Pat Garrett

by The Kid The Authentic Life of Billy

  W. H. Bonney.

  This inscription still stands, and was copied by the author in August, 1881.

  It is suspected that the sheriff knew the prisoners' stay in jail would be short, and he was tired of feeding them. At all events they left when they got ready, and the Kid prowled about the plaza for two or three weeks, frequently passing up and down in broad day, with a Winchester in his hand, cursing the sheriff to his heart's content.

  In April they returned to Fort Sumner, and resumed depredations on loose stock, and followed the business industriously throughout the summer and fall. In October of 1879, the Kid, with Foliard, Bowdre, Skurlock, and two Mexicans, rounded up and drove away from Bosque Grande, twenty-eight miles north of Roswell, one hundred and eighteen head of cattle, the property of Chisum. They drove them to Yerby's ranch—in his absence—branded them, and turned them loose on the range. This ranch is north of Sumner. They said that Chisum owed them $600 each for services rendered during the war. They afterwards drove these cattle to Grzelachowski's ranch, at Alamo Gordo, and sold them to Colorado beef-buyers, telling them that they were employed in settling up Chisum's business. Chisum followed the cattle up, recovered them, and drove them back to his range—but the Kid had the money, and displayed a rare genius as a financier in its disbursement. Out of about $800 he generously gave Bowdre $30, "because he had a family"; Foliard was a disgrace to the band on account of shabby boots—he got a new pair as his share; the Mexicans got "the shake," and there was yet Skurlock to dispose of. He got four or five different parties to go to Skurlock and warn him of the intended arrest of the gang by officers of Lincoln County, which so scared him up that he borrowed fifty pounds of flour from Pete Maxwell, gathered together his family and household goods and skipped the country. Thus is Doc. Skurlock, henceforth, lost to this history. Out of $800 he got fifty pounds of flour which still stands charged, P. & L., on Pete Maxwell's books. When asked what he would do with his share, the Kid said he would endow an insane asylum, if he could catch Doc. Skurlock.

  In January, 1880, a fellow named Joe Grant, arrived at Fort Sumner, and was straightaway cheek by jowl with the Kid and his companions. It afterwards transpired that Grant had heard a good deal of the Kid and aspired to win a reputation as a "Holy Terror," as he termed it, by killing the New Mexico desperado. That he had killed his man, and was a "bad one," there is no doubt. He disclosed a good deal of his disposition, if not his intention, one day in Sumner, by remarking: "I like to pick these fighters and lay them out on their own dung hill. They say the Kid is a bad citizen, but I am his loadin' any jump in the road." The Kid heard this, but kept his own counsel, drinking and carousing with Grant every day. Whilst Grant was swaggering and boasting, the Kid was in his usual jovial humor, but no movement of his companion escaped his wary eye.

  James Chisum, brother of John S., with three men, had been to Canon Cueva, near Juan de Dios, north of Fort Sumner, and there recovered a bunch of cattle which had been stolen from their range, it was said, by the Kid. He returned as far as Sumner, arriving there one day about the middle of January, and camped within a mile of the plaza. His party were young Herbert, Jack Finan, and William Hutchison, known on the range as "Buffalo Bill." The Kid, Barney Mason, and Charley Thomas rode out to Chisum's camp and demanded to look through his herd for the XIX brand. They did so, but found none.

  The Kid then, good-naturedly insisted that Chisum and his men should go to Bob. Hargrove's saloon and take a drink. There they found Joe Grant, viciously drunk. As the party entered, he snatched a fine ivory-handled pistol from Finan's scabbard, and put his own in place of it. The Kid had his eye on him, and remarking "That's a beauty, Joe," took the pistol from his hand and revolved the chambers. It was his design to extract some of the cartridges, but he found only three in it, and deftly whirling the chambers until the next action would be a failure, he returned it to Grant, who flourished it about and at last said to the Kid:

  "Pard, I'll kill a man quicker'n you will for the whisky."

  "What do you want to kill anybody for?" answered the Kid. "Put up your pistol and let's drink."

  During this conversation, Grant had passed behind the counter, and was knocking decanters and glasses about with the pistol. Thus, with the counter between him and the crowd, and revolver in hand, it seemed he had "the drop" on any one in the room whom he might want. The Kid remarked:

  "Let me help you break up house-keeping, Pard," and drawing his pistol, also went to knocking the glassware about. Grant continued: —

  "I want to kill John Chisum, any how, the d—d old —," and he eyed James Chisum with a wicked glare.

