Sister Blandina and (Her Almost) Run-In with the Famous Billy the Kid

You may have heard the tale of Sister Blandina and her famous run-in with Billy the Kid.

The Billy in question was not actually the notorious Wm. H. Bonney, but a man named Wm. LeRoy (née, Arthur Pond).

Sister Blandina met LeRoy (believing he was Bonney), while LeRoy was hell bent on the hunt in Colorado for the doctors who refused to treat a friend and fellow outlaw for a gun shot wound while he lay dying. Instead, Sister Blandina nursed the outlaw back to health.

LeRoy swore to scalp the deliberately negligent doctors, but Sister Blandina talked him out of his intended, bloody deed, and LeRoy thanked the Sister for her kindness in helping his ailing comrade.

There are still many people who confuse this story, believing Blandina met with Wm. H Bonney., which of course is not so. Sister Blandina, herself, boasted (albeit humbly) of this encounter, as well. After all, Wm. H. Bonney had a treacherous reputation, though it preceded him somewhat falsely and unfairly. Who wouldn't want to believe they stayed the famous "beast"? But in all fairness to Sister Blandina, this is *exactly* what she did, even though it was the wrong Billy the Kid, so she still gets props!

One of the defining attributes of Bonney is his (Irish) temper, but a telltale sign that this was not the famous Kid is Billy Bonney was not an inherently violent individual, and would more than most likely not have made an attempt to exact vengeance in the way LeRoy had, making the trek to carry it out.

Billy Bonney was a gentleman by all accounts, and would not harm innocent citizens.

In fact, during the 5-Day-Battle at Lincoln, the Regs refused to hole up in Tunstall's store, despite the lead-lined doorway (which would have helped tremendously) for fear of having innocent bystanders hurt or killed; so they made their way to McSween's while some of the other Regulators took up strategic positions elsewhere (of course, the 5-Day-Battle is a Benny Hill sketch of its own 🙄).

Billy Bonney knew the dangers of a violent life and was more than prepared while living it, having lost more than a few friends to it. The most devastating to him was Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre, who were shot and killed within days of one another.

An interesting anecdote referring to the bleak awareness that proved Billy Bonney knew how the game was played goes as follows: 

When Bowdre was shot, falling back into the Adobe the small, tattered remaining Regulator's were hiding out in, Billy pushed him forward, telling Bowdre he was done for and killed, and that he should go back and get his revenge, taking out as many men as he could.

This was simply a reality for the Kid and his compadres. 

Wicked Scribbler (@banditaexpress) 

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Wicked Scribbler (@banditaexpress)
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