Who Shot Billy the Kid?

VOA ^ | 8/20/03 | Robin Rupli

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

These things are of interest. Hope some questions are solved. My grandfather lived in those times and remembered-though did not participate-in many of these historical events; i.e. Custers last stand, the shooting of Jesse James, the death of Billy the Kid etc. My Grandmother was raised by her grandfather who actively participated in the Kansas-Missouri border wars. It was very violent neighbor against neighbor. Suprisingly little is known of the "Wild West"even though many of the participants lived up into the 1920's-1940's. For example, Wyatt Earp lived until 1928 dying in Los Angeles California.

[Maria S]

Durn! If only Ritalin had been around then...things could have been sooooo different for Billy.

[Valin]

It really wasn't that long ago.

[Tacis]

Hey, Richardson is a Clinton sewer dweller. He'll pardon anyone (like Willie or Hillie would) if the bucks are right.

[South40]

I've visited Lincoln, New Mexico and the museum there. I highly recommend it. They have the Kid's guns on display, as well as the gun that supposedly killed him.

The Kid

[jlogajan]

He actually escaped and lived to a very old age, but was accidently hit and killed by a terrorist missile intended to shoot down TWA 800.

[Valin]

A GUN!! On display, right out there in front of god and everyone! Tell me how did you resist the urge to start mowing people down? You know just the sight of a gun will do that.

[Valin]

As I suspected all along.

[South40]

lol!

I have a gun in almost every room in my house and I've never mowed anyone down.

I've got a few neighbors who seem to be begging me to. But I won't.

[Peter Libra]

I happened to see advertised in a western magazine this book. Gunsmoke In Lincoln County: By Phillip J Rasch It is from NOLA PUBLICATIONS. A bit of a struggle to get it by post, but worth it's weight in gold. I became intrigued because of the upper class Englishman, John Tunstall and his murder by Morton, Baker and Hill.

I have read and re read accounts of Billy the Kids death. It seems to me that the only argument is whether Billy did stride in with a gun and a knife, toward Garrett. Garrett wrote his book and gave that account. I have a long shot though. I think Billy was asleep and Pedro (Pete) Maxwell opened the door. Garrett heard Billy say in Spanish- " who is it, who is it"? Garrett cut him down.

The American census of 1880 is an absolute delight. I accessed it and found the Maxwell family at Fort Sumner. This includes Paulita,(16 years old) said to be very fond of young Billy. I found Garrett (A farmer) and Susan McSween ,who's husband, Alexander employed Billy. Billy, who had only a year after the census, does not appear. Being as he had killed two deputies to escape the death cell, it is not surprising.

[hadaclueonce]

it was me, and it wasn't a load of dimes...

[lilylangtree]

Was it Pat Garrett or Billy the Kid that was shot in the back while playing poker? The vic had aces and eights. Thereinafter called the "dead man's hand."

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***He actually escaped and lived to a very old age,***

I assume this was after he teamed up with Fletcher Christian, Davy Crockett, Jesse James and several other famous people who actually survived their demise and lived to very old ages somewhere far, far away.

[Peter Libra]

I think Wild Bill Hickok was the man. Anyway, he did indeed get shot by a man called McCall at Deadwood in the Dakotas, about 1876. He was playing cards at the time. Another Western badman was Wesley Hardin, he served 14 years and had a year and a half of freedom then one John Selman Sr, shot him. It was in a bar at El Paso, Texas about 1893.

[AIRFORCE76]

Actually, that was "Wild Bill" Hicock. He was killed in a saloon in Deadwood, SD. I've been to his grave in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.

[Shooter 2.5]

In the death of the Kid, there was a coroner's inquest presided by Alejandro Segura and a Hon. M. Rudolph was the foreman of the jury.

Since I'm sure a lot of people would have been curious as to who was killed that night, I think it's impossible to have faked the death.

[Atchafalaya]

"Wild Bill" Hickok keld the aces and eights. Not a bad hand as long as your back is to the wall and not the door.

[lowbridge]

Who Shot Billy the Kid?

The second shooter on the grassy knowl.

[Feiny]

Here is a document from 1937.....

http://memory.loc.gov/wpa/19030911.html