Utah’s Gentleman Bandit: Butch Cassidy and The Wild Bunch
American History 122 Columbia College
By Joshua Scharman
Copywrite article authorized for FamilySearch 

Abstract

The western United States at the end of 19th century was the last bastion of the “wild west”. Legions of gunfighters and outlaws built legends that stand today. Butch Cassidy and his “Wild Bunch” were Utah’s contribution to the legends. Many cowboy outlaws conducted their trade via violence and gun slinging. Cassidy was a very successful outlaw who accomplished his thievery without any substantiated deaths. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stole hundreds of thousands of dollars and may have even escaped the “long-arm of the law”. 
Robert Leroy Parker aka “Butch Cassidy”

Born on April 13, 1866, in Beaver, Utah, Robert Parker was one of 13 children in his family (Biography.com Editors, 2016). The Parker family lived on a farm in central Utah during his formative years. Parker’s parents had emigrated from England and journeyed across the country with many other Mormon Pioneers. “Roy” as Parker was known as a child, moved with his family to Circleville, Utah in 1879 (www.utah.com Staff, 2016). 
As a teenager, Parker struck out on his own in order to pursue jobs on Utah ranches. Parker took a job on a ranch owned by Michael Cassidy. He found work on several different ranches and eventually befriended a rancher named Mike Cassidy, who'd had a reputation for stealing cattle and horses (Biography.com Editors, 2016). The elder Cassidy became a role model for the young Parker and taught him two specific skills. The first was to shoot a revolver and the second was how to change a brand on cattle into your own. Parker became enamored by the new lifestyle, and not wanting to taint his given family name, changed his name to “Butch Cassidy” (Biography.com Editors, 2016).  
During this same period, Cassidy’s life of crime began in a very mundane manner. Cassidy broke into a closed clothing shop and took a pair of jeans and to his credit, the teen left an IOU (Young-Brown, 2016). The IOU notwithstanding, the owner of the shop pursued charges. This event tainted Cassidy’s view of society in general as displayed by the quote, “(Cassidy) had been raised with the frontier ethic that a man's word was his bond. The IOU was an inviolate pledge. The merchant's distrust was an unfamiliar response and, before the matter was settled the humiliated youth was having mixed emotions over the legal process and blind justice" (Young-Brown, 2016). 
The Wild Bunch

As the Wild Bunch began to form, the crew robbed a bank in Montpelier, Idaho on August 13, 1896 (www.utah.com Staff, 2016). A well-planned attack, and even a better planned escape, became the impetus of the group’s modus operandi for several other very successful robberies. After making off with $7,000, the group headed east to Iowa. Cassidy used his in-depth knowledge of horses to pick the fastest and most capable to escape. This would always allow the group to outrun any posse that may pursue them. After a short stint in Iowa, the group headed back west to continue their activities. 
The next robbery was one of the most infamous as they ventured into the increasingly profitable payroll transport robberies. Estimated to be carrying nearly $9,000, the Pleasant Valley Coal Company, a few miles from Helper, Utah, carried considerably more than some banks. The group accomplished the robbery “simply by shoving a revolver into the gut of the paymaster, who forked over the loot” (www.utah.com Staff, 2016). The evolution of the ingenious escape tactics came to fruition during the subsequent escape. In a brilliant strategic move, Cassidy had arranged for a series of well-picked horses and staged supplies hidden upon the escape path (www.utah.com Staff, 2016). This allowed the group to not only stay ahead of pursuing law enforcement, it allowed them to change horses and keep going while the posse would need to rest their horses. With their successful escape, the gang temporarily split and Cassidy took odd jobs on ranches. 
Reunited after their short dissolution, the gang recommenced committing bank robberies including the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride, Colorado. The successful robbery resulted in approximately $20,000.
(Biography.com Editors, 2016).
After this bank robbery, Cassidy purchased a ranch and again tried to live life as a non-criminal. It did not take long until he fell back into illegally “branding” cattle. After his arrest, Cassidy was convicted which led to two years of incarceration. If Cassidy had any inclination toward lawful life pursuits before prison, the two years in prison changed that possibility completely (Wild West History Staff, 2014). 
This experience was the impetus to a legendary life of a thief. By all accounts Cassidy was a charming thief, who was well-liked and who never, it's believed, killed anyone (Biography.com Editors, 2016). Butch and Sundance may have been outlaws but they were never scoundrels (Wild West History Staff, 2014). The reputations of Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid were of very polite folklore heroes. Other members of the Wild Bunch were not nearly as polite and non-violent. Kid Curry, George Curry, Will Carver and other members of the gang killed numerous people during law enforcement's pursuit (Clemmons, 2011). Kid Curry has the distinct reputation as a ruthless killer, especially pursuing law enforcement officers. Kid Curry killed nine lawmen and two civilians during shootouts (Clemmons, 2011). 
 
