“Nothing changes more than the past.” Great comment.

My father was really into western, books, movies, history, etc. I remember him reading Louis L'Amour over and over among other articles. He lived in the Nevada, Arizona area while growing up and would regularly visit family throughout his life until his death. I remember books laying around and he would read them over and over through the years. He watched a lot of old westerns and anything new that came out and would include me with the movie watching on Friday nights. We would get some sleeping bags to camp in the living room, ice cream, and a coke. He would usually drink himself to sleep and I would finish the movie on my own before shutting off the VCR and TV. One thing my mother had always said was, "Your father was born about 100 years too late."

My Great Grandmother use to tell how The Dalton Gang would hide out in her Father in Law's bard after they would rob a train. My 2X Great Grand Father lived in Perry, Okla his name was Chief Hoke Dent, they would leave the barn door open and the Dalton Gang after Robbing a train or bank would ride into Indian terrority and hide out in his barn. His wife would bring out dinner and breakfast to them. When they would leave my 2 X Great grandmother would go out to get the dishes and The Dalton Gang would leave a stack of gold coins on a wood barrel.

In 1950, I was 12 years old. I was a big reader then, and now. I went to my local library, to check out some books, and found "The Saga of Billy the Kid," by Walter Noble Burns. I read it, and it left me with a life long fascination for the kid. I happened to mention this to one of my cousins, and a few days later I received a brand new copy of my own. It's still in Print, since 1927. I have been re-reading it, and enjoying it very much. Because I know so much more now about the kid, and his story, this read is not quite the same. Gone are the stars in my eyes. I believe you are correct when you said that this book made Billy Bonny a super star. It absolutely did!

Love your work Bob, I'm a massive western fan all the way from down under Australia, my man cave is like going back in time with so much western stuff everywhere.

Hello Bob, I was at the Denver photo auction and actually spoke to you earlier that day. What a day!

Dear Bob: I’ve followed you and your work on The Kid’s life for years. Watching this episode made me decide to get your “Final Word”. Thank you for all that you’ve done here.

My grandfather always believed the Pat Garrett shot Billy from cover underneath a bed or couch that was on the walkway (porch). I didn't know enough to believe or disbelieve his story, but I just saw a short film by a man that knew the Maxwells and his account was essentially the same. My grandad was born in 1881, went to the NM School of Mines in Socorro. Evidently he knew someone who also knew Billy and Maxwell's adopted daughter, who, I believe was Billy's girlfriend. He said she was his babysitter.

Being American Indian and a history buff, I have loved True West since I was a kid. So, many thanks to you, Sir. So glad you've brought up Mr. Utley and Mr. Hutton, two historians that I respect immensely. I absolutely agree with you entirely, the story Garrett told just doesn't make any sense. No photos of the Kid's corpse? Really? Nonsense. If the Kid had been killed, there would have been photographs, with as much evidence as possible.

i am a younger kid now getting into history i love learning about it and it opens my mind to how it was back then and then now!

The only thing that really makes me doubt about Billy's death is the fact that there is no picture of him being dead. A wanted outlaw like him? A thirsty dog lile Garrett? Not a single picture taken? Like , it wasnt that all of that happen in a shootout in the middle of nowhere with a killing weather, it wasnt in battle, it was IN a room, and ambush, well planned and orchestrated, patiently pulled off and yet nobody took a fuckin picture? Hell we dont have pictures of the Dalton gang while being a gang, just the one where they are dead. We have a lot of pictures of a lot of dead outlaws who werent as notorious as billys and yet, knowing also that before his death there was only one picture of him? Cough we dont have a Bin Ladens dead pic either Cough. Just SAYIN.

Bob Boze Bell. After all the news and interviews about the way that Frank Hamer and Maney Gault orchestrated the trap and assassination of Bonnie and Clyde; I find it easy to accept your theory of the taking down of Billy the Kid. It's the intelligent way to avoid a shoot out with someone who would not hesitate to kill. Well done.

