Mayor's Report
This past week, the Lincoln County News, in one of their famous unbiased
articles Doris Cherry wrote, "One trustee told THE NEWS after the meeting
he had never served with a mayor who is so unprofessional and discourteous.
" The word "he" narrowed down the field of likely suspects. At first I was
going to say something about this in my shy style but after some reflection
I decided it would give you, the reader, the idea I read the rag (someone
put the article on my desk). I laughed when I realized that anyone with so
little backbone as to be afraid to have their name attached to their quote
is coming to a contest of wits, unarmed. So I decided this month I would not
get in the trench to fight, but have fun.
A few other things happened this past week. A visitor from Albuquerque came
to see Capitan. This visitor spent a few days looking at our local businesses,
and homes. The visitor approached one of our citizen's homes and the citizen
told him to leave. The visitor did not and the citizen advised him that he
would leave either on his own power or in an ambulance. (I was told this story
and hope I have it right. I'm not a violent person, but I do like this guy's
style).
Our visitor later found himself looking out onto the porch and smiling at
a cowboy standing at the door. But our visitor's smile evaporated when he
noticed the .45 pistol hanging on the cowboy's hip and the badge on his belt.
Chief George arrested the visitor for burglary. Our visitor had wandered into
a home he did not own, and piled up the TV and other items not belonging to
him. A mistake I'm sure. After obtaining a search warrant a pistol was found
in the visitors vehicle and he was charged with that crime. The State of
New Mexico takes a dim view of felons packing pistols. Our visitor was an
all around player with a rap sheet thick enough to be mistaken for a Chicago
Telephone book. Our police department has ensured our visitor will be housed
and fed for the next 17 years in Santa Fe. Good job you Coppers. Don't you
love a story with a happy ending?
On April 28, 2003, at five minutes after noon, one of our citizens, Sheriff
Tom Sullivan fired two shots in Lincoln, New Mexico, The floor under my feet
shook at each report of his pistol. The gun smoke hung in the air just as
a western novel would describe it. As I heard the shots a cold chill ran down
my back knowing J. W. Bell heard the shots that killed him.
A 122 years before, just minutes after twelve, noon, on April 28, 1881,
two lawmen lay dead, in the yard of the courthouse in Lincoln, New Mexico,
from gunshot wounds. Quicker than it took for the New Mexico breeze to clear
the gun smoke, history was clouded with the myth of the shooting and escape
of William H. Bonny, a. k. a Billy the Kid from the make-shift jail where
he awaited a date with the hangman.
Sheriff Sullivan and I have opened a case into that shooting in 1881. As
part of the investigation Sheriff Sullivan fired off two rounds from a .45
Long Colt to see if the shots could be heard from the Wortley Hotel. To our
surprise the black power rounds loaded for us by Virgil Hall could be heard
in nearly every part of the town.
This investigation came about after Sheriff Sullivan and I talked about
a man by the name of Brushy Bill Roberts. In 1950 Roberts came to the Governor
of New Mexico with his attorney, saying he was Billy the Kid. He said that
Pat Garrett shot a man by the name of Billy Barlow and buried his body claiming
to be that of Billy the Kid. Roberts said he lived out a life within the bounds
of the law under an assumed name and wanted a pardon that was promised to
him by Governor Wallace.
On the surface of this story you would say "so what?" But if you look at
this man's claim he is saying our Sheriff Pat Garrett is a murder. Garrett
knew The Kid and killed someone else. What this says also is that Pete Maxwell
who said the body is that of The Kid's is a co-conspirator in a murder.
There is no statute of limitations on Murder, so the Lincoln County Sheriff
s Office has opened a case to pursue the investigation. If Brushy Bill Roberts
is Billy the Kid then history changes. But if he is lying, we need to clear
Pat Garrett's name.
You might wonder what this has to do with Capitan and why I would put this
in the Mayor's Report. Here is my reasoning. To put money in to the coffers
of the Village you either raise taxes, raise the water rates (two options
I do not care for), or you bring more money to our businesses and raise our
gross receipts. This is where I would like to go.
I feel this investigation will put a positive light on the county, our town
and the state in whole. Tom Sullivan and I have been in touch with the Governor's
office and he is behind us. People who are conducting DNA on victims of the
World Trade Center have agreed to complete DNA tests for us on remains of
persons believed to be Billy the Kid. We have a filmmaker creating a made-for-TV
story about this investigation. We have recruited some of the best investigators
in the country from other states to assist in this investigation. The Sheriff
and I feel this should not only clear up a 122-year-old mystery but also bring
money into our village.
Of course, any idea, I have, comes with the warmth that the Flying Monkeys
will havemore to talk about as they are stationed behind their morning coffee
in their daily complaint sessions. They'll say I'm crazy and just pulling
another stunt. If that's what they say, it could be true. I could very well
be crazy. It's the crazy who are the last to know. Just running for this job
should have sealed the question about my mental state. However, crazy or
not, I challenge the monkeys to step out from behind their bitter coffee putting
away their acidic attitudes. Step off your, worn soapbox and come up with
something better to bring some business to our Village. I'm open for it.
Tom Sullivan and I know it is a crazy idea but won't it be fun.
Adios,
