For Although a good portion of these dealt with events and facts that were questionable in the first place and therefore dubious (i.e Brushy saying he was present at Tunstalls funeral when it is very possible the real Billy the Kid was or Brushy saying that it was Fred Waite who was shot by Billy Mathews during the Brady assassination, not Jim French, when contemporary sources differ as to who the wounded Regulator was), there were some that were definitely wrong. Hines was claiming that the land of his recently deceased brother now belonged entirely to him, since he was the only surviving heir. Jim Tully, a good friend of Brushy's, signed an affidavit that Brushy was completely literate. Early in life, he adopted the nickname Billy the Kid. A little fuzzy! The study used the most advanced photo comparison equipment around as well as the best scientists. Here's another claim that flip flops: due to the reverse image of the Kid's authentic photo, The Kid was reckless but he wasn't stupid! Morrison also attempted to track down former Evans Gang member Jim McDaniels, locating him in Round Rock, Texas. misfortunate accident during the line of duty; after all, if some police officers inconsistent testimony (even though he was coached before hand by Morrison) If his testimony was correct then Olinger and Bell were never Mabry, to which Brushy couldn't respond. However, the life of the man known as Brushy Bill Roberts is documented by census, marriage, divorce and WWI registration records from his birth in Sebastian County, Arkansas in 1879, where he was born to parents, Henry Oliver Roberts and Sarah Elizabeth Ferguson, until his death in Hico, Hamilton County, Texas in December 1950. killing of Sheriff Brady, Brushy said that Fred Waite and he jumped over the He showed many of the same marks and scars acquired to his body as Billy the Kid and his ability to slip out of handcuffs. Billy the Kid he most certainly would not have forgotten something like Brushy's niece Geneva Pittman mentioned that Brushys birth is recorded in Im sorry but people who Oliver P. Roberts and Brushy just happen to marry women with similar to In 1988, physicist and amateur photo expert Thomas Kyle underwent a photo comparison study between the tintype photo of Billy and a photo of Brushy taken at his meeting with Gov. If a Through census records, it is easy to track the life of this Oliver P. Roberts. Supporters will center punch one sparse example such as the Maxwell, who not only visited his grave regularly, but at the time of the still other bits of evidence that squashes Brushys claim ( I would There was no doubt in Morrisons mind that he was talking to arguably the most famous gunslinger of the Old West, and he was determined to help him gain his long-awaited pardon. But one had caused quite a stir and gained nation wide attention and even to this day his claim is being talked In a nutshell, Brushy's story went like this: he was born William Henry Roberts on December 31, 1859 in an area of Texas known as Buffalo Gap. about and his name (unfortunately) has latch on to the legend of Billy the those that believe he is, so I'm going to be blunt and shoot from the hip. Morrison said he would help the old man in his case, but only if he could be shown proof that Brushy was who he claimed to be. NOTE: I welcome and encourage all e-mails regarding this topic. Its said that he was buried in Fort Sumner Cemetery the following day alongside two other members of his gang. entirely filled with Billy the Kid supporters and friends, there were some A photograph of Brushy Bill at age 90 was a 93% match. killers at his funeral. need a little nudge in the right direction. the same man, but yet his name is not listed in the cemetery records. At this request, Brushy took off his clothes, exposing twenty-six bullet and knife scars on his body, several matching known locations of wounds Billy the Kid allegedly had. I from custody. Brushy also claimed that after he fled Silver City in 1875 up until fall 1877, he basically traveled over the entire West (Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Oregon), making a living as a bronc rider. man, his memory was a little fuzzy. Brushy Bill Roberts simply assumed Oliver's identity. time as we learn more about the real Billy the Kid. famous outlaw are divided and argue so bitterly about Brushy being Billy the If not, then when exactly did Brushy step into the life of Oliver and begin using his name (it would have had to have been sometime between the census reports)? courts would have dropped the charges, it would've been declared a to dignify this claim any more than I have and I wash my hands of it. Rather than face his own legal troubles, Garrett apparently put the body in the ground and called him the Kid. only one-quarter. Kid. After his mother died, Brushy went to live with Catherine and her son, Joe. Was Brushy Bill really Oliver P. Roberts? Location: Hico, Texas. This research is ground breaking and adds significantly more light to the subject of Brushy Bill Roberts. Results: Unresolved. All in all, the Kid. Disappointed Morrison and Brushy return to Texas. Are you going to when Garrett was passing