Governor Wallace on the Kid in 1901

Here's what former New Mexico governor Lew Wallace had to say regarding his experiences with Billy the Kid, taken from the Boston Sunday Globe on December 15, 1901 (it's interesting - and disappointing - to note that in 1901, Wallace knew just as much of the Kid's origins as we do now: namely, that he was born in New York, and moved to Indiana. He even accurately places him in Terre Haute and Indianapolis):

"The man whose deeds of blood had drawn upon him the gaze of an entire nation was born a New York waif. Before he was more than 10 years of age he was brought to Indiana and in Terre Haute and Indianapolis, where he was raised, he was known as William Bonne [sic]. Billy began his career with an oath to kill John Chisum, his first employer when the lad reached the plains. Chisum and the Kid had been unable to agree on terms of settlement for a season's work. The result was the lad's fearful vendetta, sworn not only against Chisum, but against all of Chisum's other employees as well.

"'For each herdsman employed by you whom I kill,' Billy sent him word, 'I will deduct $5 from our unsquared account. 'If I kill you,' he added grimly, 'my bill will be receipted in full.'

"Shortly before I had become governor of New Mexico, Chapman, a young attorney in Lincoln, had been murdered. Half a dozen men were arrested, accused of the crime. When I reached New Mexico it was stated on every hand that Billy the Kid had been a witness to the murder. Could he be made to testify?

"When Billy the Kid stepped to the chair opposite mine, I lost no time in stating my proposition.

"'Testify,' I said, 'before the grand jury and the trial court and convict the murderer of Chapman, and I will let you go scot-free with a pardon in pocket for all your own misdeeds.'

"Billy heard me in silence: he thought several minutes without reply.

"'Governor,' said he, 'if I were to do what you ask, they would kill me.'

"'We can prevent that,' said I.

[As the article continues, it's hard to tell what is attributable to the words of Wallace or what is the editorial license of the article's author.]