[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS] >> QUIEN ES? >> HE WILL BECOME THE MOST NOTORIOUS OUTLAW IN THE OLD WEST. SOME SAY BILLY THE KID KILLS 21 MEN BY THE TIME HE'S 21. IN MYTH, HE'S A LONE OUTLAW... >> LOOK. THERE GOES BRADY. >> AW, HELL, IT IS BRADY. LET'S GO! >> IN REALITY, HIS STORY IS A LOT MURKIER-- A TALE OF RIVAL GANGS WITH A BRUTAL SENSE OF JUSTICE. >> NO BOOK, NO MOVIE HAS EVER TRULY NAILED THE KID'S PERSONALITY. TO THIS DAY, HE IS STILL AN ENIGMA. >> WHO WAS THE REAL BILLY THE KID? A COWBOY WITH A HIGHER CODE OF HONOR? OR A COLD-BLOODED KILLER? WE KNOW BILLY THE KID HELPED CREATE THE WILD WEST. WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS HOW THE WEST CREATED HIM. >> HELLO, BOB. >> THE TRUTH LIES IN THE CLUES THE COWBOYS LEFT BEHIND. [HORSES GALLOP PAST] NEW MEXICO. 1878. THE WILDEST REACHES OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST. LIFE IS SO HARD THAT 80% OF THE POPULATION IS UNDER 30. BILLY THE KID IS ONLY 18, BUT HE'S ALREADY A SURVIVOR. >> BILLY THE KID LIVED A ROOTLESS LIFE WITHOUT FAMILY, ESPECIALLY ONCE HIS MOTHER DIED WHEN HE WAS 13, 14 YEARS OLD. AND HAD NO ONE. >> BILLY'S MOTHER DIED OF TUBERCULOSIS IN A TIME WHEN DISEASE AND HUNGER CREATE AN EPIDEMIC OF ORPHANS. SO BILLY'S STORY IS A COMMON ONE--EVEN DOWN TO HIS NICKNAME: THE KID. >> THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE IN THE OLD WEST, MANY WAYWARD YOUNG BOYS, WHO WENT BY "THE KID." BILLY THE KID, FOR EXAMPLE. WHAT WAS HIS REAL NAME? WELL, WE THINK HENRY McCARTY, THE SON OF IRISH IMMIGRANTS BORN IN NEW YORK CITY. >> BILLY THE KID TOOK MANY NAMES, ONE THAT HE WAS BEST KNOWN BY WAS WILLIAM H. BONNEY, HIS ALIAS. HE ALWAYS LIKE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE--HE'S ONLY A TEENAGER. HE'S ALWAYS SEARCHING. HE'S ALWAYS SEARCHING FOR SOME KIND OF CONNECTION. >> BILLY'S SEARCH TAKES HIM TO THE TINY FRONTIER TOWN OF LINCOLN, NEW MEXICO--POPULATION 400. HISTORIAN DREW GOMBER LIVES IN LINCOLN AND PROBABLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT BILLY THAN ANYONE ELSE. >> WHEN BILLY FIRST ARRIVES IN LINCOLN, THIS QUIET LITTLE STREET OUT HERE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS STREET IN THE UNITED STATES. >> LINCOLN IS RUN BY A CORRUPT MONOPOLY AS DEADLY AS THE MODERN MAFIA. THEY CONTROL VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING FROM BUSINESSES AND STORES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. >> THE GOVERNMENT OF NEW MEXICO, THE FORCES OF LAW IN LINCOLN COUNTY ARE INCREDIBLY CORRUPT. AND THEY'RE KILLERS. >> THIS IS VERY REMINISCENT OF A MODERN GANG WAR THAT WE WOULD FIND IN ORGANIZED CRIME. IT WAS JUST THE OLD WEST. >> HOW CAN A TEENAGE KID SURVIVE IN THIS VIOLENT FRONTIER TOWN ALONE? THERE'S A CLUE IN A COMMON PIECE OF COWBOY GEAR: SPURS. BILLY'S SPURS COME FROM THE MEXICAN VAQUEROS--THE FIRST REAL COWBOYS. THE FLASHY VAQUERO SPURS REFLECT THE MEXICANS' BOLD HORSEMANSHIP. ANGLO COWBOYS ADAPTED THE SPURS AND GAVE THEM COLORFUL NICKNAMES, LIKE "BUZZ SAWS" AND "COWBOY STEEL." THE COWBOYS OWE THEIR SURVIVAL TO THE VAQUEROS' TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES. >> IT IS THE SPANISH HERITAGE THAT IS THE BASIS OF THE AMERICAN COWBOY. THEY ESTABLISHED THE SADDLES; THEY ESTABLISHED ROPING TECHNIQUES. IN FACT, OUR WORDS FOR-- LARIAT, FOR INSTANCE, COME FROM THEM. >> THE VAQUEROS TEACH BILLY TO ROPE AND RIDE AND SPEAK SPANISH. >> BILLY THE KID WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE SPANISH CULTURE THAT WAS SO PREVALENT THROUGHOUT NEW MEXICO. HE LEARNED THEIR LANGUAGE AND HE MOVED EASILY IN THAT CULTURE AT A TIME WHEN MOST WHITE PEOPLE DID NOT. >> THE SKILLS BILLY LEARNS FROM THE VAQUEROS WILL ONE DAY SAVE HIS LIFE. FOR NOW, THEY HELP HIM LAND A JOB AS A COWBOY. HIS BOSS IS A YOUNG ENGLISH RANCHER NAMED JOHN TUNSTALL. BILLY IMMEDIATELY FEELS AT HOME WITH TUNSTALL'S OTHER RANCH HANDS. MANY ARE LIKE HIM--ON THEIR OWN AT A YOUNG AGE, HAVING LEFT FAMILY FARMS FOR THE MORE INDEPENDENT LIFE OF A COWBOY. >> THERE WAS A SENSE IN BILLY OF CONNECTION TO THESE