Josie Antrim
by J. Young
Events and Genealogy
Born: Joseph Antrim
Birthdate: 1863
Birthplace: New York (likely)
Marriage: Jennie Stone on 12/19/1891 at Pueblo Colorado (likely)
Children: Claudie Stone/Antrim (possibly a step son) (likely)
Death: November 25, 1930
Cause of Death: Apoplexy
Burial:
Joseph McCarty is widely believed to be the brother or half-brother of William Henry McCarty, later known as Billy the Kid. According to all available census records, Joe was born in New York in 1863.
In 1870, Catherine and her sons appeared in historical record as the only woman to sign the petition that helped incorporate Wichita, Kansas. Ms. McCarty owned her own property and opened a successful laundry service, as well as bought and sold empty lots in town. However, her success was cut short when she was diagnosed with tuberculosis and advised to seek a warmer and drier climate. Catherine married William Antrim on March 1st, 1873, in Santa Fe, before moving to Silver City. Unfortunately, her illness took a turn for the worse, and Catherine passed away on September 16, 1874.
Her sons by either blood or adoption, Joe and Billy moved in with the Truesdell family, before eventually leaving on their own. Young Billy later got into trouble for stealing laundry in Silver City while staying at The Brown residence, according to an interview with Chauncey Truesdell about the Antrim family.
As the individuals matured, they led separate lives in distinct regions. Billy endured a challenging existence in New Mexico and subsequently found himself incarcerated on death row at Lincoln New Mexico. Fortunately, he managed to successfully escape. According to “The West of Billy the Kid” by Fred Nolan, page 271 reveals that William Antrim, The Kid’s stepfather, attempted to visit him on horseback before his execution but faced a delay on the road. Unfortunately, he was unable to reach him until the following day. One can only speculate about the potential conversation between them, or whether Joe Antrim was present as well.
According to legend, three months later Billy the Kid, was shot and killed in a dark room at the hand of Sheriff Pat Garrett. The news was spread nationwide and in a twist of events made Garrett look bad and cowardly. To counter the attack, Garrett wanted to write his own book about the event and events leading up to that day and set out to Albuquerque to meet with Joe Antrim.
In August of 1882, Pat Garrett confidently encountered Joseph “Josie” Antrim at the Armijo Hotel in Albuquerque.
Antrim, the brother of notorious outlaw Billy the Kid, was rumored to be seeking revenge for his brother’s death. However, the meeting between the two men proceeded confidently and cordially. They spoke for some time before parting amicably. The content of their conversation was later revealed to be a confident discussion about Billy the Kid and his death at the hands of Garrett. Joseph Antrim did not wish to hold a grudge.
On December 19, 1891, with all joy and love, Joseph and Jennie Stone exchanged their vows and officially became husband and wife in a beautiful ceremony that took place in Pueblo, Colorado.
In the late 1880s, Jennie Stone Antrim gave birth to a son, Claudie Stone/Antrim. It is believed that either Joe Antrim was the biological father or stepfather. The marriage dissolved after a few years. However, Joe demonstrated exceptional care and devotion when he realized that his son’s health and education were being neglected. He took the boy to Denver and placed him in a private school. Antrim made the paper in April of 1894, the Pueblo Chieftain originally reported:
Joe appeared in the papers in Denver when he registered to vote and lists his address as 1517 Arapahoe street on May 8, 1893. For their time in Denver, the City directories have listed Claudie residing close to Joe’s addresses. It is possible that he was fostered under the state’s supervision or that Joe faced financial difficulties. The Denver city directory displays L. Claude Antrim as the circulation manager at a publishing house, residing at 621 Colfax Avenue. Was this the same Claudie?
In 1894 Joe was likely the victim of an armed robbery at a private residence. He and some companions were celebrating at an after party when men in masks relieved them of their valuables. Later in October 1903 Joe Antrim was arrested along with several others during a gambling crackdown by Police.
Joseph Antrim died on November 25, 1930 and his body was possibly given to the Colorado Medical School to be dissected. Afterwards an ad ran in the newspapers for a week of Antrim’s unclaimed body. The remains were likely buried in an unmarked grave or possibly cremated. More on this soon
Gallery
To view more Denver City Directories, follow the link!
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p16079coll28/search/searchterm/householders’!denver/field/title!all/mode/none!all/conn/and!and/order/nosort
For the story of Joe and Billy’s lost childhoods, follow the link below!
https://palsofbillythekidhistoricalsociety.com/fading-roots-of-billy-the-kid/