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Billy the Kid: Myths & Truths By Deborah O'Toole For Ambermont Magazine |
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Contents:
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Myth or Truth?
In 1988 I happened to watch the film Young Guns for the first time, and from that day forward I had a piqued interest in the legendary man also known as William H. Bonney. Whether it was because the character role in the film was portrayed by Emilio Estevez or because the storyline intrigued me, I'll never know. Perhaps one possibility fed the other and the result is a mixture of the two. Whatever the case, once I finally decided to delve into the history behind the legend I was immediately struck by the divergence of opinions about Billy the Kid: everyone who has an interest in the life of the outlaw has his/her own version of events. Of course, there are historical accuracies but some people take it upon themselves to blend in their own opinions while interpreting the facts. During my research, I came across more than a dozen reference web sites claiming to be the "real" source of info about the Kid, and yet all of them have a slightly different version of his life.
However, the best place to start - as always - is at the beginning.
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Did
Billy the Kid die at the hands of Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881? Or does the
oft-told legend of William H. Bonney growing old as Brushy Bill Roberts ring
true? The myths and truths surrounding this legendary figure of the old west
have never dissipated, but have rather grown in leaps and bounds through print
and film. The romanticism of movies such as Young Guns and Young Guns
II certainly helped to aid and abet the legend, although reality may not
have been so entertaining.