PEOPLE THAT HE HAD NEVER HAD IN HIS YOUNG LIFE. >> BILLY'S NEW EMPLOYER ALSO FILLS A BIG GAP IN BILLY'S LIFE. >> IN THE LEGEND OF BILLY THE KID, JOHN TUNSTALL, THE REFINED, EDUCATED ENGLISHMAN, BECOMES BILLY'S SURROGATE FATHER, THE FATHER HE NEVER REALLY HAD. HE EDUCATES HIM. HE GIVES HIM A JOB. HE GIVES HIM A FUTURE. HE GIVES HIM A FAMILY. HE GIVES THIS ORPHAN BOY EVERYTHING THAT HE'S NEVER HAD. >> TUNSTALL HAS GIVEN BILLY A RIFLE, A WINCHESTER '73, AND A HORSE. AND THESE ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY GIFTS THAT ANYBODY'S EVER GIVEN THE KID. BILLY IS FIERCELY LOYAL FOR THIS REASON. >> BUT BY PLEDGING HIS LOYALTY TO TUNSTALL, BILLY CHOOSES SIDES IN LINCOLN'S GROWING CONFLICT. WHEN TUNSTALL CAME TO TOWN, HE DARED TO CHALLENGE THE CORRUPT MEN RULING THE COUNTY. >> THEY ALREADY WERE CONTROLLING MOST OF THE TRADE AND CATTLE TRAFFIC IN LINCOLN COUNTY. WELL, JOHN TUNSTALL SET OUT TO BREAK THEIR MONOPOLY AND HE WAS GOING TO BE JUST AS RUTHLESS AS THEY WERE IN DOING THIS. >> THE CONFLICT PITS TUNSTALL'S MEN AGAINST THE SHERIFF'S. >> ENGLISHMAN JOHN TUNSTALL HAS COME TO LINCOLN WITH BIG PLANS. IN PURSUIT OF HIS DREAMS OF WEALTH AND POWER, HE HAS PURCHASED A RANCH AND BUILT THIS STORE TO GO INTO COMPETITION WITH THE STATUS QUO. >> THIS STORE WAS TUNSTALL'S BASE OF OPERATIONS. GENERAL STORES LIKE THIS PROVIDED LOCAL RANCH FAMILIES WITH EVERYTHING THEY COULDN'T GROW OR MAKE THEMSELVES-- FROM DRY GOODS TO CANDY TO AMMUNITION. IN LINCOLN, AS IN MANY WESTERN TOWNS, STORE OWNERS BECAME THE TOWN POWER-BROKERS. >> FOR JOHN TUNSTALL, THE STORE REPRESENTS THE HUB OF HIS BURGEONING EMPIRE. FOR HIM, IT'S THE FUTURE. THE WAY THIS PLACE IS CONSTRUCTED, IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH TUNSTALL KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. ASIDE FROM THE STANDARD 18 INCHES TO TWO-FOOT THICK ADOBE WALLS, ALL OF THESE WOODEN SHUTTERS HAVE STEEL PLATES IN BETWEEN THE WOOD SLATS. IN FACT, YOU CAN SEE ONE THROUGH THIS HOLE. AIN'T NO BULLET GONNA GO THROUGH THAT. >> FEBRUARY 18, 1878. THE TENSION COMES TO A HEAD. BILLY IS OUT RIDING WITH TUNSTALL AND HIS OTHER RANCH HANDS. A STRANGER APPROACHES. [GUNSHOTS] GUNSHOTS CHANGE BILLY'S LIFE FOREVER. >> NO! NO! >> THERE WAS A REAL BOND THERE, AND IT WAS REAL TO BILLY. AND WHEN TUNSTALL IS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD, THE KID IS DETERMINED TO GET VENGEANCE, EVEN AT THE COST OF HIS OWN LIFE. >> WELL, HELL, WE KNOW WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. >> YEAH, IT'S BRADY. >> BILLY AND HIS FRIENDS LEARN THAT TUNSTALL'S KILLER WAS SENT BY LINCOLN SHERIFF-- WILLIAM BRADY. >> WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. >> THEY'LL HAVE TO TAKE THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS AND DEPEND ON EACH OTHER. THEY CHRISTEN THEIR GANG "THE REGULATORS" AND VOW THEY'LL MAKE THE SHERIFF PAY FOR HIS CRIME. >> TO TUNSTALL. >> LET'S GO, BOYS. >> BILLY THE KID AND HIS GANG ARE GUNNING FOR SHERIFF WILLIAM BRADY. BRADY'S ASSASSIN KILLED THEIR FRIEND AND EMPLOYER JOHN TUNSTALL. NOW THEY'RE OUT TO SETTLE THE SCORE. >> THROUGHOUT THE OLD WEST, SOME FORM OF VIGILANTISM WAS COMMON, AND USUALLY THEY REPRESENTED THE GENERAL CITIZENRY BECAUSE THE NORMAL AGENCIES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUSTICE SIMPLY COULDN'T HANDLE THE PROBLEM. >> BUT HOW BILLY AND HIS FRIENDS GET THEIR REVENGE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF LEGEND OBSCURING TRUTH. THE MYTH? IT WAS A PRE-MEDITATED KILLING IN COLD BLOOD. >> WE'RE EXPECTED TO BELIEVE THAT THE REGULATORS ARRIVED IN TOWN THE NIGHT BEFORE AND DRILLED HOLES THROUGH A WALL MUCH LIKE THIS ONE, IN THIS VICINITY, TO MAKE RIFLE PORTS. THIS IS AN 18-INCH THICK ADOBE WALL, AND TO MAKE RIFLE PORTS IN IT IS HIGHLY IMPRACTICAL. IT REDUCES YOUR FIELD OF FIRE DRAMATICALLY AND IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT THEY WOULD DO THIS. >> INSTEAD, DREW GOMBER BELIEVES WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IS THAT OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED UNEXPECTEDLY. >> THE REGULATORS ARE IN HERE IN THE TUNSTALL STORE HAVING BREAKFAST WHEN ONE OF THEM SAW BRADY AND HIS MEN MARCHING DOWN THE STREET. >> LOOK. THERE GOES BRADY. >> AW, HELL, IT IS BRADY. LET'S GO! >> TELL ME ABOUT THIS HORSE... [CONVERSATION FADES] >> IT IS RIGHT HERE WHERE SHERIFF BRADY AND HIS DEPUTY FALL DEAD. WE KNOW THIS IS AN IMPROMPTU AMBUSH. THE DEPUTY WAS ONLY HIT TWICE. BRADY, HOWEVER, WENT DOWN WITH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 9 AND 16 BULLETS IN HIS BODY. HE WAS DEAD WHEN HE HIT THE GROUND. >> IT WAS AN UNUSUAL SHOOTING, A PATTERN OF ROUNDS THAT INDICATED IT WAS AN EXPERT MARKSMAN, AND THAT'S JUST BILLY THE KID. IT WAS SAID NOBODY COULD SHOOT LIKE HIM. >> BILLY USED THE .44 CALIBER WINCHESTER 1873 RIFLE THAT TUNSTALL GAVE HIM--THE PERFECT GUN TO EXACT REVENGE. BY THE 1870s, GUN TECHNOLOGY HAD IMPROVED ENOUGH TO MAKE AN AMBUSH LIKE THIS POSSIBLE--WITH THE INVENTION OF A POWERFUL NEW FIREARM. THE WINCHESTER '73 RIFLE IS KNOWN AS "THE GUN THAT WON THE WEST." IT'S THE MOST POPULAR CIVILIAN RIFLE EVER MADE, WITH MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PRODUCED BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY ALONE. IT USED THE SAME AMMUNITION AS REVOLVERS OF THE DAY. GREAT FOR COWBOYS AND OUTLAWS TRAVELING LIGHT. AND IT WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST REPEATING RIFLES--MEANING, IT COULD FIRE MULTIPLE SHOTS WITHOUT RELOADING: THE IDEAL GUN FOR AN IMPROMPTU AMBUSH. >> THIS IS THE FAMED WINCHESTER '73. BILLY THE KID LOVED THIS GUN; SO DID JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE. IT HAD A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL ADVANTAGES FOR ANY OUTLAW IN THE WEST. FIRST OF ALL, VERY RUGGED. TECHNOLOGICALLY IT'S A SKIP FORWARD FROM EVERYTHING THAT CAME BEFORE IT. IT'S LOADED FROM THE BREACH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO TURN THE GUN UP, YOU SIMPLY LOAD FROM THE BACK. THAT MEANS YOUR BARREL IS ALWAYS POINTED TOWARDS YOUR ENEMY, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE RELOADING. >> THIS FEATURE COMES IN HANDY FOR BILLY DURING THE AMBUSH. SO DOES THE WINCHESTER'S FIREPOWER, SHOOTING 15 ROUNDS IN 60 SECONDS. >> IT HAS ONE OTHER ADVANTAGE. WHILE IT'S NOT A LONG-RANGE GUN AND IT'S NOT A BIG GAME GUN, IT'S CERTAINLY POWERFUL ENOUGH TO TAKE DOWN MOST MEDIUM SIZE GAME, EVEN IF THAT GAME HAPPENS TO BE HUMAN. >> BILLY AND HIS GANG GET THEIR REVENGE. BUT NOW THEY FACE A NEW CHALLENGE: HOW TO ESCAPE. THEN, AS NOW, KILLING A SHERIFF, EVEN A CORRUPT ONE, WAS A CAPITAL OFFENSE. THEY MUST GET CLEAR OF LINCOLN BEFORE THE LAW PICKS UP THEIR TRAIL--OR THEIR HORSES RUN OUT OF STEAM. HISTORIANS KNOW THAT BILLY AND HIS GANG WERE ABLE TO OUTRUN THE LAW. WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS HOW. AN INNOVATION IN VETERINARY MEDICINE COULD HOLD THE ANSWER: IT'S A HIGH-SPEED TREADMILL BUILT FOR HORSES. LOLA THE HORSE IS HOOKED UP TO AN EKG MACHINE TO MEASURE HER HEART RATE DURING EXERCISE. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUTLAWS RUNNING FROM THE LAW, THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO GET AWAY FAST AND FURIOUS. >> AFTER BILLY'S GETAWAY, ONE OPTION IS TO KEEP HIS HORSE AT A TROT. >> WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT THE TROT, WHICH IS PROBABLY A PRETTY EASY GAIT AND PACE FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. AT A FAST TROT, BILLY WOULD BE ABLE TO GO ABOUT 25-30 MILES WITHOUT STOPPING. >> BUT BILLY PROBABLY WANTED TO TRAVEL MUCH FASTER. >> SO, NOW WE'RE GOING UP TO THE GALLOP, WHICH IS THE FASTEST GAIT IN THE HORSE. SO THIS IS WHAT BILLY'S GONNA USE FOR HIS INITIAL GETAWAY. THE RECORD FOR HORSES IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40-50 MPH. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE LOLA JUST ABOUT 30 MPH, WHICH IS A PACE SHE CAN MAINTAIN FOR PROBABLY A MILE, MAYBE TWO AT THE MOST. >> AT THIS EXTREME, THE STRESS ON A HORSE IS CLEAR. IN THE OLD WEST, COWBOYS LIKE BILLY INTUITIVELY KNEW HOW TO COVER DISTANCE WITHOUT EXHAUSTING THEIR HORSES. >> NOW IT LOOKS LIKE LOLA'S REACHING HER CAPACITY; SHE'S STARTING TO GET TIRED. SO WE DON'T WANT TO PUSH HER ANY FURTHER AND RISK INJURY OR FATIGUE SO SHE CAN'T KEEP GOING AT ALL. SO NOW WE'RE GONNA BRING HER BACK DOWN FROM THE GALLOP TO THE TROT AND THE WALK AND START COOLING HER OFF. BILLY IS A SMART RIDER AND A SMART HORSEMAN, SO HE REALLY IS GOING TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN HIS HORSE IS STARTING TO FATIGUE. >> COWBOYS ON A TRAIL DRIVE WOULD USE UP TO 4 HORSES IN A DAY. BUT BILLY ONLY HAS ONE. WHEN HE NEEDS A REPLACEMENT, HIS BEST BET IS TO STEAL IT. BILLY AND HIS GANG PROBABLY WAIT UNTIL WHAT COWBOYS CALL A "RUSTLER'S MOON" WHEN THERE'S JUST ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE WITHOUT BEING SEEN. UNDER THE LAW, THE PENALTY FOR HORSE STEALING COULD BE A YEAR OR TWO IN JAIL. BUT VIGILANTE JUSTICE IS FAR HARSHER. >> IF A MAN LOST HIS HORSE IN THE OLD WEST, THIS COULD MEAN DEATH. YOU JUST MIGHT NOT MAKE IT TO THE NEXT WATER HOLE OR THE NEXT SETTLEMENT, AND THERE'S LIKELIHOOD YOU COULD DIE. AND THIS MEANT, WHEN JUSTICE WAS ADMINISTERED BY ANY KIND OF VIGILANTES, IT OFTEN MEANT THE THIEF WAS HANGED. >> BILLY AND HIS BUDDIES ARE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES. IF THEY'RE CAUGHT, THERE WILL BE NO MERCY. >> WINTER. 1878. BILLY AND HIS GANG HAVE AVENGED THE MURDER OF THEIR BOSS. THE REGULATORS CALL THEMSELVES "IRON CLAD BUDDIES." BUT AT THIS POINT, BILLY'S ROLE IN THE GANG IS NOT WHAT WE MAY THINK. >> ONE OF THE GREAT MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE LINCOLN COUNTY WAR IS THE IDEA THAT BILLY WAS ALWAYS THE LEADER OF THE REGULATORS. THIS WAS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. >> TOM, A LITTLE TO YOUR RIGHT. READY, GENTS? >> IN FACT, BILLY WAS YOUNGER THAN THE OTHERS. BUT HE WAS ALWAYS WELL-LIKED. >> PEOPLE WERE CRAZY ABOUT HIM. BILLY WAS A VERY POPULAR GUY, AND THAT'S WHY HE'S A LEGEND TODAY. IT'S NOT ABOUT MURDER, IT'S ABOUT PERSONALITY. >> WE ONLY HAVE ONE PHOTOGRAPH OF BILLY THE KID AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FLATTERING. BUT IN REAL LIFE, BILLY THE KID WAS A HANDSOME, CHARISMATIC FIGURE. HE LOOKED HALF HIS AGE; HE ALWAYS LOOKED VERY BOYISH. AND THEY SAID HE JUST HAD AN INFECTIOUS GRIN, JUST A CAPTIVATING SMILE. >> IN POPULAR MYTH, OUTLAWS LIKE BILLY ARE THE CELEBRITIES OF THEIR DAY. IN REALITY, THAT ISN'T TRUE. IN THE 1870s, NEWS TRAVELS SLOWLY. MOST PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE ACCESS TO NEWSPAPERS. AND EVEN THE ICONIC "WANTED" POSTERS ARE FAR LESS COMMON THAN WE IMAGINE. IN FACT, THERE NEVER WAS A WANTED POSTER FOR BILLY THE KID--ONLY A SMALL NOTICE THE GOVERNOR PLACED IN SOME NEW MEXICO NEWSPAPERS. >> POSTERS WITH PICTURES ARE EVEN RARER. THEY'RE EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT TO PRODUCE, WHICH REVEALS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE FOR A LAWMAN TRACKING A FUGITIVE AT THE TIME. >> FOR THE MOST PART, PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A PARTICULAR OUTLAW LOOKED LIKE. AND IT USUALLY TOOK SOMEBODY WHO HAD KNOWN A PARTICULAR WANTED FIGURE, A PARTICULAR FUGITIVE, EARLIER IN THEIR CAREER, WHO COULD CAPTURE THEM BECAUSE THEY COULD IDENTIFY THEM. >> IN THE MID-1800s, PHOTOGRAPHY IS JUST BECOMING ACCESSIBLE. TINTYPES USE CAUSTIC CHEMICALS TO BURN IMAGES ONTO METAL PLATES. THEY'RE CHEAP AND STURDY-- COSTING LESS THAN A QUARTER-- ABOUT $5.00 TODAY. THE ONE KNOWN IMAGE OF BILLY THE KID IS A TINTYPE. BUT INSTEAD OF PROVIDING LAWMEN WITH A CLUE, IT'S CONFUSING. THIS TINTYPE SHOWS BILLY'S WINCHESTER ON HIS RIGHT SIDE AND HIS COLT REVOLVER ON HIS LEFT. >> PEOPLE LOOKED AT THAT PHOTOGRAPH, ASSUMED HE'S LEFT-HANDED. AND THERE WE'VE GOT A NOVEL AND A SCREENPLAY-- "THE LEFT-HANDED GUN." WELL, BILLY THE KID WAS NOT A SOUTHPAW; HE WAS RIGHT-HANDED. AND ACTUALLY, IT WAS JUST A NEGATIVE. THE IMAGE HAD BEEN REVERSED. >> IT WASN'T UNTIL YEARS LATER THAT THE IMAGE WAS FINALLY CORRECTED. AS WORD SLOWLY SPREADS OF BILLY'S CRIME, HE'S NEVER MORE THAN A FEW HOOFBEATS AHEAD OF