A legend of Bill the Kid.

[Phil C]

Billy the Kid was spending some time in El Paso when he decided to go back to New Mexico. He wired a friend in Santa Fe to meet him at a water stop about 60 miles from El Paso and to bring horses. Some gunmen who wanted the reputation of killing the kid found out about it when the kid's friend got drunk and told them. They brought drinks and got him drunk even worse and he passed out and they knew he wouldn't be able to make the ride to the water stop. (This event was used in many movies with different characters by the way but they are based on this event). The three gunmen went to the water stop and set up their ambuse. The train stopped so theywaited in ambuse but the kid didnt' get off so they figured he messed the train so they all met in front of the station. The train moved away only to reveal that the kid had got off on the opposide side they expected. The Kid then told them he was expecting a friend to bring him a horse. One of the gunmen said "You are out of luck. We only have three horses."
The Kid said "No, you brought two too many."
The men went for their guns but the kid shot them all down with three quick shots. Then he road on to his destination with the three horses.

Just one of the many legends of the old west. The opening scene in the movie Once Upon a Time in the West is based on this event.

[Phil C]

When I visited El Paso we went on a tour and went to a small town a few miles south of El Paso (I don't remember the town) but they told us one of the Billy the Kid's friends was in jail there. We visited the jail (as tourists not tennants!) and was told that late at night the Kid with an extra horse rode there and knocked on the door and told the jailer he was a deputy sheriff and had a prisoner to lock up there for the night. The jailer fell for it and opened the door and got locked up in the cell and the Kid and his friend rode away to Mexico.

[NateDawg39]

The End? awww I want more!

[Phil C]

Many movies adapt old west historical events that are legend. One is when a young Wyatt Earp took over as sheriff of Witchita, Kansas. This was before the famour Tombstone Gunfight at the Ok Corral. It is said that when he took over he had to clean up the a town it was so bad that even wanted men walked the streets freely. A citizen told him that Red Cortine who was wanted for murder was playing cards at a local saloon. He went over there with the poster to arrest him. Cortine was not a big man. Earp showed him the wanted poster and told him to come to the jail. One of Cortine's cousins saw what was happening and left and got his brother and Cortine's brother to come help him. Cortine went for his gun but since Earp was so close he just knocked the gun from his hand and it rolled into a corner. Cortine tried to hit Earp but a couple of blows left him dazed and on the floor but not far from his gun and Earp was about to escort him to jail when Cortine's two cousins and brother walked in and one said "Leave Red alone."
Earp said "I am taking him to jail to stand trial for murder."
The three went for their guns and Earp drew and fired so fast that they only got one shot off and that was the reaction of a dead man falling to the floor - the bullet harmlessly hitting the ceiling.
In the meantime Cortine had recovered and quickly crawlled toward the corner to get his gun. Earp heard him crawing after the three dead men hit the floor and had remembered the exact location of the gun and without completely turning around or looking turned the gun toward the corner and fired it killing Cortine before he could get a shot off.
Thus began the legend of Wyatt Earp.

[SINTON81]

Tell me more Phil.:D :D

[BMOC]

Toby Keith wrote a song about him.:D :D

[Hupernikomen]

Billy the Kid was born William Henry Bonney/McCarty to parents living in Indiana. They moved to Kansas when he was a preteen. After his mother was diagnosed with consumption they were forced to move to Denver for health reasons. Eventually as a teenager, they move to Silver City, New Mexico. Later after his mothers dead the step-father leaves for Arizona and Kid and his brother are moved from foster home to foster home. He is arrested for stealing laundry and escapes from jail and goes to look for his step-father in Arizona. The step-father doesn't want him and he begins his horse rustling. He is arrested and escapes the same day (he is around 16 at this time). Five months later he kills his first man. The next 3 to 4 years are more than I can record here but eventually he makes his way back to New Mexico and joins a gang, is hired by a cattle rancher, and has many run-ins with the law. He is killed in Fort Sumner by Sheriff Garrett.

I spent the night in a hotel about 1 mile from his grave this summer. Unfortunately, I still had a long ride to Utah and was unable to pay my respect.

[Old Cardinal]

The "West" was not this far back in the past. My Grandfather at 17 years of age(around 1890) rode from SW Louisiana to near the NM border to work cattle. He said that he had met hands that had known Billy the Kid ten years before.
He use to get out near the Choupique Bayou when I was a small kid and draw and practice with his ole Colt--shooting a line of bottles aligned down a 2x4 that was set level on two saw horses.
My own, father(born in 1903) saw the Wild West Show when it came through Crowley LA when he was a small boy. Wild Bill Hickock was old-- but the star attraction along with an accompaniment of Indians in full war paint.
Yes, the "West" was not that long ago.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
The "West" was not this far back in the past. My Grandfather at 17 years of age(around 1890) rode from SW Louisiana to near the NM border to work cattle. He said that he had met hands that had known Billy the Kid ten years before.
He use to get out near the Choupique Bayou when I was a small kid and draw and practice with his ole Colt--shooting a line of bottles aligned down a 2x4 that was set level on two saw horses.
My own, father(born in 1903) saw the Wild West Show when it came through Crowley LA when he was a small boy. Wild Bill Hickock was old-- but the star attraction along with an accompaniment of Indians in full war paint.
Yes, the "West" was not that long ago.

Interesting Old but wasn't that Bufalo Bill Cody instead of Wild Bill Hickock.

[Phil C]

They call aces and eights a dead man's hand because that was what Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot and killed. Does anyone know what the odd card was? I was thinking it was a two but I could be wrong.

[District303aPastPlayer]

i believe it was a duece of spades... i could be wrong....


did anyone else think this thread was about phil c before you opened it?

[pirate44]

Originally posted by District303aPastPlayer
i believe it was a duece of spades... i could be wrong....


did anyone else think this thread was about phil c before you opened it?
you mean it isnt?:confused:

[District303aPastPlayer]

Originally posted by pirate44
you mean it isnt?:confused:

i dont know...

[Old Cardinal]

Phil, You are right it was Buffalo Bill Cody instead of Wild Bill Hickock that had the Wild West Show that ran will into the 20th century. Thanks for catching that.

[SintonFan_inAustin]

wasnt billy the kid suppose to have been buried in Giddings Tx?

[Gobbler Fan]

The hand in the Hichcock legend has it that the pairs were black aces and black eight's . The fifth is not known for certain .

5 of Diamonds -The actual card is suposidly on display in Deadwood , previously on display at the Stardust
9 of Diamonds-This card was supposedly reported by fisrt hand accounts and is used on recreations in Deadwood
Q of clubs - on display at Ripley's Believe it or Not
K of spades-appeared in 1936 movie The Plainsman with Gary Cooper as Hitchcock :cool: