<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2>
<p class="title">“BILLY THE KID” GOES BACK TO HIS SWEETHEART IN FORT SUMNER. SHOT THROUGH
THE HEART BY SHERIFF PAT GARRET, AND BURIED BY THE SIDE OF HIS CHUM, TOM O’PHALLIARD.</p>
<p><br/>A few days after the “Kid’s” escape, Billy Burt’s black pony returned to
Lincoln dragging a rope. He had either escaped or been turned loose by the
“Kid.”</p>
<p>The next we hear of the “Kid” he visited friends in Las Tablas, and stole<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_121" id="Page_121"></SPAN></span>
a horse from Andy Richardson. From there he headed for Fort Sumner to see
his sweetheart, Miss Dulcinea del Toboso. It was said he tried to persuade
her to run away with him, and go to old Mexico to live in happiness ever
afterward. But that sweet little Dulce refused to leave mamma.</p>
<p>The “Kid” found shelter and concealment in the home of Mrs. Charlie Bowdre
and her mother. One night a few weeks after his escape, the writer was
within whispering distance of “Billy the Kid.”</p>
<p>Myself and a crowd of cowboys had attended a Mexican dance. Mrs. Charlie
Bowdre was there, dressed like a young princess. She captured the heart of
the author, so that he danced with her often, and escorted her to the
midnight supper.</p>
<p>About three o’clock in the morning the dance broke up and the writer
escorted<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_122" id="Page_122"></SPAN></span> the pretty young widow, Mrs. Charlie Bowdre, to her adobe home.
At the front door, I almost got down on my knees pleading for her to let
me go into the house and talk awhile, but no use, she insisted that her
mother would object.</p>
<p>Now a wine-soaked young cowboy with jingling spurs on his high-heel boots,
staggered into camp and “piled” into bed, spread on the ground under a
cottonwood tree, to dream of Mexican “Fandangos,” where the girls have no
choice of partners. Without an introduction the man walks up to the girl
of his choice and leads her out on the floor to dance to his heart’s
content.</p>
<p>About six months later, in the fall of 1881, after the “Kid” had been
killed, the writer was in Fort Sumner again, and attended a dance with
Mrs. Charlie Bowdre. Now she explained the reason for not letting me enter
the house. She<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_123" id="Page_123"></SPAN></span>
said at that time, “Billy the Kid,” who was in hiding at
her home, was on the inside of the door listening to our conversation.
That he recognized my voice.</p>
<p>Here Mrs. Bowdre told me the facts in the case, of how “Billy the Kid” met
his death, bare-headed and bare-footed, with a butcher knife in his hand.</p>
<p>While in hiding in Fort Sumner the “Kid” stole a saddle horse from Mr.
Montgomery Bell, who had ridden into town from his ranch fifty miles
above, on the Rio Pecos.</p>
<p>Bell supposed the horse had been ridden off by a common Mexican thief. He
hired Barney Mason and a Mr. Curington to go with him to hunt the animal.
They started down the stream, Bell keeping on one side of the river, while
Mason and Curington headed for a sheep camp in the foot hills.</p>
<p>Riding up to the tent in the sheep<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_124" id="Page_124"></SPAN></span> camp, the “Kid” stepped out with his
Winchester rifle, and hailed them.</p>
<p>Barney Mason was armed to the teeth, and was on a swift horse. He had on a
new pair of spurs and nearly wore them out making his get-away.</p>
<p>Mr. Curington rode up to his friend, “Billy the Kid,” and had a friendly
chat.</p>
<p>The “Kid” told Mr. Curington to tell Montgomery Bell that he would return
his horse, or pay for him.</p>
<p>When Curington reported the matter to Mr. Bell, he was satisfied and
searched no more for the animal.</p>
<p>After the “Kid’s” escape from Lincoln, Sheriff Pat Garrett “laid low,” and
tried to find out the “Kid’s” whereabouts through his friends and
associates.</p>
<p>In March, 1881, a Deputy United States Marshal by the name of John W.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_125" id="Page_125"></SPAN></span> Poe
arrived in the booming mining camp of White Oaks. He had been sent to New
Mexico by the Cattlemen’s Association of the Texas Panhandle. Cattle King
Charlie Goodnight, being the president of the association, had selected
Mr. Poe as the proper man to put a stop to the stealing of Panhandle
cattle by “Billy the Kid” and gang.</p>