Billy Barlows body off as the Kidright? At the same time, Morrison attempted to track down Jim McDaniels, yet this proved an impossible feat. recommend to visitors who wish to learn more, to click on the links at the Throughout this early correspondence, Morrison was careful not to reveal what exactly Hines had told him about his true identity. Signs in downtown Hico, Texas, proclaim the history of Billy the Kid who some local residents say was really "Brushy Bill" Roberts, a former Hico. This myth is based on the fact that Brushy had publicly appeared with a man named J. Frank Dalton who claimed to be Jesse James. heart attack and died, but his claim to fame did not go with him; today some Billy the Instead, even though he had every opportunity to reveal his claim, he continued to secretly work behind the scenes with Morrison to obtain a pardon from Governor Thomas Mabry and insisted that no one know. And, finally, if Brushy was really Oliver P., then what happened to the real William Henry Roberts? Some who have studied the case are scornful, saying that Brushy Bill was not old enough, and he was illiterate while Billy the Kid had beautiful handwriting. that he didn't kill Bob Olinger and James Bell during his escape from the From time to time, he would share with some that he "had a secret", but he never revealed to anyone that he was the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid until he was discovered by researcher William V. Morrison in 1949. Also, it would have been insanely foolish for Brushy to claim he was Billy, who still technically had a sentence of death hanging over him, and basically put himself at Mabrys mercy. In the Mabry made an announcement that he was not going to pardon Brushy, because he did not believe him to be Billy the Kid. Kid would not have been so foolish as Billy the Kid, but so that Brushy could die with a clear conscious. A few hours later, Brushy and Morrison arrived at Mabrys mansion. Why didn't they mention that Billy had carried out an The photo at the top of this page is of Brushy Bill Roberts, taken in 1949 or 1950 by William V. Morrison. The University of Texas Laboratory for Vision Systems maintained state of the art facilities and equipment - computers, cameras, processors, monitors and printers - for such studies. In reality, the Kid gunned down both his guards, used a pick axe to free up in Walter Noble Burns bestseller "The Saga of Billy the Kid" in He swore for the rest of his life that Brushy was the Kid. Brushy supporters also say the Oliver Opinions vary on whether Brushy Bill Roberts was Billy the Kid. Five years later, in 1955, noted historian C. L. Sonnichsen, with information supplied by Morrison, wrote a book entitled Alias Billy the Kid, which fully detailed the case of Brushy Bill Roberts. When Morrison first met Brushy, he was going by the name of Oliver L. Roberts. (the night the Kid was killed), Brushy recalled that he was warned that Also during There are many who outright lie and allege that Brushy Bill Roberts was proven a fraud, but under close examination this has no basis in fact. No matter On the morning of the 29th, as Morrison and Brushy at breakfast at a Santa Fe diner, Morrison read in a local newspaper that Mabry had publicly announced his meeting with a Billy the Kid claimant. Brushy claimed that throughout 1871-1874, he left the care of Catherine McCarty a few times to visit his biological father, James Roberts, in Texas, and ended up staying with him a total of two years. Since 1881, many people have claimed to be Billy the Kid, and in the decades that followed the Kids death, they popped up everywhere across the United States. It has also been claimed that Brushy could not speak Spanish, whereas Billy the Kid could. Hines then told Morrison of his experiences in the Lincoln County War and with Billy the Kid. Read another story from us:Surplus of vintage weapons, including Tommy guns, on sale by the St. Louis Police Department. According to Brushy, Oliver left home at one point and was killed on the trail. In the building, Brushy described how the building looked during the Kid's incarceration there to a T. Every little detail of how the building looked in 1881, Brushy knew. think that Billy the Kid enthusiasts that share the same admiration for this Edwards finds a trail of aliases and notable wild west characters that appear and disappear from history at precisely the times and places that Brushy Bill Roberts claims to have been, and doing the things that he claimed to do. Billy the Kids His interest began while watching the old black and white western movies made in the 1940s and 50s. slip out of Fort Sumner), discredited all such claims and firmly stated that ambushed Billy the Kid in the dark. this video demonstrates the undeniable sameness between four 'billy the kid' photos and four pictures of william henry 'brushy bill' roberts. Four weeks later nowhasnt anyone else had their name spelled incorrectly? dying day she was extremely bitter towards Garrett for killing Billy the Kid and Upon entering the conference room, they were shocked at what they saw. The story of a man named Ollie Roberts, a.k.a. In fact, both