Jessie Evans, Lincoln County badman (The Early West)

Creative Pub. Co, 1983. Leather. Like New. 9x6x1. Signed by Author. Creative PublishingCompany, College Station, 1983. 1 st edition, #18 of 25 leatherbound copies, numbered, limited, signed by bothauthors. Introduction by Irving Metzman, 240 pp, Authors’ Preface, Acknowledgements, illustrated with photos, sketches, maps, facsimiles of documents, appendices, bibliography, index, brief bios & photos of authors. Little isknown about Jessie Evans’ early life, but when he drifted into New Mexico Territory in 1872, he entered the pages of outlaw history. He learned the rustler trade under John Chisum, and became a close friend of Billy Antrim(Bonney), better known as Billy the Kid. As outlaws, the pair did well. Wherever they wandered, cattle and horsesdisappeared, and dead men littered their trail. When the notorious Lincoln County War erupted in 1878, Jessie andBilly somehow wound up on opposite sides. It is likely that it was Jessie who murdered John Henry Tunstall,generally regarded as the opening shot in the War. After the War had run its course, Jessie drifted back to Texas,continuing to rustle. This led to a shoot-out with Texas Rangers, and Jessie was captured and sent to the TexasPenitentiary. In less than 17 months, Jessie escaped from prison, and disappeared. This is the only complete accountever published of his career.