Figure 1. "Fort Worth Five Photograph." Front row left to right: Harry A. Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid, Ben Kilpatrick, alias the Tall Texan, Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy; Standing: Will Carver & Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry; Fort Worth, Texas, 1900. Retrieved on 7/2/2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Cassidy%27s_Wild_Bunch. From the studio of Joh Schwartz.

One of the most fascinating details which feeds into the nostalgic folklore of the “Butch Cassidy and “The Sundance Kid” is the time period in which they operated. The brilliant, yet outdated, tactics clashed with the beginning of industrialization. While much of the country was improving communication, transportation, and industry, The Wild Bunch continued to hold onto the “Wild West” with the use of horses and good old-fashioned western banditry. The group of outlaws represent the last bastion of a notable romantic era in American history.  (EyeWitness to History, 1999). This clash of modern and traditional outlaw cowboy is epitomized by the description, “with one foot in the old west and other on the modern world, they brought to close the era known as the Wild West” (Wild West History Staff, 2014).  Most outlaw bandits of this time period relied on ruthlessness, violence, and a reputation of ill-repute to successfully rob and pillage; Cassidy was oft described as the “funniest, most popular, least violent, and brainiest” (Wild West History Staff, 2014). 

Hideouts

The Wild bunch “held up trains and banks and stole mine payrolls in the Rocky Mountain West, making off with a total of $200,000 (the equivalent of $2.5 million today) between 1889 and the early 1900s” (www.historynet.com Staff, 2016). Intelligence and cunning of leaders led to increasing success of the gang. One of the most effective tactics implemented in their strategy was the use of a “hide out”. The nostalgic notion of a Wild West hide out was much more than simple folklore. An entire infrastructure of hideouts dotted the western landscape from Montana down to Mexico. Hideouts were utilized by the robbers for planning, and more importantly, for evading a pursuing posse. The Hole-in-the Wall is the most well known in a series of defendable positions on the “Outlaw Trail” (Figure 3). 
 
Figure 3. Outlaw-Trail-Map, Date unknown. Retrieved 7/4/16 from http://www.horseandman.com/people-and-places/robbers-roost-a-different-kind-of-endurance-ride/10/20/2011/. 

Although the first thought of many to this type of hideout is of a cave that was not at all the reality. The Hole-in-the Wall was little more than a steep canyon with only two paths leading into it. The tactical advantage of such a terrain cannot be overstated. The terrain allowed a small group of well-armed men with rifles to prevent the encroachment of law enforcement. Many groups of law enforcement tracked bandits to the hideout; however, “no lawmen ever successfully entered it to capture outlaws” (wikipedia , 2016).  The area “is broken only by one deep v-shaped canyon which at the far end narrows into a funnel shape and provides the only access” (Wyoming Tales and Trails.com Staff). Once inside the canyon, it opened up into a livable area. The drawing by Merritt D. Houghton (Figure 4) displays a depiction of the area around 1900. 
 
Figure 4. Hole-in-the Wall, drawing by Merritt D. Houghton, approx. 1900. Retrieved 7/4/16 from http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/butch.html . 





The Gang Breaks Apart

Ben Kilpatrick, alias "The Tall Texan” was considered the second in command during the active years. Caught by St Louis Police in 1901 and sentenced to 15 years in prison, he was released in 1911. The following year, in March 1912, Kilpatrick robbed a train and was killed by a guard during the commission of the robbery. William Carver, AKA “News Carver” was an active member and earned his nickname from his enjoyment of reading of his exploits in newspapers. Sheriff Deputies killed Carver in 1901 (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2016). 
Harvey Logan, aka “Kid Curry”, had a reputation as the most violent of The Wild Bunch. As noted on the comprehensive research article on www.eyewitnesstohistory.com, that Cassidy often had to “restrain Logan from needlessly shooting train guards” (EyeWitness to History, 1999). In a distinct contrast to Cassidy and Sundance, Curry was described by William Pinkerton as, “he has not one single redeeming feature, he is the only criminal I know of who does not have one single good point” (www.legendsofamerica.com Staff, 2003). Curry participating in robbing the Denver & Rio Grande train in 1904 and killed himself in a confrontation with pursuing law enforcement (www.legendsofamerica.com Staff, 2003). 
The conclusion of the lives of the two most notorious Wild Bunch members are not nearly as clear. By 1902, the Wild Bunch had all gone their separate ways with the exception of Cassidy and Sundance. The increase in technology and industry began to shrink the wide-open spaces of the west. Butch Cassidy and Sundance fled the ever-increasing heat of the Pinkerton Agency, along with most law enforcement in the West, and headed to England. After a stop in England, the two partners in crime, along with Sundance’s longtime girlfriend, settled in Argentina (www.utah.com Staff, 2016). They purchased a small ranch and once again attempted a normal, law-abiding life. It did not take long until the “normal” life was insufficient and the growing rail industry of South America beckoned to the train robbers (Wild West History Staff, 2014). The Pinkerton detectives began to track train robberies in Argentina and began to close in on Butch and Sundance. The last documented payroll robbery attributed to the duo was in 1908, and the daring duo fled to Bolivia. When they checked in, the hotel owner happened to be the town marshal. The marshal identified a stolen mule that the duo was travelling with and the local militia responded. Wild West History Staff documents a blazing gun battle that occurred when the duo was cornered by the Voliian Militia. Sundance was reported to have been fatally shot and Butch took his own life. A monument has even been erected to the daring takedown of the two infamous outlaws from the United States. Figure 2 shows the monument erected in the small Bolivian town. 

