45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

REQUESTING THAT THE GOVERNOR PARDON HENRY MCCARTY, ALSO KNOWN AS "BILLY THE KID", IN RECOGNITION OF HIS DESCENDANTS LIVING AND WORKING IN NEW MEXICO.

WHEREAS, Henry McCarty, also known as William H. Bonney, also known as "Billy the Kid", lived a short and much-written- about life in the territory that is now the state of New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, memories, stories and legends of Billy the Kid's exploits to this day evoke emotions ranging from admiration to disdain; and

WHEREAS, Billy the Kid's death and the passing of more than one hundred years since that event should have healed many of the wounds left in his wake; and

WHEREAS, it is almost certain that the tales of Billy the Kid's deeds and misdeeds are exaggerated; and

WHEREAS, at the time of his death, Billy the Kid was hopeful of receiving a pardon from Governor Lew Wallace; and

WHEREAS, among the less-written-about aspects of Henry McCarty's life is the fact that he fathered several children in New Mexico and that his descendants and descendants of his friends still live in Santa Rosa, Fort Sumner and other areas of New Mexico;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to exercise his authority under Article 5, Section 6 of the constitution of New Mexico to pardon Henry McCarty, also known as William H. Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid, for any crimes he committed so that the New Mexico descendants of Billy the Kid may consider their ancestor cleared; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the governor.