  "You've got the wrong pig by the ear, Joe," said the Kid; "That's not John Chisum."

  "That's a lie," shouted Grant; "I know better"; and, turning his pistol full on the Kid, who was smiling sarcastically, he pulled the trigger, but the empty chamber refused to respond; with an oath he again raised the hammer, when a ball from the Kid's revolver crashed through his brains, and he fell behind the counter. The Kid threw the shell from his pistol and said:

  "Unfortunate fool; I've been there too often to let a fellow of your calibre overhaul my baggage. Wonder if he's a specimen of Texas desperadoes."

  Some one remarked that, perhaps Joe was not killed, and he had better watch out for him.

  "No fear," replied the Kid. "The corpse is there, sure, ready for the undertaker."

  He sauntered off, unconcernedly, gave orders to a Mexican for the burial, then calling to "Buffalo Bill," he said;—

  "Bill, stay right with your horse and watch your gun. You had better get your party away soon as possible. There are some petty-larceny thieves in the plaza who may take a notion to give you a game. I don't like one of the Chisum family, and d—d few of their friends; but this crowd is here by my invitation, and I won't see it handicapped."

  The Chisum party got away with the loss of one gun, stolen from their wagon during their absence at the saloon.

  Shortly after the killing of Grant, the Kid made a trip below, remaining for some weeks in the vicinity of Roswell. Verando, three miles from that place, was his headquarters. He was "flush" and spent money freely. The Chisum ranch was but about seven miles from Verando, and those who knew him best suspected that the Kid harbored the intention of waylaying Chisum and urging a fight with him. He kept himself pretty full of whisky, and upon one occasion, at Verando, he was sitting in front of the saloon where a covey of snow-birds were hopping about. He drew his revolver and remarked: —"Suppose, boys, old John Chisum was a pretty little bird, which he is not, and suppose that pretty little bird sitting in that straw was him; now if I was to shoot that little bird, and hit him anywhere except in the head, it would be murder"; and with the words, he fired. A bystander picked up the dead bird, and its head was shot off. "No murder!" cried the Kid. "Let's give old John another chance," and another bird's head disappeared. He killed several in this manner, until at last he hit one in the breast. "I've murdered old John at last," said he, "let's go and take a drink."

  Chapter XV

  *

  Various Stock Raids—Depredations at and near White Oaks—Fight with Sheriff's Posse—Daring Venture in White Oaks—Barricaded and Surrounded—Murder of Carlyle—Another Escape

  NO EVENT OF IMPORTANCE attended the Kid's visit below, and, on his return to Fort Sumner, he enlisted Billy Wilson, Mose Dedrick, Pas. Chavez, Iginio Salazar, and Senor More in an enterprise which had for its object the acquisition of Indian ponies. They went to the Mescalero Apache Indian reservation and stole forty-eight head from those Indians. The Kid must have become avaricious, as it is said he appropriated thirty head of this lot to his own use and benefit. They were traded off all up and down the Rio Pecos.

  The expedition above mentioned was made from Bosque Grande in February, 1880. In May the Kid, Bowdre, Pruett, and one other accomplice, name unknown, left Fort Sumner and went in an easterly direction. Near Los Portales, they stole a bunch of fifty-four head of beef cattle, belonging
to cattle-owners on the Canadian in the Pan Handle of Texas. These they drove to White Oaks and sold to Thomas Cooper for $10 per head.

  They returned to Fort Sumner some time in June with a bunch of horses stolen by them in the vicinity of White Oaks.

  In July, they stole a bunch of cattle from John New-comb at Agua Azul (Blue Water), about fifteen miles from Lincoln at the base of Sierra de la Capitana, branded and turned them loose on the range.

  During the summer they made various successful raids. They drove off ten head of work-steers, property of a Mexican of Fort Sumner, and sold them together with twenty head more to John Singer, of Las Vegas. The Mexican followed Singer, overtook him near Las Vegas, and recovered his cattle.

