1866-1879

Butch Cassidy was born on Friday, April 13, 1866, in Beaver Utah, as the oldest of 13 children. He was named Robert LeRoy Parker after his two grandfathers, Robert Parker, and Robert Gillies. Butch was born almost 10 years after his both grandparents came to USA. A month before Butch was born, on March 21, 1866, his father Maximilian enlisted in the military, so was periodically away from home throughout Butch's childhood. Robert's (Butch's) family lived in Beaver, UT until he was 13. Just on the outskirts of town was a military fort Maximilian had worked to build called Fort Cameron. It added a wild saloon element to the little Mormon community and gave young Robert the opportunity to witness a seedier side of life.

Maximilian took a job delivering mail by horseback over the Tushar Mountain from Beaver to Panguitch. On one of those rides, he looked over Circle Valley and decided to move his family there. The Parkers may have lived for a short time in a cabin north of Circleville before buying a ranch three miles south of Circleville.

Robert grew up in a happy home. He was called Bob by his siblings and adored his mother Annie. The Parker ranch was somewhat isolated from the town, so the family had to furnish their own fun. Gathering together each night, Maximilian and Annie sang and told stories to their children. They tried to teach their children to uphold Christian values while still enjoying life. Bob loved his younger siblings, who looked up to him, and he developed a reputation as one who enjoyed helping others. The Parkers' growing family didn't have much money, so young Robert hired on at local ranches to contribute what he could.

1882

When Robert was sixteen, he and his mother worked on the nearby Jim Marshall ranch, nine miles south of their own. There he met a small-time outlaw named Mike Cassidy and immediately took a liking to him. Later he would change his name to Cassidy after this boyhood hero. Mike gave Robert a pistol, taught him how to use it, and educated him in the finer points of rustling cattle with a creative branding iron.

1884

In the Spring Robert left home at age 18 and headed east.

1884 - 1889

Robert likely drifted from ranch to ranch in the Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado area. It was during this time that he first met a cowboy called Elzy Lay, short for William Ellsworth Lay. They became lifelong friends.

1888 - 1889

From the early summer of 1888 till the beginning of June 1889, Robert, then going by Bud, worked for Harry Adsit on the Spectacle Ranch near Norwood, Colorado. Shortly thereafter, probably 1889, he got a job using mules to move ore from a mine down the mountain to a mill in Telluride, Colorado. It was during this time that he was wrongfully arrested for the alleged theft of a colt that was rightfully his, and his father came to help straighten out the matter. He then got a job working as a butcher in Ophir, not far from Telluride, where his sister Jen lived with her husband Tom. Together Jen and Tom operated a saloon. Tom and Robert were friends, and Tom nearly had Robert convinced to return home early in his outlaw career.

Robert soon met another Utah Mormon cowboy named Matt Warner. Matt was making the rounds in western Colorado racing his horse Betty. He convinced Robert to join him in the racing circuit. Matt was raised in Levan, Utah, approximately a hundred miles north of Circleville. Believing he was responsible for the death of a boy who died in a fight over a girl, Matt left home at an early age. His real name was Willard Christiansen. Matt's brother-in-law was the seasoned outlaw Tom McCarty. Tom was well known in Utah $21,000. No one was killed or injured. The trio had come to Telluride three days earlier to case the bank and visit the local saloons. Apparently they had made a deal with Jim Clark, the town marshal, to be out of town during the robbery. His cut of the loot was left for him in a hollow log outside of town. Because Clark wasn't around, Sheriff J.A. Beattie led the posse in pursuit of the robbers. All went as planned until while they sped out of town they were recognized by Harry Adsit, Robert's former employer, who was riding into town. They had fresh horses waiting along their escape route which allowed them to outrun Adsit and the sheriff's posse, who chased them over a hundred miles before finally giving up.June 1889: Telluride Bank Robbery On Monday, June 24th, 1889, Tom McCarty, Matt Warner, and Robert Parker robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride, Colorado of approximately With the Telluride robbery, Robert Parker crossed the line from small-time rustler to full-fledged outlaw. To avoid being caught, he dropped the last name Parker and started using the name George Cassidy. The last name came from his boyhood hero, the outlaw Mike Cassidy.because his family had nearly started a large Indian uprising when they murdered several young Indian warriors. One day at Tom McCarty's cabin, somewhere near Cortez, Colorado, when Robert, Matt, and Tom were restless and the day was dull, they planned a bank robbery...but they waited until the time was right to carry out their plans.

