Black Saint of the Pecos
by
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WAS 'BILLY THE KID' GAY ??
You will have to decide that for yourself. Here are some interesting things for you to consider while you read the book: It is a known fact that John Tunstall knew Oscar Wilde in both Oxford and London, and had affairs with him. He also knew Oscar's philosophy concerning the third sex. Tunstall's family forced him out of England because of Oscar and his friends, to avoid a scandal. This is the man who took 'Billy' in and became very close to him.
It is reported that 'Billy' spent the last two weeks before he was killed, with a young man named Jack Wayne Brazel, who was his lover. 'Billy' had set him up in a sheep camp east of Ft. Sumner. 'Billy tried to keep this a secret. Jack was an expert horseman and a crack shot with both rifle and pistol, and wanted to join 'Billy's' gang, but 'Billy' would not let him. In fact he would not let him visit him while he was in jail. 'Billy' must have had feeling that something was going to happen because before he left, that last visit, he made Jack promise that if something did happen to him he would not try to get revenge.
Fate has a funny way of arranging things. In February of 1908, it was this same Jack Wayne Brazel who shot and killed Pat Garrett North of Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was over a lease on some land that Jack had with Pat. There was a witness to the killing, so at the trial Jack was cleared as self- defense. As you read the book you will notice little signs that might suggest 'Billy' was gay: The instance where he and Tunstall were bathing in the river: He attended lots of dances but never left with a girl: his feelings about acting, and dressing as a girl: the affair with the guard when he made his escape from jail. If you care, you must decide for your self ' Was Billy The Kid Gay' ?
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About the Book
This story of "Billy The Kid", starts with his "Pa" dying in Coffeyville, Kansas, and a Mother who never showed any love toward Billy. His early life in Pueblo, Colorado, and in Santa Fe, and Silver City, New Mexico, where at the age of twelve he killed his first man. Then his years of running before he came to Lincoln County, New Mexico, and was taken in by the Englishman Mr. Tunstall. One-fifth of the great State of New Mexico is called, " Billy The Kid Land." The entire southeastern part of ‘The Land Of Enchantment’ was once only one county ... but a section of land free of the blight of Spanish or Mexican Land Grants. A land ruled over by one thin stream of water called The Pecos ... up whose tributary streams... the Ruidosa (the noisy), the Bonito (the beautiful), the Hondo, the Peansco, and the Rio Feliz ...a great sea of belly-high grama grass provided food for thousands of head of cattle and provided the pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow for wealth hungry, land hungry, greedy men who were willing, ready and capable, of sacrificing lives, honor, and even the Territory itself in order to possess it. On the night of July 13, 1881, Billy The Kid was shot to death in the bedroom of Pete Maxwell’s home in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, by Pat Garrett, Sheriff of Lincoln County. The following is the Story of Billy’s life leading up to that event and tells of the Santa Fe ‘ring’s’ attempt to gain control of all of the Southeastern New Mexico, and how the ‘ring’s’ efforts were thwarted, accidentally perhaps, but effectively by the guns of the West’s most famous outlaw, William H. Bonney. These gigantic men with unlimited money behind them: with land armies in front of them and no scruples riding with them ... were kept out of the valley by the accurate firing guns of a seventeen year old slope-shouldered boy of no consequence: of no antecedent: of no future but possessed of one single burning urge ... a drive to kill all of those men responsible for the murder of his dearest friend ... a sturdy Englishman who believed in good government, administered by honest law officers. For three years he ruled the valley, unlawfully of course, but with an ‘iron rod’ until the valley was populated by settlers who knew nothing of the ideals of the old ‘war’...but whose pressure of inate goodness crushed out the stigma of evil and the Pecos was no longer the ‘Valley of Sin’. He was the bulwark; his was the struggle; his name is the one we remember today ... cursed by many, loved by many but understood by so few ... hardly understanding him self, he rode, and fought until they gunned him down in the end. On his gravestone are these words, "He killed a man for every year of his life"...21 men at 21 years. It is fictional, but is peopled in the main with characters of the struggle, and although fictional, is probably not far from the actual truth ... a reading between the lines of the historical facts ... this is one man’s imaginative interpretation of those facts.
About the Author
Born: October 12,1900 Died: May 21, 1995
His adult life was spent in music; singing, directing choirs, even singing with the Denver Grand Opera, and announcing on the radio.
He was the first announcer of radio station KOA in Denver, Colorado, in 1924. He later became associated with NBC in New York City, N.Y. Returning to KOA in Denver when NBC took over KOA.
In 1931 he moved to the West coast and worked in radio in Los Angeles, Ca. Sacramento, Ca. And Reno, Nevada. But due to eye problems he had to give up announcing, as could no longer read the material to announce.
In 1937 he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he became interested in The Lincoln County War, and William "Billy The Kid" Bonney. He spent as much time as he could in the Lincoln County area, gathering information, talking with people who still lived there who had known "Billy The Kid" and lived through the Lincoln County War, all information about the area.
In the early 1940's be wrote Black Saint of the Pecos. He never had it published. He did have several articles and short stories published. He loved to write short poem.
When he was in High School he wanted to be a History teacher, and never lost his love of history.
The Colorado History Museum are considering putting together a display of Memorabilia, pictures, and other articles about him including some tapes of his singing, to be a part of the museum in Denver, Colorado.
By Ralph Baughman, his Nephew.