THE LAW. HE KEEPS TO THE WOODS AND FIELDS OF LINCOLN COUNTY. AT 30,000 SQUARE MILES, IT'S THE LARGEST COUNTY IN THE U.S., BUT IN BILLY'S DAY, IT HAS LESS THAN 2,000 RESIDENTS. THE SPARSE POPULATION GIVES BILLY ROOM TO ELUDE TRACKERS. RICK SIMPSON IS A MODERN TRACKER WHO TYPICALLY HUNTS WILD GAME, BUT HIS TACTICS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE MEN WHO TRACKED OUTLAWS IN BILLY'S DAY. >> WHETHER WE'RE TRACKING HUMANS OR WHETHER WE'RE TRACKING ANIMALS, ONE THING WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS, YOU CANNOT FOLLOW EVERY INCH OF THE TRAIL. SO WE HAVE TO LEARN TO THINK LIKE OUR QUARRY, OR WHATEVER IT IS WE'RE TRACKING. >> RICK IS FAMILIAR WITH BILLY'S TRAIL AND KNOWS HOW HARD IT MUST HAVE BEEN TO TRACK HIM. >> BILLY, FOR EXAMPLE, HE WENT OVER THE CAPITAN MOUNTAINS. THESE MOUNTAINS ARE SOLID ROCK, NOTHING WILL LEAVE A TRACK IN HERE AT ALL. >> BUT THERE'S ONE RISK BILLY CAN'T AVOID, THOUGH IT COMPROMISES HIS SAFETY. >> HERE WE HAVE A NICE LITTLE CREEK, AND EVEN A LONE RIDER THAT'S RUNNING FROM THE LAW, THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE WATER, WHICH IS TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRACKER, BECAUSE ALL HE'S GOTTA DO IS KNOW WHERE WATER HOLES ARE. >> MOST WESTERN MEN OF BILLY'S ERA ARE SKILLED HUNTERS. THEY KNOW HOW ANIMALS HIDE THEIR TRACKS, SO THEY COPY THEIR WAYS. >> IF I WERE BILLY AND I HAD TO CROSS THIS CREEK, I WOULDN'T JUST RIDE ACROSS IT, I WOULD GET IN IT AND I WOULD RIDE DOWN IT UNTIL I FOUND A GOOD PLACE THAT WAS REAL ROCKY TO GET OUT WHERE I COULDN'T BE TRACKED. >> THERE'S NO DOUBT BILLY KNOWS THIS TRICK AND USES IT TO EVADE HIS TRACKERS. BILLY ALSO HAS AN UNUSUAL ADVANTAGE OVER MOST OUTLAWS IN NEW MEXICO AT THE TIME: HIS FLUENT SPANISH AND STRONG CHILDHOOD BONDS WITH THE VAQUEROS. MANY ANGLOS OF HIS DAY TREAT LOCAL HISPANICS WITH CONTEMPT, BUT NOT BILLY. SO THEY SHELTER HIM WHEN HE'S ON THE RUN. >> HE IS VERY AT HOME WITH THE HISPANIC FAMILIES THAT LIVE HERE, AND THEY LOVE HIM. HE SPEAKS SPANISH FLUENTLY. HE NEVER CONDESCENDS, AND FOR THAT REASON, THE LOCAL HISPANICS LOVED HIM. >> BILLY FALLS FOR A MEXICAN-AMERICAN GIRL-- PAULITA MAXWELL. INTERMARRIAGE IS FAIRLY COMMON AT THE TIME, BUT PAULITA'S FAMILY OBJECTS TO BILLY BECAUSE HE'S AN OUTLAW. SO HE VISITS HER IN SECRET. >> BILLY THE KID WAS A BABE MAGNET IN TODAY'S TERMS. FOR WHATEVER REASON, HE ATTRACTED THE LADIES. [GUNSHOT] >> WHILE IN HIDING, BILLY RECEIVES URGENT NEWS FROM LINCOLN. JOHN TUNSTALL'S BUSINESS PARTNER, ALEXANDER McSWEEN, IS IN DANGER. THE CORRUPT GANG THAT MURDERED TUNSTALL NOW TARGETS McSWEEN. BILLY AND HIS GANG VOW TO PROTECT HIM. THEY RISK IT ALL TO RETURN TO LINCOLN, WHERE THEY'RE STILL WANTED FOR THE KILLING OF SHERIFF BRADY. THEY BARRICADE THEMSELVES INSIDE McSWEEN'S HOME, BEHIND ITS TWO-FOOT THICK ADOBE WALLS. THEY STOCKPILE ARMS AND AMMUNITION, DETERMINED TO PROTECT McSWEEN FROM TUNSTALL'S FATE. >> THE KID AND THE OTHER REGULATORS WERE ALL HEAVILY ARMED AND FIRMLY ENTRENCHED IN THE FORTRESS-LIKE McSWEEN HOUSE. IT WAS A PROBLEM OF EPIC PROPORTIONS TO GET THEM OUT, AND THEIR OPPOSITION KNEW IT. >> THE LAWMEN GATHER OUTSIDE THE HOUSE. THE GUNFIGHT REVEALS THE ESSENCE OF BILLY'S CHARACTER AND APPEAL. >> HERE WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS DEDICATED TO HIS VISION OF JUSTICE, WHO LIVED IN A WORLD OF SWIRLING CORRUPTION IN WHICH THE FIGURES THAT WORE BADGES ACTUALLY USED MURDER TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR ENDS, AND HE FOUGHT AGAINST IT. >> GET BACK, GET BACK! >> 5 DAYS INTO THE GUNFIGHT, NEITHER SIDE IS CLOSER TO VICTORY... UNTIL THE FIFTH NIGHT. >> EXPERIENCED ARMY OFFICERS WHO WERE PRESENT THAT NIGHT ESTIMATED THERE WERE 2,000 ROUNDS EXPENDED THAT NIGHT ALONE. >> LAWMEN COME UP WITH A BRUTAL PLAN TO FORCE BILLY AND HIS GANG INTO THE OPEN. THE EVENTS TO COME WILL TRANSFORM BILLY INTO THE LEGEND WE KNOW TODAY. >> BILLY THE KID AND HIS GANG ARE HOLDING OFF LAWMEN IN A BLOODY SIEGE. WHEN ONE OF THEIR LEADERS, ALEXANDER McSWEEN, IS KILLED, IT ONLY STEELS THEIR RESOLVE. BUT