June 1889: Telluride Bank Robber

On Monday, June 24th, 1889, Tom McCarty, Matt Warner, and Robert Parker robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride, Colorado of approximately $21,000. No one was killed or injured. The trio had come to Telluride three days earlier to case the bank and visit the local saloons. Apparently they had made a deal with Jim Clark, the town marshal, to be out of town during the robbery. His cut of the loot was left for him in a hollow log outside of town. Because Clark wasn't around, Sheriff J.A. Beattie led the posse in pursuit of the robbers. All went as planned until while they sped out of town they were recognized by Harry Adsit, Robert's former employer, who was riding into town. They had fresh horses waiting along their escape route which allowed them to outrun Adsit and the sheriff's posse, who chased them over a hundred miles before finally giving up.

With the Telluride robbery, Robert Parker crossed the line from small-time rustler to full-fledged outlaw. To avoid being caught, he dropped the last name Parker and started using the name George Cassidy. The last name came from his boyhood hero, the outlaw Mike Cassidy.

Cassidy would later drift up into Rock Springs, Wyoming. At the time, the only jobs available were in the coal mines, and those did not interest him. He got a job at a butcher shop. It was here where he received the nickname “Butch.” The nickname didn't come into frequent usage for seven more years, when the press started referring to him as Butch and the name stuck.

Cassidy settled in Fremont County, Wyoming, and went into partnership with a cowboy named Al Hainer. Little is known about him outside of the time he was partner with Cassidy. Some surmise that he was another Mormon cowboy from Utah. Together the two started a horse ranch or operation on Horse Creek, north of Dubois, Wyoming. The two had considerable money, likely Cassidy's share of the Telluride bank robbery loot.

Cassidy also met and became friends with attorney Douglas A. Preston. Lula, another of Butch's sisters, later said that they met in Rock Springs one evening when Cassidy saved Preston's life in a saloon brawl. From that time forward, Preston defended Cassidy, both in court and more informally. Later Preston served as the Wyoming Attorney General.

1891

In the fall of 1891, Butch was at “Mail Camp,” at the base of the Owl Creek Mountains. He purchased three saddle horses from Billy Nutcher but failed to obtain a bill of sale. Acomplaint was filed by Otto Franc against George Cassidy and Al Hainer on behalf of the Grey Bull Cattle Company for the theft of one horse valued at $40.

1892

Butch and Al spent the winter in Star Valley near the Idaho Wyoming Border. On April 11, 1892, they were arrested for stealing a horse. Butch reportedly said he preferred death to capture. They were released in July 1892 as their cases continued. Butch's trial was delayed over a year as prosecutor James S. Vidal requested additional time for their witnesses to appear. Butch hired his friend Douglas Preston as his attorney. The jury deliberated only two hours and found both Cassidy and Hainer not guilty. Three days before the verdict was given, Cassidy's enemies got word that the defendants would be acquitted, so prosecutors filed a second complaint on June 19, 1893. To avoid duplicate charges, Cassidy and Hainer were accused of stealing a different horse this time. This horse, belonging to Richard Ashworth, was valued at $50 and was said to have been stolen on August 28, 1891. Cassidy and Hainer were re-arrested and a new trial was scheduled for June 1894. Surety bonds were again obtained and the two were released.

1894

Verdict from July 4, 1894 - Cassidy found guilty of horse stealing and Al Hainer found not guilty but sentenced to 30 days and fined $25 for contempt of court.

It was rumored that Hainer sold Cassidy out for a lighter sentence. Butch was sentenced to two years in the Penitentiary in Laramie City, Wyoming. Fortunately, or unfortunately at the time, the authorities never connected “Bud Parker,” of the Telluride Bank Robbery to George Cassidy standing in front of them. Because Butch's prison term was only two years, he was allowed to remain in his cell and read books from the prison library rather than work in the broom factory as many prisoners did. Butch likely worked in the prison garden as well as with the horses on the prison ranch. He was a model prisoner. His sister Lula shared that he became bitter in prison and said that if people wanted to label him as an outlaw, he would really show them what an outlaw was. He planned to make his mark on the world when he was released.

