Tuscoro: Billy the Kid, Alias Brushy Bill Roberts?

Billy The Kid? I don’t know….

I don’t know how many Billy the Kid fans we have out there but I thought I would write a bit about him and share some information I have gathered as a result of the research pertaining to Jesse Woodson James.

Now as always, the disclaimer, keep in mind I could be wrong, but I am as sure of myself as much as I am regarding Jesse. The following information comes largely from the Black Book and of course some common sense with respect to those things and events I have been able to prove within reason…

One thing is for certain, no one other than those who personally knew him would even have a clue as to what he looked like and although we are all so very familiar with the image that has been circulated as being Billy the Kid, the very image above, it is my opinion that it is not Billy the Kid, although it is considered as the “Only authenticated photo of Billy” I would love to learn who authenticated it and by what methods… If anyone has an answer to that I’d love to see it. I’m not sure where the idea came from that Billy’s real name was William Henry McCarty, “they” have even give his parents names which I am certain was pulled out of someone’s back side, but who knows maybe I am missing something… seriously if anyone could enlighten me with respect to Billy, please do so, I only want the truth.

Of course feel free to read what the authors have written of which you can find where else, but WIKI. The writers have spared no expense in regurgitating what former writers without knowledge have written merely quoting what some former writer had written and no doubt added up on their own spin or supposed truth.

What I believe I know about Billy's origin is when Jesse and Myra Belle were living down in Cheyenne Texas, (1866) Myra Belle was always picking up stray kids and helping them, after the war there was plenty of orphaned kids… There was this one bright-eyed kid that showed up one day that Jesse said was smart as a whip but who was really bedraggled… Myra Belle took him in cleaned him up and got rid of his torn up clothes and got him some fairly nice pants and a shirt. He said his name was Ollie Roberts, he was about 8 years old, Jesse or Myra Belle said,

'Ollie, you need a new name. From now on, you shall be known as William H. Bonney. And just to confuse the Yankee soldiers, you tell them you're Billy Bonney and you're an orphan from New York City. You'll get kinder treatment by not admitting you're a Confederate.' Myra Belle was teaching him to read and write, but one day he disappeared into thin air. But don't worry, the world will hear of William H. Bonney some day. Hell, he might even head up the Golden Circle."

But Billy wasn’t gone long and when he returned I don’t think he ever left associating with them and with the organization.

Billy took a tour to South America with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid (Alias Grat Dalton) in the wild west show. Most of you have heard of Will Rogers?... Even he was there, dubbed as the Argentine kid.

The orthodox story has Billy being killed by Pat Garrett Ft. Sumner, July 14, 1881, The man Pat shot was named Billy Barlowe, even Pat later admitted he killed someone else by mistake. Billy lived a full life and was with Jesse James and Cole Younger even in the end years. Billy died at the age of 92, Dec. 27, 1950, outside the newspaper office in Hico, Texas, he was born in 1858 and he wasn’t from New York.

Cole Younger, Billy the Kid & Jesse James

about 1948

There are many more things that could be told however you can read the many adventures in the Black Book, Jesse James was one of his Names. Below are pictures of Brushy Bill Robert with the picture which has gone down in history as Billy. The child picture was likely as a result of Myra Belle taking him to get pictures after she cleaned him up.