<p>After the “Kid’s” escape, Pat Garrett went to White Oaks and deputized
John W. Poe to assist him in rounding up the “Kid.”</p>
<p>From now on Mr. Poe made trips out in the mountains trying to locate the
young outlaw. The “Kid’s” best friends argued that he was “nobody’s fool,”
and would not remain in the United States, when the Old Mexico border was
so near. They didn’t realize that little Cupid was shooting his tender
young heart full of love-darts, straight<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_126" id="Page_126"></SPAN></span> from the heart of pretty little
Miss Dulcinea del Toboso, of Fort Sumner.</p>
<p>Early in July, Pat Garrett received a letter from an acquaintance by the
name of Brazil, in Fort Sumner, advising him that the “Kid” was hanging
around there. Garrett at once wrote Brazil to meet him about dark on the
night of July 13th at the mouth of the Taiban arroyo, below Fort Sumner.</p>
<p>Now the sheriff took his trusted deputy, John W. Poe, and rode to Roswell,
on the Rio Pecos. There they were joined by one of Mr. Garret’s fearless
cowboy deputies, “Kip” McKinnie, who had been raised near Uvalde, Texas.</p>
<p>Together the three law officers rode up the river towards Fort Sumner, a
distance of eighty miles. They arrived at the mouth of Taiban arroyo an
hour after dark on July 13th, but Brazil was not there to meet them. The
night was<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_127" id="Page_127"></SPAN></span> spent sleeping on their saddle blankets.</p>
<p>The next morning Garrett sent Mr. Poe, who was a stranger in the country,
and for that reason would not be suspicioned, into Fort Sumner, five miles
north, to find out what he could on the sly, about the “Kid’s” presence.
From Fort Sumner he was to go to Sunny Side, six miles north, to interview
a merchant by the name of Mr. Rudolph. Then when the moon was rising, to
meet Garrett and McKinnie at La Punta de la Glorietta, about four miles
north of Fort Sumner.</p>
<p>Failing to find out anything of importance about the “Kid,” John W. Poe
met his two companions at the appointed place, and they rode into Fort
Sumner.</p>
<p>It was about eleven o’clock, and the moon was shining brightly, when the
officers rode into an old orchard and <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_128" id="Page_128"></SPAN></span>concealed their horses. Now the
three continued afoot to the home of Pete Maxwell, a wealthy stockman, who
was a friend to both Garrett and the “Kid.” He lived in a long, one-story
adobe building, which had been the U. S. officers’ quarters when the
soldiers were stationed there. The house fronted south, and had a wide
covered porch in front. The grassy front yard was surrounded by a picket
fence.</p>
<p>As Pat Garrett had courted his wife and married her in this town, he knew
every foot of the ground, even to Pete Maxwell’s private bed room.</p>
<p>On reaching the picket gate, near the corner room, which Pete Maxwell
always occupied, Garrett told his two deputies to wait there until after
he had a talk with half-breed Pete Maxwell.</p>
<p>The night being hot, Pete Maxwell’s<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_129" id="Page_129"></SPAN></span> door stood wide open, and Garrett
walked in.</p>
<p>A short time previous, “Billy the Kid” had arrived from a sheep camp out
in the hills. Back of the Maxwell home lived a Mexican servant, who was a
warm friend to the “Kid.” Here “Billy the Kid” always found late
newspapers, placed there by loving hands, for his special benefit.</p>
<p>This old servant had gone to bed. The “Kid” lit a lamp, then pulled off
his coat and boots. Now he glanced over the papers to see if his name was
mentioned. Finding nothing of interest in the newspapers, he asked the old
servant to get up and cook him some supper, as he was very hungry.</p>
<p>Getting up, the servant told him there was no meat in the house. The “Kid”
remarked that he would go and get some from Pete Maxwell.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_130" id="Page_130"></SPAN></span>Now he picked up a butcher knife from the table to cut the meat with, and
started, bare-footed and bare-headed.</p>
<p>The “Kid” passed within a few feet of the end of the porch where sat John
W. Poe and Kip McKinnie. The latter had raised up, when his spur rattled,
which attracted the “Kid’s” attention. At the same moment Mr. Poe stood up
in the small open gateway leading from the street to the end of the porch.
