Historians have speculated endlessly, and entertainingly, about the life and disputed death of William H. Bonney, aka William Antrim, aka Henry McCarty, aka Billy the Kid.
Some believe he succumbed in Old Fort Sumner, N.M., in 1881 when allegedly fired upon by Sheriff Pat Garrett in a dark room.
Some believe he lived well into the 20th century under the name Brushy Bill Roberts in Hamilton in Central Texas. Brushy Bill, according to Brushy Bill, was born in 1859. According to his death certificate, he dropped dead of natural causes in 1950 at the age of 91.
We have no conclusive evidence that The Kid was killed by Garrett. We weren’t there. We have no conclusive evidence that Brushy Bill Roberts was The Kid. For all we know, he may have been Bing Crosby or Bob Hope.
What puzzles us is the historical neglect of another fascinating character in this mix who could have solved the entire mystery.
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