Posted on 12/30/2010 11:34:29 AM PST by CedarDave
Billy the Kid was a killer and a thief. So why is the governor of New Mexico thinking of pardoning him? Because he was also a snitch.
Stephanie Simon explains why New Mexico may give Billy The Kid a pardon for a crime he committed in 1879. Plus, President Obama may cut corporate taxes and why 2010 was turbulent for airline travelers.
The outlaw testified against three men accused of gunning down a one-armed lawyer in 1879. Some historians say he would never have done so unless he had been told he wouldn't be prosecuted for some of his crimes.
Historical documents suggest that a promise of clemency came from the territorial governor of New Mexico. If so, it was never honored.
The Kid—who was born Henry McCarty but went by William H. Bonney, or Billy—was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang in 1881. Now, days away from leaving office, Gov. Bill Richardson is weighing whether he should honor a promise his long-ago predecessor may or may not have made to one of the iconic figures of the Wild West.
Mr. Richardson has asked the public to help him in his decision and has received more than 800 emails from Kid defenders and detractors as far away as New Zealand, with a slight majority favoring a pardon.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
His last week in office has been a busy one for the corrupt soon-to-be ex-governor of New Mexico. He was in the news for his North Korea pandering trip. A lengthy article in last Sunday's ABQ Journal detailed his shady dealings in state government, his corrupt cronies, his receipt of campaign contributions for governor (pay-to-play) and his run for president and the previous and ongoing federal investigations. Tuesday brought a setback in his crony/campaign contributor's efforts to establish a new casino in central Albuquerque when the state fair commission failed to make a decision due to lack of a quorum (seems like those that missed the meeting figured they didn't need the grief, especially since the local neighborhood residents didn't want any part of it). And yesterday Richardson's head of the state Dept. of Public Safety directed that the state's DNA database of criminals be moved from the APD to state police offices in Santa Fe in spite of opposition of the incoming governor, the Democratic AG, legislative leaders of both parties, prosecutors and defense attorneys, victims advocates, etc. They took the computer server to SF but the paper files remain behind until they are inventoried (something like 70,000). Seems that the head of DPS, who is out of a job in just over 48 hours, wants to have work for cronies left behind in Santa Fe. No matter, the new governor will move everything back to ABQ on Monday morning.
So it looks like King Bill's last decision will be the Billy the Kid pardon. Any guesses on what he will do??
NM list PING!
(The NM list is available on my FR homepage for anyone to use. Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list. For ABQ Journal articles requiring a subscription, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the article for free after watching a short video commercial.)
Billy was also known as Henry Antrim after his mother remarried. He was called Kid Antrim, and just “The Kid” for most of his career. “Billy the Kid” came into use within a couple of months of his death.
Turns out the alleged claim to fame, that Billy was left handed was false, the result of developing a reverse negative [or glass plate] on the only photo known to exist of him [check the Winchester]. He’s actually small potaotes. He kiled maybe six men, possibly ten, not the twenty-one he’s given credit for. John Wesley Hardin is credited with 41 [excluding, according to Hardin and the folks back then, Blacks, Mexicans and Indians].
Henry McCarty. Another New York boy makes good [born in Hell’s Kitchen].
Sounds like Crazy Bill is trying to outstupid the jerk in Floriduh, can’t remember his name, the orange guy, who dropped the charges against long time corpse, Jim Morrison of the Doors. Today’s politicians are such blithering idiots.
OK, there was some really clever pun or joke or something here, right?
Works for me, but takes a while. Here is the direct link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/richardson/index
Also, after I came across some articles from last summer about Billy the Kid, I added Richardson as a keyword so those will show up, too.
Is that what they called slot machines back then? (Sounds more truthful than the modern vernacular.)
While I think posthumous pardons are a waste of time (unless they somehow benefit the recipient’s heirs), at least we don’t have to worry about Jim Morrison or Billy the Kid raping or murdering anyone, the way the wonderful, fully rehabilitated young fellows Mike Huckabee issued get-out-of-jail-free cards to, tend to do.
He was a murdering thug. I simply don’t get any admiration at all for the guy.
The WSJ has a poll up on their site. The question is if King Bill should pardon Billy or not. So far a total of 2,088 have voted. 78.4% say No and 21.6% say yes. Personally I think all of this is a great waste of time and effort when the state is facing a $400 Million shortfall in the next budget.
Billy was born in wheeling west virginia
What's a waste of time, effort and money is the DNA debacle. This is just a distraction by Richardson to garner national attention.
BTW, I imagine both ABQ city and state offices have shut down this p.m. due to the blizzard conditions hitting the ABQ area and northern NM this p.m. Have you heard anything?? Have Denko and the DPS given up on their DNA file inventorying?
A lot good a pardon will do for the Kid now. Forget it, its a DEAD issue.
Weather is not a factor here in Albuquerque, we had a brief period of blizzard like conditions but nothing stuck, it is just really cold.
Another politician trying to wedge himself a place in history.
I’m wondering Dave - since Susana Martinez isn’t in favor of it can she undo the move once she’s in office? Do you know?
Pinging Rogle - do you know?
I should have read further and I’d have had my answers to the DNA Lab move and the new Guv!
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