My Dad had a subscription to True West! I remember reading them, in the '70s. It gave me a true love of the "ole west". Thank you for keeping the magazine & my curiosity alive!

My great great grandmother was Odilia Maxwell. Pete’s sister. Through sayings passed down I don’t believe Billy the Kid was killed that night!

I lived in Torrence County, NM, (the county just north of Lincoln County) in the early 1990's. The county phone book was only about 1/4" to 1/2" thick but used space to publish a short history of an old timer who told story of a character, Uncle Billy. who was rumored to be Billy the Kid and who always went armed. The story-teller as a young man was on horseback running in front of a rain storm and came to a sliding stop in front of Uncle Billy's house and burst into the house only to come face-to-face with a .45 in the hands of Uncle Billy.

Just bought my copy today. Keep up the good work Bob!

Love cave creek .. and ur program !😬 So much to learn about the old west and is many colorful characters !!!

This is one of the greatest chat style vids with awesome backdrop ever!

I’ve loved True West since the seventies. Every article, cover to cover, kept me riveted.

I really enjoy ur True West Magazines and books! Keep up the good work, Bob! 👍❤😁

I re-watched this Bob, and enjoyed it again. There is a KZfaq video somewhere, that someone made testing the theory of using dimes in a shotgun. He set up a block of geletin, and a large paper target. He loaded some rounds with dimes, and then buckshot. The dimes literally scattered, and did nothing! He shot more than once, with the same results. So much for that story. Of course, the buckshot was a different story. I believe Ollinger would have tested his dime loads, had he actually been using them. That said, I think the kid gave him a load of 00 buck out of his own 10 gauge shotgun. From all accounts, Ollinger deserved it!

It is a treat to get Bob’s perception on whether the Kid lived to old age. He sums it up well. There may be noteworthy considering if the same belief was associated with James, and other criminals

Bob, You are such a Great teller of these Western Stories. I am going to buy the Book of the Saga of Billy the Kid. Will be looking for Your Book as well. Thanks.

Hey thanks soooooooooo much for your wonderful information and your amazing, infectious story-telling!!!

So as I sit and watch I am impressed and truly enjoy your post. I'm looking at a a picture of Butch Cassidy as you are talking about Billy's death. What's your feelings on Butch and his death? Just wondering 🤔

I just started watching your videos and I love them

I totally agree with you on this!!! I never ever thought Billy was shot by Pat Garrett!!

You tell wonderful true stories about the old west Mr Bell. They are so interesting.

Would love to hear more about the life of Pat Garrett, nobody really talks about him out of context of Billy the kid

Mr. Bell, as always, Great Stuff! Many Thanks!

If you never got to watch Bob Munden, search KZfaq and watch him. Fastest draw and shot ever recorded. He is outspoken and he knew he was the best and the fastest. Anyways, he said something along the lines of back in the old west days guys were shot in the back. There were no high noon standoffs outside of a saloon like portrayed in movies. I have no doubt it was like this and I am going to get this gentleman’s book to read. But the fact that Garrett possibly shot Billy like a dog unarmed is very believable.

Thank you. I lived in NM for over 40 years and have been to all those places you spoke of about Billy the Kid. I live in Ohio now and I miss NM.

Huge fan and follower thank you for all the stories and research youve done.. Ive always been skeptical of the death of Billy i dont doubt he died but the hows and why..

I enjoy listening to you speak, I enjoy the magazine, I thank you for your time and knowledge, much appreciation!

It might not have been your idea but I hope you see that people LOVE these FB/YT chats you do.

I had a book about old west outlaws in the mid 60's with that famous photo of the kid. My Dad noticed the loading gate on the Winchester was on the wrong side and the photo was reversed. He said Billy was right handed and now I know he was right and I took that as irrefutably proof from that day to now.

Bob Bell, great Radio Face lol. Nice to see you again!

Thank you for your stories Mr. Bell

Can't wait until we can go see Bob and Marshall speak to groups, again !!!!