THE SHERIFF FINDS A WAY TO BREACH THEIR DEFENSES. [COCKS RIFLE] >> BRENT, COME ON. COME ON. >> IN THIS CRUCIAL MOMENT, WHEN NO ONE KNOWS WHAT TO DO, BILLY TAKES CHARGE. >> GO, GO, GO. >> IT'S THE ULTIMATE TEST OF HIS CHARACTER AND LOYALTY. >> EVERYONE ELSE PULLS BACK, BUT BILLY WON'T. HE JUST KEEPS GOING, BECAUSE HE'S DETERMINED THAT HE'S GOING TO DELIVER HIS VERSION OF JUSTICE OUT OF A SIX-SHOOTER. >> GO, GO, GO, GO. >> DESPITE HIS YOUTH, HE WAS A NATURAL LEADER. HE WAS RECKLESSLY BOLD, COURAGEOUS. PEOPLE GRAVITATED TOWARDS HIM AND LOOKED TO HIM FOR LEADERSHIP. >> BILLY MANAGED TO ESCAPE IN THE CONFUSION AND THE DARKNESS, AND THEN, AND ONLY THEN, DID HE COMMAND, TO SOME EXTENT, A GROUP OF THEN OUTLAWS. >> BILLY EMERGED AS THE LEADER BECAUSE HE WAS SMART, BECAUSE HE WAS CHARISMATIC, AND BECAUSE HE WAS ABSOLUTELY FEARLESS. >> BILLY'S ACTIONS THAT NIGHT NOT ONLY SHOW WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES HIM, THEY REVEAL WHY HIS STORY CONTINUES TO RESONATE. >> IT'S THE ESSENTIAL SORT OF COWBOY CODE. HE WON'T COMPROMISE. HE'S WHO HE IS, AND HE PLAYS HIS STRING OUT TO THE VERY END. >> IN THE COMING MONTHS, BILLY KILLS AGAIN--SOME SAY AS MANY AS 18 PEOPLE--BUT HE ALWAYS BELIEVES HE'S ON THE SIDE OF JUSTICE. >> TODAY, WE WOULD CALL HIM SORT OF A SOCIOPATH. EVERY KILLING THAT HE ENGAGED IN, HE EXCUSED. AND HE HAD AN EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING, WHICH, OF COURSE, TEENAGERS OFTEN DO ANYWAY. BUT HE SENSED THAT HE WAS ON THE SIDE OF RIGHT, AND IT WAS THAT CLEAR VISION HE HAD THAT MADE HIM THE LEADER IN THAT AREA WHEN HE'S ONLY 18-19 YEARS OLD. >> BY AUTUMN 1878, THE LINCOLN COUNTY GANG WAR HAS BEEN RAGING FOR ALMOST A YEAR, COSTING BOTH SIDES DEARLY IN MONEY AND HUMAN LIVES. THE FRIENDS BILLY FOUGHT FOR ARE DEAD AND BURIED. >> AFTER THE DEATHS OF TUNSTALL AND McSWEEN, THE KID AND THE REGULATORS HAD NO REAL FOCUS ANYMORE. SOME OF THEM DRIFTED OFF TO OTHER PLACES, SOME STAYED AROUND HERE WITH BILLY AND DECIDED TO, AS BILLY SAID, "STEAL THEMSELVES A LIVING." >> BUT IN LINCOLN COUNTY, THERE'S AN IMPORTANT SHIFT. >> THIS OBSCURE AREA OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO BECAME NATIONAL NEWS. AND THE CITIZENS OF LINCOLN COUNTY, THEMSELVES, WERE TIRED OF IT AFTER MONTH AFTER MONTH AFTER MONTH OF WARFARE AND HAVING THEIR DAILY LIVES INTERRUPTED. >> THE WAR EVEN CAPTURES THE ATTENTION OF PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. HE APPOINTS A NEW TERRITORIAL GOVERNOR TO CLEAN UP WAR-TORN LINCOLN COUNTY. AS PART OF THE TREND, THE CITIZENS ALSO ELECT A STRONG NEW SHERIFF--PAT GARRETT. >> IMPOSING PHYSICAL FIGURE; HE STOOD WELL OVER 6' 4"-- TALL, LANKY PAT GARRETT, LEAN-- JUST MUSCLE, BONE, AND SINEW-- AND EVIDENTLY, A FEARLESS CHARACTER. HAD A BIT OF MEAN STREAK IN HIM. >> FIRST ON HIS TO-DO LIST IS NABBING BILLY THE KID. UNLIKE OTHER LAWMEN, GARRETT HAS A DECIDED ADVANTAGE: HE KNOWS WHAT BILLY LOOKS LIKE. >> PAT GARRETT WAS THE PERFECT MAN TO TRACK DOWN BILLY THE KID BECAUSE PAT GARRETT HAD KNOWN HIM BEFORE THE LINCOLN COUNTY WAR ERUPTED. HE KNEW BILLY'S HABITS AND HE KNEW HIS FAVORITE HAUNTS. SO WHEN PAT GARRETT SET OUT ON HIS TRAIL, HE HAD A PRETTY GOOD IDEA WHERE BILLY THE KID WOULD BE AND WHAT HE'D BE DOING. >> FOR BILLY, THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER. HE'S BECOME THE FACE OF THE VIOLENCE. PAT GARRETT BEGINS A WAR OF ATTRITION AIMED AT WHAT BILLY CARES FOR MOST: HIS BUDDIES. GARRETT AND HIS DEPUTIES KILL ONE OF THE KID'S BEST FRIENDS. THEN, SOON AFTER, THEY PICK OFF ANOTHER. IN DECEMBER, 1880, PAT GARRETT'S MEN FINALLY ARREST BILLY THE KID. >> BILLY THE KID WAS THE LEADER OF THE REGULATORS. WELL, CHOP OFF THE HEAD. AND ARRESTING BILLY THE KID, MOST EVERYONE IN LINCOLN COUNTY THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE LINCOLN COUNTY WAR. >> DEPUTY BOB OLINGER BULLIES HIM INTO HIS NEW QUARTERS. >> YOU GET! >> BILLY WON'T FORGET OLINGER'S ROUGH TREATMENT. >> STAY DOWN THERE! >> BILLY IS SINGLED OUT. HE'S CHARGED WITH SHERIFF BRADY'S MURDER AND SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING. >> IT'S