Billy was a ranch hand for Tunstall and swore revenge after Tunstall was killed in February 18, 1878. He and Fred Waite were deputized by the justice of the peace and were suppose to arrest the killers of Tunstall. However, the sheriff wouldn’t permit the arrest of the murderers since he was apart of Dolan and Murphey side of the feud. The kid and Fred were placed in jail for a couple of days and ended up missing the funeral of John Tunstall. It was rumored that Tunstall was like a father figure to Billy. Experts disagree with the rumor since Tunstall was only twenty-five when he was killed and was more after power than being a father figure. Billy then became involved with a group called the regulators who were suppose to catch the killers of Tunstall. Considering the governor was not paying attention to the events going on, and the sherfif was bias, all bets were off, and they had an anything goes war. The group of regulators on March 11, 1878 decided to kill the two men th!

During his time away from Lincoln County, Billy had learned that a new group called the Rustlers was in the area causing trouble. The gang was more ruthless and cold blooded than any before. A new governor was elected named Wallace and offered pardons to people, except people wanted for murder, to try and bring the peace. The two sides, both Dolan & Murphey and Tunstall’s avendgers, agreed to a treaty where both sides wouldn’t shed blood. So then, they left and went to the local bar and drank. During the time of the two sides drinking, Mrs.Mcsween was walking with her lawyer in the town looking for justice to the killing of her husband. The group consisting mostly of Dolan and Murphey’s men killed the lawyer, and then left the scene of the crime to get further intoxicated. They burned the body and later asked for someone to plant a gun on the man. Billy and his friends volunteered just to leave the company of Murphey and Dolan’s men. Billy and his friend Tom O’Folliard left the town instead. Once the governor heard of the crime, he became furious and wanted justice. He found out that the kid was a witness. So the two met up and it they agreed that if the kid would testify, the governor would grant him a pardon, but Billy would have to get arrested just for show. After some time in jail with no word of pardon and testifying against his enemies, he was left to fend for his own as a wanted man. The governor had conveniently left the state to finish his book Ben Hur. So Billy left Lincoln County with no pardon, and a million enemies. (http://www.badhombres.com/outlaws/billy-the-kid.htm, Bad Hombres, April 15th, 2002)

Pat Garrett, the newly appointed sheriff was after Billy and pursued him about a year. He caught the kid, and proceeded to take him to jail. They traveled to stand trial for the deaths of Sheriff Brady and Buckshot Roberts. He was acquitted for the murder of Roberts but found guilty of murder in the first degree on Brady. Once in jail in Lincoln, the kid was all alone with no one else able to help him. He escaped from the jail by shooting a guard with the guard’s pistol. He stayed within the area instead of leaving the territory, unlike the advise of his friends. His new plan was to go to Fort Sumner to try and earn some money. Some belief that he actually was drawn towards Fort Sumner because of Paulita Maxwell who was pregnant with his child or because of his close Mexican friend Deluvina Maxwell.(www.angelfire.com/mi2/billythekid/paulita.html Love of Billy the Kid, April 22nd, 2002) Whatever the case, Billy would never leave Fort Sumner. One night, Garrett was waiting for Billy in his room, and sensing someone unfamiliar in the room, he asked “Quien es?” which meant “who is it?” in Spanish. Billy never spoke another word. Garret shot and killed William H. McCarty on July 14th 1881 claiming he was armed. He was buried at the Maxwell house by his Mexican friends who held his funeral. (www.ibiscom.com/billythekid.htm ,

Some topics in this essay:
Doc Holliday, Billy Kid, Fikes April, William Bonney, William Antrim, Sombrero Jack, Lincoln County, Frank Cahill, Tom O’Folliard, Alias April, billy kid, lincoln county, fort sumner, april 25th, april 22nd, william antrim, april 25th 2002, 25th 2002, dolan murphey, west billy kid, william bonney, west billy, april 22nd 2002, april 15th 2002, father figure billy,