Loved this man please do more live chats answering questions ! Much love and respect from the UK.

would love to know if you've seen the Red Dead Redemption console games and what do you think about them. They Introduced a new generation to Westerns, me included and I bet helped in the sales of your books too lol. love your artwork and stories you write.

Why was there no photo of the body which was the practiced at the time

In 1963 I was in the United States Air Force stationed in New Mexico I was talking to a man in his early '90s and really the kids subject came up and he swore to God that he never was killed the way it's gone down in history that he end up going to Mexico for a while before moving back to Texas and down of old age and I've always believed him That's all I got

Hello Bob, from Bethungra Australia in 2013 I was in San tan valley visiting my daughter, dam I wish I knew you were around the corner.

The top tech of that era was photography. Anyone with noteriety would have been immortalised and shown off in a pine box. Pat Garrett would have certainly been paid a reward, and would most certainly have a more lucrative book to sell.

My grandfather knew the Maxwell family quite well and he told me that Pat Garrett shot the wrong man by mistake and had to cover it up. Whether it's true or not... is anybody's guess. Like you said, "Nothing changes more than the past."

Today on that corner in Santa Fe is EVANGELO'S BAR. There is a brass plaque that was moved from the sidewalk to the building wall. Same bar "Bad Blake' (Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart) and I have played. LOL.

In the past week I've watched so many different videos on Mr. Bonnie. And each has their own take. All brilliant. I would love for all these people to get together, in good cheer, and have a discussion, or maybe even a debate, over some of these details...like did Billy really live on.

Not sure you know this but Koch built a replica in a western town in Paonia CO about 10yr ago which I did most of the interior finishes on. I also worked for David in Aspen

Love your pronunciation of Prescott 😂 my friend lives there great story telling verbal history is always impressive to me

It's my life dream to see the places and artifacts that you've saw in the old west over the years. I'm from east Tennessee but really interested in the old west, thank you for this.

Always very Interesting and informative.

1. As I stated earlier, I’m fused to your narrative! 2. There’s going to be a Young Guns III? Sumbidge! 3. I’m working on a story about a relative who’s passed about ten years ago, but he shared his adventures with me about life and exploits during the Cristero uprising in Mexico. Your storytelling method is very inspiring.

Great video, thanks for sharing. DO MORE

I'm directly related to Pat Garrett, I have always had a passing interest in the subject. We have a few old revolvers from back then because we had ranchers in the family.

Concerning Bob Olinger using dimes in his shotgun. I don't know if he did or not but I saw a video of someone shooting a side of hog ( i believe it was hog ) and many of the dimes bounced off with only a few penetrating. Dimes did not perform as well as buckshot,,,

I own a Sports Collectibles Store. People call me for advice all the time on their stuff. I have noticed people get mad when you don't tell them what they want to hear. I always just end the conversation immediately and abruptly once I sense any hostility. Kind of like the people who get mad about their Billy the Kid pics.

You’re the coolest historian I’ve ever seen on KZfaq and I would love to get the chance to meet you🤠

I think that your take is more worldly and thus more realistic, but i would like to see a debate with the " original" view with someone who also knows their stuff. You do a great job by the way!

thank you from Roswell, love how you story tell.

I never was interested in the old west but your videos have made me a fan.

I’m such a fan of billy the kid I watch so many documentary’s on him it’s unreal! I read so much about him as well, best film about him was young guns! It’s unreal how much that film had so much real facts about he’s killings with bell, rob loads it’s unreal

Hello from England, just found this video it's all good stuff thank-you

Any suggestions on finding any information of Jose Chavez??

I enjoyed hearing the old western history listening to my dad and my grandmother talked about what it was like. I was in a small truck stop in Oregon back in the early 90s and ran across a few old copies of the magazine. Found out it was still in print and subscribe to it

Thanx for that, very informative.

That's a nice stove imagine buying that from the Sears catalog and having it delivered straight to the farm. Now with the way the supply chain is going we can't even get one at the store

Love the Legend and Stories of the Kid. Without doubt my FAVOURITE Old West Hero. So much to admire about this Young Man. Id love to believe he survived.