 
Figure 2. A marker near San Vicente, Bolivia, which claims to be the final resting place of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Retrieved on 7/2/2016 from http://www.history.com/news/the-mysterious-deaths-of-butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid. Author of the article is Christopher Klein. 

A growing number of researchers have concluded that the above-described ending is not the most probable ending to this outlaw tale. The staff from www.utah.com has concluded the following:
 “Recently, diligent scholars like Larry Pointer, who wrote “In Search of Butch Cassidy”, have dug up evidence showing that in all likelihood Butch Cassidy did fake his death in San Vicente, Bolivia. They suggest that after making it big in Bolivian train, payroll and bank robberies, Cassidy sailed to Europe, got a facelift, moved back to America, married, and then became an entrepreneur in Washington. Some of the evidence is convincing, especially a detailed manuscript about Cassidy which actually appears to have been authored by Cassidy” (www.utah.com Staff, 2016). 

Many researchers have attempted to answer conclusively this century old puzzle. It does appear very likely that either Cassidy or Sundance survived the shootout and returned to the United States or, the pair involved in the shootout were “copycat” outlaws. After operating in South America, it is believed that Cassidy moved to Spokane, Washington under the assumed name of “William T Phillips”; Philips anti-climatically died of cancer in 1937 (www.legendsofamerica.com Staff, 2003). Meanwhile, Sundance Kid lived out the remainder of his days under the assumed name of “Hiram Bebee” until his death in Wyoming in 1955 (www.legendsofamerica.com Staff, 2003). 
Fundamentally, the enigmatic endings only serve to feed into the legendary folklore of Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Out of sorts with the blossoming industrial age, combined with the ever shrinking of the wide-open plains of the Wild West, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were some of the very last of the renowned Wild West outlaws. After successfully completing many bank and train robberies, the two founding members most likely lived out their lives in United States by outwitting the long arm of the law. 

Works Cited

Biography.com Editors. (2016). Butch Cassidy Biography. Retrieved from The Biography.com website: http://www.biography.com/people/butch-cassidy-9240908
Clemmons, C. (2011, October). BUTCH CASSIDY, SUNDANCE KID, AND THE WILD BUNCH. Retrieved from Sweethearts of the West: http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/2011/10/butch-cassidy-sundance-kid-and-wild.html

EyeWitness to History. (1999). Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Retrieved from www.eyewitnesstohistory.com: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/cassidy.htm
wikipedia . (2016, March). Hole in the Wall Gang. Retrieved from /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_the_Wall_Gang: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_the_Wall_Gang
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2016, May). William Carver (Wild Bunch). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carver_(Wild_Bunch)
Wild West History Staff. (2014, May 29). The Real Wild West - Episode 6: Butch Cassidy (HISTORY DOCUMENTARY). Retrieved from www.youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs9aJlo8w58
www.historynet.com Staff. (2016). Butch Cassidy. Retrieved from www.historynet.com: http://www.historynet.com/butch-cassidy#articles
www.legendsofamerica.com Staff. (2003). Butch Cassidy (1867-1911 or 1937). Retrieved from www.legendsofamerica.com: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-outlawlist-c.html#Butch Cassidy (1867-1911 or 1937)
www.legendsofamerica.com Staff. (2003). Harvey Logan, aka "Kid Curry" - The Wildest. Retrieved from www.legendsofamerica.com: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-harveylogan.html
www.utah.com Staff. (2016). Butch Cassidy. Retrieved from History of Butch Cassidy: https://utah.com/old-west/butch-cassidy
Wyoming Tales and Trails.com Staff. (n.d.). Butch Cassidy. Retrieved from www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com: http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/butch.html
Young-Brown, F. (2016, April). 8 Fascinating Facts About Butch Cassidy. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com: http://mentalfloss.com/article/78459/8-fascinating-facts-about-butch-cassidy