Billy The Kid

William H. "Billy the Kid" Bonney (1859-1881) was born William Henry McCarty, Jr in 1859. Scholars believe he was born in Brooklyn, New York, though no records that definitely prove that he ever lived there have ever been uncovered.

In 2003, an official from St. Peter's Church stated that the church was in possession of baptismal records showing that William Henry McCarty (Billy the Kid's birth name) was baptized there on September 28, 1859. However, some historians have questioned the authenticity of these records, as there are discrepancies in the spelling of the surname and the birthdate.

Bonney’s mother was Catherine McCarty. She is believed to have immigrated to New York from Ireland during the time of the Great Famine. His father, Patrick, was a Civil War veteran, Bonney moved west with his family to Indiana and then New Mexico.

His father died of tuberculosis in 1865 when Billy was only 7 years old. Following his father's death, his mother remarried and moved the family to Wichita, Kansas. However, Catherine herself died of tuberculosis in 1874, when Billy was 14 years old. After his mother's death, Billy moved to Silver City, New Mexico, where he worked as a ranch hand and began his life of crime.

Bonney was 5'8" (173 cm) tall with blue eyes, a smooth complexion, and prominent front teeth. He was said to be friendly and personable at times.

Portrait of American gunman Billy the Kid (1859–1881). 

One of Billy the Kid's first known arrests was for stealing a basket of laundry from a Chinese laundry in Silver City, New Mexico on September 23, 1875. He was just 16 years old at the time. Billy was caught by a local lawman, who recognized him from a wanted poster, and he was jailed for the theft. This was just the beginning of Billy the Kid's criminal career. 

Billy the Kid's first confirmed murder took place in August 1877, when he was 17 or 18 years old. The victim was Frank "Windy" Cahill, a popular cowboy who had a reputation for bullying other men. Cahill and Billy the Kid got into an argument at a saloon in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and the altercation turned violent. Billy the Kid shot Cahill dead and then fled the scene, marking the beginning of his reputation as a ruthless gunfighter.

Billy the Kid first gained notoriety for his involvement in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico in the late 1870s, a conflict between rival groups over control of the region's cattle industry. During this time, he was arrested and imprisoned for a time, but he eventually escaped and went on to become one of the most wanted outlaws of the time.

Over the next few years, Billy the Kid was involved in numerous crimes, including murders, robberies, and cattle rustling. He was known for his quick temper and his skill with a gun, which earned him a fearsome reputation. Despite his outlaw status, he was also known for his charisma and charm, which made him popular with some people.

According to legend, the outlaw killed 21 people, one for each year of his life. But the New Mexico Tourism Department puts the total closer to nine.

He was sentenced to death for murdering a sheriff in Lincoln County, New Mexico and was being held in the county jail house awaiting his execution.

On April 28, 1881, Billy the Kid made a daring escape from the jailhouse, killing two deputies on guard in the process. He fled into the surrounding wilderness and managed to evade capture for several months, despite a massive manhunt by law enforcement officials.

In 1881, Governor Lew Wallace offered Billy the Kid clemency in exchange for his testimony in a murder case. Billy the Kid agreed to testify but was ultimately betrayed by the man who promised him amnesty, Sheriff Pat Garrett. On July 14, 1881, Garrett ambushed and shot Billy the Kid, who died at the age of 21.

A campaign led by Albuquerque attorney Randi McGinn in 2010 to give Billy a posthumous pardon failed after Governor Bill Richardson decided it was not warranted. The pardon was considered to be a follow-through on the purported promise made by Wallace in 1879 in return for evidence. But Governor Bill Richardson said that the notorious outlaw would not be forgiven.

A tintype purchased in 2010 for US$2.00 at a memorabilia shop in Fresno, California, appears to show Bonney and members of the Regulators playing croquet in New Mexico in 1878. In early October 2015, Kagin's, Inc., a numismatic authentication firm, determined the image to be authentic after a number of experts examined it for over a year.

Detail from a larger photo alleged to show Bonney (left) playing croquet

There have been many movies and television shows made about the life and legend of Billy the Kid, dating back to the early days of Hollywood. Some of the most famous films include:

The Outlaw (1943) - directed by Howard Hughes, this film starred Jane Russell and was infamous for its racy content.

The Left Handed Gun (1958) - directed by Arthur Penn and starring Paul Newman, this film took a more psychological approach to the story of Billy the Kid.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) - directed by Sam Peckinpah, this film starred James Coburn as Pat Garrett and Kris Kristofferson as Billy the Kid.

Young Guns (1988) and Young Guns II (1990) - these films were ensemble Westerns that featured an all-star cast, including Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid.