Head Icons
.
BILLY THE KID  1859 - 1881 Lincoln County had its heyday in the late 1800s when it was a prospering and raucous frontier town. Shoot-outs, hangings, posses, gangs, saloon brawls, and corruption were common in this area of New Mexico. The town was rough, no doubt. But to make matters worse, by 1876, there were two factions in a town where there could only be one. Murphy & Dolan Mercantile & Banking (nicknamed “The House”) literally ran the town until a rival partnership (John Tunstall and Alexander McSween) teamed up with big-time cattle rancher John Chisum. Their band was called The Regulators. When Tunstall was shot and killed by Lincoln County Sheriff Brady’s posse (hired presumably by “The House”) in 1878, the violence in town escalated and the Lincoln County War erupted. Enter the young outlaw, Billy the Kid, who witnessed Tunstall’s murder and swore that he would kill those responsible. A legend was born. Billy and the Regulators had a series of violent shoot-outs with the Dolan Gang in which Sheriff Brady was one of those killed. But when the dust cleared, Dolan’s gang had won and Billy had escaped as a wanted man.  Months passed and Billy grew tired of running and hiding. When he heard that the incoming New Mexico Territory Governor Lew Wallace wanted to clean up the area including bringing the Dolan side to justice, Billy wrote him a letter saying he would give himself up and testify in exchange for immunity. Wallace agreed. Billy surrendered and was taken into custody. The trial began. But it all backfired on Billy when he realized the Dolan gang still had enormous influence. They all walked free while Billy remained in jail despite having testified. Wallace would not follow through on the promise of a pardon. Feeling betrayed and realizing that his freedom was no longer imminent, Billy busted out of jail. His legend in the West grew as he went on the run once again. He was finally caught and became the scapegoat by becoming the only person to be accused of the murder of Sheriff Brady. He was tried and sentenced to hanging. He was put in the Lincoln jail where he busted out again killing a deputy on the way. Finally, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned Billy down in Fort Sumner. Was the murder of Sheriff Brady justified? Was Billy really the one who shot Brady? Did the broken promise by Governor Wallace lead Billy to commit another murder? Should Billy be exonerated after all these years due to the broken promise? Some feel that a murderer and outlaw like Billy should not be cleared!! Others feel that the broken promise should be rectified. Ironically, Billy has unwittingly done more for tourism in New Mexico than any other human being. An unlikely folk hero!! Should Billy’s name be cleared? VOTE ABOVE!! Click images below for Boomerhead's 2006 trips to Lincoln and Ft. Sumner!!   |
|