Bloody Bill Longley: The Mythology of a Gunfighter, Second Edition

Chapter 12 I Will Not Be Captured

136 Bill Long­ ley’s whereabouts after he left Bell County are unknown, but the best evidence indicates that he returned to his old haunts in what was now Lee County, around Evergreen. Not aware that his brother was in custody and hearing numerous rumors in the neighborhood about his own well-being, Long­ ley wrote a remarkable letter to Jim Brown, likely in September or October of 1875, although it could have been later: Devils Pass Hell’s Half Acre Septober the 41st 7777 Kind friend. This lieves me stil floating through the gentle breeses of misrie and feel just as happy as a big sun flour that boes and bends in the breeses. Well Jim I understand that I have threaten your life and if I done it it must have bin when I was a-sleeping. For I know nothing about it myself. I killed the only one in that country that I had any thing against at that time. now I Will Not Be Captured Chapter 12 I Will Not Be Captured 137 Jim Brow[n] if I ever kill any man in that country it will be eather for killing some of my kinfolks or els it wil be in resisting being captured for if the court knowes its self I will not be captured in that country alive tho I wil come there just when I pleas. I wrode by your house the first Monday night in August 1875. I stoped near the old yard fence and stood for an hour and my mind run back over my whole life and I thought of my childhood and the hapy hours that I had passed in the old cabin home. Oh what dreadful thoughts pierced my hearts intermost core for a little while but I cursed my weekminded soul and treated myself to a drink of good old brandy and wrode on with a bold heart. It hurt me very bad when I heard that Johnson McKeown had bin hunting me with the intention of betraying me and geting me in to a snair to be killed for I loved him like a brother. Oh the hapy hours that I have passed with Johnson but now they are oer. Two nights before I passed your house I was at home and my own Dear Father told me never to put my foot in his house again. and Brother Jim quit me and said I was too bad for him and my kinfolks is all so D___D cowardly. they don’t want me to come about them so I stil alone tread the living land destitute of friends but G___d the world and every son of a bitch that don’t like me for I am a wolf and it is my night to howl. I expect to get killed sometime but you may bet your sweet life that I will keep the flys off of the son of a bitch that does it while he is at it. Jim I have got nothing against you and do not blame you for hunting me if you thought I had threatened you but now—if you will all let me alone I wil not bother none of you nor your property. I understand that some fellow in that country intends to get in with me and help me do mischief a while and then kill or capture me but you can tell the son of a bitch that I play a lone hand or I would like very much to fall in with him. Tell old Anderson he will find me some where between the Rio grand 138  Chapter 12 and the Rockey mountains and if he ever hires any one to kill uncle Cale—he might find me some where near his yard fence some dark night. You all know that Wils Anderson did kill little Cale and why in the hell does outsiders want to take a hand in it, for why not just say it is dog eat dog and all of you go on about your business and let the biggest dog eat the most dog if he can and I will bet old Bill wil get his shir of dog. Brother Jim did not have any thing to do with Killing Wils Anderson—he did not know that I was going to do it until it was done and if...