A more likely explanation, however, was his slender physique, "which placed him in precarious situations with bigger and stronger boys".[24]. April 30, 2023. Sensing trouble, the Kid casually approached Grant and remarked, Thats a mighty nice looking six-shooter you got. He then slipped Grants gun out of its holster, spun its cylinder so that its next shot would be an empty chamber, and handed it back. As a child, Billy the Kid went under the name of Henry McCarty. As he approached, he saw Garretts two deputies on the porch and since he didn't recognizing the strangers, he backed cautiously into Maxwells room and asked Pete, who are those fellows outside? He got no answer and as he walked towards the bed, he saw Garretts silhouette and started to back away and asked in Spanish, Whose there? Garrett recognized the Kids voice and fired his gun. By 1871, Catherine was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was told to move to a climate that was warmer and drier. The Green Mile, Wild Bill has a tattoo of Billy the Kid in the 1999 film. Anything for Billy is a 1988 novel by Larry McMurty. [18], Faced with a husband who was frequently absent, McCarty's mother reportedly washed clothes, baked pies, and took in boarders in order to provide for her sons. Director: Oliver Drake | Stars: Anthony Dexter, Sonny Tufts, Marie Windsor, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers Votes: 147 15. [110], Like many gunfighters of the "Old West", Billy the Kid enjoyed a reputation built partly on exaggerated accounts of his exploits. Beginning with the 1911 silent film Billy the Kid, the gun-toting outlaws story has appeared on the big screen more than 50 times. He went by many names -- Henry McCarty, William Henry Bonney (William H. Bonney), Oliver P. Roberts (Ollie), and, most notably, Billy the Kid. Then they ambushed Sheriff Brady and his deputy George Hindman in Lincoln (5). [2] Meanwhile, McCarty scooped up Ollinger's[103] 10-gauge double barrel shotgun and waited at the upstairs window for Ollinger, who had been across the street with some other prisoners, to come to Bell's aid. [92], During this time, McCarty became acquainted with an ambitious local bartender and former buffalo hunter named Pat Garrett. Whatever happened, Bell staggered into the street and collapsed, mortally wounded. It happened when a posse from White Oaks surrounded the Kid and his gang at a station house, during the standoff the posse accidentally killed their own deputy, James Carlyle. Little is known about Billy the Kids early days, but he was most likely born Henry McCarty in the Irish slums of New York City sometime in late 1859. [37] During this period, McCarty was spotted by a resident of Silver City, and the teenager's involvement with the notorious gang was mentioned in a local newspaper. The Kid was known for his easygoing personality, but he wasnt afraid to draw his six-shooter when provoked. Once in control of the courthouse, the Kid collected a small arsenal of weapons, cut his leg shackles with a pickaxe and fled town on a stolen horse. Chisum, 1970 movie starring John Wayne as John Chisum, dealing with Billy the Kid's involvement in the Lincoln County War. Henry McCarty. So Tunstall gave him an ultimatum: if he testified against the other rustlers, Tunstall would hire him as an employee. Although he claimed to have killed 21 men, the actual number is likely less than 10. "I miss Billy The Kid/ The times that he had/ The life that he lived." Before he became a country star and hit songwriter, Billy Dean grew up in . He got into an argument with a bully named Frank Windy Cahill, who had picked on him numerous times before. [108] There are at least two versions of what happened next. He then met up with a horse thief name John Mackie who taught him the tricks of the trade and the two became partners. A Billy the Kid Mystery Solved IHS owns most of Billy the Kid's more famous letters - including one in our collections that was previously unidentified. "Ash" Upson, published a sensationalistic biography titled The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid. The Kid was the only one convicted and punished over the events of the war. Wallace simply lost interest and left the Kid to his fate. The 2003 Discovery Channel Quest, Billy the Kid: Unmasked, investigated the life and death of Billy the Kid through forensic science. One-Eyed Jacks (1961) is the only film directed by actor Marlon Brando, who also played its lead