Billy the Kid: Old West Hero or Coldblooded Killer? 

Hello everyone. We've been experimenting with a bit of a podcast (a few people were asking for audio versions so they can get Biographics while doing other things)! Fair warning: none of these are new biographies, but rather me having a bit more of a free form chat around the script. I'd love to know what you think, if these are useful, wanted etc :). Thanks, Simon. Links: iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/biographics-history-one-life-at-a-time/id1450405839?mt=2 Sitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/biographics-history-one-life-at-a-time Website: biographics.blubrry.net/ RSS: biographics.blubrry.net/feed/podcast/ Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/6N9PS4QXF1D0OWPk0Sxtb4 Trolled people: open.spotify.com/show/0JzjzwJcRqFZ3BcACtahh8?si=MG5HSm1oT0GTNm_r8_HQcg

To be fair, if my mother died of tuberculosis when I was 15 and then my step father heartlessly left me to die in the New Mexico desert - I wouldn't be a saint either

Billy is still seen as a hero in many parts of New Mexico, seen as a figure who stood up to the corruption of the Governor and sheriffs of the time

Seems most people who weren't lawmen or huge land owners actually supported and respected The Kid.

Ever since playing Red Dead 2, I’ve been obsessed with the wild west

*I'm 1000% sure he called him a "Sumbich".*

it seems that he was not the "cold-blooded killer” of legend, simply fighting for his survival in highly dangerous times & against a number of corrupt individuals & government officials. seems that history really is written by the victors!

"Hello Bob" Gunshot "Goodbye Bob"

damn O'Driscolls

One the amazing things about Billy the Kid was he was bilingual and could read and write.

Billy the Kid didn't get killed by Pat Garrett. He got away and went on to star in the Breakfast Club, Stakeout, and the Mighty Ducks.

Nothing but total respect for the guy. Did what he had to do on all counts IMO.

Abandoned at 15 years old: With no job the kid was left with no choice, but to do what he had to do to survive. Hung around with bad crooks. So, so sad!!!

Billy the kids story was tragic, orphaned at 13 and by the time he was 15 left with very little options it was only a matter of time he went on the path of darkness. He had good qualities, was considered a strong leader, quick witted, didn’t fold under pressure. Billy the kid, what happens when someone with nothing to lose.

HA! If Billy the Kid got old, he would've been Billy the Goat.

Welp, now I'm off to watch _Young Guns_ and _Young Guns II_

You failed to mention the incident in which two time travelers from San Dimas recruited Mr. The Kid to speak at their History presentation in 1989, nor the ensuing most excellent adventures up to and including escaping from yet another jail with the help of said time travelers.

0:45 - Chapter 1 - Early life 2:50 - Chapter 2 - On his own 4:05 - Chapter 3 - Fugitive 5:40 - Chapter 4 - The kid emerges 7:05 - Chapter 5 - The lincoln county war 12:50 - Mid roll ads 13:55 - Chapter 6 - A false amnesty 15:15 - Chapter 7 - Most wanted 15:55 - Chapter 8 - Enter pat garett

Billy: "Hey Peppin, is that Charlie Crawford with you?" Marshal:"Yeah that's right he's here." [Gunshot] Billy:"Hey Peppin Charlie Crawford ain't with ya no more" Best line in young guns

Billy the Kid is a folk hero to most people I know, myself included, and a figure of interest to everyone I know. It is quite sad that he was snitched on by his loved ones own brother. He was smart as a whip, quick to act, and extremely respectful of cultural differences. I think this is a truly important aspect to pull from in the information presented.

last time I was this early billy was still a kid

Great video and prefect time with red dead redemption 2 coming out soon

The blacksmith(older man) tried humiliating Billy (17?) in the bar, even wrestling him onto floor. NOT COOL...blacksmith got what was coming....

Poor kid lived a tragic short life. He was clearly a product of his chaotic environment and had the potential to be a better human being. Hopefully things turned out better for him in his next life.

I love how half of outlaws are Irish (propaly o'driscolls) 😄😄

I love how he became a legend by pure circumstances.

The Kid was,is,and Always be a LEGEND. His story fascinates me.

So his first murder was self defense

He wasn't a cold blooded killer nor a hero. He was getting vengeance on the people who killed his boss. Others were self defense.

This guy's accent alone makes the story 10 times more interesting

Billy's escape from the jail in Lincoln County is one of those incidents that needs to be looked at by historians. He shot two deputies but escaped, no one tried to get a gun and stop him. According to legend he didn't actually steal a horse to escape but it was loaned to him and later returned. They may have also helped him escape and he gave a speech. I think for many in the region that there was bad feelings that still lingered on after the Lincoln County War of which Billy was on the opposing side and I think many resented the Santa Fe Ring and how they apparently got away with murder. Thinking about the shooting of Sheriff Brady, of which Billy was only one of several shooters, in modern times the Sheriff would have been charged with murder for hire especially with the shooting of John Tunstall.

