Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid (born HenryMcCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881),also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw andgunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before hewas shot and killed at the age of 21. He also fought in New Mexico'sLincoln County War, during which he allegedly committed threemurders.

McCarty was orphaned at the age of 15.His first arrest was for stealing food, at the age of 16, in late1875. Ten days later, he robbed a Chinese laundry and was againarrested, but escaped shortly afterwards. He fled from New MexicoTerritory into neighboring Arizona Territory, making himself both anoutlaw and a federal fugitive. In 1877, McCarty began to call himself"William H. Bonney". Two versions of a wanted posterdated September 23, 1875, refer to him as "Wm. Wright, betterknown as Billy the Kid".

After killing a blacksmith during analtercation in August 1877, McCarty became a wanted man in Arizonaand returned to New Mexico, where he joined a group of cattlerustlers. He became well known in the region when he joined theRegulators and took part in the Lincoln County War of 1878. McCartyand two other Regulators were later charged with killing three men,including Lincoln County Sheriff William J. Brady and one of hisdeputies.

McCarty's notoriety grew in December1880 when the Las Vegas Gazette, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and TheSun, in New York City, carried stories about his crimes. Sheriff PatGarrett captured McCarty later that month. In April 1881, McCarty wastried for and convicted of Brady's murder, and was sentenced to hangin May of that year. He escaped from jail on April 28, killing twosheriff's deputies in the process and evading capture for more thantwo months. Garrett shot and killed McCarty, by then age 21, in FortSumner on July 14, 1881. During the following decades, legends grewthat McCarty had survived, and a number of men claimed to be him. Billy the Kid remains one of the most notorious figures from the era,whose life and likeness have been frequently dramatized in Westernpopular culture.

Early life

Henry McCarty was born to parents ofIrish Catholic ancestry, Catherine (née Devine) and Patrick McCarty,in New York City. While his birth year has been confirmed as 1859,the exact date of his birth has been disputed as either September 17or November 23 of that year. A letter from an official of SaintPeter's Church in Manhattan states it is in possession of recordsshowing McCarty was baptized there on September 28, 1859. Censusrecords indicate his younger brother, Joseph McCarty, was born in1863.

Following the death of her husbandPatrick, Catherine McCarty and her sons moved to Indianapolis,Indiana, where she met William Henry Harrison Antrim. The McCartyfamily moved with Antrim to Wichita, Kansas, in 1870. After movingagain a few years later, Catherine married Antrim on March 1, 1873,at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory;McCarty and his brother Joseph were witnesses to the ceremony. Shortly afterward, the family moved from Santa Fe to Silver City, NewMexico, and Joseph McCarty began using the name Joseph Antrim. Shortly before McCarty's mother, Catherine, died of tuberculosis,then called "consumption", on September 16, 1874,William Antrim abandoned the McCarty boys, leaving them orphans.

First crimes

McCarty was 15 years old when hismother died. Sarah Brown, the owner of a boarding house, gave himroom and board in exchange for work. On September 16, 1875, McCartywas caught stealing food. Ten days later, McCarty and GeorgeSchaefer robbed a Chinese laundry, stealing clothing and two pistols.McCarty was charged with theft and was jailed. He escaped two dayslater and became a fugitive, as reported in the Silver City Heraldthe next day, the first story published about him. McCarty locatedhis stepfather and stayed with him until Antrim threw him out;McCarty stole clothing and guns from him. It was the last time thetwo saw each other.