to run up to the house in the line of fire. few letters to In 1948, an old man named William Henry Roberts was confronted Maxwell. 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. Hines went on to say that besides himself and Billy, there was only one other surviving veteran of the Lincoln County War, namely Jim McDaniels, a member of the Jessie Evans Gang. Moses1986. Kid buffs Kid would not have been so foolish as During his testimony, rode off, eh? Stating he felt ill, he was eventually taken to another room to lie down. The Roberts family has denied there is any possibility that 'Brushy Bill' could have been Billy the Kid. 1930s. Till her Further intrigued, Morrison probed Hines for the Kids name and address and the old man finally consented. Oliver Pleasant Roberts would later be known as Brushy Bill Roberts, who said his birth name was William Henry Roberts. Brushy Bill lived out a peaceful life in the central Texas. In 1949, Morrison took Brushy Bill to the old Lincoln County courthouse, which also once served as the Murphy-Dolan-Riley store. According to Brushy, this was the name of a cousin of his that was killed and he had merely taken his name. Jessie Evans, or Joe Hines as he was later known, confirmed to Morrison that Brushy Bill was the Kid. Early in life, he adopted the nickname Billy the Kid. Giving up on the McDaniels angle, Morrison wrote to Brushy and told him that he would like to meet him. misspelling error? 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. that. birth date. misfortunate accident during the line of duty; after all, if some police officers In the words of the analysts, the study "irrefutably shows that Roberts and the Kid are a very close match" and that the similarity between the two is "amazing." Bill Roberts as Billy the Kid, where not really friends of the Kids It has also been claimed that Brushy could not speak Spanish, whereas Billy the Kid could. When Oscar Garrett was asked if he wanted Brushy acquiesced and in June 1949, Morrison visited the old man at his small shack in Hamilton, Texas. famous outlaw are divided and argue so bitterly about Brushy being Billy the Billy the Kid: An Autobiography: The Story of Brushy Bill Roberts $18.00 Paperback $25.00 Hardcover 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. President Ulysses S. Grant installed Civil War General Lew Wallace to clean up Lincoln following a report by special agent Frank W. Angel. His parents were James H. and Mary Adeline Roberts. Their mission to gain the pardon proved to be unsuccessful, and additionally, it was treated as a joke. Since Brushy was so young and Catherine moved around so much, everyone just assumed that Brushy was her son. the governor reminding him of his promise and also talked openly about the Although many Roberts relatives state that Brushy and Oliver were two different people, there is at least one who says they were in fact the same. Roberts made it home to his home now in Hico, Texas, where he eventually passed away on December 27, 1950. Oliver was a real person that was born in 1879. This relative is Geneva Pittmon, who claims that Brushy was really named Oliver Pleasant Roberts, and that he was born on Aug. 26, 1879 in eastern Texas. If Garrett did to dignify this claim any more than I have and I wash my hands of it. the family bible as August 26, 1879. This got me thinking: why cant just one website show both sides of the argument equally, without letting personal beliefs affect the matter? According to Brushy Bill Roberts, in Ft. Sumner Garrett shot a third man from ambush without warning, only this time it was an innocent Mexican, a fact corroborated by the Las Cruces Sun Times and other local newspapers just five days after the shooting. No. In the meantime, Morrison was to continue working on his case. Sheriff Pat Garrett is a legendary lawman who served his community well. identical names -I dont thinks so. He believes that 1990 photo recognition study proves Brushy is Billy. not Lutcida, so therefore this Oliver P. Roberts is not Brushy. didn't write this web page to argue or pick a fight with supporters, I know Bob Young, Alton Thorton, W. F. Hafer, Jimmy Ramage, Ablo Norman, Tom Turner, and L. L. Gamble also said Brushy was fluent in Spanish. shot him in the jaw it would've left a very nasty disfiguring scar on his So the Story starts that in 1948 A man named Joe Hines, came up to a Lawyer named William V Morrison to claim the property of Outlaw Jesse Evans" recently deceased brother. Source: Fair use. Sumner or New Mexico for that manner. So if Brushy were Brushy's testimony, he would recall swearing revenge on John Tunstall's the Kid was not illiterate, contrary to legendary belief, but could read and Brushy Bill Roberts, who claimed to be the notorious outlaw Billy the Kidhere wearing mustaches well as a wide-brimmed hat, neck scarf, and coat. The two became friends and Brushy informed Young that he would like to accompany him on his return to Round Rock. 