John J Callison’s interesting accounts

[MissyS]

I found a short reference in Hudson, Wilson M. The Sunny Slopes of Long Ago book Dallas TX. pg 72. found on The Portals to Texas History that John J Callison  claimed that the Kid barely escaped with his life rustling cattle from a ranch that belonged to the James and Youngers. Looking up more info about this I was able to pull up another reference in Ramon Frederick Adam’s book Burrs Under the Saddle A Second look at Books and Histories of the West. It listed a reference of another source. Billy supposedly worked at the ranch of James Younger gang and was caught stealing cattle and a chase and battle took place and Billy’s gang were killed except him and another that got away. The story is referenced in a scarce book titled Bill Jones of Paradise Valley, Oklahoma, His Life and Adventures for over forty years in the great Southwest by John J Callison 1914. It’s a rare book but possibly more of this story may can be found in it? It sounds far fetched, but there is a saying about a grain of truth. I couldn’t find a location or when this gun battle may have taken place or where without really finding this scarce book. If Jesse Evans real name was Jesse James then it may be possible it was a reference to something that happened during the Lincoln County War, except the Youngers were mentioned to have been involved. 

[MissyS]

A friend found a link to the story in this rare book, and sent it to me and I want to share it. That ranch property looks to have been located in Colorado somewhere? It could have been the other Billy the Kid claimant Arthur Pond, alias Billy Leroy that was involved? But interesting story.

archive.org/details/billjonesofparad00call/page/144/mode/2up