1895

Fremont County District Court Judge Jesse Knight, who sent Butch to jail, wrote to Governor Richards on September 28, 1895, recommending that Butch be released early. The Governor requested a petition be signed by a few responsible men. He hoped that this would place Cassidy under obligation to these individuals. Evidence exists that Butch did make some type of deal with the governor promising to commit no more crimes in Wyoming after his release.

1896

Butch was released six months early on January 19, 1896.

After his release, Butch returned to the Brown's Park area and became reacquainted with his friends Elzy Lay and Matt Warner. Elzy had married local girl Maude Davis from the Vernal, Utah area. Matt, in an attempt to find honest work, took a job protecting some mining claims in the Dry Fork Creek area near Vernal, Utah. He was involved in a gunfight and killed two men who he claimed had ambushed him. He was arrested by Sheriff John T. Pope and charged with first-degree murder. Butch reportedly made a visit to the Vernal jail to talk to Warner in the presence of Sheriff Pope and to offer his help in any way. While Warner was being held in jail, Butch sent word telling him he would break him out if he wanted. Warner wrote back telling him to hold off and to hire some good lawyers. Butch, being out of prison for only eight months, was flat broke. He knew of an ideal lawyer though, his old pal Douglas Preston. He would need money to hire him, however. Butch, along with his friends Elzy Lay and Bub Meeks, decided to rob a bank. Bub Meeks had a vested interest because his brother Davis was married to the daughter of the other prisoner held with Warner, William Wall.

August 13: Montpelier Bank Robbery

The Salt Lake Herald reported that the trio considered robbing banks in Logan, Utah, and Evanston, Wyoming before deciding on the Montpelier, Idaho bank. Butch was familiar with the Montpelier area as well as the neighboring town of Cokeville. Prior to the robbery, Butch, Elzy, and Bub worked on a ranch operated by Mrs. P. Emelle, whose husband was a jeweler in Montpelier. This ranch was eight miles north of Cokeville. While working for Mrs. P. Emelle, the three bandits used the aliases George Ingerfield (Butch Cassidy), Willie McGinnis (Elzy Lay), and Marty Makensie (Bub Meeks). They quit their jobs two days before the robbery and headed for Montpelier.