They supposed the man coming towards them, only partly dressed, was a
servant, or possibly Pete Maxwell.</p>
<p>The “Kid” had pulled his pistol, and so had John Poe, who by that time was
almost within arm’s reach of the “Kid.”</p>
<p>With pistol pointing at Poe, at the same time asking in Spanish: “Quien
es?” (Who is that?), he backed into Pete Maxwell’s room. He had repeated
the above question several times.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_131" id="Page_131"></SPAN></span>On entering the room, “Billy the Kid” walked up to within a few feet of
Pat Garrett, who was sitting on Maxwell’s bed, and asked: “Who are they, Pete?”</p>
<p>Now discovering that a man sat on Pete’s bed, the “Kid” with raised pistol
pointing towards the bed, began backing across the room.</p>
<p>Pete Maxwell whispered to the sheriff: “That’s him, Pat.” By this time the
“Kid” had backed to a streak of moonlight coming through the south window,
asking: “Quien Es?” (Who’s that?)</p>
<p>Garrett raised his pistol and fired. Then cocked the pistol again and it
went off accidentally, putting a hole in the ceiling, or wall.</p>
<p>Now the sheriff sprang out of the door onto the porch, where stood his two
deputies with drawn pistols.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_132" id="Page_132"></SPAN></span>Soon after, Pete Maxwell ran out, and came very near getting a ball from
Poe’s pistol. Garrett struck the pistol upward, saying: “Don’t shoot
Maxwell!”</p>
<p>A lighted candle was secured from the mother of Pete Maxwell, who occupied
a nearby room, and the dead body of “Billy the Kid” was found stretched
out on his back with a bullet wound in his breast, just above the heart.
At the right hand lay a Colt’s 41 calibre pistol, and at his left a
butcher knife.</p>
<p>Now the native people began to collect,—many of them being warm friends
of the “Kid’s.” Garrett allowed them to take the body across the street to
a carpenter shop, where it was laid out on a bench. Then lighted candles
were placed around the remains of what was once the bravest, and coolest
young outlaw who ever trod the face of the earth.</p>
<p>The next day, this, once mother’s <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_133" id="Page_133"></SPAN></span>darling, was buried by the side of his
chum, Tom O’Phalliard, in the old military cemetery.</p>
<p>He was killed at midnight, July 14th, 1881, being just twenty-one years,
seven months and twenty-one days of age, and had killed twenty-one men,
not including Indians, which he said didn’t count as human beings.</p>
<p>A few months after the killing of the “Kid,” a man was coining money,
showing “Billy the Kid’s” trigger finger, preserved in alcohol. Seeing
sensational accounts of it in the newspapers, Sheriff Garrett had the body
dug up, but found his trigger-finger was still attached to the right hand.</p>
<p>During the following spring in the town of Lincoln, the sheriff auctioned
off the “Kid’s” saddle, and the blue-barrel, rubber-handled, double
action<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_134" id="Page_134"></SPAN></span> Colt’s 41 calibre pistol, which the “Kid” held in his hand when
killed.</p>
<p>There were only two bidders for the pistol, the writer and the deputy
county clerk, Billy Burt, who got it for $13.50. Its actual value was
about $12.00.</p>
<p>Since then many pistols have been prized as keepsakes from the supposed
idea that the “Kid” had held each one of them in his hand when he fell.
Many were presented to friends with a sincere thought that they were
genuine.</p>
<p>As an illustration we will quote a few lines from a friendly letter, dated
May 10th, 1920, written by the present game warden, Mr. J. L. DeHart of
the state of Montana: “Later in March, 1895, I was ushered into office as
sheriff of Sweet Grass County, Montana, and a former resident of New
Mexico, and an acquaintance of ‘Billy the Kid,’ later a resident of
Livingston, Montana, by<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_135" id="Page_135"></SPAN></span> the name of William Dawson, upon this momentous
occasion, presented me with a splendid Colt’s six-shooter, forty-five
calibre, seven inch barrel, and ivory handle, said to have been the
property of the notorious “Billy the Kid,” when killed by Sheriff Pat
Garrett, at the Maxwell ranch house. I have always considered this piece
of artillery a valuable relic, and with much trouble have retained it.
