July 8 - July 14: The Roswell Army Air Field publicly announces it has captured a flying disk - An Austrian psychiatrist uses his ability to read peoples brain waves to help solve a murder - and Billy the Kid is killed in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, while on the run from the law.
July 8, 1947
Headlines from the time. In July 1947, a strange airborne object crashed on a ranch just outside of Roswell, New Mexico. The following day the Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release announcing that they had recovered a flying disk. However, within a matter of hours Commander General Roger Ramsay recanted on the original announcement, and instead stated that what they had recovered was a weather balloon.
A press conference was held, and what was stated to be the wreckage was presented to reinforce the General’s statement.
Other strange objects were reported in the skies over New Mexico, and other reports of strange encounters were published, but soon enough the incident was forgotten.
A press conference was held, and what was stated to be the wreckage was presented to reinforce the General’s statement.
Other strange objects were reported in the skies over New Mexico, and other reports of strange encounters were published, but soon enough the incident was forgotten.
Major Jesse Marcel from the Roswell Army Air Field with debris. Then, in 1978, Stanton Friedman, a ufologist, interviewed a man who was involved in the Roswell debris recovery. Major Jesse Marcel told how it was an aircraft not from our planet, and that the military had covered up the whole event and invented the story of the weather balloon.
The interview spread through the ufologist community, but after the National Enquire conducted its own interview with Marcel, the Roswell incident was once again in the global spotlight. Many people came forward, witnesses who claimed that not only had a disk been retrieved but so had alien bodies.
The Roswell disk was far from being the only retrieved wreckage, and not all aliens found were dead...
An official internal investigation was carried out on these claims. The reports found that the material found at Roswell in 1947 was military in origin.
What do you believe?
The interview spread through the ufologist community, but after the National Enquire conducted its own interview with Marcel, the Roswell incident was once again in the global spotlight. Many people came forward, witnesses who claimed that not only had a disk been retrieved but so had alien bodies.
The Roswell disk was far from being the only retrieved wreckage, and not all aliens found were dead...
An official internal investigation was carried out on these claims. The reports found that the material found at Roswell in 1947 was military in origin.
What do you believe?
July 8, 1928
Vernon Elwood Boohers. A phone call is made to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police telling that a family in Mannville, Alberta, Canada, had all been killed on their secluded farm. When Constable Fred Olsen arrived at the scene, it was quickly determined that half the family was away, and that it was the mother and her eldest son who had been killed, along with two hired hands.
The mother, Rose Booher, did not even see her death coming – she had been shot in the back of the head at close range while de-stemming some strawberries at the dining room table. In the kitchen was Fred Booher, lying dead on the floor with three shots to the face. The barn turned up the two hired hands who had also been killed by a rifle.
It was soon determined by the detectives that were assigned to the case that it was not a robbery, and that the killer must have been well known by the Booher’s due to the nature of the mother’s death in such a casual setting. The weapon was determined to be a Lee Enfield Rifle, and it turned out that one such weapon had been stolen from a neighbouring farm that day.
Someone who knew both the Booher’s and the neighbours well was likely the culprit. Vernon Booher, another of the Booher’s sons who seemed completely unmoved by the crime was soon the prime suspect.
Vernon refused to talk, refused to make any statement at all – even after hours of interrogation. No weapon had been found, so detectives were at a loss for what to do next. Soon a psychiatrist was called in, but not just a regular one.
Maximillian Langsner had studied psychology under Sigmund Freud, and then travelled to India to study control of the mind. He was, at the time, in Vancouver demonstrating his ability to read the mind – a concept he believed could be explained by one mind being trained to pick up on subtle brainwaves put out by another.
Langsner met Vernon Booher, sat in silence looking at him a while, then stated that the boy was guilty - had admitted it. After another five hour stint of watching the boy, he then knew the exact location of the murder weapon, drew officer’s a map of where to find it, and then went on his way.
The murder weapon was located under some bushes as indicated on the map. Vernon Booher then confessed to the killings, stating that he was angry that his mother did not approve of his girlfriend, she was the only one meant to die, but he had to kill the other’s as they could identify him.
At the first trial the evidence was thrown out as it was argued that Langsner could have hypnotised Booher. A second trial found Vernon Elwood Booher to be guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Booher was hanged at Provincial Gaol on April 24, 1929.
The mother, Rose Booher, did not even see her death coming – she had been shot in the back of the head at close range while de-stemming some strawberries at the dining room table. In the kitchen was Fred Booher, lying dead on the floor with three shots to the face. The barn turned up the two hired hands who had also been killed by a rifle.
It was soon determined by the detectives that were assigned to the case that it was not a robbery, and that the killer must have been well known by the Booher’s due to the nature of the mother’s death in such a casual setting. The weapon was determined to be a Lee Enfield Rifle, and it turned out that one such weapon had been stolen from a neighbouring farm that day.
Someone who knew both the Booher’s and the neighbours well was likely the culprit. Vernon Booher, another of the Booher’s sons who seemed completely unmoved by the crime was soon the prime suspect.