  About the 15th of November, the Kid, Foliard, Tom Pickett, and Buck Edwards stole eight head of fine horses from the ranch of A. Grzelachowski, at Alamo Gordo, and started in the direction of White Oaks with them. They traded four of them to Jim Greathouse, turned two out on the Cienega Macha, and kept two for their own use. Of these latter two, one was subsequently shot under the Kid and the other captured at Coyote Springs. The owner eventually recovered all except the one killed.

  On the night of the 22d of November, 1880, an attempt was made by unknown parties to get away with some horses of J. B. Bells, who lived in the southwestern portion of the town of White Oaks. On the following morning, the rumor was rife and it was reported to the officers that the Kid and gang were in camp at Blake's Saw Mill, near town. On this information, Deputy Sheriff William H. Hudgens summoned a posse, comprising the following citizens: Geo. Neil, John N. Hudgens, John Longworth, James Carlyle, Jas. S. Redmond, J. P. Eaker, J. W. Bell, and William Stone. This party lost no time in visiting the outlaws' camp, but found it deserted. They, however, struck the trail and followed it in the direction of Coyote Springs. About five miles from White Oaks, the posse met Mose Dedrick and W. J. Lamper riding in the direction of town. These men were known to be friends of the Kid and his band, and it was also known that they had left White Oaks that morning about the same time with the officer's posse. Hudgens suspected that they had been to a rendezvous of the Kid's, to give information and convey provisions. On this suspicion they were arrested.

  The posse rode on to the vicinity of Coyote Springs, when they were fired on from a concealed, temporary camp of the outlaws, and a horse ridden by John Hudgens, the property of O'Neil, was killed. The fire was quickly returned. The Kid's horse fell dead under him, and after brief delay the outlaws fled. On reaching the camp, Hudgens found a fine saddle, said to be the property of the Kid, beside the dead body of the horse. They also found an overcoat, known to have been worn in White Oaks that morning by Mose Dedrick, and another known to have been the property of Sam Dedrick, brother to Mose. The Kid was known to be without an overcoat, and his friend Sam had doubtless supplied the "much felt want"; at all events, the coat was worn frequently in his presence thereafter by one of the captors, but Dedrick did not claim it. Besides the spoils above named, the sheriff's posse found a considerable quantity of canned goods and provisions together with a pair of saddle-bags containing useful dry goods, all of which were known to have been purchased at White Oaks that morning.

  Deputy Sheriff Hudgens then returned to town with his party, arriving there about dark. The Kid's crowd became separated during the melee, Cook and Edwards not answering to roll-call. The Kid waited until the other party were well out of sight, when he, too, took the road to White Oaks, and the pursued became the pursuers. They committed no depredation in the town, but appeared to seek concealment. They rode to the stables and corral of West & Dedrick, where they all remained except the Kid, who went to the main street of the town.

  A gentleman who knew the Kid well and was known by him, was standing just inside the door of a club-room when the Kid entered with his broad-brimmed hat drawn down over his eyes. This gentleman was about to address him, when a quick, warning glance and an ejaculation— "Chicto! compadre" (hush! pardner)—stayed his salutation. The Kid kept in the background, but bore himself with as much nonchalance as if he were an hourly visitor there. If anyone else observed him it was not his enemy, or he feared the consequences of giving the alarm, as fully one-half of Hudgen's posse were in the room, and they were brave men. On the first intimation of his presence, a bloody carnival would have been inaugurated, wherein more than one man would have bit the dust; and, though the Kid seemed to bear a charmed life, his escape would have been little less than a miracle. There is little doubt but he went to the club-room with murder in his heart, and the instrument on his person, but against whom his vengeance was directed can only be surmised. Some unknown person's absence from that room saved his life, as no fear of danger would have stayed the Kid's hand had he found the victim he sought. More than one heart throbbed tumultuously, and more than one cheek paled when, the following morning, it was known that the Kid had been in their midst.

  On the following night, November 23 (and the Kid's birthday), he, with his companions, rode boldly into White Oaks about nine o'clock, and, seeing Jim Redmond standing in front of Will Hudgen's saloon, fired on him. The night was dark, the shelter of buildings was handy, and no one was hurt. They rode out of town, and, on the outskirts, came upon Jimmy Carlyle and J. N. Bell, whom Hudgens had left on guard. These fired on the outlaws, but with no visible effect.

  On the 24th and 25th of November, the prisoners, Mose Dedrick and Lamper, were brought before Probate Judge Jas. A. Tomlinson for examination. Lamper was discharged and Dedrick was placed under bonds to secure his appearance before the district court. He skipped the country and the bond was forfeited.

