Avery Turner and the Sullivan Sentinel

[MissyS]

I found this interesting story in the Sullivan Sentinel from 1905 Missouri, entitled “Early Railroading in the West” about a Railroad man named Avery Turner who was so burned out from trying to get train fare from passengers and being held up on the train he operated that he hired Billy the Kid to help him get his train fare by making him an assistant conductor and while Billy made the passengers hold up their hands, Avery took their fare. From the article it mentions the train was traveling a route from Lama to La Junta? It also mentions that Avery Turner was vise President and General manager of the Pecos Valley Railroad system at the time the article was written. When he actually hired Billy the Kid I’m not sure?, it may have been sometime when Avery managed that railroad system?  Avery Turner was a real person, I was able to pull up some info on him and he was elected President and General Manager of the Pecos Valley Lines in 1902, and  he was also a train master at La Junta and had charge of the line between Pueblo and Dodge City and south to Raton in 1881. If Avery hired Billy the Kid to be an assistant conductor, could that have been after The Kid was supposed to have been shot by Garrett? Since there’s no historical record of Billy the Kid ever working for the railroad before 1881 makes this story very questionable? I found in the Lost Interviews book by Jameson on  page 121, Brushy stated that he joined up with the Marshal’s Force in ‘92 during that time that he was a Deputy Marshal he saw six train hold ups, and saved three of them from losing any money, he further stated that the Dalton’s held up a train in the spring of 92’ and killed a deputy because he failed to put his hands up fast enough and one of them looked at Brushy and said “ We know who you are, put em up or I’ll kill you” and Brushy did. Later when the judge asked Brushy why he let them get away? Brushy then explained he knew the Daltons and did not want to fight them alone. This statement from Brushy sounded like he may have did some Marshal work on a train. Could Brushy have worked for Avery Turner? Could this story be made up?
The story on left side of page
digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/sullivansen/id/5554/rec/9
Avery Turner.
www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/turner-avery

[Elwood]

Aug 15, 2022 12:49:05 GMT -5 MissyS said:

I found this interesting story in the Sullivan Sentinel from 1905 Missouri, entitled “Early Railroading in the West” about a Railroad man named Avery Turner who was so burned out from trying to get train fare from passengers and being held up on the train he operated that he hired Billy the Kid to help him get his train fare by making him an assistant conductor and while Billy made the passengers hold up their hands, Avery took their fare. From the article it mentions the train was traveling a route from Lama to La Junta? It also mentions that Avery Turner was vise President and General manager of the Pecos Valley Railroad system at the time the article was written. When he actually hired Billy the Kid I’m not sure?, it may have been sometime when Avery managed that railroad system?  Avery Turner was a real person, I was able to pull up some info on him and he was elected President and General Manager of the Pecos Valley Lines in 1902, and  he was also a train master at La Junta and had charge of the line between Pueblo and Dodge City and south to Raton in 1881. If Avery hired Billy the Kid to be an assistant conductor, could that have been after The Kid was supposed to have been shot by Garrett? Since there’s no historical record of Billy the Kid ever working for the railroad before 1881 makes this story very questionable? I found in the Lost Interviews book by Jameson on  page 121, Brushy stated that he joined up with the Marshal’s Force in ‘92 during that time that he was a Deputy Marshal he saw six train hold ups, and saved three of them from losing any money, he further stated that the Dalton’s held up a train in the spring of 92’ and killed a deputy because he failed to put his hands up fast enough and one of them looked at Brushy and said “ We know who you are, put em up or I’ll kill you” and Brushy did. Later when the judge asked Brushy why he let them get away? Brushy then explained he knew the Daltons and did not want to fight them alone. This statement from Brushy sounded like he may have did some Marshal work on a train. Could Brushy have worked for Avery Turner? Could this story be made up?
The story on left side of page
digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/sullivansen/id/5554/rec/9
Avery Turner.
www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/turner-avery

More info:

www.abebooks.com/first-edition/HIGH-PLAINS-TURNER-MARY-HONEYMAN-TEN/30791260642/bd


THESE HIGH PLAINS.

TURNER, MARY HONEYMAN TEN EYCK.

Published by [Mrs. Avery Turner], 1941., Amarillo, 1941



In "Old Tascosa" she states that Billy the Kid used to be a frequent visitor there in earlier days. The date of his birth is confused with that of his death, as Mrs. Turner states that he was born in July, 1881."

[MissyS]

Thanks Elwood Great find! That book written by Avery Turner’s wife could be possible proof her husband knew Billy the Kid and it makes me more of a believer of the possibility that Turner hired him on that railroad route now. When he might have hired him is puzzling? Reading the news article the way it’s worded, it sounds like Avery may have hired Billy the Kid in 1905? This article I feel needs to be researched more, if it’s not evidence for Brushy it may be some new information not previously known about the Kid? There is or was a town called La Junta located in Rio Arriba County in the State of New Mexico, but also theres a La Junta in Colorado, just where Lama and La Junta rail route went exactly I wonder? Also I wonder if Avery Turner met Billy the Kid while he was surveying the Maxwell land grant? Billy being friendly with the Maxwell’s may have met Turner on the Maxwell property during his survey? It’s odd that there’s not more said about Billy on the train, something like that would be well known, this is one reason I’m puzzled about when he may have done that?

[paddyrobertstx]

Pecos Valley lines is obviously a south west Texas area railroad and there was a La Junta just over the current border in Mexico which is now Ojinaga. There is also a Lamar out by Corpus Christi and the area boomed after 1888 and there was a railroad depot in the port so potentially there was rail traffic across southern texas to Ojinaga utilising the Pecos Valley.
The other La Junta to Lamar is in southern Colorado - La Junta still is a major rail hub location.
The only issue i see here is the mention of the Dalton gang, i dont think the gang ventured that far south into southern Texas and even Colorado is a good distance from there usual areas around northern Colorado and Kansas, also Pecos Lines railroad were uinlikely to have much going on in southern Colorado but I'll need to read a bit more on that!