Shows what happens when you trust a politician!

"Hey, Peppin! Charlie Crawford aint with ya anymore!"

There's a museum down the lane from Billy's grave, but it was closed when we passed through. They actually had to erect a cage around his headstone because it's been stolen so many times. It looks a lot like a jail cell, come to think of it. Kudos to whomever it was that left the .357 magnum round just on the inside of the perimeter, I thought it a nice touch.

I dont mind the mid break sponsorship if it means to keep these videos coming. Thank you for these videos!

Billy the Kid was an amazing individual, he lived the way he was forced to, the only way he knew, Billy was not a heartless killer; alright he shouldn't have killed the two guards who were only guarding him but all the others he was provoked and it being the wild west Billy only did what he felt he had to. So no in my opinion Billy wasn't a cold blooded killer just a young man trying to live his life the best he can.

You realize how perfect a game this would make? Maybe like a old western uncharted type thing of his whole life

Yo tb has been messing with my feelings lately. Y’all know what I mean 😂RD2

Im from New Mexico, and growing up I've always heard Billy the Kid stories from my grandfather and in school. Beautifully done! Great video!👏

I love how you defend him. Tough times often breed tough people. Back then you had to be tough. But this is a very informative video. Thank you.

Highly entertaining as always, I'd recommend a bio on Doc Holiday and/or Wyatt Earp. The format of these vids really suits the old west narratives, imo

Pat Garrett not only claimed to have killed Billy, he was also his biographer. This is a retelling of Garrett's account and not necessarily the true story of Billy The Kid's life. Garrett was a heavy drinker, he shot three people trying to get Billy. The third one was buried quickly and was the one he claimed to be the real BTK. The governor refused to give him the reward because there was no proof he had killed Billy.

17:17 did the shotgun give a testimony or what how did anyone know he said hello bob

I adore the story of Billy the Kid! Such an incredible life.

Funny to think that one of my distant relatives met Billy The Kid!

I feel like playing red dead redemption now

Billy the kid actually robbed my great great grandfather. He told my grandfather “ a man should have his gun” and he gave my grandfather his gun back before leaving.

Did you see the size of that chicken!

"They talked easily with the Mexican Elders." Billy the Kid can talk to trees. He's a Druid

Amazingly enough, my father's side of the family has a thank you note from Billy the Kid, as they allowed him to stay in their barn. I've begged my family to donate it to the museum, but it's just sitting in a safe deposit box....

Was hoping this would extend to when a guy stepped forward years later claiming to be Billy the Kid.

11:09 - Wow...murdered on April Fools day. Is that the Old West's version of "It's just a prank, bro?"

This might be the best biographics yet! What a story!

Say what you will, but Thàt kid had honnour.! He revenged the man who treathed him fairly.!

The way he pronounced Navajo made me chuckle

We appreciate your need for sponsorship and don't disagree with it. It's breaking up the pacing of the story when you can easily put the ad before/after that we take issue with

Billy the kid is a wild west Legend RIP

Damn did everyone in history father die ?

Billy kept his word and testified in open court then Lew Wallace just leaves the New Mexico territory and never even attempts to keep his side of the deal. Terrible! I have always wondered what would have happened if Lew Wallace wasn't such a creep.

I've always been fascinated by the story of Billy the Kid, in part because my life has paralleled his in some ways: I'm from an immigrant family (born in Germany); I grew up in the Midwest (Wisconsin); I moved to New Mexico to re-start my life; I found work--and acceptance--in an area that's almost entirely Hispanic, learning to speak (broken) Spanish and working alongside Mexican immigrants, digging trenches, doing landscaping and construction work. In fact, I'm the only "Anglo" at my job. The similarities end there, however. I never got involved in any county-wide feuds, never killed anyone, never stole horses, lol. Still, the old wild west mentality continues to permeate this area, and I do have to be on my guard and aware of my surroundings, so to speak. I'm still on the fence about Billy the Kid's reputation, as are a lot of people in New Mexico. I'm certain he killed people, but it's hard to get a good grasp on what really happened in each case, since it was a fairly lawless time, and there were no CCTV cameras or DNA tests to set records straight. Most news was nothing more than gossip, and--as Simply Legendary has said in this comment section--many law enforcement people in the old west were corrupt. A few years ago, Governor Bill Richardson reconsidered Billy's case in order to determine whether or not to issue a formal pardon for his misdeeds--and he denied the pardon. I'm not sure what he based his decision on, and I'm not sure if it was the right decision. My gut tells me that Billy the Kid was railroaded and used as a scapegoat, but my gut hasn't been certified by FBI as a CSI tool.