character, Rio. The Regulators revenge only made things worse. [72] The only casualty was Dutch Charley Kruling, a Dolan man wounded by a rifle slug fired by George Coe at a distance of 440 paces. The Kid left the war with a reputation as one of the Wests most skilled gunmen, but he remained wanted for the murder of Sheriff Brady. When the boy was placed in jail and escaped, he was not bad, just scared. The arrangement called for McCarty to submit to a token arrest and a short stay in jail until the conclusion of his courtroom testimony. [79] McCarty and the other Regulators fled, although McCarty is believed by some to have killed one "House" member named Bob Beckwith. The bullet pierced the Kid's heart and he fell to the floor. Footnote 5: The Regulators were particular bitter towards Bill Morton, because he led the posse that murdered Tunstall and was one of those that shot him. One day while at a saloon in Camp Grant, Arizona, the Kid who was about sixteen at the time, got into serious trouble. Despite the controversy, historical records show that the Kids body was positively identified by several different people the day after his shooting, leading most historians to conclude that Sheriff Garrett got the right man. Since the end of the Lincoln County War, the Kid spent the next two years eluding the law and living in and around Fort Sumner (a former military fort transformed into a tiny Mexican village). During a trip to the outhouse, the Kid slipped out of his handcuffs, ambushed a guard and shot the man to death with his own pistol. [74] Around the time of Segovia's death, the Regulator "iron clad" gained a new member, a young Texas "cowpoke" named Tom O'Folliard, who became McCarty's close friend and constant companion. Upon returning to Lincoln, the Regulators reported that Morton and Baker had been shot on March 9 near Agua Negra during an alleged escape attempt. After taking several days to consider Wallace's offer, McCarty agreed to testify in return for amnesty.[83]. Unlike other Old West outlaws such as Jesse James, Cole Younger or Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid didnt make his living as a bandit. It's estimated that he was born around 1860-61 possibly in New York. Billy the Kid tries to live in peace, under a new name and in a frontier town, but is approached by a preacher who asks for his help in freeing the town from a ruthless man and his gunman. One biographer, Joel Jacobsen, recounts the story as described in Utley, describing Grant as a "drunk" who was "making himself obnoxious in a bar". [51] Tunstall's men formed their own group called the Regulators. The Kid now had to earn his own keep, so he was put to work washing dishes and waiting on tables at a restaurant. All we know is that FOR SURE, according to Census, his mother married a man named Antrim. Dirty Little Billy,[124] Stan Dragoti's 1972 film starring Michael J. Pollard. Billy the Kid Returns, 1938: Roy Rogers plays a dual role, Billy the Kid and his dead-ringer lookalike who shows up after the Kid has been shot by Pat Garrett. [1] The song was written by Dean and Paul Nelson. When they tried to intimidate Tunstalls upstart operation, the Englishman enlisted the Kid and several other gunmen to protect his property. [108] In a second version, McCarty entered carrying a knife, evidently headed to a kitchen area. 1. [9] There is clear evidence that his Mother's name was Catherine McCarty, although "there have been continuing debates about whether McCarty was her maiden or married name". Before the local newspapers reported Pat Garrett shot and killed Billy the Kid in Pete Maxwell's bedroom on July 14, 1881, there were already rumors that Garrett killed the wrong man. In those days people loaded their revolvers with only five rounds, with the hammer down on an empty chamber. McCarty retrieved the gun, and turned it on Bell when the pair had reached the top of a flight of stairs in the courthouse. [91] At some point in the evening, Carlyle evidently decided the outlaws were stalling. Henry hid the loot in his boarding house, but was arrested after his landlord turned him in to the sheriff. On December 19, McCarty barely escaped a midnight ambush in Fort Sumner, which left one member of the gang, Tom O'Folliard, dead. Billy the Kid was quickly put on trial in Mesilla and was sentence to hang for the murder of Sheriff Brady. There, he was regarded as a champion of the oppressed. McCarty then fled town and embarked on a career as a roving ranch