Croquet

The content of the photograph included a bunch of men playing croquet. Now you must be wondering what is so special about that? Well, Randy had felt an immediate connection with the picture and he decided to buy it. Unfortunately, the man had only $2 with him at that time. However, he did not have to negotiate with the storekeeper as the seller cheerfully traded the pictures with him in $2 believing it to be a waste. Well, the shopkeeper was going to regret his decision very soon. But first, let’s find out about the unique content of the picture. 

Historical Game

Liz Larsson of  UK’s Croquet Association said, “Croquet became popular in the 1860s because it was the first sport that women could play on the same terms as men, and men and women could play each other. It had a huge boost in its popularity.” In the UK, however, it was still not a game for the masses: “Not really. You needed a lawn, and a fairly large one.”

Unknown To Relevance

Randy excitedly brought the photos home with him. Randy knew that the men in the picture were playing croquet but what itched him the most was their identity. He did not know who were they and he really wanted to know about that. He said, “No idea who they were. It’s almost like a shadowy haze.”  No doubt the color and the composition of the photograph was extremely fascinating for him. He decided to take help of internet to find out who are they. 

Search Is On!

But what was he going to type in the search query? He looked at the photograph one more time. This time he did find something strange. There was a man standing in the middle of the group with a croquet stick donning a hat and stripy sweatshirt. Strangely, he looked very familiar to Randy. Who was he looking like? After straining all his nerve he realized that the man in picture carries a great resemblance to Billy The Kid, a notorious gunfighter and gang member of bygones. 

Dilemma

Though he was kind of had inkling that the man in the picture was Billy the Kid, he still was not sure. In order to put an end to his doubt, he decided to ask his wife Linda for help who he thinks of as a “wonderful, pragmatic woman.” The pair did an extensive research and studied a number of photographs featuring Billy the Kid. Soon they identified the other two people in the photograph. Two of the men in the photograph were Charlie Bowdre and Tom O’Folliard. However, they were still not sure whether the suspicious man is Billy the Kid or not.  

Quite A Feat

Finding out more about the 19th-century outlaw was difficult as there was only one photo featuring him was available. The photo that enjoyed the monopoly was sold in 2011 at $2.3 million. What made this photo special was it being the only evidence letting the world peek into his mysterious life. In the photo, the man is seen holding a gun. So, had Randy discovered the second one?