Meeks stayed in a hotel to keep an eye on the bank, while Cassidy and Lay camped outside town. The next day Cassidy and Lay met Meeks for dinner at the hotel and observed the town. The trio stopped at O'Conner's Saloon at 2:30 on the afternoon of August 13, 1896, for some liquid courage, and waited for the bank to close. It had been seven years since Butch had robbed a bank.A posse immediately organized and pursued, but couldn't keep up with Butch's relays of fresh horses. The posse traced the outlaws' trail for nearly a week before giving up. According to Meeks family sources, the bandits fled to Commissary Ridge near the headwaters of the Green River, then down to Piedmont, and finally to Brown's Hole.1897August 13: Montpelier Bank RobberyAs promised, a portion of the Montpelier loot was used to hire defense attorneys for Matt Warner during his murder trial in September 1896. Warner was convicted not of murder, but of voluntary manslaughter, and was sentenced to six years. He was released for good behavior after three years and able to start a new life. When he was released from prison he was threatened with a second murder charge. Utah Governor Heber M. Wells made a deal with Warner that he would help him if he would arrange for Butch to turn himself in.On Wednesday, April 21, 1897, the Rio Grande Western passenger train No. 2 arrived at the coal mine offices. Butch and Elzy executed their plan with precision. E.L. Carpenter and two employees carried the payroll from the train across the tracks to the mine officebreak him out if he wanted. Warner wrote back telling him to hold off and to hire some good lawyers. Butch, being out of prison for only eight months, was flat broke. He knew of an ideal lawyer though, his old pal Douglas Preston. He would need money to hire him, however. Butch, along with his friends Elzy Lay and Bub Meeks, decided to rob a bank. Bub Meeks had a vested interest because his brother Davis was married to the daughter of the other prisoner held with Warner, William Wall.Things did not fare well for Bub Meeks. In June of 1897, Bub was suspected of helping to rob the Guild Store in Fort Bridger and was subsequently captured by Deputy Calverly. He was recognized as a suspect in the Montpelier bank robbery and transported to Idaho in September to face charges. At the trial, in the county seat of Paris, Idaho, of the three eyewitnesses, Cashier Grover Gray, Bookkeeper Richard Groo, and Teller Bud Mcintosh, only Mcintosh could make a positive identification. Nineteen-year-old Mcintosh wore strong eyeglasses for his nearsightedness, but he had studied Meek's face carefully during the robbery. Butch Cassidy was positively identified from his Wyoming prison mugshot by all three witnesses. Elzy Lay, who had been outside during most of the robbery, was not positively identified.In September 1896, Butch and Meeks were spotted in Loa, Utah, about two hundred miles south of Salt Lake City. They were carrying a large wad of money and said they were headed south to purchase cattle and drive them to Vernal.On September 7, 1897, Bub was sentenced to thirty-five years in the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, under his given name of Henry Meeks. His sentence was later commuted to twelve years, but after an escape attempt, it was doubled to twenty-four. Bub made another escape attempt which resulted in him being shot in the leg, requiring amputation. He was later transferred to the Idaho Insane Asylum, where even with an amputated leg he made a successful escape this time. He returned home to the Fort Bridger area of Wyoming where he settled on his ranch. He became more and more paranoid as his mental health continued to decline. Idaho officials never did come looking for him, possibly because they were glad to be rid of such a troublesome inmate. In his declining years, his own family had him committed to the Wyoming State Mental Hospital in Evanston, where he passed away in 1912. Some reports indicate that Butch planned to help Bub, but nothing ever materialized. Some say he planned to rob the Beckwith Bank in Evanston to fund the operation, but his plans were revealed and were therefore thwarted.September 1896Butch spent the winter of 1896-97 in Robbers' Roost on the lower Green River in Utah. Other well-known outlaw hideouts were Brown's Park on the northern Utah/Colorado border, and Hole in the Wall in Northern Wyoming. Butch and Elzy planned to rob the Pleasant Valley Coal Company payroll in Castle Gate near Price, Utah the following spring. Elzy and Butch had initially considered robbing the payroll the summer before, but knew it would require careful planning down to the smallest detail. Rather than rush, they took nearly a year to plan. The robbery had to be executed in broad daylight, in the midst of many possibly armed miners who were waiting for their pay. Their getaway would require navigating down the narrow Price Canyon, so during their stay at Robbers' Roost they trained horses specifically for their escape.Just before closing at 3:15 p.m., Butch Cassidy and Bub Meeks entered the bank. Elzy Lay stood outside as a lookout. Butch pulled his revolver and demanded access to the area behind the teller's cage which was granted through a door in the hallway. Bub stayed outside the teller's cage with his revolver drawn. Cassidy quickly entered the vault, gathered the gold and silver, but couldn't find any currency. He demanded that the teller, A.N. “Bud” Macintosh, tell him the location of the currency. When Macintosh responded that there was no currency, Butch hit him over the eye with his revolver, calling him a “God damn liar!” Macintosh then revealed the location of the currency. Ironically, Bub Meeks scolded Cassidy for using unnecessary violence. Butch put all of the loot, later determined to be $7,142 plus some gold and silver into a special bag he had concealed under his vest. Outside the bank, Elzy tried to force cashier G.C. “Grover” Gray and his friend Ed Hoover into the bank and was having some trouble. Meeks, who was watching from inside the bank, told Lay to “Hit the son of a bitch over the head” if he didn't cooperate. Gray and Hoover entered the bank and were forced to face the wall.

Cassidy and Meeks left the bank, mounted horses Lay had readied, and they fled east out of town. Deputy Sheriff Fred Cruikshank grabbed the closest transportation, which happened to be a bicycle, and followed, hoping to see in which direction the bandits fled. He kept them in view and saw that they headed towards Montpelier Canyon.

A posse immediately organized and pursued, but couldn't keep up with Butch's relays of fresh horses. The posse traced the outlaws' trail for nearly a week before giving up. According to Meeks family sources, the bandits fled to Commissary Ridge near the headwaters of the Green River, then down to Piedmont, and finally to Brown's Hole.

September 1896

As promised, a portion of the Montpelier loot was used to hire defense attorneys for Matt Warner during his murder trial in September 1896. Warner was convicted not of murder, but of voluntary manslaughter, and was sentenced to six years. He was released for good behavior after three years and able to start a new life. When he was released from prison he was threatened with a second murder charge. Utah Governor Heber M. Wells made a deal with Warner that he would help him if he would arrange for Butch to turn himself in.