  Another posse was raised by Constable T. B. Long-worth on the evening of November 23rd. This party consisted of Constable Longworth, Deputy Sheriff William H. Hudgens, John N. Hudgens, James Watts, John Mosby, James Brent, J. P. Langston, Ed. Bonnell, W. G. Dorsey, J. W. Bell, J. P. Eaker, Charles Kelley, and James Carlyle. They left White Oaks that evening, took the Las Vegas road and proceeded to the ranch of Greathouse & Kuck, about forty miles distant. Here, from what they believed to be sure information, they expected to find the Kid and his band.

  They arrived at their destination about three o'clock on the morning of the 27th and erected four breastworks at available points within easy gun-shot of the house, behind which they awaited daylight.

  The first visible movement at the house was the appearance of the German cook, named Steck, who was brought in by Eaker and Brent, trembling with fear. He soon told all he knew. The Kid and his gang were hived.

  Will Hudgens wrote a note to the Kid, demanding his surrender, and sent it to the house by Steck. He soon returned accompanied by Greathouse, and bearing the Kid's reply: —"You can only take me a corpse." Hudgens told Greathouse he wanted the Kid, Dave Rudabaugh, and Billy Wilson. To this Greathouse replied: —"If you want them, go and take them." Hudgens then sent word to Billy Wilson, requesting him to come out and talk to him, pledging himself that after the conversation, if he refused to surrender, he should be allowed to return to the house unharmed. Wilson declined leaving the house, but he wanted to see Jimmy Carlyle, that perhaps he might surrender, and in his turn pledged his word that Carlyle should not be detained nor hurt. It is generally believed that Wilson would have surrendered, but that he was restrained by the Kid and Rudabaugh, as there was no charge of capital crime against him then—but this would not be said of him when the sun set that day.

  Hudgens refused to allow Carlyle to go to the house when Greathouse said: —"Let him go, there will no harm come to him. I, myself will remain here as a hostage, and if he is hurt, let my life answer for the treachery." Still Hudgens withheld his consent, until Carlyle himself announced his determination to interview Wilson, resisted all arguments to dissuade him from his purpose, disarmed himself, and entered the—to him—fatal stronghold.

  Greathouse remained with the officer's party. The hours passed away, and anxious friends awaited the appearance of Carlyle in vain. It was discovered that the o
utlaws were well supplied with whiskey in the house, and conjectures as to the effect that might have on the result of the interview were exchanged.

  About two o'clock, p.m., those on the outside were startled by a crash from the house—a window was shattered—Carlyle appeared at the opening—leaped out and made a rush for the barricades—a sharp rattle of firearms from within, and Carlyle fell dead within ten feet of the window. One word to the memory of poor Jimmy. He was a young blacksmith who had been in the Territory a little more than a year, but in that short time had made hundreds of friends, and not one enemy. He was honest, generous, merry-hearted, quick-witted, and intelligent. His bloody murder excited horror and indignation, and many who had viewed the career of the Kid with some degree of charity now held him in unqualified execration as the murderer of an exceptionally good man and useful citizen.

  Constable Longworth had been dispatched to White Oaks for reinforcements and provisions. The posse had been without food and water for more than twenty-four hours, and had suffered intensely from cold and exposure. They did not deem it practicable to attempt to hold out until Longworth's arrival, so returned as far as Hocradle's ranch, about fifteen miles from White Oaks, and twenty-five from Greathouse and Kuck's. They held Greathouse by no legal process. He had assumed his position, as they believed, in good faith, and he was released.

  The Kid and party reconnoitered carefully, convinced themselves that their enemies had retired, and left under the cover of night. They were all on foot, and made direct for the ranch of a confederate, a few miles distant, got breakfast and left hurriedly in the direction of Anton Chico, twenty-five miles below Las Vegas on the Rio Pecos. John Hurley, a deputy sheriff, had raised a posse at Lincoln to reinforce Longworth. He met Longworth's party at Hocradle's ranch, got what information he could, went to the ranch of Greathouse, took the outlaw's trail to the ranch of their confederate, where they had taken breakfast, found the birds flown, but burned the ranch and thus wiping out one rendezvous of the gang. This posse then returned to Lincoln.