the Kid and Brushy were ambidextrous. that, and he couldn't count on the Kid seizing the opportunity of having When a historians personal agenda and biasness is pushed, or something from a subjective topic is declared as ridiculous, the historian loses their objectivity. Author: Asagan CC BY-SA 3.0. By 1950, the story of Billy the Kid was well known and most facts Mary Roberts died in 1862 while James was off fighting with Quantrill in the Civil War. Also how would Garrett know that After Oliver Pleasant Roberts would later be known as Brushy Bill Roberts, who said his birth name was William Henry Roberts. his dark hair and complexion, but he did have gray eyes with yellow specks myth to his testimony. meeting was set, it would've been a trap and Garrett would've arrested or These claims are usually based on genealogical records of the actual Oliver P. Roberts prior to 1910, which do not match known photographs or facts that have been proven to be true about William Henry "Brushy Bill" Roberts. resemblance. Brushy In 1882 a notorious outlaw by the name of Jesse Evans, a childhood friend of Billy the Kid and a participant in the Lincoln County War, walked out of jail after serving a sentence for killing a Texas ranger. He is also known for his involvement in New Mexico's Lincoln County War, during which he allegedly committed three murders. With the help of Ted Andress, a lawyer from an El Paso law firm, Morrison drew up the papers necessary for Brushys pardon. It was Jim County War and Billy the Kid and since he couldnt read about it, therefore Roberts made it home to his home now in Hico, Texas, where he eventually passed away on December 27, 1950. his death conveniently faked and leave the territory for once and for all. He also reported that Pat Garrett had actually shot and killed another gunslinger named Billy Barlow, passing his body off as the Kid, allowing him to vanish for Mexico. He meant to say he was not a. turning up like a bad rash. Sumner or New Mexico for that manner. Most likely Brushy was told about it and added this romantic Billy the Kid: Beyond the Gravetraces the life of this famous desperado through his role in the Lincoln County War, the alleged killing by Sheriff Pat Garrett, Billy's escape, and his life for the next sixty-nine years. In truth, Brushy was completely literate. highly recommend visitors to remembered that Susan McSween was not present when Chapman was killed. from the Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang's web site passage of time. rode off, eh? The men behind the scenes of power, known then as the "Santa Fe Ring", at the time used the newspapers to blast Angel and brand him an egotist and a fraud. Their mission to gain the pardon proved to be unsuccessful, and additionally, it was treated as a joke. Click here, Metz, Leon Pat Garrett University Stating he felt ill, he was eventually taken to another room to lie down. photo of Brushy) Are No, there has been no DNA study of either Billy the Kid's body or the body of Brushy Bill Roberts. In the meantime, Morrison was to continue working on his case. He then researched the more mundane aspects of Brushy Bill Roberts' story and found numerous corroborations to his account in the historical record. earlier and was still going strong. didnt really kill the real Billy the Kid, but allowed him to escape? In the fall of 1949, Morrison took Brushy with him to New Mexico for the purpose of having Brushy meet with some surviving acquaintances of Billy the Kid, to see if they could verify or deny his claim. Mission accomplished! Date: 1948 supporters deny that Oliver P. Roberts, in the above census, is not their time. According to authors W.C. After all, they supposedly looked the other way Texas. I'm sure they feel the same way about me, but come onthe that Brushy was illiterate, but yet, he knew so much about the Lincoln think that the only thing better to debate about on Billy the Kid is that Dolan and Campbell killed her attorney, Huston Chapman and the most absurd (Lucas- thanks for providing me with the Bill and Sam Jones, also surviving friends of Billy the Kid, also met with Brushy Bill. William Brady were in attendance. Shortly thereafter, Gov. Jameson and Fred Bean, who researched the Brushy Bill Roberts claim, they On the one hand, he sure did know quite a bit about the life of "the Kid", including many things that historians of his time did not know and that were only proven to be true many years later. self titled Billy the Kid. didn't write this web page to argue or pick a fight with supporters, I know it off, Garrett and the Kid had to meet somewhere to plan this hoax, but face, a narrow chin, small mouth, round ears and very narrow slopped shoulders. They are as follows: Brushy Bills knowledge of the Lincoln County War and the life of Billy the Kid was too extensive to have all been read. Further, J. Frank Dalton was making national news as early as 1948, so if Brushy wanted notoriety he had every opportunity to "come out" to the press at that time. wounded as mentioned, he would not have been in any condition for immediate traveling. Morrison immediately telephoned Mabry, who apologized for making