The Gunfight at Greathouse Station



Perhaps one of the most controversial portions of Billy's life besides his death, is the gunfight and siege that occurred at the Greathouse Station and Tavern on November 27, 1880.
It was during this event that a young White Oaks Blacksmith named James Caryle was killed while trying to negotiate a surrender from Billy and his pals who were holed up inside of Greathouse's station.
Billy would be blamed for this killing and many people use Carlyle's death as evidence to show that Billy was a cold blooded killer. However, does history have the story right? Let's take a second look.

On or around November 15, 1880 William Bonney, Tom O'Folliard, Tom Pickett, and Buck Edwards rustled approximately eight head of cattle from Alexander Grzelachowski's ranch and then started the herd in the direction of White Oaks.
According to Pat Garrett on p 128 of his book "The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid", the outlaws traded four of them to Jim Greathouse, turned two out on the Cienega del Macho, and kept two for their own use.

A few nights later on November 22, 1880 unknown parties attempted to steal some horses belonging to a citizen of White Oaks identified as J.B. Bell.
On the following morning Deputy Sheriff William Hudgens received information that William Bonney and members of his gang were camped near the town of White Oaks at Blake's sawmill.

Deputy Hudgens then organized a posse comprised of local citizens identified as: John N. Hudgens, John Longworth, James Carlyle, J.P. Eaker,
James S. Redmond, J.W. Bell, William Stone, and George Neil. This posse proceeded immediately to Blake's sawmill and found where the outlaws had been recently camped.

The camp however had already been deserted, but within a short time the posse was able to pick up the trail of the gang and observed that it lead towards Coyote Springs, which was located
five or six miles north of White Oaks at the head of Coyote Creek. As the posse followed the trail towards Coyote Springs, they came upon Mose Dedrick and W.J. Lamper, who were riding back towards the town of White Oaks.

Both men were known cohorts of Billy and his crowd and both men were subsequently detained by Deputy Sheriff William Hudgens. Hudgens believed that
the two men were likely returning from a rendevous with Billy, because they had been observed leaving White Oaks earlier in the day at the same approximate time as the posse.

With the two prisoners in tow, the posse continued on the trail in the direction of Coyote Springs. As the posse neared the site of Coyote Springs
they came under fire from the outlaws' partially concealed camp. During the volley of fire from the outlaws, John Hudgens had his horse shot out from under him.

The posse quickly returned fire killing both William Bonney and Billy Wilson's horses and causing the outlaws to quickly flee from
their camp. Once the outlaws had all fled from the camp, the posse was able to move in closer and investigate.

Upon reaching the campsite, a fine saddle was found near Billy's dead horse. An overcoat was also found lying nearby and was said to have belonged to Mose Dedrick, who had
previously been seen wearing it in and around White Oaks. The posse believed that Mose Dedrick had likely brought the coat in for his friend Billy to wear, during their earlier meeting.

Another coat found in the abandoned campsite was said to be the property of Sam Dedrick. Other items found by the Hudgens posse consisted of canned goods, and dry
goods that were known to have been purchased in White Oaks earlier in the day. The posse then rode back to White Oaks with their spoils of victory and arrived back in town about dark.

Billy's gang had been seperated during the skirmish and Cook and Edwards fled in a different direction from that of Billy, Rudabaugh, and Wilson. According to some
accounts Billy and his three remaining pals rode into White Oaks the following night and fired a shot at Deputy Sheriff James Redman, who was standing in front of William Hudgens' saloon.

The shooting quickly brought many armed citizens out into the street, who promptly returned fire at the fleeing outlaws. On the following morning a posse was organized to pursue Billy, Rudabaugh, and Wilson. The posse
according to Pat Garrett's account consisted of Constable T.B. Longworth, Deputy Sheriff William Hudgens, John Hudgens, James Watts, John Mosby, James Brent, J.P. Langston, Ed Bonnell, W.G. Dorsey, J.W. Bell, J.P. Eaker, Charles Kelley, and James Carlyle.

