Death Warrant

[chivato88]

I think Ive read it somewhere in a book but I have not seen the original warrant if it is 

[MissyS]

It’s amazing that the duties of the Sheriff included such things as carrying out hangings as well as keeping the peace in the town, and being responsible for the confinement of the prisoners as well as collecting taxes and traveling to purchase the lumber to construct the gallows and other things that Pat Garrett was said to have done. The pay must have been good for that job back then or Pat Garrett wouldn’t have wanted to run for re-election, but it couldn’t have been an easy undertaking to perform or overseeing a hanging. I always wondered if Billy had not escaped and was hung, would he have been buried in the Lincoln cemetery or would a family member or a close friend have claimed his body to bury somewhere else? Did Pat Garrett try and locate any of Billy’s kin before the intended day of the hanging to make those arrangements I wonder?

[chivato88]

Jun 15, 2022 12:36:19 GMT -5 MissyS said:

It’s amazing that the duties of the Sheriff included such things as carrying out hangings as well as keeping the peace in the town, and being responsible for the confinement of the prisoners as well as collecting taxes and traveling to purchase the lumber to construct the gallows and other things that Pat Garrett was said to have done. The pay must have been good for that job back then or Pat Garrett wouldn’t have wanted to run for re-election, but it couldn’t have been an easy undertaking to perform or overseeing a hanging. I always wondered if Billy had not escaped and was hung, would he have been buried in the Lincoln cemetery or would a family member or a close friend have claimed his body to bury somewhere else? Did Pat Garrett try and locate any of Billy’s kin before the intended day of the hanging to make those arrangements I wonder?

The one thing I never understood about Garrett is why did he deputized the back shooter Ollinger. Billy had less than a month to live and having Ollinger as guard must have been very unpleasant for him. If Garrett and Billy were really friends in the past why did he do that then? I think its unlikely that he tried to contact relatives, the more I learn about Garrett the more I think he was heartless

[RonBk]

There may have been instructions from others about who should be deputized? I can only imagine that being elected sheriff in most cases came along with a demand to carry out the will of the wealthy and powerful in society. Such as the Santa Fe ring in this case. Just like you have to do if youre a politician or a sheriff today. I agree it seems heartless, but it may very well be this decision wasn't up to Garrett alone.

[chivato88]

You make an excellent point Ron, Chisum might had something to do with Ollinger been deputized. Its been said that Billy once pulled his gun on Chisum's face, maybe it was a little payback from good old Uncle John.

[MissyS]

The relationship between Pat Garrett and Bob Olinger is interesting. There’s a mention that Garrett once said Olinger was a good deputy in some ways, but he had a bloodthirsty urge for violence. From what I’v read of Garrett’s comments about Olinger they weren’t that favorable. It seems to me that Olinger was a little trigger happy and a liability that Garrett was willing to put up with, for whatever reason Garrett didn’t mind Olinger’s bloodthirsty urge for violence as he put it. I guess having a mean tough deputy around may have given some confidence to Garrett at times even though he was a bit untrusting. I’m wondering if Garrett did not choose or deputize Olinger then could he have been able to replace him on his own accord if he wanted to, or if he would have had to have the approval from others to do so? I wonder also if Pat and Olinger were to have met some other way other than working on the side of the law together maybe gambling together or Garrett serving Olinger a drink in a saloon would they have gotten along alright? Were the two forced to have respect for one another because of their job duties? Pat Garrett was said to have had a bit of dry humor, quiet and refined. Olinger rough, tough and arrogant.