hand, gambler and gang member. John Tunstall was brutally murder by members of Sheriff Bradys posse and the Boys. Updates? Footnote 7: Bob Olinger was a bully and an old enemy of Billy the Kid. He noticed someone in the darkness, and uttered the words, "Quin es? [117], Frank Coe, who rode as a Regulator, recalled years after the Kid's death: "I never enjoyed better company. Now fighting for the Tunstall side and in the hopes of a better future, the Kid changed his name to William H. Bonney, but his friends called him Kid. Tensions were high and the feud between Dolan and Tunstall escalated in to bloody violence. )[114] Indeed, the notion of a left-handed Billy became so entrenched that, in 1958, a film biography of "the Kid" (starring Paul Newman) was titled The Left Handed Gun. [67] During the gun battle that ensued, Roberts shot and killed the Regulators' leader, Dick Brewer. Some of those who witnessed the incident later claimed that McCarty acted in self-defense. The Illegal Rebirth of Billy the Kid is a science fiction novel by Rebecca Ore, published in 1991. Raised by a single mother, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, as a boy before later migrating west to New Mexico in the early 1870s. He was scheduled for a date with the hangman, but on the evening of April 28, 1881, he engineered the most daring getaway of his criminal career. At that exact moment, the Kid with a knife in hand went to Maxwells house to get some fresh beef for a late steak dinner. Check out nine facts about the brief and bloody life of the legendary outlaw. The Kid didnt stick around to face murder charges and left Arizona and returned to New Mexico. Tunstall came to Lincoln to start his own business and ranch, but Dolan didnt like the competition and set out to drive him away. [112] A number of the Regulators faded away or secured amnesty, but McCarty was in no position to accomplish either. Some of the most famous actors to play the Kid include Roy Rogers, Paul Newman, Val Kilmer and Emilio Estevez. The Kid worked his hand free to his revolver and fired it into Cahills gut. [82] In an effort to restore peace to Lincoln County, Wallace proclaimed an amnesty for any man involved in the Lincoln County War who was not already under indictment. One version suggests that as the Kid entered, he failed to recognize Garrett in the poor light. I went in and was the first to discover that they had killed my little boy. It proved to be a wise move. One bullet struck the 21-year-old near his heart, killing him instantly. Even in death Billy the Kid is likeable and he has a large following with people all over the word. Billy "The Kid" Emerson performed all those linked genres over the course of a long career that . He also appeared in another period. [86] Grant, who did not realize he was playing poker with McCarty, boasted that he would kill "Billy the Kid" if he ever encountered him. And also because he never committed most of the crimes we associate with most Wild West bad guys: He never robbed a bank or a train or held up a stagecoach. Marty Robbins' song "Fastest Gun Around" from the 1963 album Return of the Gunfighter. When Grant fired, nothing happened, and McCarty then shot him. [78] After a five-day siege, McSween's house was set on fire by the sheriff's posse. [40] The Jones family developed a strong attachment to McCarty and gave him one of their horses. [108] Recognizing McCarty's voice, Garrett drew his own pistol and fired twice, the first bullet striking McCarty just above his heart, killing him. On the fifth day of the siege the Dolan side was getting impatient, so they set the house on fire. After a short stay in Kansas, his mother eventually settled in New Mexico, where Billy would earn his fame. The Regulators began to panic, so the cool-headed Billy the Kid, only about seventeen years old, took over leadership of the men. "In the time that the Kid roamed the land he chided Hispanic villagers who were fearful of standing up to the big ranchers who stole their land, water, and way of life".