BILLY THE KID
As Told by Arda LaCroix

Before Hollywood, before the myth hardened into legend, there was Billy the Kid — outlaw, folk hero, and symbol of the untamed West. Shot dead at just 21, Henry H. McCarty's brief life became the stuff of sensational headlines, dime novels, and stage plays.

This 1907 retelling by stage actor Arda LaCroix casts Billy not as a ruthless killer, but as a daring Robin Hood figure: bold, loyal, and beloved. Riding his faithful bronco, Silverheels, Billy robs the rich, charms the crowd, and captures the spirit of a vanishing frontier.

Adapted from the popular stage play by Walter Wood and Joseph Santley, this version is a relic of early 20th-century theater and pop culture — complete with a cover likely depicting actor Berkeley Haswell, who brought Billy to life on stage from 1912 to 1915.

A rare glimpse into how the West was remembered and romanticized just a decade after its end, this edition is a time capsule of an American legend in the making.

This story was written over a century ago and is a product of its time. It contains some social prejudices, stereotypes, and racial attitudes from the era that, thankfully, are not normalized today.