Pondering A Controversial Death A Long Time Ago

July 18, 2025

  Three nights ago, way back in 1881, four men stood over the lifeless body of a slain outlaw. Only one of them would ever tell the truth about what actually happened that night.

Daily Reworked Whip Out:

"Four Men Ponder The Lifeless Body

of Billy the Kid"

   Sometimes I can get too beatific without even trying and this is one of those times.

   Meanwhile, the next morning, many miles south of there. . .

Daily Whip Out: "Andale Muchachos!"

   What is the essence of good storytelling? Withholding information.

   What were you doing on March 21, 1981? I was apparently at the Mill Avenue Street Fair in Tempe, selling and signing copies of my four comic books, featuring Honkytonk Sue. How do I know this? Because a collector, Preston Godfrey from Westfield, Massachusetts just sent me these photo copies of the comics I signed for him.

   He wants a written confirmation that  the signature is mine. It appears that Sue herself also signed, which he claims was my wife Kathy, which makes perfect sense.

   And, speaking of Chuck Wagon & The Wheels (see the Smirkey's bar sign at top left), I recently heard from Chuck Maultsby, the legendary lead singer of the notorious Country Rock band from Tucson and he wants to sell the original artwork I did for their album "Red Hot Women and Ice Cold Beer"

   Let me know if you want it and I'll put in a good word for you. Oh, and it's a big sucker. Here is Chuck posing with the original framed art and a framed album cover for relative size"

Chuck With Original BBB Album Cover Art

   And, finally, who was the one guy who told the truth about how the Kid really died? That would be Kip McKinney (third from the left in the first Whip Out) who confided to a mining partner named Frederick William Gray that Garrett knew the Kid would visit his "Mexican sweetheart" and that the lawmen arrived at the Maxwell house before Billy and "tied and gagged" the girl." Garrett hid behind the sofa and when Billy showed, Pat shot him down. The Kid's worst fear had come true. . .

"I'm not afraid to die like a man fighting, but I would not like to be killed like a dog, unarmed."

—Billy the Kid