|
|
Post by MissyS on May 6, 2017 14:48:47 GMT -5
I know this forum is for the book Saga of Billy the Kid, but it does say other books and documentation also welcome here, so I hope it's alright to post this here? In the book " The Complete and Factual life of Billy the Kid" by William Brent, he states that Billy's height was 5'6 and 1/2 , the tallest he will ever be, and 130 lbs, and that Billy was sensitive or conciencious about his height so he wore tall hats and wore boots with built up heels, Im not saying this is correct as most writings on Billy say he's 5'8, and around 140 lbs, I know the weight more or less can vary, but Im wondering if his height was figured minus his hat and boots or from top of hat to bottom of boots? Im wondering if other writers went along with the 5'8 because that's what other writers said?, but then again I also read in other sources that Billy was 5'9. In the croquet photo his height was measured by the croquet mallet and the outcome was 5'8 but was that the top of his hat?, and if he wore built up heels to accentuate his height then could that measurement be correct?, and was Brushy's height measured in his stocking feet minus his hat? Could Brushy's height really be 5'6 and 1/2 too? Also in another chapter the aurthor stated that Billy in so many words was a good horseman but he was no "Bronc Peeler" because his size handicapped him from large horses. I find this hard to believe because he rustled horses and cattle, but I was wondering if there was a size limit to bronco ride back in the day? This book was published in 1964 so Brent could've, should've heard about Brushy Bill and maybe didn't believe him personally and so wrote this, so I don't take this as facts, but probably more his opinion? I just wonder how accurate the heights on both really are?
|
|
|
|
Post by mikegolfpro on May 8, 2017 13:45:51 GMT -5
I always thought he was around 5'8",135 or so. That was about the average height back in those days. It is very interesting the points you bring up though Missy S.
|
|
|
|
Post by mckinley412 on Sept 19, 2017 20:00:31 GMT -5
I was thinking about this again. It would be nice to see exactly how these heights are measured. I wish I knew exactly how to do it. Maybe I can with rifle pic but I need to know how long the croquet stick is also.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Sept 19, 2017 22:27:46 GMT -5
A long time ago, I used the famous tintype of Billy to measure his height. I had the correct length of the rifle and scaled my ruler to match that. Then I used the same scale to measure Billy from the sole of his foot (at the heel, not counting the boot) to about where the top of his head would be. The result was about 5' 8". I say "about" only because the top of his head had to estimated.
|
|
|
|
Post by Roberto on Feb 27, 2020 12:08:06 GMT -5
I've seen Billy's wanted poster put out by Lew Wallace stating his height as 5feet 3inches, surely he would have known Billy's height after meeting with him. It's not hard to judge a person's height when meeting person to person
|
|
|
|
Post by Elwood on Feb 28, 2020 11:51:11 GMT -5
I've seen Billy's wanted poster put out by Lew Wallace stating his height as 5feet 3inches, surely he would have known Billy's height after meeting with him. It's not hard to judge a person's height when meeting person to person |
|
|
|
Post by Elwood on Feb 28, 2020 11:53:38 GMT -5
Keep in mind that Joe McCarty Antrim (the Kid's half-brother) was 5 ft. 9 in. tall and supposedly larger and taller than the Kid. I doubt the extra inch over 5 ft. 8 in. tall for the Kid, would have been "taller". I think Roberto is closer to the height of the Kid. Just my opinion, but based on documentation if Joe Antrim's height in 1916 in Denver, Colorado.
|
|
|
|
Post by leeb on Feb 28, 2020 12:15:58 GMT -5
I've seen Billy's wanted poster put out by Lew Wallace stating his height as 5feet 3inches, surely he would have known Billy's height after meeting with him. It's not hard to judge a person's height when meeting person to person I'm not so sure there ever was a wanted poster for Billy but I think your closer to the kids height. Brushy's fan club added a few inches over the years to make his claim more viable. |
|
|
|
Post by mckinley412 on Mar 8, 2020 14:07:39 GMT -5
that 5'3 poster was a souvenier poster. his true height was measured compared to the rifle he was holding. nobody ever described him as short.
|
|
|
|
Post by Roberto on Mar 10, 2020 9:48:55 GMT -5
That maybe so, never the less, it still gives his height as 5feet 3inches, he was said to be small and acted a mere school boy. Wasn't the average height 5feet 8inches back then? Why then wasn't he described as of average height?
|
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Mar 10, 2020 9:57:56 GMT -5
I don't have the graphic anymore but at one point I did personally measure the height in the tintype based on the length of the rifle and the result was 5'8". I don't know why anyone would claim differently but photos don't lie. There's just 3 possibilities. 1) He was 5'8" tall (give or take a fraction) or 2) the famous tintype is not BTK or 3) the rifle in the photo was some kind of shorter version of what we believe it was. Only option (1) is really believable. He was right about 5'8". That's a fact.
|
|
|
|
Post by kerry on Mar 10, 2020 10:10:44 GMT -5
And the croquet mallet -used to authenticate that amazing image -also put BTK at 5 foot 8 inches..
|
|
|
|
Post by leeb on Mar 10, 2020 11:29:21 GMT -5
'Give or take ' isn't a fact it's an 'ESTIMATE '
|
|
|
|
Post by leeb on Mar 10, 2020 11:31:27 GMT -5
And the croquet picture never sold as it had no proof or provenance whatsoever
|
|
|
|
Post by leeb on Mar 10, 2020 12:18:05 GMT -5
There is only 1 picture of Billy. Was he standing on an even floor? Was the butt of his rifle on an even floor? How big was the heels of his boots? Was his hat perched on the top of his head or maybe pulled down? Sorry, what was his height again?  ? |
|
?