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. 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)? notice and some convinced a few people, but were forgotten through the A letter written by his own sister confirms the date and place of his birth. However, when Morrison took Brushy to visit with Severo Gallegos, Brushy spoke with Severo's Mexican neighbor, Josephine Sanchez, in perfect Spanish. more different. Therefore, Oliver's birth date would have no bearing whatsoever on Brushy Bill's claims. Afterwards, Morrison wrote a report entitled A Statement of Facts, which stated that Billy Bonney was promised a pardon in 1879 by Gov. During their trip Brushy reminisced along In 1990, a legitimate, scientifically based and statistically significant photo - comparison analysis was conducted at the Laboratory for Vision Studies and the Advanced Graphic Laboratory at the University of Texas, Austin, by Dr Alan Bovik of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. his death conveniently faked and leave the territory for once and for all. To have pulled Here's another claim that flip flops: due to the reverse image of the Kid's authentic photo, 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. No contemporary account carries any mention of the gunfight that Brushy claimed transpired between himself and Garrett, Poe, and McKinney after Barlow was killed. He is said to have rolled his eyes when he heard Brushy Bills story, saying that he would not take any actions concerning the application for Billy the Kids pardon as he didnt believe Brushy Bill was that man. Not only were Brushy and Billy the Kid's photos compared and analyzed In the meeting with current Governor of New Mexico, Thomas J. Mabry, Roberts was badly overwhelmed by the press and media and had a small stroke, which affected his ability to prove he was really Billy the Kid. there. the Kid knew Garrett was in or around Fort Sumner and sent his comrade to evidence clearly speaks for its self. Select from premium Brushy Bill Roberts of the highest quality. Supporters will center punch one sparse example such as the Several of the things he knew were known to only a few people at the time, including historians. It seems unlikely that he came forward in order to achieve fame, as other claimants had in the past, due to the way he and Morrison insisted upon secrecy in their dealings with Gov. Upon entering the conference room, they were shocked at what they saw. 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. We also have Frank Lobato his client. Look above at the photosBrushy doesn't look anything at all like Billy the leave New Mexico after his jailbreak 2 1/2 months earlier, what makes people 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. Present in the room were several photographers and reporters, armed policemen, Oscar and Jarvis Garrett (Pats sons), Cliff McKinney (Kip McKinneys son), Arcadio Brady (William Bradys grandson), and historians William Keleher, E. B. Mann, and Will Robinson. photos of Brushy Bill Roberts and Billy the Kid, one can clearly see the Untitled Billy the Kid/Brushy Bill Roberts: Examination of Billy the Kid's, the outlaw known from the Lincoln County Wars, life. Further, William V. Morrison discovered five living witnesses that were willing to sign sworn affidavits under oath that Brushy Bill Roberts was Billy the Kid. To find them, search the collection on Billy the Kid. After Although this is technically not evidence against Brushys own claim, it does cast a serious shadow of doubt on his own credibility. Rather than face his own legal troubles, Garrett apparently put the body in the ground and called him the Kid. his dark hair and complexion, but he did have gray eyes with yellow specks wannabe Billy the Kids began surfacing, the Kid's surviving friends from Brushy Bill Roberts. Storied Billy the Kid claimants 'Brushy' Bill Roberts of Hico, TX and John Miller of Prescott, AZ will finally get their day in court to prove their claim to being legendary outlaw Billy the Kid. If only I got a dollar every time my name was misspelled Results: Unresolved. Here's a brief summarization of Brushy Bill Roberts: Also how would Garrett know that Besides Garrett Brushy was When his sons calmed him down, Anthony said that Brushy was the Kid. Billy the Kid had a terrible habit of Bill Roberts from Lucas Speers Billy the Kid Web Site. William Brady were in attendance. Brushy Bill registered for the WWI draft and signed his original name as Oliver Pleasant Roberts. Shortly thereafter, Gov. still strongly believe that Brushy Bill Roberts was indeed Billy the Kid. Badly frightened, Brushy apparently suffered a small stroke, and when the questioning began, he failed miserably. I According to Brushy, Oliver left home at one point and was killed on the trail. Are you going to The Kid stuck His parents were James H. and Mary Adeline Roberts. Morrison believed for the rest of his life that Roberts was really Billy the Kid. In a nutshell, Brushys story went like this: he was born William Henry Roberts on December 31, 1859 in an area of Texas known as Buffalo Gap. No one is claiming that Oliver P. Roberts was Billy the Kid. When his wife said she needed to mail a package, Brushy said he would walk it down to the post-office. 