The legendary outlaw of the Wild West

 

Title: History of Billy the Kid

Author: Charles A Siringo

Librivox Audiobook app

Read by Roger Melin (2 hr 19 min)

This book provides a detailed and personal look at the life of the notorious outlaw William H. Bonney. 

Published in 1920, the narrative is based on the author's own experiences as a cowboy and detective who crossed paths with the Kid, as well as accounts from those who knew him best.

Siringo begins by describing the Kid’s early years, noting that he was born in New York before moving west. 

The story quickly transitions into the violence that defined his life, starting with his first murder at a young age in Silver City. 

Siringo details how the Kid became a central figure in the Lincoln County War, a bloody conflict between rival factions of cattlemen and merchants in New Mexico. 

During this war, the Kid served as a leader for the Regulators, engaging in numerous gunfights and killings that cemented his reputation as a daring and dangerous gunman.

The author emphasizes that by the time of his death at age twenty-one, the Kid had allegedly killed twenty-one men. 

Siringo offers a unique perspective because he participated in the efforts to capture the outlaw, providing Sheriff Pat Garrett with cowboys to assist in the hunt. 

The book recounts the intense pursuit leading to the Kid's capture at Stinking Springs, his subsequent trial, and his dramatic escape from the Lincoln County jail after killing two guards, James Bell and Robert Ollinger.

The narrative concludes with the final confrontation at Fort Sumner in 1881. Siringo describes how Pat Garrett tracked the Kid to the home of Pete Maxwell and fatally shot him in the dark. 

Throughout the work, Siringo mixes historical facts with the romanticized legends of the era, portraying Billy the Kid as a complex figure who was both a cold-blooded killer and a product of the lawless frontier. 

The account remains a significant piece of Western lore, offering a gritty, firsthand perspective on the transition from the wild plains to a more settled society.



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