This photo is said to be James Greathouse


Remains of the old Las Vegas Road which
runs directly in front of the Station remains

The posse immediately proceeded to a roadhouse station and tavern on the Las Vegas road kept by James Greathouse, who was also known as "Whiskey Jim" and was alleged to have
introduced Billy the Kid and Dave Rudabaugh. The posse arrived at the Greathouse Station and Tavern sometime before dawn on the morning of November 27, 1880, quickly taking up strategic positions surrounding the station.

The terrain in which the siege and following gunfight occurred.

At first light the posse observed a man exit the station to harness a team of horses. Joe Steck, of German heritage was quickly confronted by two of the posse members
pointing guns at his head. Steck was then issued verbal commands to lie flat on the ground, to which he quickly and readily complied.

The two posse members wasted no time in stating their purpose and asked Steck if Bonney, Wilson, and Rudabaugh were inside of Greathouse's establishment.
Once Steck confirmed that the three men were inside, he was ordered to carry a message to William Bonney from posse member James Carlyle demanding their surrender.

According to Joe Steck, William Bonney read the note out loud to his compadres and they all laughed out loud at Carlyle's request for them to surrender. Steck was then sent back
outside by Billy accompanied by Greathouse to advise Hudgens that he could "Only take me a corpse". Billy's reply angered Hudgens, who harshly advised Greathouse that he wanted William Bonney, Billy Wilson, and Dave Rudabaugh.

Greathouse, who wanted no part of the affair supposedly advised Hudgens, "If you want them, go and take them". At this point Hudgens sent word inside to Billy Wilson
that he would like for him to come outside to negotiate his possible surrender, promising him the opportunity to return inside if agreeable terms could not be established.

Wilson declined Hudgens' offer of a parley, but stated that if he could speak with posse member James Carlyle, then he might consider surrendering. James Carlyle
agred to disarm himself and enter the Greathouse's trading post for a parley with the outlaws. Jim Greathouse offered to stay with the posse as a hostage to ensure Carlyle's safety.


The remains of Greathouse's Station lie under this clump of trees

Once inside of the Greathouse Station Billy quickly informed Carlyle that he would have to remain inside with them and lead the way out after dark. Carlyle then
sent word to the posse outside that there would beno chance for a peaceful resolution. The posse then settled in for a siege in bitterly cold weather, which they had came unprepared for.

Couriers were sent back to White Oaks for reinforcements and provisions. While Billy and his pals were warm on the inside and well supplied with both whiskey and food, the posse members remained
outside shivering in the cold. Finally the posse members on the outside reached the end of their patience and they sent word inside to Billy that if Carlyle were not released within five minutes, they were going to shoot Greathouse.


This pile of crumbling rocks are all that remain of the Station

Billy still refused to release Carlyle, but within a few minutes one of the posse members accidentally discharged his firearm. Carlyle, upon hearing the shot believed that the posse had killed
Greathouse, made a desperate lunge for the window and jumped through it breaking the sash as he went. Imediately several shots rang out and Carlyle fell dead in the snow just outside of the station.

Just who exactly killed Carlyle has been a mystery for well over a century. The posse members quickly retreated from the station and left Carlyle lying dead where
he fell. They would all blame the death of Carlyle on Billy and his gang, while Billy always maintained that it was the posse who accidentally killed Carlyle.

Carlyle's grave located on a mesa behind the station ruins

Steck and Kuch spent the remainder of the night at a nearby ranch, while Billy and his gang fled towards Anton Chico shortly after the posse withdrew. According to Steck, he and Kuch
returned at daylight and found Carlyle frozen stiff. They wrapped his body in a blanket and buried him as best as they could, stating that the posse later dug him back up and reburied him in a box.


This melted glass was recovered from the ruins of the station
(Property owner's collection)

At some point early the next day the posse returned and burned Greathouse's Station to the ground. A local rancher named Spence
a few miles away also had his ranch burned to the ground and was severely beaten, because he had made the mistake of feeding the outlaws breakfast.