In September 1896, Butch and Meeks were spotted in Loa, Utah, about two hundred miles south of Salt Lake City. They were carrying a large wad of money and said they were headed south to purchase cattle and drive them to Vernal.

1897

Things did not fare well for Bub Meeks. In June of 1897, Bub was suspected of helping to rob the Guild Store in Fort Bridger and was subsequently captured by Deputy Calverly. He was recognized as a suspect in the Montpelier bank robbery and transported to Idaho in September to face charges. At the trial, in the county seat of Paris, Idaho, of the three eyewitnesses, Cashier Grover Gray, Bookkeeper Richard Groo, and Teller Bud Mcintosh, only Mcintosh could make a positive identification. Nineteen-year-old Mcintosh wore strong eyeglasses for his nearsightedness, but he had studied Meek's face carefully during the robbery. Butch Cassidy was positively identified from his Wyoming prison mugshot by all three witnesses. Elzy Lay, who had been outside during most of the robbery, was not positively identified.

On September 7, 1897, Bub was sentenced to thirty-five years in the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, under his given name of Henry Meeks. His sentence was later commuted to twelve years, but after an escape attempt, it was doubled to twenty-four. Bub made another escape attempt which resulted in him being shot in the leg, requiring amputation. He was later transferred to the Idaho Insane Asylum, where even with an amputated leg he made a successful escape this time. He returned home to the Fort Bridger area of Wyoming where he settled on his ranch. He became more and more paranoid as his mental health continued to decline. Idaho officials never did come looking for him, possibly because they were glad to be rid of such a troublesome inmate. In his declining years, his own family had him committed to the Wyoming State Mental Hospital in Evanston, where he passed away in 1912. Some reports indicate that Butch planned to help Bub, but nothing ever materialized. Some say he planned to rob the Beckwith Bank in Evanston to fund the operation, but his plans were revealed and were therefore thwarted.

1896 - 1897

Butch spent the winter of 1896-97 in Robbers' Roost on the lower Green River in Utah. Other well-known outlaw hideouts were Brown's Park on the northern Utah/Colorado border, and Hole in the Wall in Northern Wyoming. Butch and Elzy planned to rob the Pleasant Valley Coal Company payroll in Castle Gate near Price, Utah the following spring. Elzy and Butch had initially considered robbing the payroll the summer before, but knew it would require careful planning down to the smallest detail. Rather than rush, they took nearly a year to plan. The robbery had to be executed in broad daylight, in the midst of many possibly armed miners who were waiting for their pay. Their getaway would require navigating down the narrow Price Canyon, so during their stay at Robbers' Roost they trained horses specifically for their escape.

On Wednesday, April 21, 1897, the Rio Grande Western passenger train No. 2 arrived at the coal mine offices. Butch and Elzy executed their plan with precision. E.L. Carpenter and two employees carried the payroll from the train across the tracks to the mine office seventy-five yards away. The mine office was located on the top floor of a two-story stone building that was accessible by an outside stairwell. The payroll consisted of three or four sacks. One sack held $7,000 in gold. Reports differ on the amounts and contents of the other sacks, though they held silver and possibly a smaller amount of gold and checks.

As Carpenter and his employees prepared to climb the outside stairs with the payroll sacks, a rough-looking character, later identified as Butch Cassidy, pointed his six-shooter at them and ordered, “Drop them sacks and hold up your hands!” Butch and Elzy grabbed the sacks and rode off, leaving everyone standing around in amazement. Elzy fired his revolver in the air a few times. E.L. Carpenter shouted, “Robbers! Robbers! Stop those men! They have just robbed me!” Three shots were fired from the offices, missing both of the bandits.

Their relays of fresh horses allowed Butch and Elzy to quickly outdistance the posse. They also rode horses without shoes so the tracks would mix with those of wild horses in the area.

