Billy's saddle, colt and finger

[MissyS]

I found something interesting in the book "History of Billy the Kid,"By Charles A. Siringo pg 133, it's a chapter about a man that was going around making money showing off Billy's trigger finger in a jar, Garrett heard about it and dug up Billy's body to check to see if all his fingers were there, also the following spring after Billy was (supposedly) shot Garrett auctioned off his saddle and colt he had when he died, he auctioned them in Lincoln, there were a couple bidders the name of the buyers were listed and how much they paid. It wouldn't make sense for Garrett to dig up the body of Billy to check his finger if he knew it wasn't Billy? I don't know if the auction of the saddle and gun would prove anything?, Or if the story is true or could be proven true? I have read there was an article came out after the death about the finger in a jar on display.


I want to Correct a mistake above Garrett HAD the body dug up to check for the finger, he didnt actually do the digging up the had word makes a big difference, I want to clarify that, sorry

[nmjames]

MissyS

There were different newspapers in 1881 that had the story about the Las Vegas Optic having the index finger of Billy the Kid preserved in alchol. One was The Atchison Daily Globe (Atchison, Kansas) Sat. Jul. 30, 1881.
Another one you might like to know about was in The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) Sun, Oct. 30, 1881 about the body of Billy the Kid being removed from his grave five days after his death.

As to the subject of Billy's saddle and colt. I have a copy of a document that Garrett sent to the County Commissioners stating that he had one gun and one six shooter taken off William Bonney, This was on Oct. 8, 1881. I also have a copy of the reply: Approved and sale ordered. I have always been told that Billy Burt got Billy's pistol and at one time there was a bill of sale. I have not been able to find the bill of sale.

The stories about his finger and body being taken I don't feel are true. The story about his pistol I feel is true.

[MissyS]

Thanks nmjames,
In that same book and page, it states Billy Burt did purchase the gun for $13.50. The other article you are refering about the body being dug up, I do believe I have read something about a saw bones Dr. or someone that made skeletons was said to have taken Billy's body, it was in I think a newspaper back in the day maybe the same Optic paper?, was that the article you were refering? I don't remember the specifics of it.

[nmjames]

MissyS

The article is about a fearless skelogist taking the body. You may have read about it in Garrett's book however. On page 149 of the reprint that I have, Garrett talks about Billy being buried in the cemetery and then goes into the different stories of the finger and bones. He states Billy is still in his grave with all his fingers, skull and all his bones. At the end he states, Again I say that the Kid's body lies undisturbed in the grave-and I speak of what I know. When I first read this, I thought how does he know Billy is still in his grave. When I found the book by Siringo and read that Garrett had the grave open, then I thought what if Garrett had his body moved to another part of the cemetery to keep people from digging Billy up? Just a thought. I did read a story that Billy may be buried near Charlie Foor. I took a picture of the grave but I don't think it's true. Just another wild story.

[MissyS]

nmjames, You make a good point about the body being moved, strangely in the Siringo book( same book) later on he wrote that a man many yrs ago moved all the soldiers from the same cemetery and moved them to a National Cemetery in Santa Fe, here's the strange part, he wrote that the only graves left after the work was done was Billy The Kid and Tom O Folliard, and that the old wooden head boards were still there on their graves. Why no mention of Charlie Bowdre's grave only the two?, maybe he just forgot to mention Bowdre? or, maybe Bowdre was much older than Billy and had been a soldier and so moved. He went on to write about the cemetery turning into an alfalfa field and that he felt any sign of the grave of Billy and Tom were more than likely obliterated at that point, he didnt mention the flood that must have been after he wrote the book? If Garrett had Billy moved it must have been done in between those events?

[nmjames]

MissyS, I have Siringo's book but it's been while since I have read it. I also have information about them moving the soldiers to the National Cemetery in Santa Fe. I will need to look all of that up as to dates and so on. I know there were a few graves left in the cemetery. I don't know why Siringo didn't mention Charlie Bowdre's grave. I will dig out the book and read it again. Siringo's book was published in 1920 or 1923. Garrett's book was published in 1882 so I feel if Garrett did open the grave and or move it, it would have been between the time the newspaper articles came out and before Garrett's book was published.

[MissyS]

nmjames
I'm wondering if Garrett did have the body moved like you said and the other one left with Tom O Folliard is really Bowdre? or by accident Bowdre's body got moved instead of Billy's?, reading that makes me wonder. The chapter mentioning the two bodies left is on pg. 139

[nmjames]

MissyS

I would think that if the grave were open and or moved, it would have happen in a short time and they would still be able to tell if it were Billy or Bowdre.

I found my book but the page numbers are different then yours. Just a few pages before Siringo is talking about the killing of Billy and also states that Billy was buried by the side of his chum, Tom O'Phalliard, in the old cemetery. I don't know why he left Bowdre out on both pages.

I found my list of the names in the cemetery. In 1906 22 bodies were disinterred and reburied at Santa Fe National Cemetery on March 8.

I have the names of people that would have been left but I will just post the number: Two we know are Joe Grant and Lucien B. Maxwell. I count 13 or 14 including the two above, Billy, Tom and Charlie.

[MissyS]

Sounds like the info Siringo got for that chapter of the book was not a reliable source? I know not everything printed is true especially info from over that long ago, and pertaining to Billy The Kid, but it is interesting. Leaving out Bowdre was propably just an oversight along with the other names left off. Bowdre's wife could have had his body moved at sometime, who knows?

[nmjames]

I can't answer why Siringo left Bowdre's name out but I can tell you that Manuela Bowdre didn't have his body moved. I know one of her g-granddaughters and she has told me a lot of the history. Bowdre is also listed as being in the cemetery.

[MissyS]

nmjames,
How Awesome to know the G- Grandaughter of Manuela Bowdre, and to hear the history. how cool is that! The fact that Bowdre is listed being there then I will guess his name was left out as an oversight by the aurthor or the author's source, a big oversight though when there were at least 13 and only two said to be left. just a guess, I don't know how else to explain it? Thanks for the info.

[Nik Oak]

I thought that this might be of interest; since I read somewhere that a geophysics search was performed on the Ft Sumner graves of Billy, Tom Folliard and Charley Bodre, and that there were no bodies present.

I was looking at a BBC program called "Time Team", and the geophysicist there said that no geophysics technique can detect bone! The geophysicist was Dr John Gater of Bradfod University England.  Whether coffins can be detected i don't know.

[Nik Oak]

If Billy's body was dug up and moved, surely some of the local people and probably at least one of Billy's friends would have known about it. you would think that the local people would have been pretty disgusted and mentioned it in one of their interviews.

[Nik Oak]

Jan 2, 2017 15:32:16 GMT -5 Nik Oak said:

I thought that this might be of interest; since I read somewhere that a geophysics search was performed on the Ft Sumner graves of Billy, Tom Folliard and Charley Bodre, and that there were no bodies present.

I was looking at a BBC program called "Time Team", and the geophysicist there said that no geophysics technique can detect bone! The geophysicist was Dr John Gater of Bradfod University England.  Whether coffins can be detected i don't know.

I should also have said that, as i understand it, geophysics can detect disturbances in the soil and also earth that is softer than the surrounding soil, which is what the police look for when checking for buried bodies.