What really happened on that cold day in November and why are there so many contradictions in the various accounts? Did the posse have legal
reason for being there in the first place? These are all pertinent questions that should be answered when investigating this officer involved shooting.

First off we have to look at motive and opportunity. Both William Bonney's gang and the posse had the opportunity. The motive is what must be called into question regarding this particular shooting. Why would Billy
shoot Carlyle? He really had nothing to gain and everything to lose. According to Billy he had been on his way to see his attorney Ira Leonard about obtaining the pardon that Governor Wallace had
promised him, when he was waylaid at Coyote Springs and his horse was shot out from under him. It does not make sense that a man actively seeking a pardon for one murder, would so quickly commit another.

Why would the posse kill Carlyle? More than likely there is no way that they would have intentionally killed their own man. However, it does seem likely that
after spending most of the day freezing out in the cold behind their makeshift breastworks, on empty stomachs, that the posse members might have grown agitated and reckless.

When Carlyle came crashing through the window, he may very well have ran straight into a group of very cold, agitated, and careless men, who were just a little too quick to fire.
There is some evidence and eyewitness accounts to back up this theory. Below we have Billy the Kid's letter to Governor Lew Wallace, written on December 12, 1880:

"I noticed in the Las Vegas Gazette a piece which stated that Billy the Kid, the name by which I am known in the country was captain of a band of outlaws who hold forth at the Portales. There is no such organization in existence.
So the gentleman must have drawn very heavily on the imagination. My business at the White Oaks at the time I was waylaid and my horse killed was to see Judge Leonard, who had my case in hand. He had written
to me to come up, that he thought he could get everything straightened up. I did not find him at the Oaks and should hsave gone to Lincoln if I had met with no accident. After mine and Billy Wilson's
horses were killed we both made our way to a station, forty miles from the Oaks kept by Mr. Greathouse. When I got up next morning, the house was surrounded by an outfit led by one Carlyle, who came into the house and demanded a
surrender. I asked for their papers and they had none. So I concluded that it amounted to nothing more than a mob and told Carlyle that he would have to stay in the house and lead the way out that night. Soon
after a note was brough in stating that if Carlyle did not come outside of five minutes they would kill the station keeper, who had left the house and was with them. In a short time a shot was fired
on the outside and Carlyle, thinking Greathouse was killed jumped through the window breaking the sash as he went and was killed by his own party they thinking it was me trying to make my escape. The party then withdrew.

They returned the next day and burned and old man named Spencer's house and Greathouse's also. I made my way to this
place afoot and during my absense Deputy Sheriff Garrett acting under Chisum's orders went to Portales and found nothing. On his way back he went to Mr. Yerby's ranch and
took a pair of mules of mine which I had left with Mr. Bowdre, who is in charge of Mr. Yerby's cattle he claimed that they were stollen and even if they were not he had a right to confiscate any outlaw's property.

I have been at Sumner since I left Lincoln making my living gambling. The mules were bought by me, the truth of which I can prove by the best citizens around Sumner.
J.S. Chisum is the man who got me into trouble and was benefited thousands by it and is now doing all he can against me, there is no doubt, but what there is a great deal of stealing going on in the territory and a great
deal of property is taken across the plains as it is a god outlet, but so far as my being at the head of a band there is nothing of it.
In several instances I have recovered stolen property when there was no chance to get an officer to do it. One instance for
Hugh Zubler Post Office Puerto de Luna, another for Pablo Analla same place. If some impartial party were to investigate this matter they would find it different from the impression put out by Chisum and his tools.

Yours Respect.
W.H. Bonney

While this letter was written by Billy the Kid himself and likely includes some personal biases, it still provides a first hand glimpse into the events of that day.
We also have a similar account written by Joe Steck that was published in the December 7, 1889 issue of the Lincoln County Leader. In this account Steck claims
that during the siege he had acted as a go between to and from the posse during the siege and was inside the station cooking a meal during the standoff.

According to Steck, "The White Oaks boys became suspicious and decided to storm the fort. Therefore they sent me word by Mr. Kuch to come out as war would commence in earnest."
Steck claims that he then hurried out seeking cover and recalled that, "With a crash a man came through a window, bang, bang, bang, the man's dying yell and poor Carlyle tumbles to the ground, with three bullets in him dead."


