Billy the Kid, byname of William H. Bonney, Jr., original name Henry McCarty?, (born November 23, 1859?, New York, New York, U.S.died July 14, 1881, Fort Sumner, New Mexico), American outlaw who was one of the most notorious gunfighters of the American West. That same year, a man named Randy Guijarro bought an old photo for $2 at a shop in Fresno, California. Billy then drew fast and shot Grant in the head before making his escape. Did Billy the Kid Cheat Death and Live on as 'Brushy Bill'? A handwriting expert in Texas compared a signature from Garrett on the photo with ten documents with his known handwriting. Quien es? (Whos that? Hewas elected to the office of sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico, winning ahead ofincumbent Sheriff George Kimball. Garrett succeeded in capturing Billy the Kid and a few other outlaws at Stinking Springs on December 23, 1880. When she succumbed and died in late 1874, Antrim was a couple of days ride away. Corrections? Rumor has it that the Kid has taken a shine to Maxwells sister Paulita, though its likely shes not the only local girl to have caught his eye. Pat Garrett - Wikipedia He joined the wrong groups and wound up running from the law. But before that could happen, Billy snuck out of jail yet again and stole another horse which he rode hard for New Mexico Territory where he was still wanted for robbery. Once again, Billy the Kid was now on the run. Another hypothesis is that Billy the Kid was in fact Ollie L. (Brushy Bill) Roberts, who escaped, lived in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, rode in Wild West shows, and died in 1950 in Hico, Texas. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Sheriff Pat Garretts grandson, J.P. Garrett, argues that Richardson should have assigned an impartial historian to aid in the case, and believes that McGinns involvement may be a conflict of interest. Several said the tintype was likely taken between 1879 and 1880, which coincides with the August 2, 1880, date someone had written on the photo,Abrams said. Stealing his gun, Billy shot him dead and hobbled in chains to the wardens office where he grabbed a shotgun and perched in the window. Alternate titles: Brushy Bill, Henry McCarty, William H. Bonney, Jr. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Experts believe a picture that shows the New Mexico outlaw with Garrett would be worth much more. Pat Garrett: The Truth About The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid Brushy Bill Roberts, who died in 1950, claimed that he was the Kid. The case dates back to 1881so why the New Years Eve deadline you may ask? Garretts friend George Curry was now the Territorial Governor of New Mexico and promised to appoint him as superintendent of the territorial prison at Santa Fe. There are different accounts regarding the tip-off that brought the lawmen to Fort Sumner, the encounter at the orchard, and the moments before and after the shooting. He headed west with his family as a youth and had his first brush with the law in 1875 when he was arrested for stealing clothes from a Chinese laundry in Silver City, New Mexico. The report said: We, the jury, find that Billy the Kid (met) his death by a bullet which was fired from a gun in the hands of Pat F. Garrett. Garrett apparently lost the verdict by the next morning. Carl Adamson took Garrett to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and was soon joined by Brazel on horseback. He was celebrated for his gun skills and, according to popular legend killed 21 men - one for each year of his short life. In November 1950, Morrison filed a petition on behalf of Brushy Bill. During his downtime, he liked visiting the saloon, drinking, playing cards, and other healthy diversions for a 16-year-old boy. Abrams, who lives in Arden, told Albuquerque's KRQE-TV that he spent the next several months consulting various forensic experts. During a card game, Billy the Kid accused another player of cheating. In 1931, locals raised money to give him a proper headstone. WebBut he never did like to talk about it all that much. Wallace reneged on his promise., Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. He was reportedly killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, who later burnished the legend of the Wild West outlaw. They lived in a slum on Manhattans east side and his father, Patrick, died soon after his first son was born. When Notorious Outlaw Billy the Kid Briefly Joined a U.S. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. But then I might. Billy the Kid convicted of murder He and an accomplice named John Mackie began swiping horses from a nearby Army fort and then selling them. Thats him! Simultaneously the Kid must have seen, or felt, the presence of a third person at the head of the bed. And this was before McDonald's. Did Pat Garrett kill Billy the Kid as per the official tale? His age, appearance, and size won him his 'Kid' moniker. Billy The Kid Overall, there are a huge number of unanswered questions. He soon, however, hailed his friend, who was sleeping in the room, told him to get up and make some coffee, adding: Give me a butcher knife and I will go over to Petes and get some beef; Im hungry. The Mexican arose, handed him the knife, and the Kid, hatless and in his stocking-feet, started to Maxwells, which was but a few steps distant. After his release, Billy the Kid joined up with a posse called the Lincoln County Regulators in order to avenge Tunstalls death. Garrett had recently caught the Kid, who was sentenced to hanging for killing Pat Garrett Billy the Kid didnt make it all the way to New Mexico. Billy the Kid then stayed off the radar until January 1880, when he was drinking in a bar near Santa Fe. Antrim tolerated this briefly but the two eventually had a falling out and McCarty left for good, making sure to steal a gun and some clothes on his way out. McGinn also says that Wallace assured Kid that he had the authority to exempt him from prosecution should he cooperate and share his knowledge, but that Wallace never held up his end of the deal. I might not pardon him. Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan ride tall in Vincent DOnofrios fresh take on the saga of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. To Poes great surprise, he recognized in the camper an old friend and former partner, in Texas, named Jacobs. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero in Las Cruces, shouting, Lock me up. He is thought to have been 17 when he killed his first man in 1877 - although some historians say he could have been as young as 15 as the true year of his birth is not known. At first, nobody knew which side they were there to take, but when they fell in with Bradys men and set the saloon on fire, Billy the Kid and just a few other Regulators were able to flee. Though quick with a joke, he did not hesitate before pulling the trigger. Now these are strange things for someone that is a fraud to focus on. Second Confirmed Photo of Billy the Kid Soon a man arose from the ground, in full view, but too far away to recognize. Before he reached the bed, I whispered: Who is it, Pete? but received no reply for a moment. Garrett and his men had received information that the outlaws were coming and set up an ambush. Garrett decided to seek out Peter Maxwell, an old friend who lived in the area, in the hope that he could receive some details about the fugitives whereabouts. How exactly the tension mounted between Billy and Grant remains unclear (some say Billy pegged Grant for a bounty hunter come to kill him; some say Grant was a loudmouth drunk looking for a fight). Pat Garrett, the The other account is that it was McCarty who entered the home, holding his knife, when he noticed a dark figure in the house, and again asked 'Who Is it?' Billy The Kid There were at least 26 newspaper articles written that claimed Billy was still alive after July 14, 1881. Billy lights out for old Fort Sumner on the Pecos River, some 150 miles northeast of Lincoln. For starters, Billy the Kids name wasnt Billy and he wasnt born in the western United States. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Born in Alabama and reared in Louisiana, Garrett left home at about the age of 17 and headed for Texas and the life of a cowboy and buffalo hunter. The official version is that Garrett was shot and killed by Wayne Brazel, a cowboy involved in a leasing dispute with Garrett. Brazel said he shot Garrett in self-defense. He was tried and acquitted in a trial in which the only other known person at the scene of the shooting did not testify and the jury returned a verdict in 15 minutes. Garrett and his lawman tracked down McCarty to modern day Taiban, New Mexico, where the group surrendered in December 1880. Billy the Kid (left) and Brushy Bill Roberts (right). Soldier in range wars, cattle rustler, horse thief, but also universally described as charming, funny, a good singer and good dancer, at least bilingual, and an avid reader. See. Pat Garrett | American lawman | Britannica One of the residents of Fort Sumner, Paco Anaya, wrote that after the shooting, Garrett handed a piece of paper to Alejandro Segura, the Justice of the Peace. 'To me, it's one of the most intriguing and historically significant of those tintypes of the Old West. Garrett claims that he stayed in Maxwells house with his men for the entire night. I walked to the head of the bed and sat down on it, beside him, near the pillow. However, Abrams isn't interested in finding out anytime soon. I've always been somebody who's interested in history and background.'. Henry got the better of Cahill and shot him, inflicting a wound that would kill him the next day. Garrett invited Tom Powers to go along and introduced Powers to the President as a prominent Texas cattleman; they sat for photographs with Roosevelt. In 2008, for instance, Bonham sold Billy's gun for $64,350. Garrett learned that The Kid had been in and out of Sumner, New Mexico, and was staying there with Pete Maxwell. John Miller, an Arizona man, also claimed he was the outlaw. Pats son Dudley arranged with Jesse Brazel for a five-year lease of the Garretts Bear Canyon Ranch. Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid, the whole story, thats part of who we are now, Eidson says. Billy the Kid was a late 19th-century thief and gunfighter. Lew Wallaces descendant William Wallace argues that pardoning Billy the Kid would, declare Lew Wallace to have been a dishonorable liar. In 1882, Garrett and his ghost writer, Marshall Upson, published The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. For those of you scratching your heads wondering who Billy the Kid is; he is the western outlaw also known as William Bonney. This man was Billy; he was lounging around the orchard at the same time the lawmen entered. At about age 21, Billy the Kid was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett. In 1881, he was apprehended by Sheriff Pat Garrett and sentenced to death by hanging for murder. Noticing it only had three rounds loaded, he subtly rotated the drum to an empty cylinder and handed it back. He was buried in the old military cemetery at Fort Sumner next to two of his gang members. He had already written down the jurys verdict and asked Segura, Anaya and the rest of the jury to sign it. However, Poe and several other people say they moved the body quickly, dressed it and prepared it for a wake. Some of those in favor of Kids pardon have filed a petition, including defense attorney Randi McGinn who has offered to handle the case for free. The next scene with Jason Robards, James Coburn is sporting a nice moustache. Instead, he briefly moved to Texas to serve asa Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers before returning to his ranch in New Mexico. These absences got longer and more common as McCartys mother got sick with tuberculosis and became more dependent on the men in her family to look after her. The victim, Patrick Floyd Jarvis Pat Garrett, was the former sheriff of Lincoln County best known for having killed outlaw Billy the Kid on July 14, 1881. Garrett served as sheriff of Doa Ana County from 1896 to 1900. He was murdered at about 10:30 on the morning of Feb. 29, 1908, some 5 miles east of Las Cruces.