05/01/2026
"Hello, Bob!"
Supposedly the last words heard by Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff Bob Olinger--just before Billy the Kid emptied two shotgun loads into him.
It was April 28, 1881. The Kid was being held in the Lincoln County Courthouse; he was sentenced to hang for the murder of lawman William Brady.
Somehow he got a gun and killed Deputy James Bell. Olinger, who was eating lunch across the street, heard the shot and came racing back to the courthouse. That was when Billy shot him--using Olinger's own shotgun.
It was a daring escape that made national headlines and really started the legend of Billy the Kid. Ultimately, it did him no good. He would be killed by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett three months later.
Artwork courtesy of the great Bob Boze Bell!
