|
Post by Texas Truth Teller on Aug 31, 2016 16:24:49 GMT -5
Wayne, I’m glad you asked. I do not think Severo was a liar or mistaken.
For an unbiased response from Severo, Morrison should have introduced Brushy Bill to Severo as someone he had known in his childhood. Instead, Morrison introduced Brushy Bill as William Bonney, practically daring Severo to disagree. Severo disagreed, told the truth, and said Brushy Bill was too young to be Billy the Kid. Morrison continued to hope for a sworn affidavit that Brushy Bill was Billy the Kid, and encouraged Severo to meet with Brushy Bill again. Did Severo agree that Brushy Bill was William Bonney to please Morrison? Did Severo agree that Brushy Bill was William Bonney so Morrison would stop bothering him? Did Severo find a face saving way to change his opinion and provide the response Morrison obviously wanted? Severo had already stated his opinion that Brushy Bill was too young to be Billy the Kid. Morrison did not respect Severo’s honest and accurate initial response.
Severo told the truth. Brushy Bill was too young to be Billy the Kid. That was not what Morrison wanted to hear.
|
|
|
Post by clydec on Aug 31, 2016 17:54:55 GMT -5
I recently spoke to a descendent of Severo Gallegos and she said that Severo believed that Brushy was the kid right up until the day he died! She said many other old time Mexican people in New Mexico believed Brushy was the kid as well! She told me she was going to try and locate some documents from the meeting between Brushy and Severo.
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Aug 31, 2016 20:48:30 GMT -5
Yes, I've always thought Severo really believed Brushy was the kid. But to Texas Truth Teller I say, stop the double talk. You know I'm asking you whether you believe Severo's affidavit was a lie or a mistake. Answer the question. Do you think Severo became convinced Brushy really was Billy? If you do, then it really doesn't matter so much about his first impression. If you want to suggest he changed from his first impression in order to satisfy Morrison then Severo "lied" in the affidavit. If you want to accept that he didn't lie, that is that he honestly decided Brushy was the kid, but that he was wrong, then he was "mistaken" in the affidavit. It has to be one or the other, he was mistaken or he lied. You can't have it both ways. So what's the answer?
Oh wait, I forgot the one other possible explanation. Brushy really was Billy The Kid and Severo got it right in the affidavit.
|
|
|
Post by Texas Truth Teller on Aug 31, 2016 23:29:13 GMT -5
"So what's the answer?"
Billy the Kid was killed in 1881. The poor old 80 year old man was mistaken when he revised his initial correct response. But he's not the only one that has fallen for Brushy Bill's yarn. Even the esteemed Bill O'Reilly bought a ticket on the fantasy train.
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Sept 1, 2016 0:58:14 GMT -5
You do understand they spoke at length about events from the LCW and Severo stated no one else had eyes like that? He really was convinced both from the conversation and Brushy's appearance. He stated "O.L. Roberts has the same blue-grey eyes, with brown spots in them; that his nose is straight, with high cheek bones, large ears, small feet and hands with large wrists, and he stands as straight as he stood in Lincoln County days: that he is still fast on the draw; that he talks and laughs the same, and looks the same in many ways; that he has no teeth now, and his hair is nearly gray with some dark streaks in it." He then states he is of "firm belief that Billy The Kid and O.L. Roberts are one and the same person."
Doesn't sound to me like the statement of someone who was uncertain of what he was saying. Note the words "firm belief". When he first met Brushy he was surprised that he looked as young as he did but that was not his final opinion. And his final opinion which he held for the rest of his life is what counts here.
|
|
|
Post by montanas on Sept 1, 2016 8:53:00 GMT -5
That Severo at first thought Brushy to be too young shouldn't surprise us. Everyone said Billy looked younger than what he really was. That can carry over for a person throughout the rest of their life. I have met and know people who you would swear they were 100 but who turn out to be in their seventies and people you would think couldn't be over forty who turned out to be sixty. My dad is seventy four and I constantly have people who haven't seen him for a while tell me when they do that he cannot be out of his sixties. I knew a woman in Texas was ninety six. When she told me her age I nearly fell over. I would have said she was in her seventies. She had burried two husbands and two children and only living daughter was 78. She looked older than her mom. This woman's personality was jovial and happy. I think this goes a long way in helping people stay, or at least appear young. There is a man in my church who just turned eighty. He is as strong and active as men half his age. He walks six miles a day, breaks horses, and still throws sixty pound hay bales. He's had a back fusion and complete shoulder repair. Again, he looks and acts the age of someone much younger. Therefore the argument that Brushy looking to young really doesn't have any legs to stand on.
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Sept 1, 2016 12:12:40 GMT -5
Absolutely! And I'll throw in my experience as well. In the late 1980's I was a piano salesman in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I sold a $17,000 home organ to a man who drove himself to the store, was spry and healthy in appearance and behavior, full head of hair, etc. After we completed the sale he asked me to guess his age. In truth he looked to be around 70 but I tried to be nice about it and suggested 60. Turns out, he was 102 years old and was purchasing the organ so he could entertain the dying wish of his 101 year old wife who was bed ridden at home. He was caring for her full time, himself, doing all the cooking, cleaning, etc. 102 years old.
|
|
|
Post by mckinley412 on Sept 1, 2016 21:35:37 GMT -5
I've also known old people like that pushing 100. The thing that convinces me about Bush's age though is when I heard him on the one recording I mentioned elsewhere. He sounds more like a 90 year old man than a 70 year old man. He was very hard to understand he sounded very old. I believe Gallegos was pretty well convinced that he was Billy the Kid because if I remember right Gallegos contacted Morrison wanting another look and Morrison was about ready to forget it. Gallegos was very curious about Brushy. Gallegos was so convinced that he just needed one more thing to convince him for certain. Or maybe he was just a crazy old man that like signing affidavits
|
|