The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 37, July 1933 - April, 1934 Page: 234

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

He traces, with perspective and pleasing style, the era of the open
ranges, the coming of railroads, founding of towns, growth of
trade, social diversions, and the formation of religious patterns.
By way of conclusion he tells the life story of "Black Jack"
Ketchem, train robber and Western outlaw.
The brochure is rich in biographical detail, social incident, and
interesting anecdote. The chapters were first published in The
COlayton News, and, admittedly "brief and fragmentary," the
author's prediction that later chroniclers will continue the story
"in much abler manner" is modest but doubtful. Certainly here
is a "local item" of interest and intrinsic worth.
J. EVETTS HALEY.
The Death of Billy the Kid. By John W. Poe. (New York:
Houghton-Mifflin and Company, 1933. Pp. xlviii, 60.
Illustrations. $1.50.)
When Edmund Seymour, President of the American Bison So-
ciety, was safely questing for Western history from his desk in
New York City in 1917, Colonel Charles Goodnight referred him
to John W. Poe, of Roswell, New Mexico, for the "true story" of
the killing of Billy the Kid. Since Seymour was quoting "Buffalo"
Jones on the subject, Goodnight used the adjective advisedly.
Finally, at the cowman's insistence, Poe prepared his simple,
vivid story of the killing and sent it to Seymour. He told how,
as deputy United States Marshal at Mobeetie, he had been em-
ployed by the organized Panhandle cowmen, and sent to New
Mexico to help kill or capture "the Kid," and he gave the un-
embellished details of the hazardous venture. By his cool and
calculating work, Poe was largely responsible for William Bonney's
death, though Pat Garrett had the honor of shooting him.
The account was circulated, E. A. Brinninstool published it in
brochure, and now, with an historical introduction by Major
Maurice Garland Fulton, it attractively appears in circulation
again. As a conservative historical chronicle, and as an intriguing
recital of frontier adventure, it far exceeds Garrett's own Life of
Billy the Kid, recently annotated for re-publication by Fulton.
J. E. H.

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