REALLY AMAZING THAT BILLY IS THE ONLY PERSON TRIED FOR THE KILLING OF SHERIFF BRADY, WHEN HE WAS ONE OF 6 MEN ACTUALLY SHOOTING AT BRADY THAT DAY. AND YET, STILL, HE WAS THE ONLY ONE TRIED FOR THE CRIME. >> LIKE MANY SMALL TOWNS IN THE OLD WEST, LINCOLN HAS NO REAL JAIL. SO BILLY IS HANDCUFFED IN PAT GARRETT'S SECOND FLOOR OFFICE. MAKESHIFT WESTERN JAILS LIKE THIS ARE NOTORIOUSLY INSECURE. MANY PRISONERS ESCAPE BY CHIPPING THROUGH OLD MASONRY OR THEY FLEE WHEN TAKEN TO THE PRIVY. AS SOON AS BILLY ARRIVES, HE STARTS TESTING HOW HE CAN BEAT THE SYSTEM. >> COMFORTABLE? THESE MANACLES ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE TODAY, AND THEY WEREN'T COMFORTABLE WHEN PEOPLE LIKE BILLY THE KID WORE THEM OVER A CENTURY AGO. COMFORT, HOWEVER, IS PROBABLY THE LEAST OF THEIR SHORTCOMINGS. THEY HAD A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS, AND TECHNOLOGY WAS ONE OF THEM. THIS IS THE FIRST: IT LOOKS LIKE A NORMAL KEY, BUT IT'S NOT. THESE DEVICES DIDN'T WORK BY A NORMAL LOCKING SYSTEM WITH A KEY. THEY WORKED BY SPRING. THE KEY IS A SCREW THAT RETRACTS A SPRING, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT TAKES QUITE SOME TIME TO GET THEM OFF. IMAGINE TRYING TO PUT THESE ON A MAN WHO IS NOT COOPERATING. IT SIMPLY CAN'T HAPPEN. >> BILLY DOES COOPERATE WHEN THEY PUT ON HIS HANDCUFFS. MAYBE HE KNOWS THEIR OTHER FLAW. >> PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THIS DEVICE IS ONE SIZE FITS ALL. IF YOU'RE VERY LARGE, THEY DON'T WORK. NOW WHAT DOES A JAILER DO? IF YOU'RE VERY SMALL, YOU CAN COMPRESS YOUR HAND AND PULL RIGHT THROUGH. >> BILLY THE KID IS IN LUCK. THE HANDCUFFS HE WEARS ARE THE "ONE SIZE FITS ALL" VERSION, WHICH GIVE PRISONERS WITH SMALLER HANDS A BETTER CHANCE OF SLIPPING FREE. ADJUSTABLE HANDCUFFS WERE INVENTED IN 1862, BUT REMOTE TOWNS LIKE LINCOLN DIDN'T HAVE THEM YET. >> BILLY, ACCORDING TO AT LEAST ONE STORY, HAD DEMONSTRATED TO HIS GUARDS THAT BECAUSE HE HAD BIG WRISTS AND SMALL HANDS, HE WAS ABLE TO SLIP OUT OF THE MANACLES, AND ACCORDING TO THE STORY, THE GUARDS ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY. >> THE COURT'S PLAN IS FOR BILLY TO REMAIN CHAINED IN THE IMPROVISED JAIL FOR A MONTH UNTIL HIS EXECUTION. BUT BILLY HAS BEEN WORKING ON HIS OWN PLAN. >> HEY, BELL! BELL! >> DEPUTY J.W. BELL, ONE OF BILLY'S GUARDS, HAS THE DANGEROUS JOB OF MOVING HIM WHEN NECESSARY. BILLY ASKS TO USE THE OUTHOUSE AND NEVER RETURNS TO HIS MAKESHIFT CELL. >> LINCOLN COUNTY COURTHOUSE. APRIL 28, 1881. NO ONE KNOWS EXACTLY HOW BILLY THE KID MAKES HIS AMAZING ESCAPE. EVEN EXPERTS LIKE DREW GOMBER ARE ONLY CERTAIN OF HOW IT BEGINS. >> PAT GARRETT IS OUT OF TOWN, AND BOB OLINGER IS ACROSS THE STREET WITH THE OTHER 5 PRISONERS. THIS LEAVES BILLY ALONE WITH J.W. BELL. HE ASKS BELL TO BE TAKEN OUT BACK TO THE PRIVY, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY HE CAN GET UNCHAINED FROM THE FLOOR, AND BELL CAN HARDLY REFUSE. ON THE WAY BACK IN, ONE OF 3 THINGS HAPPENS. FIRST THEORY IS THAT BILLY RUSHES AHEAD UP THE STAIRWELL, LUNGES INTO THE ARMORY, AND THEN COMES BACK AND SHOOTS BELL ON THE STAIRWELL AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS. THIS, FOR ME, DEFIES BELIEF. THE SECOND THEORY, WHICH IS MORE BELIEVABLE, IS THAT THERE WAS A PISTOL LEFT FOR BILLY IN THE OUTHOUSE BY A FRIEND, AND WHEN THEY CAME BACK IN, BILLY SIMPLY TURNED AROUND AND SHOT BELL. THE THIRD STORY, THE ONE THAT I PERSONALLY BELIEVE, IS THAT BILLY AND BELL CAME UP THE STAIRS, AND BILLY SLIPPED OUT OF HIS MANACLES. THIS IS SOMETHING WE KNOW HE COULD DO. HE HIT BELL OVER THE HEAD WITH THE MANACLES. THE TWO MEN THEN STRUGGLED FOR THE GUN. BILLY GOT IT AND SHOT BELL. AT THAT POINT, HE TURNED, LUNGED INTO THE ARMORY, WHERE HE GRABBED OLINGER'S SHOTGUN OUT OF THE RACK. BILLY THEN HURRIED ACROSS THE UPSTAIRS OF THE COURTHOUSE BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT OLINGER WOULD BE RUSHING ACROSS THE STREET WHEN HE HEARD THE GUNFIRE. >> BILLY WATCHES FOR DEPUTY OLINGER FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW. >> ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, BILLY RUSHES TO THIS WINDOW AS OLINGER HURRIES ACROSS THE STREET, ALERTED BY THE SOUND OF THE GUNFIRE. AS HE DRAWS UNDERNEATH THE WINDOW, BOB HEARS A CHILLINGLY CHEERY AND FAMILIAR VOICE CALL OUT. >> HELLO, BOB! >> BILLY PULLS BOTH TRIGGERS ON THE SHOTGUN. OLINGER IS HIT BY 18 BUCKSHOT, KILLING HIM INSTANTLY. HE FALLS TO THE GROUND A DEAD MAN, KILLED BY HIS OWN SHOTGUN. >> IF BILLY KILLS BELL TO ESCAPE, HE KILLS OLINGER IN RUTHLESS COLD BLOOD, BUT BILLY HAS GAINED CELEBRITY STATUS. SOME TOWNSPEOPLE NOW CHEER HIM ON--AND EVEN HELP HIM FLEE. >> THEY CUT OFF HIS SHACKLES AND SUPPLIED HIM WITH EVERYTHING HE NEEDED, AND HE RODE OUT OF TOWN. [HORSE NEIGHING IN DISTANCE] >> WITH HIS ESCAPE, BILLY THE KID ASSURES HIMSELF A PLACE IN THE LEGEND OF THE OLD WEST. THIS ONE-TIME TEENAGE DRIFTER BECOMES THE STAR OF NATIONAL NEWS AND DIME NOVELS. >> SO, IN EVERY WAY, THIS STORY CAPTURED NATIONAL ATTENTION, SO MUCH SO THAT BILLY THE KID BECAME A LARGER-THAN-LIFE CHARACTER AND REALLY A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME. >> HE WAS YOUTHFUL, HE WAS DARING AND, OF COURSE, LIKE YOUNG PEOPLE, HE FELT HE WAS IMMORTAL. AND WHY WOULDN'T HE? AFTER ALL THE DARING SCRAPES HE HAD BEEN IN, AFTER ESCAPING FROM THE LINCOLN COUNTY JAIL AND KILLING HIS JAILERS, HE HAD NO REASON TO FEAR ANYBODY. >> AND IN THE WILD WEST OF BILLY'S DAY, EVEN THE MOST WANTED MAN IN AMERICA HAS AN EASY WAY TO EVADE THE LAW. >> VERY RARELY WAS ANYBODY PURSUED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES BEYOND THE COUNTY AND ESPECIALLY NOT BEYOND THE STATE LINES, THE TERRITORIAL LINES. MOST WESTERN COUNTIES COULDN'T AFFORD MUCH MORE THAN A COUNTY SHERIFF AND A FEW DEPUTIES, AND THAT WAS IT. >> IF BILLY HAD CROSSED THE BORDER INTO MEXICO, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FREE MAN, BUT HE STAYS IN LINCOLN COUNTY-- SOME SAY BECAUSE OF HIS GIRLFRIEND, PAULITA MAXWELL. JULY 14, 1881. BILLY VISITS PAULITA UNDER COVER OF NIGHT. TWO MEN ARE ON THE FRONT PORCH. BILLY DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. HE SENSES SOMETHING IS WRONG AND LOOKS FOR PAULITA. WHAT BILLY DOESN'T KNOW IS THAT PAT GARRETT IS SITTING IN THE NEXT ROOM, INVITED HERE BY PAULITA'S BROTHER WHO SUSPECTS THAT BILLY'S BEEN HANGING AROUND. GARRETT HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR BILLY FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. IN SPANISH, BILLY ASKS... >> ¿QUIEN ES? ¿QUIEN ES? >> WHO IS IT? WHO IS IT? A DEFINING MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WILD WEST HAPPENS COMPLETELY BY CHANCE. >> HOLLYWOOD COULDN'T HAVE CREATED A MORE FASCINATING, TALENTED, WILD FIGURE THAN BILLY THE KID. >> MAYBE THAT'S WHY, OF ALL THE OLD WEST OUTLAWS, BILLY THE KID CONTINUES TO RESONATE TODAY...MORE THAN 100 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH. >> THE STORY OF BILLY THE KID HAS WORKED SO WELL IN AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE BECAUSE IT MEETS SO MANY OF OUR EXPECTATIONS. IT'S ABOUT WHO WE WANT TO BE; IT'S ABOUT WHAT WE THINK WE WOULD DO. >> WE THINK OF BILLY THE KID AS HELPING TO SHAPE THE MYTH OF THE WILD WEST BUT, IN REALITY, THE WEST SHAPED HIM. THIS HARSH AND LAWLESS PLACE FORGED A LEGEND. THE TRUE STORY OF BILLY THE KID REVEALS MUCH ABOUT HIS TIME AND ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE REAL COWBOYS. >> THERE'S BEEN MANY TALES WRITTEN ABOUT BILLY THE KID THAT WILDLY EXAGGERATE HIS EXPLOITS. HE DID NOT KILL 21 MEN BY THE TIME HE WAS 21, WHEN HE, HIMSELF, WAS KILLED. >> HE WASN'T LIKE JESSE JAMES. HE DIDN'T MAKE, YOU KNOW, MONEY AS A--AS A GANGSTER OR AS A HIRED KILLER. HE SIMPLY WAS A CONSISTENT REBEL. AND IT'S THAT SENSE OF DEFIANCE THAT MADE THE COWBOY AN AMERICAN LEGEND, AND THAT'S WHY BILLY THE KID, WHO IS, OF ALL OF OUR OUTLAWS, THE MOST COWBOY OF THEM. THAT'S WHY BILLY THE KID BECAME SUCH A GREAT AMERICAN HERO. [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS] [CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE -www.ncicap.org--]