These bullets and shell casings were recovered
from the area around the Station ruins
and many date back to the 1880's.
(Property owner's collection)

Steck further recalled that as he and Kuch ran for cover the posse opened up on them. Joe Steck recalled, "about sixty or seventy five shots were fired at us,
bullets flying in all directions." Based on Steck's account, who had no obvious reason to lie, it would seem that the posse was indeed very trigger happy that night.

In Billy's letter to Governor Wallace he stated that the posse had no papers and concluded that they amounted to nothing more than a mob. Just what was the legality of the posse from White Oaks and what
exactly were their intentions? In White Oaks just a few days previous someone had tried to steal J.B. Bell's horses and it is quite obvious
that the townspeople believed that Billy and his pals were likely responsible for the attempted theft of the horses.

It has also been rumored that Billy took a shot at James Redman outside of William Hudgens' White Oaks Saloon. However, it appears that none of the lawmen
took the time and legality to swear out an official complaint before Probate Judge Tomlinson to obtain an arrest warrant for Billy's arrest for any charge whatsoever.

It is fair to point out that Billy was already wanted on two warrants issued for his arrest resulting from his involvement in the killing of Sheriff William Brady
and Dolan partisan Andrew "Buckshot" Roberts. This alone would technically give the posse legal reason to pursue Billy. However, could
the pursuit of Billy to the Greathouse station have been an attempt by William Hudgens to settle a mutual personal grudge with Billy?

In recent years there has been some new evidence that has surfaced indicating that this very well may be the case. In a letter written to William A. Carrell from Maurice Fulton on July 23, 1929
Fulton said, "Bill Hudgens was the head of the local opposition in White Oaks to the Kid. The Kid seems to have felt this opposition was what kept him from being
pardoned by Wallace and he made Hudgens the target of his grudge, making threats against his life. When the Kid and some friends came to White Oaks, Hudgens
friends began to array themselves for trouble. The Kid got wind of it and went to Lobo Spring in Lone Mountain Canyon, about four miles north of White Oaks. The Hudgens
crowd (so called posse) went out to capture the Kid. John Hudgens' horse was shot and killed... This gave the Hudgens crowd a good scare and they gave over the attempt for the time being.
The news got down to White Oaks that the Kid was at Greathouse's and Bill Hudgens brought up another posse which surrounded the place during the night.

When daylight came, Greathouse was arrested as he came out to do the morning chores. The firing started from both sides and was kept up for several hours. Then the Kid hung out a white flag and asked
for a parley. Carlyle was on friendly terms with one or more of the Kid's party and he went in to talk with the Kid's crowd. Carlyle somehow became an involuntary hostage and this excited the Hudgens'
crowd. Carlyle had left his arms outside and was helpless in the hands of the Kid and his four or five companions. The Hudgens' crowd were thoroughly worked up over the matter and they indulged in wild
surmises. Some thought Carlyle had been killed, others believed that he had been tied to the floor near the door, and some thought he had deserted to the Kid. He was an ex-buffalo
hunter and desperado from Texas. The next thing they knew Carlyle came out of a window, but a shot from within killed him almost before he struck the ground. That is about all that is actually known regarding this affair."

According to Author Frederick Nolan Ira Leonard's partner J.E. Sligh confirmed what Fulton said in two publications that appeared in Overland Monthly in 1908.
Sligh stated that Leonard had indeed been trying to get a pardon for Billy, but local interests led by Hudgens opposed his attempt.

Could it be possible that Billy was on his way to meet with Ira Leonard just as he stated to Governor Wallace and was attacked by the Hudgens "posse" for personal reasons that had
nothing to do with attempted horse theft? This question seems valid when you look at all of the evidence available. Were Billy and his crowd the actual "bad guys" that history has presented them to be?

