Truth oor Legend? Billy the Kid

Truth or Legend? Billy the Kid

Suzanne Marsh

July 14th, 1881

“Quien es?” A shot rang out, and a body fell to the floor, making a loud thump. Sheriff Pat Garrett was sure the bullet hit Billy. The bullet hit Billy Barlow, who was roughly the same height and weight as Billy Bonny, also known as Billy the Kid. Billy quickly jumped out of the open window; Garrett told everyone concerned that Billy was dead, but he neglected to state it was Billy Barlow or Billy Bonny.

Billy ran toward the barn; his large bay mare whinnied as he jumped on her back. He rode toward Texas just as he had promised Garrett he would. Billy knew that the Texas-Mexico border would serve his purpose, at least for the interim. Billy rode into El Paso and crossed the border into Juarez, Mexico. He rode toward a cantina, and the dark-eyed senorita smiled at the gringo. Billy thought Juarez was as good a hiding place as any. The cantina had decent food and a warm bed, which pleased Billy.

Several months after his “death,” Billy sent a short note to Pat Garrett; written in Spanish, it read:

Patrico, Gracias mi amigo. Billy did not sign it; he knew Pat Garrett would understand it. He also hoped that Garrett, who did not speak much Spanish, would find Paulita Maxwell; at least she would not mourn him for the rest of her life. He thought of Paulita, now and again. His heart ached; he had been in love with her, planned to marry her. He also knew that the life he led was not for a woman, so he planned to remain single.

Two years later, Billy had built an adobe home on the outskirts of Juarez, and things were going well for him. He also purchased a small farm, and he made sure no one knew his true identity. Time passed, and Billy was pleased with his accomplishments. He had not broken any laws since his escape with the help of Pat Garrett. Billy thought of Garrett now and again; he was his only friend. Garrett managed to keep tabs on Billy through a Captain in the Mexican Army. The captain owed Garrett a favor; once a month, the captain sent Garrett a report. Garrett knew he was right about Billy, that he was a good man, but needed to be away from his gang.

Billy was thankful that he had gotten a second chance and not a bullet in the back. He had escaped death thanks to Garrett.

February 29th, 1908

Billy strode along the boardwalk, bought a newspaper. He gasped, then tripped. This headline could not possibly be correct. He went home, sat down in a chair on the veranda then read the story:

“Sheriff Pat Garrett died with his boots on.”

One week ago today, Sheriff Pat Garrett was found murdered in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His body was found along a road. The man on trial for his murder, Wayne Brazel. Brazel surrendered to Deputy Sheriff Felipe Lucero. Brazel claimed it was self-defense. Sheriff Pat Garrett was married twice; his first wife, the former Juanita Martinez, passed on to greater glory two weeks after their wedding. He then married Apolinaria Gutierrez, with whom he had eight children:

Ida, Dudley, Elizabeth, Annie, Patrick, Pauline, Oscar, and Jarvis. The sheriff was fifty-seven. He was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Billy, reread the article. There was no possible way he could return to New Mexico, so he sent a card to Apolinaria written in Spanish:

Apolinaria, siento mucho lo de Pat, el era mi amigo.

Billy cried for the first time in his life. Pat had been his friend; together they planned his escape. Pat was dead; there was nothing he could do. He strode to the cantina, bought a bottle of tequila, returned home, and got drunk. The thought of Pat lying dead in a wooden coffin spooked him. He decided it was time to return to the United States. Where to go? There were plenty of small dusty towns in Texas. He sold his ranch and adobe home. He then saddled the old bay mare; she whinnied softly, her brown eyes looking into his blue ones. He smiled at her:

“One last trip, girl, then I will put you out to pasture.”

Billy headed north, hoping to find a small ranch for sale. He also decided to change his name; no one would ever be looking for a gunfighter named “Brushy Bill”; it suited him, or so he thought. Billy was not getting any younger; he promised himself he would get married, finally settle down. He rode through small towns that piqued his interest but did not feel right to him, for whatever reason. The old bay mare plodded along, when Billy saw a small town in the distance; he rode into town. He found a saloon, strode in:

“What is the name of this town?” he asked. One of the older men spoke:

“Hico, Hico Texas.”

Billy liked what he saw in this town. It was quiet; no one would ever expect to find Billy the Kid in a godforsaken town like Hico. Billy was rather pleased with himself, having found this small town that offered him sanctuary. There was a small farm that was for sale between Hico and Hamiliton that suited his purpose perfectly. He wore chaps most of the time, with a big floppy straw hat, from his days in Mexico. He walked around town, went to the bank. He bought the small farm, he could now retire the big bay mare in favor of a Model “T”.

1949

Billy, during his time in Hico, married Malinda Elizabeth Murrell in 1949; she was not Paulita Maxwell, but she made him happy. When Billy would go into town, his wife always followed behind him; he was afraid that, since there was a price on his head, she would not be safe. Billy’s changed his name to “Ollie” Brushy Bill Roberts. He felt safe here. When visiting the saloon, “Brushy Bill” would tell stories of his days with the Regulators, John Tunstall, and the McSwains. He never said he was Billy the Kid.

1950

William Morrison, a man with a purpose, was working with an elderly man attempting to prove he was Jesse Evans, who had ridden with the Kid. One thing led to another, and Jesse divulged to Morrison that Billy the Kid was alive and well in Hico, Texas. Morrison contacted the Kid twice, and the Kid would not acknowledge that he was indeed Billy the Kid. Finally, Morrison succeeded in getting Billy to talk. Billy had one stipulation, that his wife never know who he really was; he had not told her. Morrison agreed; he would interview Billy; he would not say anything to Malinda. Billy began by telling Morrison that it was Billy the Kid. He explained how he and Garrett had formulated a plan. Garrett shot Billy Barlow in the back while Billy escaped. Billy had hid out in Juarez, Mexico for ga ood number of years, fearing to return to New Mexico; when he saw that Pat had been gunned down, he knew he would never set foot in New Mexico. Billy had been betrayed by Governor Lew Wallace. Billy had turned state’s evidence, hoping to not be hanged. There was a five-hundred-dollar reward for Billy. Morrison, believed Billy, he made arrangements for himself and “Brushy Bill” to meet with the then Governor Thomas Marby. Marby would not grant “Brushy Bill” a full pardon.

December 29th, 1950

“Brushy Bill” was a broken man; he had hoped to receive a full pardon and clear his name. December 29th, 1950, “Brushy Bill” suffered a heart attack and died on a street in Hico, he was walking home from the Post Office. He is buried in Hamilton Cemetery. Was “Brushy Bill” actually Billy the Kid?