Was Billy the Kid a real person?
Oh, yes, he was a real character, though Billy was not his real name. Like many no goodnicks, Billy the Kid was cunning enough to supply himself with several different aliases. But none of them saved him. At the age of 22, after 21 murders, he was shot by the sheriff while sitting, they say, in a barber’s chair. The story of a real hero always gives us a starry eyed feeling of warm pride, especially when he belongs to the history of our times. But not every famous character is a hero, and young people are never fooled by phonies. Billy the Kid was a real character and a famous one. He is part of our history, but he was no hero. He was one of those phony no goods who fool themselves and try to fool everyone e1se. The story of his robberies and desperate murders took place in what is now the state of New Mexico, when the west was young and restless. Billy was born in New York City, in 1859, and the youngster’s real name was Henry McCarty, when he was 14 he went with his family to Silver