The Pleasant Valley Coal Company immediately offered a reward of $2,000 and doubled it the following day. A newspaper report identified Butch Cassidy and mentioned that he was also a suspect in the Montpelier bank robbery. On May 6th, it was reported that the chase had been abandoned since lawmen had lost the trail. Three weeks later, on May 24th, it was reported that secret service officers were then on the trail of the bandits.As Carpenter and his employees prepared to climb the outside stairs with the payroll sacks, a rough-looking character, later identified as Butch Cassidy, pointed his six-shooter at them and ordered, “Drop them sacks and hold up your hands!” Butch and Elzy grabbed the sacks and rode off, leaving everyone standing around in amazement. Elzy fired his revolver in the air a few times. E.L. Carpenter shouted, “Robbers! Robbers! Stop those men! They have just robbed me!” Three shots were fired from the offices, missing both of the bandits.For some time after the robbery, Butch returned to his pattern of finding work on a ranch and blending into the community. This time he found work on a small ranch near Sheridan, Wyoming at the base of the Big Horn Mountains.

Butch and the bandits later decided to have some fun and spend some of the Castle Gate robbery money. They converged on the towns of Baggs and Dixon, Wyoming on July 27, 1897. The newspaper reported the incident on August 7, 1897, stating, “Nine members of the notorious Cassidy gang spent three days in Baggs and Dixon gambling and drinking.” They drank and shot up the local bar, but left enough money behind to cover repair costs. It was said they paid a silver dollar for every bullet hole they put in Jack Ryan's Bulldog Saloon. Ryan made enough money that night to open a first-rate bar in Rawlins.

1898

In the spring of 1898, the governors of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado were concerned about the increased number of crimes in the intermountain area. In March, the three governors met in Salt Lake City to formulate plans to rid the area of the outlaws. They discussed offering large rewards and assembling their own version of the “Texas Ranger,” type lawmen to track down outlaws. The following month, Governor Heber M. Wells of Utah offered rewards totaling $4,500 for Butch and others from the Robbers' Roost area. Butch topped the wanted list with a price of $500 on his head.

1897 - 1899

As a result of the daring robberies in Montpelier and Castle Gate, Butch received a lot of press in the western newspapers through 1897 and 1898. “Butch Cassidy and his gang,” as they were called, were blamed for many robberies, including a great number for which he was not actually involved. To avoid capture, Butch made himself scarce. In the Fall of 1898, he and Elzy headed south and looked for work on ranches. They apparently landed jobs with the Erie cattle company in Cochise County, Arizona, and WS Ranch in Catron County, New Mexico. Butch used the alias “Jim Lowe,” and Elzy again used, “William McGinnis.”

1899

In June 1899, a Union Pacific train was robbed near Wilcox, Wyoming. It was reported that half a ton of dynamite was used for the overall heist, and the whole episode took about two hours. The Union Pacific refused to give exact numbers, instead stating only that it had been a light run. Five years later, in 1904, Union Pacific Superintendent W.L. Park wrote that the railroad had actually lost more than $50,000, some of it in gold.

Who were the bandits? There is evidence that Butch was in Wyoming at the time. He was immediately suspected and named in newspaper reports. Butch's forte was a bank robbery, though it's likely he helped in the planning. It's now theorized that George Currie led the train robbing efforts as part of the “Wild Bunch,” probably with the assistance of Harvey Logan and Harry Longabaugh, otherwise known as the Sundance Kid. They were never caught.

Later in 1899, Pinkerton detective Frank Murray showed up on WS Ranch to investigate the Wilcox train robbery. Some bills with forged signatures had shown up at a Silver City bank and were traced back to the store in Alma, New Mexico. Murray mentioned that the bills had been damaged in a corner from the explosion and were therefore easy to detect. Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo reports that Butch apparently took over the bartender job at the saloon attached to the Coats and Rowe store in Alma in the late summer or fall of 1899. Ironically, Detective Murray had become quite friendly with the local bartender, Jim Lowe, who was none other than Butch Cassidy himself. As time went on, Murray recognized Butch for who he was, but claimed he did not want to arrest him without a “Regiment of cavalry.” Butch had also learned of Murray's reason for being there. Siringo says that when the gang figured out that Frank Murray was a Pinkerton detective, they wanted to kill him, but Butch helped him escape into the night. Siringo claims Murray admitted that he owed his life to Jim Lowe.

1899 - 1934

Sometimes before July 1899, Elzy Lay quit WS Ranch and joined the Ketchum gang, against the advice of Butch. On July 11, 1899, the gang robbed a train near Folsom, New Mexico. They stole between $50,000 and $70,000. Only Elzy was captured, the other bandit was shot and the third one rode off.

