 Good evening. This is crime classics. I am Thomas Highland with another true story of crime Listen six shots from a colt 44 For no reason whatsoever other than to get your ear attuned to what you're going to hear Of course, I might have said that the colt 44 belonged to our hero And our hero happened to be walking the field and plucking off rail birds But he would have done that for no reason whatsoever, too So here we are Our hero's name is William Bonney a lad who was a product of his time and whose time may be described as a blot So tonight my report to you on Billy Bonney blood letter also known as the kid Crime classics a series of true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land from every time Your host each week mr. Thomas Highland Connoisseur of crime student of violence and teller of murders now once again, mr. Thomas Highland Bonney got to be 12 years old by being born in New York City in 1859 and being in Silver City, New Mexico in 1871 He was not tall for his age, but he was a smart one Give him a pack of cards and say Billy Let's see a deal of foolhouse from the bottom and the boys nimble fingers would flip three aces and two ladies in front of you quicker and short with a cut snout or Put a few stick in his little fist and if he didn't hit you with it He'd run the rack in rotation like is not real smart on a sunny day You could see him walking down the shady side of the street Whistling and handling the odd mints in his little pocket a slingshot a pair of dice Shaved and a knife razor sharp There he goes I'm playing cards Billy get away. I know you're playing cards, and I wish you luck But I got a talk to get out of My mother was crying this morning. Mr. Garvey She said your name skedaddle Mr. Garvey Put that knife back in your pocket or else. Thank you If you ain't the one Billy Now Billy dearly loved his mother and he couldn't stand to see her cry a good boy He stabbed mr. Garvey in the chest three times Killed him When he went back to his mom he told her that he taught that mr. Garvey a thing or two and she did this Pat at her son's tousel hair gave him five silver dollars and told him to get out of town Billy did I'd like to know a pick out a couple of more highlights at random Events in Billy's life before he was 17 of Here's one morning mr. Carpa morning son What you doing feeding my horse mr. Carpa paint your horse son? Tiz paint tiz paint Was Here's another one kid Yeah, bet Bet what like I've been saying bet you twenty five dollars. I kill someone today before you do You mean it. I mean it Stack me 25 on the table and I'll stack mine. Sure Now it's a bit all right. Ain't it now it's a bet Draw what hot out there in the street. I'm staying here, so I'm provoking you to draw You're an egg sucker Tex ain't no short horn like you're gonna call me $50 on the red One of the outstanding events of Billy's life was the Lincoln County War This was a war between two opposing factions in New Mexico one led by a mr. Murphy the other led by mr. Chisholm and mr. McSween Mr. Murphy had the law on his side, but mr. Murphy and the law happened to be thieves Mr. Chisholm and mr. McSween were outside the law, but they were the good guys and Billy the kid was on their side During this war Billy kills five men the fifth man died hard The war was never really resolved in spite of the United States cavalry appearing at a fast trot from time to time Stopping someone shouting forward someone's blowing a bugle and then trotting on again And it was in this war that Billy grew to full stature five foot eight Also, his reputation as a killer 16 men since he was 12 Also, he liked to have his tousaled hair played with Let's see your name was Paul Eater Paul Eater and you they call Billy. Yeah Billy Nino Nino boy young boy That's right They call me Billy the kid What when I see you're riding through Fort Summon When I see you the way you are writing the way you do Here is where the wings beat inside of me I've been to your country. Do you know that make sure three years ago? Kill the man in El Paso on a posse chase me fair across the border. Well, did you like my country? Sure? Sorry to leave it, but I had to okay kill the man Sonora Mexican police chased me back over to Rio Grande Billy yeah Many girls in Fort Summon or do as I do watch you as you ride by Then they meet together and talk of you and giggle. What do they say? Kiss me Billy. Yeah, I want to You do that What you were doing? To my hair Like this Yeah At the very moment that this was going on and not dreamt of by our star-crossed lovers who couldn't read anyhow Ben Hur was being written The writer's name as we all know is Lou Wallace He was in the area at the time being governor and peacemaker That's it Another chapter done the one where Ben Hur and Marsala meet face-to-face and toss jibes But the general's day is not over. I Guess I'd better more writing to be done. So the general picks up his pen Writes and when he's finished reads over what he's written Dear Billy, you don't know me, but I know you I'm your governor and I want to see you I've got a