Most of my diligent watch, however, upon this gun, was brought about as a
result of being named as state game warden in 1913, by His Excellency,
Governor S. V. Stewart.”</p>
<p>“Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise,” is a true saying.</p>
<p>No doubt Mr. DeHart has felt proud over the ownership of the pistol “Billy the Kid”
was supposed to have in his hand at the time of his death.</p>
<p>This is not the only “Billy the Kid”<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_136" id="Page_136"></SPAN></span> pistol in existence. It would be a
safe gamble to bet that there are a wagon load of them scattered over the
United States.</p>
<p>The Winchester rifle taken from the “Kid” at the time of his capture at
Stinking Spring, was raffled off in the spring of 1881, and the writer won
it. He put it up again in a game of “freeze out” poker. As one of my
cowboys, Tom Emory, was an expert poker player, I induced him to play my
hand. I then went to bed. On going down to the Pioneer Saloon, in White
Oaks, early next morning, the night barkeeper told me a secret, under
promise that I keep it to myself. He said he was stretched out on the bar
trying to take a nap. The poker game was going on near him. When he lay
down all had been “freezed out” but Tom Emory and Johnny Hudgens. Just
before daylight,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_137" id="Page_137"></SPAN></span> Emory won all the chips, in a big show down, and I was
the owner of “Billy the Kid’s” rifle for the second time, but only for a
moment, as Johnny Hudgens gave Tom Emory $20.00 for the gun, under the
pretense that Hudgens had won it. Emory almost shed tears when he told me
of losing the rifle in what he thought was a winning hand. Of course I
didn’t dispute it, as I had given a promise to keep silent.</p>
<p>“Billy the Kid” came very near having a stone monument placed on his grave
for the benefit of posterity—so that the curious among the unborn
generations would know the exact spot where this “Claude Duval” of the
southwest was planted.</p>
<p>One day, on the Plaza in the city of Santa Fe, in about the year 1916, the
writer met Mrs. Gertrude Dills, wife of Lucius Dills, the Surveyor General
of<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_138" id="Page_138"></SPAN></span> New Mexico, a daughter of Judge Frank Lea of White Oaks, and a niece
to that whole-souled prince among men, the father of the city of Roswell,
Captain J. C. Lea. She suggested that the writer get up a subscription to
place a lasting monument on the grave of “Billy the Kid,” so that future
generations would know where he was buried. As a little girl, Mrs. Dills
was once tempted to crawl under the bed, when “Billy the Kid” and gang
shot up the town of White Oaks.</p>
<p>I at once went to the monument establishment of Mr. Louis Napoleon, and
selected a fine marble monument, with the understanding that the
inscription not be cut on it until after I had located the grave.</p>
<p>Many years ago, Will E. Griffin, who is still a resident of Santa Fe,
moved all the bodies of the soldiers buried in the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_139" id="Page_139"></SPAN></span> old military cemetery,
at Fort Sumner, to the National Cemetery at Santa Fe. He says, when the
work was finished, the only graves left in the grave-yard, were those of
“Billy the Kid” and his chum, Tom O’Phalliard. On these two graves, close
together, still remained the badly rotted wooden head boards.</p>
<p>Since then the old cemetery has been turned into an alfalfa field, and the
chances are, all signs of this noted young outlaw’s resting place have
been obliterated.</p>
<p>Soon after selecting the monument, I happened to be in the town of
Tularosa, and brought up the subject to my old cowboy friend, John P.
Meadows. He at once subscribed five dollars towards the erection of the
monument. He said “Billy the Kid” had befriended him in 1879, when he
needed a friend, and for that reason he would like to perpetuate<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_140" id="Page_140"></SPAN></span> his
memory. He thought it would be no trouble to raise the desired amount in
Tularosa, but the first man he struck for a subscription, Mr. Charlie
Miller, former state engineer, discouraged him. Mr. Miller went straight
up in the air with indignation at the idea of placing a monument at the
grave of a blood-thirsty outlaw. Soon after this, Mr. Miller was murdered,
when Pancho Villa made his bloody raid on Columbus, New Mexico.</p>
<p>This is as far as the grave of “Billy the Kid” came to being marked, as
the writer has been too busy on other matters, to visit Fort Sumner and
try to locate his last resting place.</p>
<p>In closing, I wish to state that with all his faults, “Billy the Kid” had
many noble traits. In White Oaks, during the winter of 1881, the writer
talked with a man who actually shed tears in telling<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_141" id="Page_141"></SPAN></span> of how he lay almost
at the point of death, with smallpox, in an old abandoned shack in Fort
Sumner, when the “Kid” found him. A good supply of money was given by the
“Kid,” and a wagon and team hired to haul him to Las Vegas, where medical
attention could be secured.</p>
<p>Since the killing of the “Kid,” Kip McKinney has died with his boots off,
while Pat Garrett died with them on, being shot and killed on the road
between Tularosa and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Hence the only man now living
who saw the curtain go down on the last act of “Billy the Kid’s” eventful
life, is John W. Poe, at the present writing a wealthy banker in the
beautiful little city of Roswell, New Mexico. He has served one term as
sheriff of Lincoln County, and has helped to change that blood-spattered
county from an outlaw’s<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_142" id="Page_142"></SPAN></span> paradise, to a land of happy, peaceful homes.</p>
<p>Peace to William H. Bonney’s ashes, is the author’s prayer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="center">THE END.</p>
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