Who Was The Real Billy The Kid, And Who Tried To Steal His Name?

Billy the Kid is one of the most recognizable names of the American Wild West. Born William Henry McCarty, he became a legendary outlaw whose reputation far outlived his death in 1881. After his death, a young man in Tombstone tried to claim the famous nickname for himself. Unlike the original Billy the Kid, he became the town's clown, not a legend.

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Billy the Kid

Born in New York in 1859 to Irish immigrant parents, Billy had a difficult childhood. His father died young, and his mother passed away when he was 15. Though he initially worked honest jobs, he eventually turned to stealing food, clothing, and later firearms.

At 16, he was arrested for stealing a pistol but escaped custody two days later, beginning his life as a fugitive. He fled to Arizona, where he worked as a ranch hand while continuing to gamble, drink, and cause trouble. In 1877, a card-game dispute ended with him fatally shooting another man and fleeing to New Mexico. There, under the name Billy the Kid, he became one of the most famous outlaws of the Old West.

READ: How Ed Shefflin Discovered Silver And Founded Tombstone

Cows grazing in a grassy field under a cloudy sky — Photo by Bruce Barrow on Unsplash

Billy Claiborne

William "Billy" Claiborne arrived in Arizona as a young cowboy and eventually settled in the booming mining town of Tombstone. Known as a gambler, cowboy, and troublemaker, he became associated with the Cochise County Cowboys. In 1881, he shot and killed a man named James Hickey during an argument, but the killing was ruled self-defense.

Claiborne is best remembered for his "involvement" in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He stood with Ike Clanton and the Cowboys as tensions with the Earps reached a breaking point. When the shooting began, Claiborne claimed he was unarmed and fled. Though unharmed, many Tombstone residents viewed his actions as cowardly, severely damaging his reputation. After that day, he was known as "The coward of Tombstone."

A Stolen Legacy

After both the gunfight and Henry McCarty's death in 1881, Claiborne began telling Tombstone residents he was the new Billy the Kid. He even claimed to have shot three men who refused to use the nickname, though records show he had only shot one. Most residents saw it as an obvious attempt to borrow the real Billy the Kid's fame.

The nickname made Claiborne a target for ridicule and challenges from other gunmen. In November 1882, he drunkenly argued with gambler and gunfighter Frank Leslie over the issue. After threatening Leslie and confronting him with a rifle, Claiborne was shot and killed in self-defense.

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Though both men were young outlaws named William, their legacies could not have been more different. Henry McCarty became a Wild West legend, while Billy Claiborne is remembered as the man who tried to steal another outlaw's name and lost his life doing it.

CONTINUE READING: What Wyatt Earp Did After Leaving The Wild West Behind