In 1881, Billy had been captured by Garrett and was convicted of the murder of Sheriff Brady. He was placed in the Lincoln County Jail to await the day of his execution. On April 21, 1881, while Sheriff Garrett was out of town, Billy convinced Jailer J.W. Bell to escort him to the outhouse. Somehow Billy got hold of a handgun and shot Bell to death as they went back into the building that served as the county's courthouse and jail. Billy immediately rushed up to the gunroom and grabbed a shotgun, which he used to kill Deputy Bob Olinger as Olinger rushed towards the building to see what the shooting was all about.

So, we can document four killings by Billy the Kid--Cahill, Grant, Bell, and Olinger. And due to the Kid's involvement in the Lincoln County War, let's credit him with a couple more killings that we're not sure of. One historian suggests that there might even be five more killings that involved the Kid. Regardless, nine killings is a long way from the legendary 21. But it's probably a lot closer to the truth.

Another persistent Billy the Kid legend is that he was left-handed. The source of this fable is an old photo of Billy that shows him standing with a sixgun on his left hip and a rifle in his hand. But this particular photo has never fooled gun buffs. Glancing at the rifle, one quickly can see that the rifle's loading gate is on the left side of the gun instead of its usual place on the right side of the receiver. This clearly shows that the photo is from an old tintype that used a reversed image, and someone simply forgot to turn it around.

According to several movies and stories, the Kid is also supposed to have favored the Colt Model 1877 double-action revolver in .41 Long Colt. Again, looking at the photo of Billy, it's clear that he's packing a single-action revolver--probably a Colt Single Action Army--but he may have been carrying a Colt Lightning when he was killed.

On the night of July 14, 1881, Billy walked in to Pete Maxwell's bedroom at Maxwell's house in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Too late, he realized that Maxwell was not alone in the room. Unfortunately for Billy, Maxwell's guest was Sheriff Garrett. It was the same Sheriff Garrett, in fact, who immediately fired two shots from his .44-40 Colt

Single Action Army, one of which hit the Kid in the chest and killed him almost instantly.

Some historians believe that Billy did not have a gun with him when he was shot to death. Afterwards, they suggest that Garrett, or one of his two posse men, obtained the Colt DA and put it on the floor beside Billy to avoid criticism. Regardless, they all agree that Billy was holding a butcher knife in his other hand. When the rumor got out that the Kid didn't have a gun on him, Garrett received a good deal of criticism.

As a former lawman, I find that sort of criticism to be ludicrous. Billy had just escaped from Garrett's jail. He had just murdered two of Garrett's deputies. And he had presented himself in Garrett's proximity armed with a knife. In police jargon, the Kid was "bought and paid for." The coroner's inquest took the same position.

Without a doubt, the legend of Billy the Kid will continue to grow. Legends, rumors, and folk tales are like that. But it's still interesting to have a look at some of the real facts about an interesting part of our Western history. I enjoy that, and I hope you do too.