the announcement, but reassured him that the meeting would still be kept private. We must keep in mind that Brushy Bill Roberts worked very hard for many years (since about 1910 onward) to convince people he was Oliver P. Roberts so it is natural that those who knew him by that name may believe that to be true. money buying a headstone? Not only was she not Indian, but she wasnt even all Hispanic, but The Kid also had thicker and longer eyebrows than Brushy (and as one For example, he knew that Colonel Dudley's soldiers that entered Lincoln on July 19, 1878 were black, he knew all the details of how the Kid had to pay his lawyer for his services in his trial, he knew that Billy the Kid wrote a letter to Gov. Lincoln and Fort Sumner, including Lobato (who supposedly helped one wannabe thought: In March of 1879 Billy the Kid secretly met and made a bargain with and became nervous when he learned the sons of Pat Garrett, Kip McKinney and Brushy invited the visitor inside and introduced him to his wife, Melinda. the 'billy the kid' photos (some not yet verified) had to have the same long, snakelike fingers billy and brushy were known to have. All the while, the pair were careful to make sure that Mrs. Roberts was kept in the dark over the entire proceedings, as Brushy didnt want her to learn his true identity and be disgusted with him for his reputation. These same men are the ones who got Pat Garrett elected Sheriff and who also branded a young cowhand named Billy "the Kid" as an outlaw in the press. still strongly believe that Brushy Bill Roberts was indeed Billy the Kid. When he went to return the man's belongings to his mother, she took him for her son and he claims he went along with the deception and kept the identity. Lew Wallace back in 1879. No one is claiming that Oliver P. Roberts was Billy the Kid. Mary Roberts died in 1862 while James was off fighting with Quantrill in the Civil War. Scholars hypothesize that his given name was either William Bonney or Henry McCarty. Fact vs. Believing that Brushy could be the real deal, Morrison promised him he would do all he could to help obtain a pardon, provided Brushy would allow him to investigate further into his history to find more proof that he was authentic. Collections; . I This is false. On Dec. 27, 1950, Brushy left his bed and told his wife he was feeling better. Marshal investigating train robberies; joined the Rough Riders and went to Cuba; briefly operated his own Wild West Show; fought for Villa and Carranza in the Mexican Revolution; worked as a plainclothes policeman in Gladewater, Texas; married four times; and used a dozen aliases. slipped away unseen with the help of Frank Lobato. Brushy was not example, Brushy said James Dolan was one of those who gunned down John Tunstall alias Billy the Kid for his past crimes, not only to clear the reputation of notice and some convinced a few people, but were forgotten through the There exists no evidence, other than the word of Brushy Bill, that Billy Barlow, the man Brushy said Garrett really killed, ever existed. ambidextrous. Brushy Bill Roberts' claim that he was Billy the Kid was depicted in the 1990 movie Young Guns II. The story of Brushy Bill Roberts begins in 1948 when an attorney named William Morrison heard that Sheriff Pat Garrett never actually managed to gun down Billy the Kid, who was safe and sound and living in the town of Hico, Texas, under his latest alias of Ollie Roberts, but most folks in the town knew him simply as Brushy Bill. 33 of 38 34 of 38 A former New Mexico lawman is seeking permission to exhume the body of ``Brushy Bill'' Roberts, a Billy the Kid claimant who died in 1950. and other crucial moments in his life, such as the fact that Dolan did not Thomas J. Mabry, governor of New Mexico, agreed to a private hearing with Morrison and Brushy, along with one or two historians of Mabrys choosing, to be held on Nov. 29. and I just skimmed the surface, there is The Roberts family has denied there is any possibility that 'Brushy Bill' could have been Billy the Kid. the Kid swearing an oath to avenge Tunstall's murder at the funeral was made it was Billy the Kid who was killed on July 14, 1881. In November of 1950 Morrison and Brushy went If the Kid didn't He spent most of his time chatting up the locals downtown and telling stories of his life on the frontier. There were no unbiased websites that merely presented the facts as they were and left it up to the reader to decide for his/herself who Brushy really was. The Kid stuck History tells us that the outlaw known as Billy the Kid (aka Henry McCarty, aka William Bonney) was gunned downat the ripe old age of 21by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881, in . When his wife said she needed to mail a package, Brushy said he would walk it down to the post-office. His parents were James H. and Mary Adeline Roberts. vengeance over his employers grave during the funeral if he wasnt even The 2014 book, "Billy the Kid: An Autobiography" by Daniel A. Edwards, tells the story of how former Hico resident William H. "Brushy Bill" Roberts came to have his picture taken. accounts. Yes, Mrs. Maxwell asked if Also one last thing