On October 10, 1899, Elzy was found guilty of second-degree murder, because he killed Sheriff Farr in Raton during the escape after the Folsom train robbery, and sentenced to life imprisonment at the penitentiary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 34 years old at that time. On July 4, 1905, his sentence was commuted to ten years by Governor Otero, and with his good behavior he was released after six years on December 15, 1905. Elzy Lay assured the governor that he planned to become an honorable and useful citizen and one to whom you can point to with pride. At Elzy Lay's release, he was the only individual who knew where the stolen loot from the Folsom train robbery was buried. He returned to Alma, New Mexico, recovered the remaining $58,000 of the train robbery loot, and stayed in Alma for two years. Then he drifted up into Baggs, Wyoming, and married Mary Calvert in 1909 and had two children. With his first wife Maude Davis, he already had one daughter. He later moved to California and died in Los Angeles on November 10, 1934. He never returned to crime after release from prison.

1900

January 21: Matt Warner was released from the Utah State Penn.

Between March 15 and 20 Butch left the WS Ranch.

March 27: Butch was arrested in Arizona because he had a suspicious appearance.

March 31: Butch was released because they had no cause for arrest. They didn't realize he was Butch Cassidy.

Butch lost his best friend when Elzy was sentenced to prison. He began considering leaving the outlaw life behind permanently. He started building a “Nest egg” of loot from a number of robberies with plans to leave the U.S. and start over where he wouldn't be recognized.

July: Butch met with some of his co-conspirators in Denver to make final plans for two upcoming robberies to be executed within a few weeks of each other, though several hundred miles apart. The two robberies were a Union Pacific holdup near Tipton, Wyoming, and a bank robbery in Winnemucca, Nevada.

According to Pinkerton records, Harry Longabaugh (the Sundance Kid) had originally planned to participate in the Tipton robbery but changed his mind at the last minute and instead decided to assist Butch with the Winnemucca bank robbery. Similar to the Wilcox robbery, Butch likely participated in the planning, but not the execution of the Tipton train holdup due to the upcoming bank robbery in Nevada. His “promise” to Governor Richards to, “Not turn a trick” in Wyoming may have also been a factor. The three outlaws who conducted the robbery in Tipton were Harvey “Kid Curry” Logan, Ben “Tall Texan” Kilpatrick, and William Cruzan, with support from Bert, “Kid” Charter, and Jim Ferguson.

The Tipton train robbery took place on Wednesday, August 29 between Rawlins and Rock Springs, Wyoming. Nearly $55,000 was stolen, including gold. On August 1, 1902 sacks containing gold taken in the Tipton holdup were found.

September 19: Winnemucca Bank Robbery

The First National Bank of Winnemucca was founded in 1886. At the time of the robbery, the Silver State newspaper advertised that the bank had $82,000 in capital on hand. It was certainly attractive to Butch and the gang.

The three outlaws, Butch, Sundance, and Will Carver arrived in the Winnemucca area on September 9 and set up camp about four miles from town. For ten days they made regular trips to town, casing the bank and gathering information. On Wednesday, September 19, the trio arrived in town just before noon. They tied their horses in the alley three buildings away from the bank. They then entered the bank through the front door on Bridge Street. None of them wore masks. The amount taken was $31,640, all in gold coin except $300 in currency. No one was hurt, and no shots were fired. Several posses were organized that included Indian known for his tracking skills, but they didn't manage to catch the robbers, since the bandits had carefully planned their line of retreat, including relays of fresh horses.

1901

Butch, Sundance, and Etta Place left for South America on February 20.

1905 - February 14: The Banco de Londres y Tarapacá Robbery

The bank in Tarapacá, some 700 miles away from Butch and Sundance's Cholila ranch, was robbed of over 70,000 pesos in Rio Gallegos, Argentina, near the Strait of Magellan. The bandits spoke English and gave their names as Brady and Linden. Butch and Sundance were immediately suspected, as the robbery was conducted in a manner so similar to their American robberies, including relays of fresh horses. There is evidence, however, that Butch and Sundance were at their ranch in Cholila during the robbery, as their signatures were included on an agricultural census survey for Cholila that took place in mid-February.

April: Butch and Sundance got word that they were suspected of the Rio Gallegos robbery and made plans to depart. In April, their possessions, which included their ranch buildings and the “right of possession of lands,” were sold for 20,000 pesos.

May 1: Butch's mother Annie passed away at home after a short illness. Butch was unaware of her death.