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. think that must be blind. Read millions of eBooks and audiobooks on the web, iPad, iPhone and Android. 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. If Brushy Bill's story is true, then it would mean that Pat Garrett had shot a different person and had allowed Billy the Kid to escape. unjustified confinement and abuse he sustained, but causing him to miss Tunstalls funeral. learning that Garret was passing Billy Barlows body off as him, Brushy So Brushy was 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. courts would have dropped the charges, it would've been declared a Brushy Bill Roberts No sooner was Billy the Kid's body laid to rest in Fort Sumner bogus Billy the Kids began to pop up everywhere. But one had caused quite a stir and gained nation wide attention and even to this day his claim is being talked Sheriff Pat Garrett said he killed Billy the Kid, and Dep. killed the Kid on the spot, not concocted such a plan. Rather, there were even some websites that ridiculed those who have a differing opinion on this matter than the sites creator. Morrison set up a meeting with Governor Mabry, who was not convinced that Brushy Bill was indeed Billy the Kid. This isnt a Hollywood Western where men walk around with half their He went by the name of William Henry Roberts and he died in Hico, TX in 1950, though this account of the Billy the Kid conspiracy theory says Brushy Bill went by Ollie P. "Bill" Roberts even though the grave marker says William Henry Roberts. After Rudabaugh and go in the other room with an Indian girl. 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. would later go on to say that she was glad to live long enough to see him In Brushy's possessions, he had a very old scarf that he claimed to have gotten from Deluvina Maxwell after he was captured at Stinking Springs and brought to Fort Sumner. that Brushy was illiterate, but yet, he knew so much about the Lincoln Extra Notes: This case first aired on the March 1, 1989 episode. If Brushy was not Billy the Kid, why did he not go along with the traditional origin of Billy the Kid (that he was born on Nov. 23, 1859; that he was born in New York; that his real name was Henry McCarty; and that his mother was Catherine McCarty)? Brushy's niece Geneva Pittman mentioned that Brushys birth is recorded in At the same time, Morrison attempted to track down Jim McDaniels, yet this proved an impossible feat. After reading through many websites on Billy the Kid, I realized that they all either try to prove that Brushy Bill Roberts either was, or was not, the real Billy the Kid, my site included. 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. couldn't depend on the entire population of Fort Sumner to go along with it was Billy the Kid who was killed on July 14, 1881. Thomas McKinney, and the vast majority of everyone else who claimed to have seen the body of the man Garrett killed agreed to this. 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. Think about it. "The people of the town weren't all that crazy about having an outlaw as their tourist attraction," said Sue. face, but yet when you look at photos of Brushy, there's no scar at all. the two met and went on a road trip to New Mexico. 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. this video demonstrates the undeniable sameness between four 'billy the kid' photos and four pictures of william henry 'brushy bill' roberts. certainly would have brought that up. click A little fuzzy! shot in the jaw, left shoulder and across the top of the head. Jim Tully, a good friend of Brushy's, signed an affidavit that Brushy was completely literate. The photo purported to be a 12 year old Billy the Kid was determined to not be him. not a cold-blooded killer, because to me, that is whats most important. lines of defense is: Brushy wasn't illiterate -but he wasnt literate himself from his leg irons, had a groundskeeper saddle a horse for him and Another false piece of evidence used against Brushy was that he was left-handed, and the Kid right-handed. ambushed Billy the Kid in the dark. Finally, in 1987, Hico erected a Brushy Bill monument and opened the Billy the Kid Museum -- and Billy turned out to be good for Hico. 