This is where the integrity of the posse comes into question. The only way to properly assess the posse's integrity is to review their actions as deputized
Peace Officers. What evidence is there available to us to paint a clear picture of just what likely happened on that cold November day in 1880?

Peace Officers today, are very fortunate to receive constant and updated training on a regular basis, which in turn helps them to perform their duties as Peace Officers much more
effectively. There is no question that this kind of training was not available to Peace Officers in the 1880's. However, training alone can not make a good Peace Officer. That takes honesty and lots of integrity.

While many things have changed since the 1880's, the fundamental duties of a Peace Officer has not. The fundamental duty of a Peace Officer is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent
against deception; the weak against oppression or intimidation; the peaceful against violence and disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all persons to liberty, equality, and justice.

Was the Hudgens posse performing these duties as Peace Officers on November 27, 1880 or were they simply using their badges as cloaks of authority to further their personal grudge and interesrs?
It is this crucial question that must be answered in order to completely analyze the events of this violent day. Just who were the members of this historical posse that converged on the Greathouse Station and Tavern?

Pat Garrett stated in his book that the posse consisted of: Constable T.B. Longworth, Deputy Sheriff William Hudgens, John N. Hudgens, James Watts, John Mosby, James Brent, J.P. Langston, Ed Bonnell,
W.G. Dorsey, J.W. Bell, J.P. Eaker, Charles Kelley, and James Carlyle. However, what exactly do we know about this group of men and what qualifications did they have to work in a deputized position.

Perhaps the United States Census Records from the 1880 Census might yield us some vital clues. We are fortunate that the Census was taken in 1880,
the same exact year that the Greathouse incident occurred. We will examine these Census Records in the order that Garrett listed themen.

Constable T.B. Longworth is listed as Thomas Longworth, a single 31 year old white male showing to have been born in Texas. His occupation is listed as Constable, confirming that he is the same
individual that Pat Garrett listed in his account. According to the Census Record, Longworth's parents were both born in Canada and at the time of the Census he was residing in White Oaks, New Mexico.

Deputy Sheriff William Hudgens is listed as a 29 year old white male showing to have been born in Louisiana around 1851. His occupation is listed as keeping saloon, which would
indicate that he was not a full time Deputy Sheriff. Perhaps he was a non-paid reserve or a part time Deputy. The Census Record indicates that he resided in White Oaks, New Mexico and was married
to a woman named Mary and that they possibly had two children together named Willie and John Hudgens. William's father shows to have been born in Arkansas and his mother shows to have been born in Louisiana.

This researcher was unable to locate a Census Record for John Hudgens, but according to author and researcher
Frederick Nolan, the Hudgens brothers were said to have grown up in the same Louisiana Parish as Pat Garrett.

Posse members James Watts was probably James Watt, listed as a 23 year old single white male showing to have been born in Texas around 1857. His occupation is listed as a miner
and his residence was listed as White Oaks, New Mexico. According to the Census Record his father was born in Mississippi and his mother was born in Alabama.

There was however, also a John H. Watts listed in the Census of 1880. He is listed as a 41 year old white male also residing in White Oaks, New Mexico. His occupation is listed as a mining engineer.
The Census Record indicates that he was married and that he was born in Indiana sometime around 1839. His father and mother were both born in Kentucky according to the Census Record.

It is not clear to this researcher, which subject was the posse member James Watts listed by Pat Garrett in his book. James Watt would seem to be the most logical choice due to his young age of 23.
However, his last name is spelled Watt on the Census Record, contradicting Garrett's spelling. The John H. Watts listed has the correctly spelled last name, but would seem to be the least likely candidate, because of his age.
It seems more likely that the 23 year old James Watt would probably be more eager to jump on horseback with a posse and go chasing after outlaws than the 41 year old John Watts would. However, this is strictly the opinion of this researcher.

Posse member John Mosby was most likely John Mosley, who is listed as a 22 year old white male born in New York around 1858. The Census Record shows that he was also employed as a miner and resided in White Oaks. According to the Census document, both his father and mother were born in New York. It is possible that Pat Garrett mispelled Mosley's name and it is just as likely that Garrett had it right and the Census taker mispelled it.

