Sheriff Garrett and his posse embarked on a journey to Las Vegas with fugitives Billy the Kid, Dave Rudabaugh, Tom Pickett, and Billy Wilson. Unfortunately, behind them, lay a trail of blood, and the lifeless bodies of Charles Bowdre and Tom Folliard, two of Billy’s closest companions. The posse had worked tirelessly for days, bearing extreme cold temperatures to capture the gang. Deputy Charles Rudolph even suffered frostbite on his feet. Upon delivering the fugitives to the jail at Santa Fe, the posse expected their well-deserved reward promised by Governor Wallace, leaving them in a cheerful mood.
However, upon arriving at the Palace of Governors, the posse discovered that Governor Wallace had resigned, leaving acting Governor William Ritch in charge, who appeared to be apprehensive about releasing the reward. Possibly unsure of how to approach the resilient Sheriff, or unsure of his authority to release the reward, Governor Ritch was impeding their well-deserved compensation. In an admirable gesture, Las Vegas citizen Mr. M. Brunswick, got wind of the situation and raised the money for the brave posse’s reward.

On Thursday December 30, 1880 at Las Vegas, Pat Garrett and Frank Stewart were rewarded.
Alexander Grzelachowski, was seemingly proud to donate one hundred dollars. Grzelachowski was certain the Kid and his gang were behind his stock being stolen from his ranch at Puerto de Luna and wanted to show his gratitude to Garrett and his men.
Dr. Knauer of Las Vegas gave Garrett a hundred dollars in gold..
Las Vegas businesses and private citizens also supplied the blood money to Garrett’s party.
National Bank $100
M Brunswick $50
Charles Ilfeldt $50
Charles Blanchard $25
T. Romero and Son $25
Lorenzo Lopez $25
Otero, Sellar and Company $100
Brown and Manzares $100
O. L. Houghton $25
Hilty bros. $10
W.S. Moore $25
C. E. Wesche $10
Isador Stern $10
Jos. Rosenwald $10
San Miguel’s National Bank $50
Marwede, Ihlder & Company $10.
Hilario Romero $15
R. G. McDonald $10
Yetta Kohn $10
Margarita Romero $10.
Andres Dold $10
J. Graaf & Co. $5
F. E. Herbert & Company $5 
Theo Ruttenbeck $5

Including the gold brings the score to about $900. That is equivalent to about twenty-four thousand dollars in today’s money.
The Las Vegas optic reports…”Our only regret is only that the boys haven’t a cool $1,000 to take home with them for their expenses have been great. While risks they ran cannot be estimated in a momentary point of view.”

Pat Garrett’s “good deed” would soon dissolve as the prisoners later escaped, one by one.
Billy the Kid escaped the Lincoln County Jail, killing both Garrett’s deputies on April 28th 1881.
In June 1881 Dave Rudabaugh escaped the Las Vegas Jail with 5 other prisoners including JJ Webb by digging and crawling out of a 7×20 inch hole in the wall.
On September 9th 1882, Billy Wilson, Milton Yarberry, George Pease and another man overpowered the guard for the key to their shackles and from the rooftop made their escape out of the Santa Fe jail by dropping off the side of the building and wandering off into the darkness.

Sheriff Garrett and his party now had a burden on their shoulders.