proposition that I think you might be interested in. Hello governor. Oh, hi Billy Had you a letter read to me by my partner at Charlie Baudry? He says you got a proposition is interesting to me. I'm offering you amnesty Billy What's that? Don't wear your gun anymore and no law is going to touch you. I Killed a lot of men governor. I come you're offering. Let's start having a little piece around here. That's all Oh, I'm for that governor. I've always been for that. Well now. I'm glad to hear it except nobody Let me be peaceful. Well, it's going to be different now governor Don't me you know what had happened. I put away my gun. I'd be shot down like a dog I could name 12 men shoot me down soon as I see I was wearing no gun There's Bob Allinger. It's going to be different. You take all in here for a for instance. He's a deputy. He works for the sheriff You'll be wearing a gun will he? Yes. Yes. He would but he'd shoot me like a dog How old are you Billy 18? You got a lot of living ahead of your son not without no gun It's going to be different You say I got a lot of living to do and I aim to do it governor Just cause you say words like Amnesty Ain't no magic word to make me front Bob Allinger for instance without no Billy I've got something else to offer you What else when all the shooting is done when the killings over how'd you like to be a sheriff? Look down there border bottom of the hill. Yeah, I see him What you reckon that doing? Digging I guess just digging maybe for a water hole or something Man has to be crazy to be digging in this hot sun local You gotta admit something about it. What I'm facing into the sun now What are you gonna shoot those three fellas for they ain't doing nothing. You admit about the Sun Sure Betting any money they ain't dead You shoot them for for nothing at all Course you felt like cuz I felt like it Yeah, I think it's safe to say that at this stage in his career and until he died Billy the kid was a mad dog. You are listening to crime classics and your host Thomas Highland Driving tonight then remember this most highway deaths are caused by two temptations to cut out of line and to go too fast Crossing the center line of the road is more dangerous than you realize Statistics prove it excessive speed is just as dangerous as officials say you can predict your own impulses But you can never predict the other drivers when driving tonight drive cautiously, please and now once again Thomas Highland and the second act of crime classic and his report to you on Billy Bonnie blood letter also known as Kid You'll recall that earlier I referred to this era and scene of American history as a blot Well, I've been thinking it over and I must say that blot is a good word It was a terrible time in New Mexico Killer and murder and looting by a breed of men who did these things with no sense of shame or remorse This bleak country was a kind of trails end Spoilers came here and the buffalo killers and the gunslingers. I Suppose it was as good a place as any together because while they were killing each other off They couldn't break anything. There was hardly anything there a grand piano owned by a Mrs. McSweene early went up in smoke during the Lincoln County War and once a stray shot shattered Mrs. Gaffney's fluted terrine But aside from these a clever hand could mend anything in the area with adobe or a piece of wood You may ask them why did all these people kill each other my answer to you is that's what happens in a block But in 1880 the government officials in the area received notice to clean up Therefore general Lou Wallace summoned one Pat Garrett Got a paper here Pat from Washington says to clean up We're going to do it too But we're gonna need your help I heard you used to be a friend to Billy Billy Bonnie Pat the kid uh-huh That's why I'm forgetting all the things I've heard about you probably lies anyhow Want you to get Billy for me? Take a look pretty bad. Isn't it Pat? uh-huh take it Go ahead take it That's the boy Now you just pin it on I Heard Billy's up around Fort Sumner Pat headed that way anyhow Heard he sees a little Mexican girl who's kind of related to your wife uh-huh I Think you ought to go up to Fort Sumner take half a dozen men or so and go up there I'm not making a mistake. I'm a Pat You are the man to take Billy aren't you good luck Sheriff About the events which took place outside of Fort Sumner Well, let's see how they told about it at the time Let's see how the boys who wrote the 19th century paperbacks had at it Here's one written by Bledsoe Sheridan Jr. and entitled hero in ambush or the daring escape of brave Billy Bonnie Mr. Sheridan starts out this way Pat Garrett squinted steely eyes off into the distance. He saw six horsemen The sheriff turned to his lieutenant and he said men that is Billy the young boy and his desperado friends The worst will be a better place to live when he and his breed are six feet under Get out your pistols men and make sure they load it up. You there pick a spot get behind that boulder else They see you here they come and Bledsoe Sheridan Jr. Goes