At Lincoln Charlie Ballard knew William Bonney, known as Billy the Kid, who was making history as both an admired and feared-outlaw leader of the feudal battles of what was called the Lincoln County War.

Mr. Ballard remembers "The Kid" as not being an outlaw in manners. He speaks of the youthful desperado, as being "quiet, but always active and doing something interesting. He was a leader in sports and games. That is the reason for his having had more friends than enemies in those turbulent days." This was the secret of the popularity of the outlaw, who was loved, as well as feared, by many.

"He was small for a youth of his age," said Mr. Ballard. "About nineteen he was then. He weighed only about a hundred and twenty-five or thirty pounds, and was quick and active as a cat. He was a very fine rider. We often rode and raced our ponies together. He was credited with more killings than he ever did. However there are plenty that could be justly counted against him. I am one of the many who appreciated his good qualities in spite of his career as a two-gunman and killer."