Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid lived a short, violent, and tragic life. He was exposed to the world of violence at a young age and had murdered his first victim while still in his teens. Shrewd and cunning, he became a notorious outlaw and an expert at escaping from confinement.

After he escaped from Lincoln courthouse, Pat Garrett left no stones unturned in hunting for him. The sheriff was finally successful in tracking down Billy and shot him dead on July 14, 1881. Billy the Kid was just 21 years old at the time.

Billy the Kid achieved the status of a legendary figure after his death. His short, yet dramatic life continues to capture the imagination of authors and screenwriters to this day. He has been the subject and inspiration for many films, books, and songs.

He was born as William Henry McCarty on September 17, 1859, in Manhattan, New York. His father’s name was Patrick McCarty while his mother was Catherine Devine. He had two siblings, including a brother called Joseph.

His father died when William was young. His mother became involved in a relationship with a man called William Antrim and married him in 1873. Since there were now two “Williams” in the family, Catherine started calling her son by his middle name, Henry.

His mother suffered from tuberculosis and died in 1874. His step-father did not want to take the responsibility of caring for the kid and his brother, so he separated the boys and placed them in foster homes.

Orphaned and alone, Billy now had to work to earn his living. He found work as a waiter at a restaurant and also washed the dishes. His daily life was a struggle, and with no one to guide him, it did not take him long to fall into bad company. He was in his mid-teens when he was arrested for the first time in 1875, for the offence of stealing laundry. He managed to escape.

Billy eventually found work as a ranch hand and shepherd in southeastern Arizona around 1876. During this time he became acquainted with John R. Mackie, a man with a criminal past. He successfully convinced Billy that they could become rich fast by stealing and selling horses.

The idea appealed to Billy and he soon gained notoriety as a horse thief. It was during this period that he earned the nickname “Kid”, mainly because of his young age, slight built and smooth beardless face.

Billy the Kid became a murderer for the first time when he killed Frank P. Cahill on August 17, 1877. Cahill was a known bully who had picked on the Kid numerous times. On the fateful day, the argument got out of control resulting in Billy the Kid killing Cahill. Billy was just 18 at that time.

Fearful of being caught, Billy fled Arizona and moved to New Mexico. By this time he was too notorious as an outlaw to be able to get honest employment. There he met another outlaw named Jesse Evans, the leader of “The Boys," a gang of rustlers and killers, and joined him.

The gang travelled to Lincoln County where The Boys joined forces with James Dolan and participated in a feud against an English entrepreneur named John Tunstall and his attorney and partner Alex McSween. This feud became known as the Lincoln County War.

Billy the Kid was a notorious outlaw who participated in the Lincoln County War. Different sources credit him with killing between 15 and 27 men, though it is generally believed that he killed eight. He was most wanted for the murder of Sheriff William Brady for which he was convicted and sentenced to death.