He was actually a good man who just had to take the law into his own hands. He was a hero to the people but hated by everyone else. Why else would the governor promise to pardon him (even though it never happened)

One of the only true gunslingers to have ever lived.

Omg yes, you should also do one on john dillinger.

This is a great series for informative and engaging videos. Any time I need to write something about an important person in history, I come to this channel. Good job, keep it up!

I still think it's great to know Billy grew up in my home town of Silver!

Billy is so cute. He was my favorite outlaw.

What a sad life. What a sad ending.

What happened to the oliver cromwell video. Saw it bit it became private. Really wanted to see that one so if you could attend it ,that would be appreciated

One of the my favorites of the Wild West, I also really enjoy the story of John Wesley Hardin

Legend has it that Billy the Kid was not shot by Garret. Instead he escaped to a small town in Texas called Hico. There he lived quietly and died at age 91.

Love all of your videos. Keep up the good work.

Love your mini-docs, very informative, and great delivery! LOVE that accent!

Before he was killed went back in time to help two teens with there history report.

He was a true hero, without Billy there would be no great movies such as young guns 1 & 2 and that he still shines to this day shows what a great legend that he was and for that I’d like to thank Billy.

Operating a monopoly from a large building in the center of town = government...

Has anyone seen Gavin???

Billy the kid is one of those old figures people say they’re related to.

You should do Pancho Villa next

I was reading the wiki on BtK and thought; "Intriguing, I want more detail. I wonder if Simon and the biographics team did a piece on him?" and here we are. Many thanks for this. May the God you don't believe in keep blessing the work you do Simon.

I couldn't stop thinking about DA CRUEL REGULATORS SMOKING CIGARO CIGARO CIGARO

Whether or not Pat Garrett actually killed Billy remains a mystery.

Billy was the first blood with his red bandana

British Vsauce

My great-great-great-great aunt is Blandina Segale and she met Billy on a couple of occasions. The first, she saved his life from a gunshot wound to the head. Then, she recieved a tip that Billy was coming to scalp the 4 doctors who wouldn't treat his friend's gunshot wound. She nursed the friend back to health and asked Billy to abandon his plan and he complied. The third is when he was in pursuit of a wagon she was riding in, trying to rob it. He looked in, saw Blandina, tipped his hat and rode away. He wasn't all bad, and apparently knew where his debts lie :)

When I first heard of Kid, it was in Kamen Rider Ghost along with other heroes (and Edison), where some complained he shouldn't be there because he's a murderer. But the more I look into him, I think he really is a hero, trying his hardest to live in the corrupt world that he lived in

I grew up in New Mexico seeing the name “Billy the Kid” on memorials and legends everywhere down south but never knew much about him. This was very interesting! I learned a lot about both Billy and New Mexico’s history I never knew!

Please do Jesse James next

14:09- That is a GIANT man kneeling.

Billy the Kid is a hero in my books. As far as we know, he only ever harmed others when his own safety or freedom were being threatened. That's not murder. It's self self-defense. Pat Garrett is the real murderer in this story, not Billy. Garrett served the corrupt establishment of the time. The creeps who ruled the world then are no different than the creeps who rule the world now. They're the kind of people who want to own other people. Those of us who don't share their tyrannical greed will never be free while such people prevail.

"Hey Peppin!" "I'm hearing ya Bonney!" "I see you got Charlie Crawford down there with ya!" *Cocks his pistol* "Yeah we got a whole lot!" *Billy shoots Charlie* "Jesus!" "Hey Peppin! Charlie Crawford ain't with ya anymore!"

I have circled back around to watch many of your videos again Simon. Speaking of Brilliant, i find you and your team's sense of humor brilliant. (see what id did there ;) ) *** A thought came to mind... i think Biographics video for Sitting BUll, and possibly Geronimo would be amazing. *** Just my thoughts.

"Best $1.80 I ever spent!"

He survived every shootout. Last man standing every time.

an interesting note is that his handwriting shows extreme intelligence and education. his penmanship was perfect and is quite astonishing to see.

8:16 "They operated from a huge wooden building . . ." Who writes this? The building still exists today. You can look it up in Google images, or actually go there. The building does have a lot of wood, but its main feature is its adobe walls.

Two things, one Billy and I share the same birthday November 23rd I've always been very proud of that fact in a way. Also , according to another documentary I watched on Billy's life it was said that he said who is it in Spanish quienes.

Opened my eyes, never knew the truth. Thanks great Bio..

Billy the Kid was probably the greatest man who ever lived.

Man, thanks for this video. I’m related to him so it’s really nice to hear some history about him

Best dollar eighty i ever spent