on The desperados came within a hundred feet of the boulders and were not aware of the ambush until In spite of all the steely eyes that must have been on both sides of the ambush and in spite of all the six shooters and shotguns There wasn't a scratch in the crowd Brave Billy Bonnie and his merry band turned tail and fled Bledsoe Jr.'s next chapter is aptly entitled Stinking Springs for that is where we pick up the boys When we gonna rest Billy Now I'm away then what They're gonna come after us, you know that border. I asked you then what we're gonna rest the stinking Springs down there Down there's a place cabin place Fight it out that Billy You scared You must be asked me a question like that four of us you me Wilson pick How many you figure they got? That was Pat Garrett one of what I could see it was He can get all he wants You scared Billy you're talking foolish, but Sure, I am Billy Yeah starting a snow Yeah One thing I'm glad about What? Inside here ain't as cool as outside there But Garrett and his boys are plenty cool Let me go They get Yeah, you're cold being in this place for five days But you hungry too, ain't you Wilson take it looks like let me see Looks like that got you Booger Listen listen Boody you going out there. You're here. You're done for anyhow You're going out then get one of them for you die Go on Boody. Just keep you cold pointing out just like that You get one of me here Just keep your hands way up there. You're not gonna get hurt Hi Wilson Glad to see you Come on get some coffee for yourself. Just take his gun and feeding boys like we promised to do Hey, Billy won't take you back to Fort Sumner Billy They get a Santa Fe How's that sound to you Billy Santa Fe? I swear Billy and then you know what? I'm gonna tell you what Billy I Gonna kill yourself throwing yourself against those bars My name ain't Bob all and you ain't gonna cheat the rope Billy They found you guilty and you're gonna hang Before I do before I do you're gonna do what you'll meet Bob all You ain't killing nobody I'm making me a promise. I'm gonna kill me you Okay, I'll and y'all take garden now Explain to Billy how we're gonna hang him And watch how he does a thing You gotta watch him. He don't kill himself See you tomorrow Billy. Now you know what Billy? That island just a man. I don't like He did a thing to me once and I'm gonna tell you about it Tomorrow you're gonna die anyhow and you won't have a chance to tell anybody It was Allinger There was my sister My sister's dead now Some people say Billy some people say Billy how'd you get my two barrel shotgun out of my hands without me knowing it? Open her up. Where'd I get me Bob Allinger? Room up in front where he sleeps This time and I guess that's where he just went. Hi Bob It's safe to assume that this was one of the happiest moments in Billy's life He had killed a fellow. He hated he felt so good about it He didn't even stop to wave Tata to share of Pat Garrett Just walked right out of there and drifted along down the trail which trail wound up across the street from Pete Maxwell's Which just happened to be Paulita's place? Love you Billy Love you and worry for you. Just love me. Just don't worry about me. That's all Billy what we can go to Mako. I've been thinking that oh bueno when when shall we go when you want to right now? See we will go we will go to Mako and marry You are serious Hungry too I'm going across the Maxwell bring us back or something other than Billy. What do you want? Be careful Billy Maxwell is my friend. But be careful. Let go of me. Let it go. No, you say you'll be careful. I let go I'll be careful Hurry somebody there somebody hey Eat Michael. I could Was July 14th 1881 a killer was killed a bloodbath was over July 15th 1881 was one of the finest days in the history of New Mexico in just a moment Thomas Highland will tell you about next week's crime classic Billy the kid tonight's crime classic was adapted from the original court reports and newspaper accounts by Morton Fine and David Friedkin The music was composed and conducted by Bernard Herman and the program is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis Thomas Highland is portrayed on radio by Lou Merrill in Tonight's story Sam Edwards was heard as Billy featured in the cast were Jane Webb Clayton Post Anthony Barrett William Conrad Dick Beals Harry Bartell Barney Phillips and Fred Shield Bob LeMond speaking Here again is Thomas Highland next week Warwickshire England in the year 1905 and a lovely young lady whose married name was Catherine Hayes and whose ambition was to be a widow My report to you will be on John Hayes his head and how they were parted Thank you. Good night Right after stations identification keep tuned for a CBS radio sports exclusive as the middleweight champion of England meets the middleweight champ of America Randy Turpin versus Bobo Olson fighting 15 rounds for the title of the world Yes, it's next presented by CBS radio So stay tuned and hear it over most of these stations coming right up for newspaper adventure Rogers of the Gazette on the CBS radio network