Las Cruces Sun-News from Las Cruces, New Mexico • Page 21

I History Alive! Herman Weisner, "jackleg historian' COURT SCENE in trial of Pat Garret vs. Wayne Braze! i in picture taken in Organ in 1907 A Time Machine Named Weisner I've just met a man who took me back to Hilly the Kid's time. Me (old me stories that had my mouth gaping and my eyes Ixigging. He showed me pictures thai made me want toslarl my own museum, and photoslatic copies of documents that had me convinced I was watching Pal Garrett finger warrants for the Kid. Herman Weisner has an infectuo'js, almost overwhelming way of making history live.

Maybe it's because lie's learned so much of the history of IheSoulIm est from listening lo old timers in the area, or maybe it's because he has such an enthusiasm for the job. ISut tie started telling ine about finding Bob Olingcr's wallet lucked away in an envelope in a box of unsorted papers litre it had lain since Billy the Kid killed Olinger in the Lincoln THE TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO TM TM TM IK- Jiuhn.1 fl.mct 10 I I i i cr WARRANTS ISSUED for Billy the Kid e- 1 f'nunly Wars. I could feel the leather of that a I could see the bloodstains that still clung (o the wallet, and I unconsciously caught myself caressing an indentation in Hie table where we sat, an indentation a must have fell like the scars on the wallet where Billy's bullet grazed it on its way inlo Olingcr's body. Cosh, what a feeling! To be carried along on the sheer force of Wcisner's enthusiasm, his stories, his conglomeration of facts about a history that I am only just learning to appreciate. Weisner is one of those individuals who has, as he puts it.

a way of blending in with folks. He has been interested in history- all his life, but became enraptured with Southwest history when he moved to Organ 21 years ago. His first real touch with the slories of Billy the Kid and Pal Garreif'and A.J. fountain was a few months after he moved to Organ. Me set up housekeeping in a i house behind a store run by L.B.

Benllcy. one of the influential men of Dona Ana County's history. Weisner said he did not have a chance to talk to Benlley before the old man died. Shortly afterward. Benlley's daughter started going through her father's Ihings.

discarding what she considered to lie "trash." "Believe me, it wasn't trash." Weisner crowed. It was. in facl. Ihc start of Hie Benlley collection a he pul together and donated to the Rio Grande Historical Collection at Hie New- Mexico Stale University library. Since then, Weisner lias progressed to spending hours rummaging through old county records, tape recording old-timers am! searching through pictures, documents, old booksgivcn him by people he has talked to.

"I go in specifically looking for something but take everything I can get," Weisner said. Las (News i SECTION A I I 197(i I.AS CHUCKS. NEW MEXICO Text By Janet Pogue When he first moved here from "North for his son's his health, he worked at White Sands Missile Range. There he made acquaintance with Keilh Humphries, a historian who lias interviewed hundreds of old timers, including the sweetheart of BobOlingcr. Humphries, when he learned that was doing a story on Wcisner.

called to give me some glowing reports on a Weisner was doing for history. Thai's when 1 found out about Olinger's Humphries described il as "une of (he biggest linds in the a ol Hie history of Valley and the Southwest." Weisner was a Hole more modest, hut he did say he thought it was important. wallet included a diary Weisner found while lie was doing 'some research on the trial of Billy the Kid for the death of OlingiT. What he found made him "very said in what has to betiie understatement of thcycar. wallet was in an old envelope, fie asked the woman in charge of the papers i he won't say either where he was when lie made the discovery) if he could open it.

When he did. he found a a that had blood still clinging toil. Inside was i a Ironically, the diary contained one notation showing a debt of owed (he first a i a Bank of Santa Fe, due in GO days at one cent interest. The note was due JuK u. I am.

the da Pal Garret I killed Hilly the Kid. Although he has done a lot of research on Billy the Kid's era and acknouledges (hat he is fascinated with 1'at Garret! as a law num. Weisncr's interest extends to others. What his love of history boils down i a love of I he story that old-timers have lo (ell. He has hundreds of tape recordings in I Page Hll! L.B.

BENTLEYS in their store in Organ in undated photo pe recordings in ij J-J LIICH stun SepWKISXKK, 1'agpinn a photo VV.W. COX A i Ranch picture in collection ofWeisner's.