Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126023
- - - ." - "~tiia f '1' Had' a ,,- 'lily- h~ iie orrie'work ' l:ie f1\re~ makin g th e ride. There b efo re m e was a sma ll fenced encl osure and a mar ker erected by the Yucca Valley Sheriff's Rangers. The marker was engraved with the wo rds , "Willie Boy 1881 -1909, the West's last famous manhunt." Off to my left along the ridge was a na tural fortress of jumbled boulders, impregnable even to heavy artillery, le t alone the posse's sm all arms. Below me was the st re am bed, no w dry, while on the flats beyo nd st ood the lone pinon pine that the possemen paused beside just as Willie Boy opened up with a withering rue fro m his 30-30 rifle. The first sh ot dropped Indian scout J ohn Hyde's h orse, the second hit Deput y Reche in the left hip and downed him as Willie Boy killed two more o f the five h orses. 1 could picture the wh ole event in my mind from my position ato p the st o ne fort . 1 wal ked down beside the old pin o n p in e and stoo d at the spot where Char lie Reche lay injured all day , pl ay ing dead to avoid furthe r gunfire fro m Willie Boy . His partners had to wait u ntil later to catch his w ounde d p alomino to carry hi m back twen ty-five m iles for medical aid. They, in t he meantime, wer e ./ Consumers agree •••• I pouring gunfire in to t he rocky citadel across t he wash fr om t heir positions. ~ Dodging Willie Boy 's bullets In dian sco ut J o h n Hy de ran day an d night, falling an d breaking two ribs but continuing o n , until he reached help at 2600 E.Nutwood A vee I the main posse h eadquarters, Warren Well. That in itself was an extraordinary _,J feat of endurance! After n ightfall, as the law men were loading Reche on his horse, they heard the soun d of movement in the darkness from Willie Boy 's fort . Shortly, they heard a single sho t. Reche told his men, WHEEL SMITH "He 's dead. He sho t hi mself." Bu t they didn 't wait for da ylight to find out. OTORC",i:LES They packed Reche out to the main END OF THE YEAR SALE camp. 25 ';:, DISCO UNT o n access o ries A week later, on October 15th, p urc hased WIt h new or used ano t her posse came to the foot of Ruby mot or cy cles Mountain and discovered that Willie Boy had shot himself with his last New Bikes bullet. The posse covered his b ody (come in for sale prices) with brush and burned it right there. 250 Maico 5 Speed This is t he location marked by the sign . 400 Maico 5 Speed I wandered around the scene fo r a 450 Maico 4 Speed co uple of hour s. Just daydreamin g and 450 Maico 5 Speed comparing the terr ain with the detailed 250 V·75 Montesa in fo rmation in Harry Lawton 's book. It 250 ISDT Montesa was all there; a step bac k into history. Whe n I arrived back at my truck Used Bikes abou t sundown 1 wa s ti red and dusty , ' 75 V·75 Mont esa $895 but very p leased wi t h myself. I'd '74 VR Mo nt esa .$795 satisfied so me of my ur ge to relive '73 247 Cot a Montesa .$495 '74 247 Cota Montesa $695 h istory and I'd done it on m y favorite '74 247 Cota Montesa (used twice) $895 moun t, my faithful Yamab a. '74 250 Maico wlspares $895 So , if yo u take your bike out to the '74 250 Maico wlspares .$895 dese rt an d want to do so me thin g b esid es (Jeff Vidie's Irwindale Bike) ri din g ar o und in circle s on an improved '74 Maico 400 (gas Girtings) . , .$ 1195 riding course , get o ut your map , a co py (9" rear t ravell '74 250 Maico .$995 o f Law ton's b oo k an d h ave y o urself a '74 400 Maico .$895 "Manhunt" on a motorcy cle. • ,- - - *( Try it ;n your) 'trann;e' tooll I I I I I I' I I I lilt really works" HRL'NC. •!.'!!.'!,r.!.o.!!.s~ !~!!. i " To my left, along the ridge, a natural fort of jumbled boulders:' M 3641 W. McFadden Santa An a, CA 92704 714-839-D150 to our custo mers & friends Covina Cycle Center 825 S. Glendora Ave. West Cov ina, CA 91790 213-337-7135 WHITTIER HONDA Motorcycle Trailers Bell Helmets Full Bo re Products 14324 E. Whittier Blvd . 1 213 1698.()065 Comp lete stock of pa rts a nd acc esso ries for st reet an d d irt . 36 DSS~ The UFO societies hold conclave near Giant Rock. Rock Corral, where Willie Boy stole the cached supplies. leav ing the posse with canned beans t o eat.