mortday, janinry 24, 1977
dally ncbrssks
paga9
- .
Gassidy lives in letters; memories and 'VVild Bunch7
By Carta Enstrorn
Editor's note: Tills is the first article of
a three part series on Butch C&ssUy and
the Wild Bunch, Information is taken from
The Wild Bunch by Jmses Ilersn, Signet
Books, published by The New American
Library , lac. New York, N.Y., 75 cents.
A wanted poster dated 1892 said the
man was 5'9" and broad-shouldered.
His short, golden hair blended with his fair
skin and clear blue eyes. Under his left eye .
was a smdi scar from a childhood injury.
"Forty years after his death, women
still remembered Butch Cassidy," wrote
James Horan, author, of Desperate Men in
1949. ; . .
. Files, letters and reports
Horan 's book, based on sealed Pink
erton files, includes the history of Cassidy
and the Wild Bunch. In his introduction of
The Wild Bunch; 1958, Horan states his
first book went out of print after several
printings but did accomplish one thing.
It "attracted countless letters" from per
sons who'd known Cassidy; or the Wild
Bunch including reports from men who'd
been in posses after the outlaws in the
US. or South America.
By coincidence, while Horan was .
writing the last chapter on the outlaws'
deaths in The Wild Bunch, a tall, white
haired man named Walter Hampden visit
ed him.''- - .
"It seems he (Hampden) had read Des
perate Men years ago and had some tales to
tell me of Cassidy. One very important
contribution he made was the account of
the outlaws' deaths. To make sure I got it
straight,' Hampden sketched the barrio
(quarters) besieged by the Bolivian cavalry
and the interior of the house," Horan
wrote.
True confesses .
Other letters included cuums from
relatives, sweethearts and members of the
Wild Bunch. . : - ;i -
From these accounts a likeable picture
of Cassidy emerges. He is not described as
mpody, sullen or sad. His main difference
from others who rode with him was he
didn't have a "dark streak of violence.
according to Horan.
j Cassidy never killed anyone in a holdup
which Horan consideredan outstanding
quality since he lead the largest outlaw
band in the American West. But he did
engage in all forms of crime, front" rustling
to train robbery.
Dutch's outlook on. life, was simple,
Horan said he was an "outlaw only because
he wanted to be one. He was quite aware
that he was the quick and the dead."
Cassidy was born at Circle Valley,
Utah in 1866 with the name George Leroy
Parker. When George was 10, his father
bought a ranch 12 miles north of Circle
ville.Utah. During his teens, George was fascinated
by "happy-go-lucky Mike Cassidy; a top
rate hired hand and an "expert horse
thief and rustler.". ; ; ; vi
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Mike taught George to fire a six-shooter
"tO kill". . . ; , , '-..;.v
After George perfected his outlaw skills
Mike took him on a horse raid. Outlaw
blood was in his veins and by age .18, he '
had firsthand knowledge of a "rustler's
syndicate":) s, :. :
:: h, The butcher
When George received news that Mke
died in a gunfight he left the ranch as
George Cassidy; his tribute to: the dead
.outlaw. S)v..-; ... ,
Years later he went to Rock Springs,
Wyoming, where he worked as a butcher
and got the name Butch Cassidy.
Butch drifted from jobs until he joined
an outlaw group' named , the McCarty's.
Things didn't go well for Butch. In June
1894, he stolev30 head of horses. At the
time, he was attracted to a daughter of a
local rancher whom he asked to be his mail
courier., -f ' . .r:;:t.:i. ', .
Unfortunately for Butch, she broke
under questioning by the law and Cassidy
was captured.
At his trial; evidence included the girl's
testimony.
"But Cassidy still played the gay and
gallant outlaw. He winked as she stepped
down from the witness stand after denying
all charges," Horan said, -Prone
for prison
Cassidy was found guilty and sentenced
to five years in the state prison.
In the winter of 1 895 , Governor William
Richards called Cassidy to his office and
asked Butch to promise to go straight.
Cassidy refused, saying he couldn't
promise because he'd only break his word.
However, he promised never to ."molest
the state of Wyoming again."
That was good enough for the Gover
nor. On January 19, 1896, Butch Cassidy
left his cell wearing prison-made clothing.
He cleared out of town the next day wear
ing cowboy clothes and rode for Brown's
Hole, an outlaw's hold up ai the point "
where the eastern line of Utah and the
western line of Colorado joined the south
ern line of Wyoming.
This was the place niany say where
God turned back and the devil stepped
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