The real question should be is just how connected was Billy? Billy came into my real life living mystery in 2013 when an El Paso Police Officer advertised to people visiting the cemetery my great uncle is buried in that he was a companion to Billy. My 1st step after finding out various things was calling the social security office to look for clues on my great grandfather. He had a sideshow he travelled our country with. It was called "The Hollywood Sideshow." He was written about in a book titled "Freaks, Geeks, and Vagabonds." The story of one handshake away notables of their time is enough to keep my mind spinning and searching. As my uncle was the miner for the man over the 1st holding company in all America. This man was William Collins Whitney. His 1st wife was Flora Payne. Sister of Oliver Hazard Payne. His 2nd wife was Edith Randolph. The daughter of the Doctor who examined both Abe Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. When I called the social security office my grandfather used both names as last names for him and his father. John Edward Sundstrom or stage name of "Johnny Howard." Trailing any of them has been a ride out of this world. :As he put his mother down as a world famous fictional character. Definitely a fluke right! Not I finally figured out the other day not only did my uncle's son date the daughter of Evangeline Crawford-Daughter of Captain Jack Crawford but that I have a picture of my great grandmother( the supposedly fictional one) in a picture with Evangeline Crawford-meaning there was more than one family member connected to the Crawford's. Then like one of the partners in my uncles oil company was a judge that had a law partner who was the attorney for Harry Ford Sinclair. The Mc Kinney Family is a tie in. But not from there. From when Billy was a kid in school. The Mc Kinney family was also connected to Collin Mc Kinney. The Mc Kinney Family had a son that worked in Tom Green county for the MS Ranch. Who was in partnership with Adam Schuster of St. Joseph MO. Whose business associates were the men who brought about "The Pony Express" The history of entanglements in my story seems to be never ending. The world famous fictional character I get the HONOR of being named after in this one life to live? Katie O'Hara as in Gone with the Wind. The connections. Figuring them out who and why they would do this to any one? Say their family never existed!? Come to find out Buffalo Bill used to live south of me here near St. Louis. Boy oh boy how about the Sierra Madre Trading Company? My uncle was involved with the quarry that provided the stone for most of the courthouses, post offices, and other buildings in Texas~ with "The Peco's Red Sandstone Company. The man who paid to say my great grandmother never existed was the grandson of Mr. Whitney. His mom was Helen Hay. The daughter of John Hay. Abe'synopsis

Fact is nobody today knows what really happened Garrett was a crook and liar so is it possible he killed the wrong man yes is it possible he killed Billy sure is anyone claiming to be a expert on this issue today is not they can only retell stories they have heard

Brad Meltzer's show " decoded" show about that Billy the kid was not dead. In that show it said that Pat Garret may have helped Billy the kid escape from jail, why then did Pat Garret shoot Billy? How much time past between the kid escaping from jail and Pat Garret killing the kid? This does not make sense! If Pat shot the wrong person, why did he say he killed the kid if he helped the kid escape from jail before? And If Pat Garret lied about shooting the wrong man what made Pat Garret think that no one would question it? Very interesting!

You are such a great energy … your obsession with the old west .. every wonder where it comes from .. (past life?)

I would love for you to do one about my favorite John Westley harden

I just ordered a copy of the book, and look forward to reading it.

the irony here for me is that both billy and jesse james were unarmed at their times of death. both being on the run and yet both caught with their guards down.

Why is the sound not in sync

The only history that you know is what you see with your own eyes everything else is hear say and that's the truth God Bless you

what year did charley seringos billy the kid book come out

My grandpa grew up in southwest Arkansas/southeast Oklahoma. He use to talk about Jesse James family and visiting his mother often when he was child.