[106]. It's not known [26] According to some accounts, he eventually found work as an itinerant ranch hand and shepherd in southeastern Arizona. Son of Patrick Henry McCarty and Catherine Antrim Or Henry Antrim. These qualities, along with his cunning and celebrated skill with firearms, contributed to his paradoxical image, as both a notorious outlaw and beloved folk hero. He escaped jail on April 28, however, killing two deputies, and remained at large until tracked down and ambushed by Garrett, who shot him dead on the evening of July 14 at the ranch home of Pete Maxwell. Its estimated that he was born around 1860-61 possibly in New York. Quin es?" Blyth previously appeared in Benediction. The Kid heard about Governor Axtell being replaced by Lew Wallace, who was now trying to bring law and order to Lincoln. B illy The Kid was born in the slums of New York City in 1859. McCarty was buried the next day in Fort Sumner's old military cemetery, between his fallen companions Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. The tombstone has been stolen and recovered three times since it was set in place in the 1940s, and the entire gravesite is now enclosed within a steel cage. His real name and date of birth are disputed. December 1, 2015 Examined 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. [82] McCarty, who had fled to Texas after his escape from McSween's house, was under indictment, but sent Wallace a letter requesting immunity in return for testifying in front of the Grand Jury. This nineteen or twenty year old lived a short life but made a lasting impression. DC shooting Gold heist The Power of Water 'Rust' shooting Photo of Billy the Kid and His Killer Uncovered at Flea Market, Owner Says Frank Abrams is working with experts to verify if the photo he bought at a North Carolina flea market is really of Billy the Kid posing in a group with Pat Garrett. By the Fall of 1880, Billy was still trying to convince the governor of a pardon, although continuing his outlaw activities. By July of 1881, Garrett heard rumors that Billy the Kid was in the Fort Sumner area, so with two deputies he rode into Fort Sumner. [35], George Coe, a cousin to Frank who also served as a Regulator, stated: "Billy was a brave, resourceful and honest boy. Our family looks favorably on Billy, we have some stories of him from our Jaramillo cousins. [49] Tunstall's murder enraged McCarty and the other ranch hands. But after some close calls, arrest, and escaping from custody, the Kid decided it was wiser to give up his new occupation. Billy the Kid first earned his reputation as a gunslinger in 1878, when he participated in a bloody frontier war in Lincoln County, New Mexico. As the story goes, a drunk named Joe Grant was terrorizing the bars patrons and threatening to kill someone before the night was out. Billy the Kid's DEATH PHOTO displayed in a 1920s museum in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. His negotiations with Governor Lew Wallace (famed Civil War general and author of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ) for amnesty came to nothing. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Various accounts recorded by friends and acquaintances describe him as fun-loving and jolly, articulate in both his writing and his speech, and loyal to those for whom he cared. To date, no results of the DNA tests have been made public. For the next year-and-a-half, McCarty survived by rustling, gambling, and taking defensive action. [53] The wanted men, Bill Morton and Frank Baker, attempted to flee, but they were captured on March 6. [69] Copeland's authority, however, was undermined by the Murphy-Dolan faction, which promptly rounded up recruits from among Sheriff Brady's former deputies. Western outlaw Billy the Kid met his demise at about 12:30 a.m. on July 14, 1881, when he went to his friend Pete Maxwell's home in Fort Sumner, New Mexico in search of a slice . Deputy James Carlyle, member of the posse that tried to capture Billy the Kid, Dirty Dave Rudabaugh, and Billy Wilson. Footnote 1: There's a mystery with the last name of McCarty; it's speculated that it may be his father's name, mother's maiden name, or the last name of his half brother's father. [70] McNab was killed in a hail of gunfire, while Saunders was severely wounded and Frank Coe was captured. Despite lack of information on these three, here are short biographies on Catherine, Joseph, and William Antrim. [65] According to a contemporary newspaper account, the Regulators disclaimed "all connection or sympathy with McSween and his affairs" and expressed their sole desire to track down Tunstall's murderers. 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. He is arrested and jailed in Lincoln County for possessing horses belonging to cattleman John Tunstall. Young Guns II, Geoff Murphy's 1990 motion picture starring Emilio Estevez as Billy and William Petersen as Pat Garrett.