1 The Legend of Billy the Kid

Legend says that Billy the Kid killed one man for each of the 21 years of his life. That may or may not be true. Tales about this young outlaw are often overblown. It is hard to find the truth. Billy might have killed“only” 19 or as many as 27 men before he was gunned down in 1881. The exact number is not important. What is important is the way Billy stands out in history. Hundreds of books have been written about him. Most picture him as a romantic symbol of the Old West. But in fact,he was a heartless killer.

Not long before his violent death, young William Bonney—also known as Billy the Kid—posed for this picture. According to legend, Billy killed at least one man for each of his 21 years.

Billy the Kid, also known as William Bonney, was born in New York City. When he was a young boy, his family moved to Silver City, New Mexico. Billy began his life of crime early. There was no school in his hometown of Silver City, New Mexico, so little Billy spent his time playing in the streets. He learned to gamble and to steal. He learned to fight with his fists.And he learned to use a gun.

The first man he killed was Frank Cahill. Apparently, Cahill called Billy a name. He was half joking. But Billy didn't think it was very funny. He hit Cahill. Then Cahill, a grown man, knocked 14-year-old Billy to the ground.That was a mistake.Flushed with anger,Billy drew his gun and shot Cahill.

Billy was put in jail, but he escaped a few nights later. He became a drifter.From time to time, he worked as a cowboy. He also made money playing cards. One night Billy accused a fellow gambler of cheating. The man just laughed at Billy, calling him a “billy goat.” A moment later, the man was lying dead on the floor with a bullet hole between his eyes.

Billy's real killing spree began in 1878. He was 19 years old. By then, he had hooked up with a man named John Tunstall. Tunstall, it was later said, was the Kid's one true friend. In fact, Billy called Tunstall “the only man that ever treated me [fairly].” Unfortunately, Tunstall had many enemies. One day a group of 25 men hunted him down.They shot him in cold blood.Billy witnessed the killing but was too far away to stop it. According to legend, Billy swore an oath at Tunstall's grave. “I'll get every [man] who helped kill John if it's the last thing I do.”

Billy the Kid kept his word. He tracked down and shot every person who had played a part in Tunstall's death. One of these men was Sheriff William Brady. When Billy shot Brady, he gave himself a death sentence. He had killed a lawman. Now other lawmen came after him. They vowed to settle the score. Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked Billy for two years. In 1881 Garrett trapped him. Billy was arrested and brought to trial. He was found guilty of killing Brady. Judge Warren Bristol ordered Billy to be hanged until “you are dead, dead, dead.”

But again Billy the Kid escaped. Fifteen days before he was supposed to be hanged, Billy somehow got his hands on a gun. He shot his guards.Then he took off into the New Mexico wilderness.

Sheriff Garrett formed a posse.He went after Billy again.For three months, he stalked him. At last, Garrett got a tip. He heard that Billy was staying at the Maxwell ranch near the town of Fort Sumner. Just past midnight on July 14, 1881, Garrett slipped into Maxwell's bedroom off the front porch. Billy, hearing noises, walked down the porch. He peeked into Maxwell's dark room.

"Who's that? " the Kid called out.

Garrett answered with two shots. The first bullet struck Billy just above the heart. The Kid died on the spot. Sheriff Garrett rushed out of the room, shouting, “I killed the Kid! I killed the Kid! ”