Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid. CNN A Pardon for The Notorious Billy the Kid? Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty to Irish immigrants in New York City around 1859. Richardson appointed Charles Daniels to the state Supreme Court, whom McGinn is married to. Henry got the better of Cahill and shot him, inflicting a wound that would kill him the next day. 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. Bonney woke up and went into the kitchen, presumably to get something to eat. The Kid was catapulted into legend due to the $500 bounty - then a staggering amount - on his head. Right, another photo of Billy the Kid, whowas celebrated for his gun skills and, according to popular legend killed 21 men - one for each year of his short life. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces, shouting, Lock me up. Garrett had hoped to apprehend the men while they were asleep, but Lee and Gililland set themselves up as lookouts on the roof of the bunkhouse. The two talked of this and that. On his way to freedom, charming Billy killed two of his jailers. The case dates back to 1881so why the New Years Eve deadline you may ask? But mostly because of the cattle that went missing. A suspicion lingered that Brazel or someone else conspired to execute Garrett, a lawman with many enemies. About two months later with no amnesty forthcoming, Billy realized hed been had and they were going to hang him instead. Billy the Kid didnt make it all the way to New Mexico. 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. When he was unable to make mortgage payments on his ranch, the county auctioned off his personal belongings, but that raised only $650. At this point also calling himself William Bonney, he took up honest work as a cowboy for a rancher in Lincoln County named John Tunstall. 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. The Kid's freedom was short lived however, when Garrett set down to find him on July 14, 1881. Billy the Kidborn William Henry McCarty, but also known as William H. Bonneyoriginally came from New York. For example, Billy was extremely nave on the night in question. Somehow, he managed to reach a friends house, where he was allowed to rest and recover from his ordeal in the desert. A year after pulling the trigger, Pat Garrett wrote and published an account of what happened that night, and you can find that account here. History Channel 9 Things You May Not Know About Billy the Kid, History Channel Billy the Kid Convicted of Murder, History Collection Billy the Kid Is Arrested for the First Time (1875). Whether it was time with the infamous Regulators and his exploits during the Lincoln County War, or his dramatic escapes from custody culminating in his death at the hands of Pat Garrett in 1881, Billy the Kid is one of the most mythologized figures in American history. Richardson told the Associated Press on Wednesday, I dont know where Ill end up. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing another Sheriff, but Billy managed to escape. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. 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. Its now summer 1881. 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. It was a game of two, Billy said, and I got there first.. He then bought a horse ranch, leased it, and became involved in a heated dispute over the lease. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. And yet with the good cheer came a surprising ruthlessness. During the Kids time as an outlaw, Pat Garrett was elected Sheriff and sent after him. He was then sent back to Lincoln County, where he was scheduled to be executed on May 13. Born Henry McCarty, he was the first of two boys raised by a small Irish Catholic family in New York City. Other sources state that without parental guidance, the Kid simply got a bad start in life. 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. Garrett then supposedly shot McCarty dead. Of course, the above is Pat Garretts account which has been disputed by many people ever since. 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. Garrett would encounter him again in July 1881, apparently killing him in a nighttime shootout. At around the same time, Billy was hungry, so he woke up and walked towards the fresh meat that was hanging on the rafter above the porch outside of Maxwells bedroom. But before Garrett could get his prisoners to jail, he had to defend them from a lynch mob that formed around the train on the route to Santa Fe. But Garrett resigned before long and returned to his ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. The abandoned U.S. Army post on the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail is now the home of rancher Peter Maxwell. Its an area tailor-made for rustlers, and Billy knows it well. 