Pat Garrett
Patrick Floyd Garrett (born June 5, 1850 in Cusseta , Chambers County , Alabama , † February 28, 1908 in Las Cruces , New Mexico ) was an American sheriff in Lincoln County , New Mexico.
As sheriff of Lincoln County, he shot and killed Henry McCarty (also called William Bonney or Henry Antrim) on July 14, 1881, who became famous as Billy the Kid . In his youth Garrett worked as a pig farmer and brick maker in New Mexico, where he met Henry McCarty in a bar. McCarty and Garrett became friends during this time.
Life
Garrett grew up in Louisiana and left home to hunt bison in New Mexico. Then he worked for Pete Maxwell as a groom, where he met Henry McCarty. Later the two parted ways. Garrett married his fiancée Apolonaria Gutierrez and had seven children. McCarty got more and more on the wrong track.
On January 1, 1880, Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County. Several law enforcement officers had tried to arrest Billy the Kid. Garrett got the job and finally got Billy. Instead of imprisoning him, he gave him six weeks to leave for Mexico . When Billy refused, the hunt began. Garrett presented Billy again on December 23, 1880. On April 13, 1881, Billy was sentenced to death . A fortnight later, Billy escaped the Lincoln County courthouse. Garrett gave Billy another six weeks to go to Mexico, but Billy refused again. On July 14, 1881, Garrett finally shot and killed Billy without warning when he entered the bedroom at Pete Maxwell's home in Fort Sumner. Billy was unarmed. Due to opposition from many citizens, Garrett had to fight for the $ 500 reward with the help of a lawyer. After he shot Billy the Kid, people began to shun him more and more.
Garrett bought a ranch in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, New Mexico, which he leased to a man named Jesse Wayne Brazel . The two men continued to quarrel until Garrett was shot by Brazel in 1908.
Garrett's grave is in Masonic Cemetery in Las Cruces.
Works
- Pat F. Garrett: The authentic life of Billy, the Kid . A faithful and interesting story. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK 2000, ISBN 0-8061-3227-2 (English; first edition: The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid, The Noted Desperado of the Southwest . New Mexican Printing and Publishing Company, Santa Fé 1882)
Movies
The story of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid has been filmed several times. A selection of the films can be found in the article on Billy the Kid .
literature
- Dietmar Kügler: You died in your boots. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1976; ISBN 3-87943-415-8
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Garrett, Pat |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Garrett, Patrick Floyd (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Sheriff in Lincoln County, New Mexico |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 5, 1850 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chambers County , Alabama |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 28, 1908 |
| Place of death | near Las Cruces , New Mexico |