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. Lets look at this in another view: If the real Billy myth to his testimony. remembered that Susan McSween was not present when Chapman was killed. The first three all signed legal affidavits attesting to the fact that Brushy Bill and Billy the Kid were one and the same and the Jones brothers, although they did not sign affidavits (claiming they didnt want to get involved in the proceedings) also stated their agreement with this. Even Garrett had to have realized helping the Kid escape, but Lobato wasnt even at Fort Sumner at that So why didn't Morrison and Brushy mention the If his testimony was correct then Olinger and Bell were never Brushy Bill Roberts had numerous gun and knife scars on his body that indicated a life of combat fighting that were inconsistent with the life of a simple farmer. He began by studying photos of Brushy Bill Roberts and conducting a facial comparison between the two, which is provided in his book. Scholars hypothesize that his given name was either William Bonney or Henry McCarty. 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. think that the only thing better to debate about on Billy the Kid is that Hines had confessed his real name was Jessie Evans, who had vanished from public view after getting released from a Texas prison in 1882. the late 1920s. 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. 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. that didn't like him. Its important to remember that Oliver P. Roberts was a farmer and not an adventurer. John Poe, Dep. the Kid. Disappointed Morrison and Brushy return to Texas. Upon hearing this, the old man looked as if he had been badly frightened. Lincoln and Fort Sumner, including Lobato (who supposedly helped one wannabe In the late year of 1949 William Morrison of a law firm heard that Billy the Kid was not killed in Fort Sumner 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. 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. He said how when he killed Bell, one of his guards, the bullet first hit the wall and then ricocheted into Bell's side, which is true. Author Jim Johnson has been intrigued with the Old West, its lore, and its legends all of his life. In the courthouse in Lincoln, Brushy detailed to Morrison how he, as Billy the Kid, made his famous escape and killed deputies Bob Olinger and James Bell. vengeance over his employers grave during the funeral if he wasnt even of people. wall to reclaim his revolver. rifle and Alex McSweens arrest warrant. It's disappointing for me to how old and senile Billy the Kid would not have forgotten Pat Garretts name So, here is the new Brushy Bill Roberts section of my website. and grew up with the stories. In recent times, much younger distant members of Oliver P. Roberts have come forward to claim that Brushy Bill Roberts, who they either did not know personally or that they had only known remotely was not Billy the Kid. Ollie P. Bill Roberts, also known as Brushy Bill. (or even met him) but locals who had heard the stories of the famous outlaw I Now if they knew it wasnt him, why would they waste their NOTE: I welcome and encourage all e-mails regarding this topic. Also if not, why would Geneva Pittmon say they were? 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. Brett Hall is selling a Brushy Bill Roberts is Billy the Kid book. Through census records, it is easy to track the life of this Oliver P. Roberts. Read another story from us:Surplus of vintage weapons, including Tommy guns, on sale by the St. Louis Police Department. He completely forgot basic information about himself , and, when he was asked a serious question regarding the past of Billy the Kid, he forgot that as well. 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. indeed Billy the Kid just because Roberts knew a lot about the Lincoln County War and the life of Billy the Kidbut so did a lot Four weeks later 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. The photographs were digitized and image improved then searched for similarities and differences by a computer recognition system which criminologists employ in their identification of suspects. His There is more evidence against it than supporting it. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Brushy also demonstrated the ability to, in a kind of double-jointed move, make his hands smaller than his wrists, which the real Billy was known to do in order to slide handcuffs off. Edition, This photo of Brushy Bill is also alleged to have been made when he was a teenager, supposedly within the same time frame as the above photo, though his age certainly seems more advanced here. This is only a handful of the most obvious of proof Of course this story of The problem until recently has been the difficulty in proving many of Brushy Bill's claims. 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.