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. I asked him as to the whereabouts of the Kid. The Kid was known to be friendly and personable and a smart dresser, often wearing a Mexican sombrero. The other known pictures of the outlaw were believed to have been taken in 1877, 1878 and 1879. Marshal named Robert Widenmann, there as part of a federal effort to restore order, who let him out (presumably sparing him the hassle of planning his third jail escape). Omissions? 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. After the shooting, Garrett claimed the Kid had a .41 caliber pistol in his hand, Poe said it was a .38 caliber. On July 14, 1881, Sheriff Garrett, under the cover of shadows, shot Billy the Kid dead in a residence in Fort Sumner. John Miller, an Arizona man, also claimed he was the outlaw. Billy supposedly aimed his gun at Poe while backing into the nearest door, which happened to be Maxwells bedroom. Omissions? Once again, Billy the Kid ended up in custody. Soon afterwards he was captured and shot by Lincoln County sheriff, Patrick Floyd Garrett in a sting operation. Wikimedia CommonsPat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. But his parents did not long survive the Civil War that devastated the South, leaving the children heavily in debt. 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. Despite these accusations, McGinn claims that her only link to the administration is that she offered to handle the case for free because of Richardsons lifelong interest in Billy the Kid. Billy's arrest found him in Garrett's custody. WebBut he never did like to talk about it all that much. Did Pat Garrett kill Billy the Kid as per the official tale? Little is known about Billy the Kids early days, but Billy the Kid was a late 19th-century thief and gunfighter. All rights reserved. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Marshals Posse. 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. So, why is the notorious Billy the Kid up for this pardon, you ask? Though quick with a joke, he did not hesitate before pulling the trigger. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid Richard Stockton is a freelance science and technology writer from Sacramento, California. They mistook OFolliard for Bonney, however,and fatally shot him. He came directly towards me. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. The picture is the only known photo of the Regulators gang all together. He said that the Kid had certainly been about, but he did not know whether he had left or not. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He was high-spirited and, as his notoriety grew, so did his cockiness. Garrett invited Tom Powers to go along and introduced Powers to the President as a prominent Texas cattleman; they sat for photographs with Roosevelt. The disputed photo bought by Randy Guijarro, allegedly showing Billy the Kid (center). Garrett did not seek re-election as sheriff of Lincoln County the year after McCarty's death. Circa 1879-1880. The intruder came close to me, leaned both hands on the bed, his right hand almost touching my knee, and asked, in a low tone:Who are they Pete?at the same instant Maxwell whispered to me. In July 1881 he tracked down and shot the escaped murderer Billy the Kid. Ive just killed Pat Garrett! Deputy Lucero locked up Brazel, called for a coroners jury, and rode to the location of the murder. He was armed with a knife and a gun. He tried to work straight jobs (hotel worker, ranch hand) but quickly found himself on the wrong side of the law. The Old Man Who Claimed to Be Billy the Kid. Corrections? US Marshal Service How Much Did It Cost to Find Billy the Kid? You can read all about Billys last night from the point of view of the man who shot him. Interviewed later by a reporter, he took in his surroundings and asked, "Is the jail at Santa Fe any better than this? In Chisum (1970), Pat Garret was played by 36-year-old Glenn Corbett, and Billy the Kid was played by 26-year-old Geoffrey Deuel. Word reached him of the death, but he didnt cut his trip short and missed the funeral. He had stopped his wagon on a lonely road about four miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, in order to empty his bladder. 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. Carl Adamson agreed to take the goats until Brazel discovered his estimate of the number of goats had been wrong and demanded the buyer take all 1,800 goats. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. A witness agreed, and Brazel went free. American mafia founder Albert Anastasia's What a sparkler! He added: 'People ask me all the time, what do you think its worth, what do you think its worth. Soon a man arose from the ground, in full view, but too far away to recognize. Garrett was away from Lincoln on county business when the Kid made his escape. A Strong-willed Texan Scout Joined the Confederacy at 15. After a week or two, he made a connection with some local cattle rustlers who made a living out of stealing cattle from a businessman named John Chisum in Lincoln County, New Mexico. In Hico Billy is everywhere, from a statue downtown, to the standee in the Chamber of Commerce, to the monumental arch over Robertss grave. Garrett is the man who eventually killed Billy the Kid, born as Henry McCarty. The family moved to New Mexico, and, in his early teens, Billy fell into a career of thievery and lawlessness, wandering throughout the Southwest and northern Mexico, often with gangs. Garrett was able to get inside the house on July 14 and when Billy entered, Garrett shot him dead. But then I might. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billy-the-Kid-American-outlaw, American Heritage - Billy the Kid: From Outlaw to Legend, PBS - American Experience - The Life and Legend of Billy the Kid, Billy the Kid - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). By Kelly Mclaughlin For Mailonline and Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com and Associated Press, Published: 06:57 EST, 15 November 2017 | Updated: 10:53 EST, 15 November 2017. before being shot dead. He moved in with an El Paso prostitute; when Curry learned of Garretts situation, he withdrew his offer. He stated that he decided against the pardon, because of a lack of conclusiveness and the historical ambiguity as to why Gov. History tells us that the outlaw known as Billy the Kid (aka Henry McCarty, aka William Bonney) was gunned downat the ripe old age of 21by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881, in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. 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. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing At the same time he served as a deputy U.S. marshal. In July, Garrett rode to Fort Sumner and learned the Kid was staying with the same Pedro Maxwell who had employed Garrett when he first arrived in New Mexico. Shortly after his death, war broke out between the Jesse Evans Gang and the Regulators, who backed Tunstall. This man was Billy; he was lounging around the orchard at the same time the lawmen entered. 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. 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. However, he was unable to remember important events in Billys life such as the Lincoln prison escape, he didnt really look like the outlaw, he was illiterate while the Kid wasnt and finally, his birth date was recorded in his family Bible as 1879. He was to outlaws what Wyatt Earp was to lawmen, an iconic figure whose legacy persists on to this day. In November 1950, Morrison filed a petition on behalf of Brushy Bill. Apache scouts, the Pinkertons, and local Republican Party members all joined in to try and locate the Fountains, with no results. Garrett was fatally shot on the road from the ranch to Las Cruces, N.M. In the dark, Billy had gone to cut a slice of meat. ', This undated file photo (left) is thought to be an image of famed gunslinger Billy the Kid near the age of 18. Retreating rapidly across the room he cried: Quien es? What you may not know is that the long dead Kid may be up for a pardon from current New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. At some point, due to the debate, there had been a movement to have the supposed bodies of the Kid and his mother exhumed for DNA testing. But before Garrett could get his prisoners to jail, he had to defend them from a lynch mob that formed around the train on the route to Santa Fe. During an interview in 1983, Pat Garretts last surviving daughter, Elizabeth, claimed that her father did not kill the Kid. The man, local blacksmith Frank Cahill, called Billy a pimp. Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, declined to pardon Western outlaw Billy the Kid during his last hours in office. There are plenty of conspiracy theories about Garrett's assassination. WebHe fled to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where he eventually joined a gang, one of whose members was Billy the Kid.. At Stinking Springs (near present-day Taiban, New Mexico), On December 23, 1880 a posse led by Pat Garrett captured Rudabaugh, Billy the Kid, Billy Wilson, and other members of the gang.They were taken to Las Vegas, but the danger of I walked to the head of the bed and sat down on it, beside him, near the pillow. 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. Garretts body was left on the side of the road. At about age 21, Billy the Kid was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. A stranger named Joe Grant came into the saloon and sidled up to near the spot where Billy was drinking. The official version is that Garrett was shot and killed by Wayne Brazel, a cowboy involved in a leasing dispute with Garrett. Brazel said he shot Garrett in self-defense. He was tried and acquitted in a trial in which the only other known person at the scene of the shooting did not testify and the jury returned a verdict in 15 minutes. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. He continues to look into whether the Kid rightfully deserves a posthumous pardon as promised by Governor Wallace. People in Hico, Texaspopulation 1,780 and home to the Billy the Kid Museumtell a slightly different version. But before that could happen, Billy snuck out of jail yet again and stole another horse which he rode hard for New Mexico Territory where he was still wanted for robbery. He was appointed deputy sheriff for the last two months of 1880 before taking office January 1, 1881. But this nice, steady job for Billy the Kid grew more turbulent thanks to a dispute between Tunstall and his rivals. Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. For instance, Poe does not remember the significant incident at the peach orchard. The months-long war came to a climax with the July 19, 1878, Battle of Lincoln, also called 'The Five-Day Battle'. 'One day it may end up at an auction house somewhere. Lee and Gililland stayed on the run for another eight months and finally surrendered. 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. He headed west with his family as a youth and had his first brush with the law in 1875 when he was arrested for stealing clothes from a Chinese laundry in Silver City, New Mexico. Alternate titles: Brushy Bill, Henry McCarty, William H. Bonney, Jr. 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. Billy the Kid then stayed off the radar until January 1880, when he was drinking in a bar near Santa Fe. Brushy Bill was very well known around these parts, says Jane Klein, historian at the Billy the Kid Museum. One of two confirmed photographs of Billy the Kid (left), playing croquet in New Mexico, 1878. Even by frontier standards, he was young. Garrett did not pursue re-election for sheriff of Lincoln County in 1882. Once again, Billy the Kid was now on the run. How exactly the tension mounted between Billy and Grant remains unclear (some say Billy pegged Grant for a bounty hunter come to kill him; some say Grant was a loudmouth drunk looking for a fight). 2023 Atlas Obscura. Rumor has it that the Kid has taken a shine to Maxwells sister Paulita, though its likely shes not the only local girl to have caught his eye. Before resigning in disgrace, federal judge William Story preceded the more celebrated hanging judge Isaac Parker in Arkansas Western District. He was a wanted young man. 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. However, the Kid later escaped, shooting dead two deputies and riding out of town Believing the photo to include Billy the Kid (which would make it just the second known photo of him), Guijarro eventually found an authentication firm that verified his claim with facial recognition analysis and valued it at $5 million. Set of wooden folding chairs sells for 5.3MILLION after Live like the mob! Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Eidsons official position on the story echoes that of the rest of the Historical Commissionwe keep an open mind. Billy the Kid was free for just three months before his final encounter with Pat Garrett. In 1882, Garrett and his ghost writer, Marshall Upson, published The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. That same year, a man named Randy Guijarro bought an old photo for $2 at a shop in Fresno, California. Circa 1879-1880. This story originally ran in 2017; it has been updated for 2022. He was sentenced to hang and was then transferred to the courthouse and jail in Lincoln, but on April 28, 1881, he killed deputies James Bell and Robert Olinger and escaped. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He also obtained a deputy U.S. Marshals commission to have jurisdiction in other counties. Billy the Kid was up for a posthumous pardon for the murder for which he was to be hanged. Whatever happened, the answer will probably remain a secret forever. The victim, Patrick Floyd Jarvis Pat Garrett, was the former sheriff of Lincoln County best known for having killed outlaw Billy the Kid on July 14, 1881. Garrett served as sheriff of Doa Ana County from 1896 to 1900. He was murdered at about 10:30 on the morning of Feb. 29, 1908, some 5 miles east of Las Cruces. Instead, he briefly moved to Texas to serve asa Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers before returning to his ranch in New Mexico. It's my work, he'd say, and I do it for pay And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way Up to some paradise Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice And ride a horse along a trail. Some argue his book about Billy Bonney is the only reason why The Kid is remembered today. New Mexico Office of the State Historian. Pats son Dudley arranged with Jesse Brazel for a five-year lease of the Garretts Bear Canyon Ranch. Somewhere on his ride, he was surrounded by Apaches who took his stolen horse and left him to walk through the desert for miles back to civilization. He died by the gun of Sherriff Pat Garrett at age 21. Mysteries of the Old West: Did Pat Garrett Kill Billy the Kid? After the escape, Garrett set out to remove Billy from the landscape, one way or another. Born on New York Citys East Side, Billy as a child migrated with his parents to Kansas; his father died there, and the mother and her two boys moved to Colorado, where she remarried. 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. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Billy the Kid, that heasked Sheriff Kimball to appoint him deputy sheriff until his term officiallybegan in January of 1881. In December 1880, he had brought in the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid on charges of murdering a former county sheriff. 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. Updates? Some believe that the Kid lived on as Brushy Bill Roberts, but others believe that the Kid was in fact buried the next day in the Fort Sumner cemetery. As a child, Billy the Kid went under the name of Henry McCarty. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Billy Hathorn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress/LC-DIG-highsm-29831. Garrett rode to Maxwells house late that night and hid in Maxwells kitchen. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. What historians do know is that Garrett was elected sheriff of Lincoln County in November 1880, on a platform promising to end the violence between two groups of warring landowners feuding over dry goods and cattle interests in the county. In the midst of the act, he was shot in the back of the head. Billy the Kid, byname of William H. Bonney, Jr., original name Henry McCarty?, (born November 23, 1859?, New York, New York, U.S.died July 14, 1881, Fort Sumner, New Mexico), American outlaw who was one of the most notorious gunfighters of the American West. From his step I could perceive he was either barefooted or in his stocking-feet, and held a revolver in his right hand and a butcher knife in his left. With his mother gone, teenage Henry McCarty was basically on his own. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, a dark vest and pants, and was in his shirtsleeves. In November 1880, he and three of his gang were captured, and the Kid was tried and convicted for the murder of Brady. But That Was Just the Beginning. On December 19, 1880, Bonney, Billy Wilson, Charlie Bowdre, Tom Pickett, and Tom OFolliard rode into Fort Sumner. At some point, someone shot and killed Garrett, but exactly who did it has been a subject of debate. Director Sam Peckinpah Writer Garrett attempted to turn himself in to authorities, but no charges were filed. Related story from us: One of the men who killed Bonnie & Clyde was Bonnies secret admirer. There were at least 26 newspaper articles written that claimed Billy was still alive after July 14, 1881. Though some say hed previously killed several members of the Apache tribe, the first kill (out of 20 or more total) widely attributed to Billy the Kid came in 1876. 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!' Pat Garrett, the man who shot Billy the Kid. To Poes great surprise, he recognized in the camper an old friend and former partner, in Texas, named Jacobs. There were various men in the American Southwest who went by the moniker "Billy the Kid." He, too, knows Fort Sumner; he had once worked for Maxwell as a ranch hand. Billy was sentenced to hang on April 13, 1881; Thats him! Simultaneously the Kid must have seen, or felt, the presence of a third person at the head of the bed. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. The Kid testified as promised, but the pardon was never granted. It was near midnight and Pete was in bed. 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. During this fight, the Army was forced to intervene and the Regulators lost many of their men. At about age 21, Billy the Kid was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. He was plagued by debt in his later years, and while his ranch holdings weren't anywhere near profitable, their locations were desirable for water rights and staging grounds for, shall we say, nefarious activities. Frank Abrams, a North Carolina attorney, first spotted the tintype photo in Asheville in 2011. Experts believe a picture that shows the New Mexico outlaw with Garrett would be worth much more. Now, the stories of what actually happened next seem to clash, so suffice it to say that the Kid ended up in custody. 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. As he descended into criminality and fled from town to town to evade the law, he regularly changed his name, eventually becoming known as Billy the Kid. He was buried in the old military cemetery at Fort Sumner next to two of his gang members. He states, Just think of all the good publicity New Mexico is receiving around the world on thisIts fun. Lets get the issue of imposters out of the way quickly. They are personal things, and things that make complete sense for him to be upset about if his story was true.. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). The men inside were pretty tough and the battle started to turn against the lawmen, but then reinforcements arrived from a nearby army base. The second shot was useless; the Kid fell dead. Garrettwas dismissed in1906 and returned to New Mexico. For all of you Wild, Wild West aficionados out there, here is a post that is sure to be interesting! Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life at the best online prices at eBay!