Vernon refused to talk, refused to make any statement at all – even after hours of interrogation. No weapon had been found, so detectives were at a loss for what to do next. Soon a psychiatrist was called in, but not just a regular one.
Maximillian Langsner had studied psychology under Sigmund Freud, and then travelled to India to study control of the mind. He was, at the time, in Vancouver demonstrating his ability to read the mind – a concept he believed could be explained by one mind being trained to pick up on subtle brainwaves put out by another.
Langsner met Vernon Booher, sat in silence looking at him a while, then stated that the boy was guilty - had admitted it. After another five hour stint of watching the boy, he then knew the exact location of the murder weapon, drew officer’s a map of where to find it, and then went on his way.
The murder weapon was located under some bushes as indicated on the map. Vernon Booher then confessed to the killings, stating that he was angry that his mother did not approve of his girlfriend, she was the only one meant to die, but he had to kill the other’s as they could identify him.
At the first trial the evidence was thrown out as it was argued that Langsner could have hypnotised Booher. A second trial found Vernon Elwood Booher to be guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Booher was hanged at Provincial Gaol on April 24, 1929.
July 14, 1881
William Henry McCarty Jr aka Billy the Kid. William Henry McCarty Jr, was a likable young man who was taken in to live with a neighbouring family after his mother died of Tuberculosis when he was just 14 years old. He worked in his new family’s hotel until he moved into a boarding house when his new family started to fall apart.
Soon after he was arrested for stealing cheese, then again for possession of stolen goods – this time he was put in jail, from which he soon escaped making him a fugitive. He changed his name to William Bonney and by 1877 was working on a ranch as a cattle guard.
After a series of bloody scuffles, feuds and murders William Bonney, now known as Billy the Kid (though we will continue referring to him as William McCarty) had a pretty price on his head. Once again after a few more gunfights, ambushes, being ambushed and all manner of gunslinging activities McCarty and his gang of outlaws found themselves outnumbered and surrounded in an abandoned stone building at Stinking Springs.
Pat Garrett, the newly appointed Sherriff of Lincoln County and his posse were busy cooking their breakfast while keeping an eye on the building, when Billy's gang of outlaws gave up, hungry and came out to join the meal.
Soon after he was arrested for stealing cheese, then again for possession of stolen goods – this time he was put in jail, from which he soon escaped making him a fugitive. He changed his name to William Bonney and by 1877 was working on a ranch as a cattle guard.
After a series of bloody scuffles, feuds and murders William Bonney, now known as Billy the Kid (though we will continue referring to him as William McCarty) had a pretty price on his head. Once again after a few more gunfights, ambushes, being ambushed and all manner of gunslinging activities McCarty and his gang of outlaws found themselves outnumbered and surrounded in an abandoned stone building at Stinking Springs.
Pat Garrett, the newly appointed Sherriff of Lincoln County and his posse were busy cooking their breakfast while keeping an eye on the building, when Billy's gang of outlaws gave up, hungry and came out to join the meal.
Restoration of the above photograph. In April 1881 McCarty was tried and found guilty of the murder of Sherriff Brady (who he had previously killed) and sentenced to hang. While under guard at the top floor of the courthouse, McCarty killed both of his guards in a daring escape, that saw him fleeing the town on a stolen horse, singing his way into the night.
Pat Garrett soon heard rumours that McCarty was in the vicinity of Fort Sumner, New Mexico and he, along with two deputies, tracked him down to rearrest him. This is where the story takes many different directions:
A) Garrett was chatting with one of McCarty’s known friends at his home when McCarty walked into the house. When seeing, but not recognising Garrett in the darkened room, he asked who is there, drew his pistol, but was then shot in the chest by Garrett.
B ) Same situation, however McCarty enters the house holding a knife, asks who is there, before being shot dead, once again by Garrett.
C) Garrett sets a trap for McCarty, tying his friend’s sister to a bed, gagging her before awaiting in ambush. When McCarty arrives on the scene he is quickly shot dead.
D) Garrett (who had once been a friend of McCarty's) staged the killing of the fugitive, allowing him to escape.
Either way July 14, 1881 is when the story and legend of Billy the Kid ends at the age of 21.
Pat Garrett soon heard rumours that McCarty was in the vicinity of Fort Sumner, New Mexico and he, along with two deputies, tracked him down to rearrest him. This is where the story takes many different directions:
A) Garrett was chatting with one of McCarty’s known friends at his home when McCarty walked into the house. When seeing, but not recognising Garrett in the darkened room, he asked who is there, drew his pistol, but was then shot in the chest by Garrett.
B ) Same situation, however McCarty enters the house holding a knife, asks who is there, before being shot dead, once again by Garrett.
C) Garrett sets a trap for McCarty, tying his friend’s sister to a bed, gagging her before awaiting in ambush. When McCarty arrives on the scene he is quickly shot dead.
D) Garrett (who had once been a friend of McCarty's) staged the killing of the fugitive, allowing him to escape.
Either way July 14, 1881 is when the story and legend of Billy the Kid ends at the age of 21.
Ashley Hall 2013
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