While this researcher was unable to find a Census listing for James Brent, his history is fairly well known amongst Lincoln County researchers.
Brent was born in Brenton, Virginia on March 17, 1847. Brent later served as Lincoln County Sheriff from 1886 to 1888.

Posse member J.P. Langston is listed in the 1880 Census as Joe Langston, a 40 year old white male born in Missouri in 1840. The Census states that he was married and
employed as a miner. His place of residence is listed as White Oaks, New Mexico. According to the Census Record his father and mother were born in Missouri.


Edwin Bonnell's grave in White Oaks

Posse member Edwin Bonnell was born in Franklin Iowa in 1848. he arrived in White Oaks, New Mexico in 1880, coming from Larned, Kansas with his four young
sons Erva eight, Harvey six, Bert four, and Nelson two. Bonnell's wife had died in Kansas in 1878. Edwin Bonnell began business activities in lumber, mercantile, mining, and real estate during the boom
years of White Oaks in the 1880's and 1890's. Bonnell remarried in 1884 and fathered four more children. He died in 1893 at the age of 45 and is buried in the Cedarville cemetery in White Oaks, New Mexico.


James Bell's grave in White Oaks

Posse member J.W. Bell is listed in the 1880 Census as James Bell, a 27 year old white male born in Georgia around 1853. The Census
Record indicates that he was living in White Oaks, New Mexico and that he was employed as a miner. His father and mother were both born in Virginia.

Posse member J.P. Eaker is listed on the Census as John Eaker, a 31 year old single white male born in North Carolina around 1849.
His occupation is listed as a miner and his residence is listed as White Oaks, New Mexico. Both his father and mother show to have been born in North Carolina.

Posse member James Carlyle is listed as a 26 year old single white male born in Ohio around 1854. His residence was listed as White Oaks, New Mexico and his occupation is listed as a Blacksmith.
According to the Census record Carlyle’s father and mother were both born in Scotland. Carlyle’s unmarked grave is located on private property near modern day Corona, New Mexico.

As can be easily and readily seen, the majority of the posse consisted of men who made their living in the local White Oaks mines. These men hardly qualify as highly trained professional lawmen. A lawman then as now can call on
the aid of citizens to assist him and Deputize them accordingly to assist in enforcing the law. However it is unreasonable to expect a high level of professionalism and training from citizens with no law enforcement background.

It seems very likely that Billy and his Gang were surrounded at the Greathouse Staton by a big bunch of Deputized mine workers, who may or may not have been acting with the best intentions of legally
apprehending these wanted men. To this researcher, their intentions are not at all clear and their actions do not reflect those of well intentioned lawmen performing their duties lawfully according to the law.

There are many things about that day and the actions of the posse that just do not make sense. Most normal people and officers would not have left their friend and fellow Deputy lying wounded
in the snow. Most officers would have made some kind of attempt to recover the fallen officer and to drag him to safety where he could be examined to see if he could possibly be treated.

This road near the site was named in honor of James Greathouse

The Hudgens’ posse seems to have taken for granted that Carlyle was dead and pulled out almost immediately leaving his body
to freeze in the snow and is accused killers to escape without further incident. This is not the actions of a normal posse.

Most law enforcement officers then and now would have made an attempt to recover the downed officer and would not have left the scene until his killers were ether brought to
justice or dead. It makes no sense and defies all logic that the posse, who had twice as many men as the outlaw gang inside had, would retreat so quickly back to Lincoln for assistance.

However, that I exactly what they did after Carlyle fell dead in the snow. There is only one reason for this type of behavior and that is the fact that the posse had something to hide.
Would killing your own man by accident cause such a panic as to make a well armed group of men retreat in haste and chaos back to White Oaks? This scenario seems very likely.

According to Pat Garrett Constable Longworth had already been sent back to White Oaks for supplies and reinforcements. If this information is correct,
then the posse knew that they would probably be receiving supplies and assistance in the very near future, so why not continue to lay siege on the station?

