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| William H. Bonney aka Billy the Kid |
Billy the Kid, born Henry McCarty; also known as William H. Bonney (1859 – July 14, 1881) was an American Old West gunfighter who participated in New Mexico's Lincoln County War. He is known to have killed eight men.
His first arrest was for stealing food in late 1875, and within five months he was arrested for stealing clothing and firearms. His escape from jail two days later and flight from New Mexico Territory into Arizona Territory made him both an outlaw and a federal fugitive. After murdering a blacksmith during an altercation in August 1877, Bonney became a wanted man in Arizona Territory and returned to New Mexico, where he joined a group of cattle rustlers.
He became a well-known figure in the region when he joined the Regulators and took part in the Lincoln County War. In April 1878, however, the Regulators killed three men, including Lincoln County Sheriff William J. Brady and one of his deputies. Bonney and two other Regulators were later charged with killing all three men.
More information: Biography.com
Bonney's notoriety grew in December 1880 when the Las Vegas Gazette in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and the New York Sun carried stories about his crimes. He was captured by Sheriff Pat Garrett later that same month, tried and convicted of the murder of Brady in April 1881, and sentenced to hang in May of that year.
Bonney escaped from jail on April 28, 1881, killing two sheriff's deputies in the process, and evaded capture for more than two months. He ultimately was shot and killed by Garrett in Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881.
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| Billy the Kid on the left |
While Bonney was on the run, Governor Wallace placed a new $500 bounty on the fugitive's head. Almost three months after his escape, Garrett acted in response to rumors that Bonney was in the vicinity of Fort Sumner.
Garrett and two deputies left Lincoln on July 14, 1881, to question one of the town's residents, a friend of Bonney's named Pete Maxwell. Maxwell, son of land baron Lucien Maxwell, spoke with Garrett the same day for several hours. Around midnight, the pair sat in Maxwell's darkened bedroom when Bonney unexpectedly entered the room
Accounts vary as to the course of events. The canonical version states that as Bonney entered the room, he failed to recognize Garrett due to the poor lighting. Drawing his revolver and backing away, Bonney asked ¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?, Spanish for Who is it? Who is it?. Recognizing Bonney's voice, Garrett drew his revolver, firing twice. The first bullet struck Bonney in the chest just above his heart, killing him.
More information: About Billy the Kid
Over the next several decades, legends grew that Bonney had not died that night, and a number of men claimed they were him.
Over time, legends formed and grew that claimed Bonney was not killed, and that Garrett staged the incident and death out of friendship so that the outlaw could evade the law. During the next half century and more, a number of men would claim they were Billy the Kid. Most were easily proven not to be Bonney, but two have remained topics of discussion and debate.
I wasn’t the leader of any gang. I was for Billy all the time.
Billy the Kid
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