Let me preface this by saying that because of the John Kennedy assassination I learned an awful lot about ballistics and how firearms at how bullets work and subsequently the physics and physical realities of gunfights. I never understood the Pat Garrett creation of the death of Billy the Kid. It still doesn't make sense that he just decided to shoot somebody that he couldn't possibly have known who they were when he shot them. Then he doesn't even go to the trouble of verifying the death by having the body photographed. That is hugely unusual for that period of time. As a result that the very best I can tell you that Billy the Kid did not die the way by Pat Garrett, a close friend of his, said he did. Whether or not he lived in obscurity because Pat Garrett killed whoever he chose to kill that night is a completely different question. There are people who knew Billy the Kid who verified that bushy bill was Billy the Kid he had the same scars and the same places and he had the body build that definitely was consistent with Billy the Kid. The photograph comparison doesn't work for me because I've seen people that in their 40s change their facial structure enough to look enough different that their photographs will not align. Surprisingly, I did study the background and verification of the croquet photo. And that isn't Billy the Kid in that photograph, that Billy the Kid had an identical twin. I believe that photo to be absolutely genuine. The thought that the second photo of Billy the Kid is going to sell for twice as much as the tintype sold for is a Fool's dream.

The similar strategy used by Garret when he and his deputies killed Tom O’Foliard.

Unfortunately this mystery will never be solved..I am 50/50 with the situation...Thankyou for sharing👍👍🇦🇺

I agree with Mckinney's version of the killing of the Kid. Pat Garret was an ambush killer. When the boys rode into town that snowy night Garret and the pose just opened up on the group mortally wounding one of the regulatorsTom O'flanery. The boys hauled out and wound up at the rock cabin @ Stinking Springs. With the snow it was easy to track them. Garrets posse laid low out side & when someone walked out to feed the horses they just opened up mortally woundind Charley Boudre. Apparentley Charley was wearing the Kids sombrero or one like it. The point I'm making is Garret just shot first from cover & I personally find that either cowardly or smart in terms of his quarry. I think if we knew the absolute truth about history in general, we would have a slightly different take on things. Keep up the good work. William

I just managed to get my hands on the last copy of Billy the kids Illustrated final words! I should have it by the end of the month, I am so excited to get my hands on this. I bought the first edition nearly 30 years ago, maybe I could get Bob to sign this one the next time i head out to Mesa? Hey there’s nothing wrong with hoping!😅

The confessionals Episode 307 The man who died twice. I started doing my own research after I listened to these guys and Holy shit yall. The truth is crazier than you could ever imagine.

Nowadays if billy the kid would’ve done the same things people would think he’s a monster but to have it happen so long ago people love him

HELLO BOB

i was always stuck on the part about garret being able to walk into dudes house &bedroom, and sit on edge of his bed, no dogs? wide open door?..alot was going on for him to be in such a deep sleep, with front door wide open

How do I go about getting a subscription with Mr Bob's autograph on it? No joke I really want one 🤠

Por favor ntd. Em português por favor. E importante essas informações sobre velho oeste

No one knows , now days how he died. Sad but true.

I find your video on Wyatt Earp I think and I enjoy that video and I got this one of Billy the Kid I also enjoying the western history too

pat garret and billy the kid were friends actually. i think garrett only said he killed the kid was to get his bounty and get the law off his back. and is also why the kid when to Texas and hid out there.

Thank you for these wonderful tributes

Thank-you to who covered Bob Olinger

Hello Bob, it would be interesting to hear more about the real members of the regulators verses the versions of them in young guns.

I would like to know why the deputy would say it doesn't like Bill the kid and was buried before anyone could say it was or wasn't the kid

You mention James Dean as a predecessor to Billy. Dean was to star in "The Left Handed Gun" but died before filming began - and was replaced by Paul Newman as you correctly said.

I love listening to this dear man. I knew Bill Freeman-famous western artist from Scottsdale. Did you know Ted Bundy quit smoking?

Another part of history of Billy the kid, his mother. Catherine (Devine) Antrim (abt. 1830 - 1874) ... Wife of Patrick McCarty before moving to New Mexico she was a very powerful person in Wichita Ks. She owned her own property ran a laundry mat and she was the only woman to sign the petition that helped incorporate the town.