Again, certain facts of the various accounts do not seem to add up correctly. According to Greahouse’s cook Joe Steck, the posse fired 60 or 75 shots at him
and Kuch as they ran away from the house. According to Steck, every member of the posse started blazing away at them. Steck went on to say that the posse later told him that it
was all a mistake and that they had thought that they were making a diversion to cover the escape of the men in the house. (Source: Lincoln County Leader, December 7, 1889.)

If the posse mistakenly fired at Steck and Kuch, then it seems likely that this group of men were very capable of pulling their triggers before properly assessing and identifying
their targets first. Could young James Carlyle have been a casualty of friendly fire? When looking at these facts it is a theory that must be taken seriously by anyone who wishes to examine this shooting.

Perhaps the events following the siege at the Greathouse Station are quite telling pieces of evidence in themselves indicating the
actual mindset of the posse. Following the posse’s hasty withdraw Billy the Kid and his gang were able to escape under the cover of night.

The Outlaws made their way on foot through the thick snow and by daylight reached the ranch of a Mr. Spence. Spence cooked breakfast for Billy and his crowd before
they headed out from his place towards Anton Chico. Meanwhile the posse had retreated back to Jerry Hocradle’s ranch approximately 25 miles from White Oaks.

According to lawman and former Pinkerton agent Charles Siringo, “about daylight that morning, Will Hudgens, Johnny Hurley, and Jim Brent made up a large posse and started to the
Greathouse road-ranch. Arriving there, they found the place vacated. The buildings were set afire, then the journey continued on the gang’s trail, in the deep snow.

A highly respected citizen, by the name of Spence, had established a road-ranch on a cut-off road between White Oaks and
Las Vegas. The gang’s trail led up to this ranch, and Mr. Spence acknowledged cooking breakfast for them.

Now Mr. Spence was dragged to a tree with a rope around his neck to hang him. Many of the posse protested against the hanging of Spence,
and his life was spared, but revenge was taken by burning his buildings.” (Source: The Capture of Billy the Kid-The Early West Publications p.76-78)

If Siringo’s account is true then it would add further merit to the claim that William Hudgens was actually pursuing a personal
vendetta with Billy the Kid instead of pursuing legal justice in the best interest of the Lincoln County citizens.

What kind of lawmen would threaten to hang a citizen just because he fed some outlaws breakfast and then turn around and burn his house? There is no legal right
whatsoever that the posse had to destroy Spence’s property and to this researcher that action is quite telling about the character of these deputized men.

In the book “The True Story of Billy the Kid” written by William Lee Hamlin he quotes a man identified as Buck Saunders on p. 237 of the book. “Me and two or three other fellows were ordered to go out and plant Jimmy. We found
him frozen plumb stiff. When we turned him over, we saw he had been hit in the chest by several bullets. If Billy had killed him, the wounds would have been in the back because he was running like hell to get away from the post.

When we came back, we told Hudson (Hudgen?) what we seen, and he got hostile. He said to forget it, for we didn’t see nothing like that, and we must have been feeding on loco weed or been plumb snow blind.
Him being a nervous hombre with his gun, we just clean forgot to remember anymore. Now that I’m stampeding out of this here Territory for Texas, I’m telling you for certain, the Kid didn’t kill Jimmy Carlyle.”

While Judge William Hamlin quotes Buck Saunders in his book and treats this statement as a fact, it is only fair to point out that he did not list his source for Saunders’ quote. If it can be substantiated that
Saunders did assist in burying Carlyle, then his statement is quite revealing. It would lend strong evidence to the theory that James Carlyle was shot by his own posse members just as Billy the Kid told Governor Lew Wallace.

Perhaps it will never be known for certain exactly how James Carlyle died on that cold November day back in 1880. It is possible that today’s forensic technology might solve the mystery,
but that would require exhuming Carlyle grave and studying his remains. Since he is buried on private property and exhumation is a very controversial subject amongst many people it is unlikely
that that this will ever happen. However, it is indeed the mystery that keeps most folks interested in history. Happy trails!

Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang President,
Lucas Speer