Billy The Kid

For those of you unfamiliar with the mystery of Billy the Kid- Let us provide you with a little background and more importantly how the Meeker Hotel came to be a part of the mystery.

Billy the Kid was one of the most famous outlaws in the history of the Old West. However, most of his years remain mysterious. He has been described as both a cold-blooded killer and as a romantic Robin Hood. He was extremely loyal to his many friends, and extremely dangerous to anyone he considered an enemy. He will forever be remembered as an immortal figure of a lawless era. Billy the Kid was born William Henry McCarty around the year 1860. His birthplace is uncertain, but during his childhood he lived in Indiana, Kansas and Colorado before his family settled in Silver City, New Mexico. After the death of his mother, Catherine, Billy the Kid was left parentless and turned to a life of crime as early as age thirteen.

He became involved in New Mexico’s infamous Lincoln County War where he was accused of killing Sheriff Brady. He was arrested in 1880 for that murder, but escaped jail. Billy the Kid was than hunted down by Pat Garrett and is believed by many to have been shot on July 14,1881. To confuse matters, numerous Billy the Kid sightings were made in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado after this date- leading many to question the validity of The Kid’s death. Claims were made that he lived under his many aliases (Billy McCarty, William H. Bonney) and mischievously flaunted his identity. Always a few steps ahead of the law!

The plot thickens in 1950, when ninety year old Brushy Bill Roberts (pictured on right side) claims to be Billy the Kid and seeks a pardon from the Governor of New Mexico. Brushy Bill’s attorney had requested a private meeting due to his client’s poor health, but the governor ignored the request and invited dozens of guests including photographers and reporters. Brushy Bill suffered a stroke during the interview and answered many questions incorrectly. Unfortunately, before the matter could be further explored Brushy Bill Roberts died of a second heart attack only a few weeks later. Leaving the matter unresolved.

Billy the Kid historians are split down the middle on whether Brushy Bill Roberts was the real thing, but nonetheless The Meeker Hotel is left with the faded signature of William H. Bonney lingering in the dusty hotel registry from the summer of 1889.