to really drive the nail in the coffin. In the summer of 1950, Morrison moved, along with his family, to El Paso, Texas, in order to be closer to anything he may need in his investigation. Several of the things he knew were known to only a few people at the time, including historians. Brushy Bill Roberts on the other hand Regardless, when Brushy came out as Billy the Kid in 1950, no close family members came forward to contradict his claim. Although this is not technically evidence in support of Brushys claim, and in no way connects him directly to Billy the Kid, it does indicate he was a man used to danger. there. Why must a person looking for information on Billy the Kid via the internet have to visit two different sites, made by two different people with two very different opinions, just to get all the facts? learning that Garret was passing Billy Barlows body off as him, Brushy Although they did not sign affidavits in support of Brushy, due to the fact that they wanted to avoid any publicity that would bring, they did tell Morrison they believe him to be the Kid. According to most sources, theinfamous outlaw met his end at the tender age of 21 in the summer of 1881, when he was gunned down by Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. According to a museum in Hico, Texas, there's one more name to add to the list of the Kid's aliases: "Brushy" Bill Roberts. cocky as ever, and lastly: He knew the history of Billy the Kid The problem until recently has been the difficulty in proving many of Brushy Bill's claims. the Kid could be unchained from Rudabaugh to go in the next room with a girl air, and say, You can lead a horse to water, but you cant Look above at the photosBrushy doesn't look anything at all like Billy the Hines told Morrison of his experiences in the Lincoln County Wars with 19th-century American frontier outlaw and gunman, Billy the Kid who was allegedly killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881, but he stunned Morrison by claiming that the Kid was still alive and living near Hamilton, Texas under the name Ollie L. "Brushy Bill" Roberts. Till her It's disappointing for me to His parents were James H. and Mary Adeline Roberts. so. it was thought for years that he was left-handed, By the time they had completed their trip and returned to Brushys home in Hico, Texas (he had moved from Hamilton in the summer of 49), they had managed to meet with Severo Gallegos, Martile Able, Jose Montoya, and Bill and Sam Jones. Who was Brushy Bill Roberts He managed to track him as far as Round Rock, Texas, but townsfolk there said that he had moved in 1945 to live out the rest of his days with his daughter in California. his client. Roberts made it home to his home now in Hico, Texas, where he eventually passed away on December 27, 1950. helping the Kid escape, but Lobato wasnt even at Fort Sumner at that It also saddens me to Bob Young, Alton Thorton, W. F. Hafer, Jimmy Ramage, Ablo Norman, Tom Turner, and L. L. Gamble, all surviving friends of Brushy, said he was either literate, or not sure, but none of them said he was illiterate. the two met and went on a road trip to New Mexico. Brushy Bill stated that Jesse James was in Lincoln county and for years and years historians claimed bullshit but it was until fairly recently that they have found documents proving Jesse James was in Lincoln County and had been operating a counterfeit money system there with Billy. After Barlow was killed, Brushy continued, he fled Fort Sumner. It is my hope that by doing this, other website operators will also change their approach to this topic and try to provide an equal platform for both sides of this debate. Garrett. The reason people think he was non-fluent in Spanish is because a myth started that Jarvis Garrett (or Oscar Garrett or Arcadio Brady, depending on which version of the myth you heard) asked Brushy a question in Spanish at the meeting with Gov. shot him in the jaw it would've left a very nasty disfiguring scar on his Over the next several months, Morrison met with Brushy several times and recorded his story in his journal and with a tape recorder. of Oklahoma Press: Norma, 1973, Bell Was Brushy Bill Roberts Billy the Kid? Ollie P. Bill Roberts, also known as Brushy Bill. Pat Garrett's account of what happen on July 14, 1881 is sketchy, but He began by studying photos of Brushy Bill Roberts and conducting a facial comparison between the two, which is provided in his book. The photo of 14 year old Brushy was close match to the tintype. However, Lincoln, New Mexico in the 1870s and 1880s was rotten to the core with cronyism and corruption. He believes that 1990 photo recognition study proves Brushy is Billy. the Kid at Stinking Springs, Garrett took his prisoners to Fort Sumner, Upon hearing this, the old man looked as if he had been badly frightened. When his sons calmed him down, Anthony said that Brushy was the Kid. Therefore, I have retooled my particular website, in an attempt to accomplish the difficult feat of removing as much biasness as possible and simply providing the facts, which I believe is the true job of a historian.
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