There’s an old saying in Hico, Texas and it goes like this: “Hico Texas, where everybody is somebody”. What they mean by that is, Hico had a certain resident, who went by the name of William Henry Roberts, aka “Brushy Bill” Roberts. What is so interesting about “Brushy Bill”, is that near the end of his life in December of 1950, “Brushy Bill” claimed to be none other than the infamous outlaw, “Billy the Kid”.
There have been many debates, stories, and opinions fostered over the years. Several men stepped forward claiming to be Billy the Kid, stating that Pat Garrett did not shoot and kill the Kid that dark night over a hundred years ago. In 1948, probate investigator William V. Morrison went to Florida to clear up an inheritance dispute of a man named Joe Hines. During the interviews, it was determined that Joe Hines was Jesse Evans, a Lincoln County War survivor and an old acquaintance of Billy the Kid. Evans told Morrison that Billy the Kid was not shot by Garrett: the Kid was alive and living in Hamilton County, Texas, as Ollie L. “Brushy Bill” Roberts.In June 1949, Morrison visited Brushy Bill. Brushy Bill said he was born William Henry Roberts on December 11, 1859, in Buffalo Gap, Texas. He took the name of his cousin Ollie Roberts after his cousin died. Brushy Bill admitted that he was Billy because he wanted to pursue the pardon Governor Wallace had promised him in 1879, and be pardoned for his crimes before he died.
Kuna msemo wa zamani katika Hico, Texas na huenda kama hii: "Hico Texas, ambapo kila mtu ni mtu". Kile wanachomaanisha ni kwamba, Hico alikuwa na mkaaji fulani, ambaye aliitwa William Henry Roberts, pia anajulikana kama <unk>Brushy Bill<unk> Roberts. "Bushy Bill, ambaye aliishi miaka ya 50 kabla ya kifo chake, alidai kuwa ""Billy the Kid.""" Kumekuwa na mijadala mingi, hadithi, na maoni yaliyoendelezwa kwa miaka mingi. "Wanaume kadhaa walijitokeza wakidai kuwa ni Billy the Kid, wakisema kwamba Pat Garrett hakufyatua risasi na kumuua Kid usiku huo wa giza zaidi ya miaka mia moja iliyopita.""" Mwaka 1948, William V. Morrison, mtafiti wa mashtaka ya urithi, alienda Florida ili kusuluhisha mzozo wa urithi wa mtu aitwaye Joe Hines. Katika mahojiano hayo, iligunduliwa kwamba Joe Hines alikuwa Jesse Evans, aliyeokoka vita vya Lincoln County na rafiki wa zamani wa Billy the Kid. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Billy the Kid"" alikuwa hai na aliishi katika Kaunti ya Hamilton, Texas, kama Ollie L. Roberts, ""Brushy Bill"" Roberts, ""Brushy Bill"" Roberts, ""Brushy Bill"" Roberts, ""Brushy Bill"" Roberts, ""Brushy Bill"" Roberts." "Bushy Bill aliitwa ""William Henry Roberts"" na alizaliwa tarehe 11 Desemba 1859 huko Buffalo Gap, Texas." Alichukua jina la binamu yake Ollie Roberts baada ya binamu yake kufa. "Bushy Bill alikiri kuwa alikuwa ""Billy"" kwa sababu alitaka kupata msamaha ambao Gavana Wallace alikuwa amemwahidi mwaka 1879 na kupewa msamaha kwa makosa yake kabla ya kufa."