his death, war broke out between the Jesse Evans Gang and the Regulators, who backed Tunstall. 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. The image could be the last known picture of Billy the Kid, who was born Henry McCarty. In 1882, Garrett and his ghost writer, Marshall Upson, published The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. It was a good racket, but he couldnt stay out of trouble long enough to enjoy it. But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. On the evening of July 14, Garrett waited inside Maxwell's bedroom. He had already written down the jurys verdict and asked Segura, Anaya and the rest of the jury to sign it. A suspicion lingered that Brazel or someone else conspired to execute Garrett, a lawman with many enemies. As you can imagine, there is much controversy arising from this investigationwhich side will you join? WebOn the night of July 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned down outlaw Billy the Kid in Fort Sumner. He realized that the law had made its way to Fort Sumner, so he fled towards Maxwells compound. WebFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Young Guns 2 at Amazon.com. 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. But then they took him to the jail house Where they try to turn a man into a mouse. Soldier in range wars, cattle rustler, horse thief, but also universally described as charming, funny, a good singer and good dancer, at least bilingual, and an avid reader. But while under guard by two sheriff's deputies at a home, McCarty killed both men and then fled out of town on horseback. Bonney and the others escaped. I think people really like being associated with it now. The disputed photo bought by Randy Guijarro, allegedly showing Billy the Kid (center). He Ended His Career in Disgrace. Circa 1879-1880. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid. As Currys inauguration was not for a few months, Garrett returned to El Paso to look for work. When the Kid, by me unrecognized, left the orchard, I motioned to my companions, and we cautiously retreated a short distance, and, to avoid the persons whom we had heard at the houses, took another route, approaching Maxwells house from the opposite direction. They saw a group of men nearby who were speaking in Spanish. He died by the gun of Sherriff Pat Garrett at age 21. However, there is no other evidence of this; we are relying on Anayas word alone for the entire existence of the jury and its verdict. Pat Garrett, byname of Patrick Floyd Garrett, (born June 5, 1850, Chambers County, Ala., U.S.died Feb. 29, 1908, near Las Cruces, N.M.), Western U.S. lawman known as the man who killed Billy the Kid (q.v.). At first, nobody knew which side they were there to take, but when they fell in with Bradys men and set the saloon on fire, Billy the Kid and just a few other Regulators were able to flee. She writes, A promise is a promise and should be enforced. before being shot dead. 'One day it may end up at an auction house somewhere. According to legend, the judge shouted at the 21-year-old Kid that he was to hang by the neck until he was dead, dead, dead! Also according to legend, Billys last words on the record were to tell the judge he could go to hell, hell, hell!. The Kid was known to be friendly and personable and a smart dresser, often wearing a Mexican sombrero. Garrett then supposedly shot McCarty dead. Billy the Kid was up for a posthumous pardon for the murder for which he was to be hanged. It is believed to benow worth millions of dollars. Garrett and his men laid siege to the Dedrick ranch at Bosque Grande on November 30th, expecting to find Billy the Kid. He said that the Kid had certainly been about, but he did not know whether he had left or not. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. 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. These absences got longer and more common as McCartys mother got sick with tuberculosis and became more dependent on the men in her family to look after her. They mistook OFolliard for Bonney, however,and fatally shot him. By 1876 he was hunting buffalo, until a dispute with another hunter, Joe Briscoe, ended up with Garrett killing Briscoe. Following Billy the Kids death, the media turned him into a folk hero and made Garrett out to be the bad guy. On July 14, 1881, Sheriff Garrett, under the cover of shadows, shot Billy the Kid dead in a residence in Fort Sumner. 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. Thats him! Simultaneously the Kid must have seen, or felt, the presence of a third person at the head of the bed. Garrett and his lawman tracked down McCarty to modern day Taiban, New Mexico, where the group surrendered in December 1880. He stated that he decided against the pardon, because of a lack of conclusiveness and the historical ambiguity as to why Gov. Real Clear Life. Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett was born in Chambers County, Alabama, on June 5, 1850. Stahl said he thought it was a 'high probability' that it was Garrett in the photo, but he wasn't sure if another man was Billy the Kid. Garrett was away from Lincoln on county business when the Kid made his escape. What is far more relevant to the case is the issue of discrepancy in the testimonies of Garrett, Poe, the coroner and several other people. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I walked to the head of the bed and sat down on it, beside him, near the pillow. Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty to Irish immigrants in New York City around 1859. 9 Things You May Not Know About Billy the Kid - HISTORY 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. During this fight, the Army was forced to intervene and the Regulators lost many of their men. The governor agreed and suggested that, for appearances sake, he should arrest Billy and lock him up in jail before taking his statement about the other murder. When Notorious Outlaw Billy the Kid Briefly Joined a U.S. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. They made it safely, however, and Garrett collected the $500 state bounty on Billys head. Billy then drew fast and shot Grant in the head before making his escape. Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett (June 5, 1850 February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent known for killing Billy the Kid. I believe he lived, had many more adventures before he finally died in Hico in 1950. He hoped that Morrison could help him claim the pardon that New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace supposedly promised Billy the Kid back in 1879. However, Abrams isn't interested in finding out anytime soon. Billy the Kid was a late 19th-century thief and gunfighter. At about age 21, Billy the Kid was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: Young Guns 2 The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid. Billy the Kid was free for just three months before his final encounter with Pat Garrett. Exactly how Billy the Kid was shot to death on July 14, 1881 has been the subject of widespread speculation. He raised quickly his pistol, a self-cocker, within a foot of my breast. Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid, the whole story, thats part of who we are now, Eidson says. In researching his book, Edwards analyzed photographs of Billy the Kid and Roberts, and dug into the details of Robertss account of his life and compared them with known facts about Billy the Kid. Antrim tolerated this briefly but the two eventually had a falling out and McCarty left for good, making sure to steal a gun and some clothes on his way out. ), correspondent Darren Gross has come across a watchable web encoding of a Peckinpah TV drama that seems to be more or less lost. Good star performances (Jean Simmons, Bradford Billy became a fugitive. He was high-spirited and, as his notoriety grew, so did his cockiness. I now believe without a doubt that Billy the Kid was not killed by Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner. Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan ride tall in Vincent DOnofrios fresh take on the saga of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Garrett gets word that the Kid is hiding out near Maxwells place. Adamson agreed to meet with Garrett and Brazel to iron out an agreement. It is only the fourth known photograph of Billy the Kid and is thought to be a trophy shot taken by Garrett and his posse after they arrested him for murdering a sheriff. But they were only able to arrest John Webb, an accused murderer, along with horse thief George Davis. Garrett was correct in his estimation of The Kid Billy was legendary, a man who had managed to escape incarceration more than once. On the evening of April 28, 1881, Billy was left under the supervision of a single guard in the jailhouse while the rest of the staff hit the saloon across the street. In the midst of the act, he was shot in the back of the head. All he wanted to do was to get that pardon that hed been promised, and I believe he felt this was his last chance to get it.. New Mexico governor, Bill Richardson, has mere hours left to decide whether or not to pardon Billy the Kid in the killing of a sheriff. Pat Garrett. Garrett, a one-time friend, was the new sheriff of Lincoln County. The months-long war came to a climax with the July 19, 1878, Battle of Lincoln, also called 'The Five-Day Battle'. He was buried in the old military cemetery at Fort Sumner next to two of his gang members. He got in trouble for petty thefts of things like food and clothing, but things got worse when stole some pistols from a Chinese laundry in 1875 and was sent to jail. Afterward, he moved even farther west to New Mexico Territory. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. What prompted this last minute decision? 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. Instead, he briefly moved to Texas to serve asa Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers before returning to his ranch in New Mexico. The Washington Post One Mans Quest to Bury the Wild West Mystery of Billy the Kids Death. Billy the Kid is shot to death - HISTORY And this was before McDonald's. Before resigning in disgrace, federal judge William Story preceded the more celebrated hanging judge Isaac Parker in Arkansas Western District. During a card game, Billy the Kid accused another player of cheating. Bonney woke up and went into the kitchen, presumably to get something to eat. Garrett delivered Webb and Davis to the sheriff of San Miguel County and rode on to Puerto de Luna. Billy The Kid From what Ive heard, [Brushy Bill] told a pretty credible tale, says Hamilton Historical Commission Chairman Jim Eidson. Stealing his gun, Billy shot him dead and hobbled in chains to the wardens office where he grabbed a shotgun and perched in the window. The defining issue revolves around the belief that Wallace promised this pardon in exchange for Kids knowledge in a murder case involving three men. He would tell people around here, You know, I have a secret and one of these days youre going to find out what it is. He didnt want to tell his story at first. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 'I told him "The biggest thing you could do right now is get the picture out and let people look at it and give you feedback",' Stahl said. In 1881, he was apprehended by Sheriff Pat Garrett and sentenced to death by hanging for murder. In 1931, locals raised money to give him a proper headstone. The full-length version of the sole completely authenticated photo of Billy the Kid. But Garrett resigned before long and returned to his ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. People thought me bad before, but if ever I should get free, he said after finally being captured, Ill let them know what bad means., The following spring after a trial that had more to do with putting on a good show for the papers than searching for the truth of what happened in the Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid was found guilty and sentenced to hang. He was armed with a knife and a gun. Another chance at a famous crime solving came after Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain and his eight-year-old son Henry vanished at White Sands, New Mexico, in 1896. And that included his last escape, from the custody of Sheriff Garrett. For deaths, sure. For all of you Wild, Wild West aficionados out there, here is a post that is sure to be interesting! He said that he had theories as to why McCarty would have taken a photo with the man who eventually killed him, pointing to the cigars as signs that Garrett and his lawmen were celebrating capturing McCarty. Did Blues King Robert Johnson Sell His Soul To The Devil To Become The World's Greatest Musician? But his parents did not long survive the Civil War that devastated the South, leaving the children heavily in debt. When he was unable to make mortgage payments on his ranch, the county auctioned off his personal belongings, but that raised only $650. A stranger named Joe Grant came into the saloon and sidled up to near the spot where Billy was drinking. Frank Abrams, a North Carolina attorney, first spotted the tintype photo in Asheville in 2011. At the same time he served as a deputy U.S. marshal. Originally published in the August 2006 issue of American History. 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. In Hico Billy is everywhere, from a statue downtown, to the standee in the Chamber of Commerce, to the monumental arch over Robertss grave. With his mother gone, teenage Henry McCarty was basically on his own. Garrett did not pursue re-election for sheriff of Lincoln County in 1882.