William J. Brady was a corrupt sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, and participated in the Lincoln County War. He was killed during the war in an ambush at the age of 48.
Early Life and Civil War
William J. Brady came from Ireland and eventually emigrated to the United States.
When he arrived in New York in 1851, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He had little idea about the growing tensions in the United States and volunteered in the Army to make ends meet. He was discharged at Fort Craig and then enrolled in the New Mexico Volunteers as a first lieutenant.
He fought in the Battle of Glorieta Pass and stayed with his men until it was incorporated into the First Regiment, New Mexico Cavalry. He was assigned as a recruiting officer after the Confederates were driven out of the state.
He saw much success against the Navajo and Apache tribes and garnered much praise from the Union Army out west. He was discharged in October 1866 as the Major.
In 1862, he married María Bonifacia Chávez, a widow from Corrales.
Move to Lincoln County
William Brady moved to Lincoln County, New Mexico, with his wife and family and settled on a ranch on the Rio Bonito. By 1869, Brady had developed a nice rapport with the citizens of Lincoln County and was elected as the first Sheriff on September 6, 1869. He took a brief break to serve as the first elected representative
He lost his seat in the next election and was re-elected as sheriff in 1876.
As sheriff, he was able to get the county to give him money for a proper jail cell. Up until then, there were many escapes, which caused a loss of confidence in many sheriffs, including William Brady.
Lincoln County War
When conflict broke out between the Murphy-Dolan Gang and John Tunstall and Alexander MCSween, Sheriff William Brady sided with Lawrence Murphy. Brady owed him money and tended to look the other way at his other illegal activities.
In 1877, William Brady was beaten up by unconfirmed men. His beating was blamed on John Tunstall, and in retaliation, the deputies killed Tunstall in cold blood, which would ignite the Lincoln County War.
On April 1, 1878, Regulators Jim French, Frank McNab, John Middleton, Fred Waite, Henry Newton Brown, and Billy the Kid. ambushed William Brady and four of his deputies.
Dick Brewer, the leader of the Regulators, did not agree with the assassination of Sheriff Brady but possibly fired shots.
William Brady was killed along with another deputy.
Once the shooting stopped, Billy the Kid and Jim French broke cover and dashed to Brady's corpse, either to get his arrest warrant for McSween or to retrieve Billy's rifle, which Brady had kept.
A surviving deputy, Billy Matthews, wounded both men with a rifle bullet that passed through each of their legs. They still managed to escape. Brady was first replaced by John Copeland as sheriff. Copeland refused to take sides in the conflict. Dolan used his influence to have him replaced by the corrupt George Peppin.
The killing of Sheriff William Brady was used to indict and convict Billy the Kid. The Kid was given the death sentence but famously escaped from the Lincoln County Jail.
A few years later, Sheriff Pat Garrett would track the Kid down and kill him.