July 29: Mrs. E. Place left S. America and arrived in New York City. Her name appears alone in the passenger ship records, indicating that she possibly traveled alone.

December 19: Banco de la Nación Robbery

Four men robbed the Banco de la Nación in Villa Mercedes of 12,000 pesos. The bandits were described as, “English ranchers.” Three of the bandits went into the bank at about 10:30 while one stayed with the horses. During the robbery, they exchanged shots with the bank manager, but were able to flee before the police responded.

Villa Mercedes is located about 400 miles west of Buenos Aires and about 700 miles northeast of Butch and Sundance's Cholila ranch. Later reports indicate that the four bandits were Butch, Sundance, Etta, and another unknown male. However, it's most likely that Etta had already returned home to the United States. The Pinkerton Detectives suspected that the fourth man was Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry. It is unconfirmed that Harvey was in S. America in 1905 as he was reportedly killed after a bungled train robbery in Parachute, Colorado in June 1904. The bandits were pursued closely by a posse headed by Chief of Police Belisario Olivera of Villa Mercedes. Similar to planned escapes in the U.S., the bandits had relays of fresh mounts and supplies along the trail. They crossed the Pampas and eventually the Andes to safely reach Chile. Cassidy said later, “In all his experience he had never been so closely trailed.” At one of the changes of relay horses, the bandits exchanged shots with the posse. One shot injured lawman Olivera's horse, and one of the bandits was shot in the arm. One source indicates that it was Sundance. The posse mistakenly believed the outlaws had reinforcements and halted their pursuit, allowing the bandits to escape.

1906

Butch began using the alias James (Santiago) P. Maxwell and landed work with the Concordia Tin Mine in the Santa Vela Cruz range of the central Bolivian Andes. The mine was located at an elevation of 16,000 feet. Butch's experience with horses and mules got him a job with manager Clement Rolla Glass, hauling materials and purchasing livestock to provide meat for the workers. He was hired at $150 per month plus room and board. Glass found him trustworthy, capable of driving a hard bargain, and pleasant; he considered making him foreman. Soon Maxwell was carrying the mine's payroll remittances in excess of $100,000.

1907

Sundance returned alone to Cholila to sell two hundred sheep, which Dan Gibbons was tending. He told Gibbons at that time that Etta was living in San Francisco. Dan Gibbons was later jailed for his known friendship with Butch and Sundance, at which time he confirmed that Butch never did return to Cholila after his departure in 1905.

After selling off the sheep, Sundance began using the alias H.A. “Enrique” Brown. He met up with Butch and also gained employment at the mine. In late 1907, Butch was living near Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He wanted to go straight and settled on a ranch like he had in Cholila, but it was nearly impossible for him to give up the bandit life, as there was always an informer around to bring the law down on him.

1908

Butch and Sundance quit their jobs at the Concordia Tin Mine after Sundance got drunk and bragged in public about their past crimes. Cassidy apparently did not want to bring shame to the Concordia, or they were afraid the authorities would soon find them, so they settled their accounts and left.

In August, Butch and Sundance were reported to be in the Tupiza Bolivia area, along with several other North American outlaws. South American countries were attracting U.S. Citizens on both sides of the law as a new land opportunity

November 4: Two well-armed bandits robbed the Aramayo and Francke Mining Company pack train. Discrepancies exist between the descriptions of the two bandits and the details of the robbery. One account identified the outlaws as Americans. Another account stated one was an American and the other a Chilean.

November 6: Two men, thought to be the Aramayo bandits, were killed in a gunfight in San Vicente, Bolivia

For some, the story of Butch Cassidy ends here, but for others, additional research is required before a conclusion can be made. The true identity of these two outlaws has been disputed for years. Some claim they were in fact Butch and Sundance, but many questions remain. There is a lack of conclusive evidence that the two dead bandits were, in fact, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The earliest accounts did not identify the dead outlaws at all, and the two bandits were buried in unmarked graves. The American explorer Hiram Bingham indicated that he met two Americans some nine days after the San Vicente gun battle. One was an outlaw who had been chased out of the United States by the Pinkertons. Could this outlaw possibly have been Butch Cassidy?

1925

Butch's family claims that Butch visited them in Circleville, Utah in the early fall of 1925. Then he left, never to return.

1991

In December, a team of scientists and researchers exhumed the graves believed to be those of the two dead bandits from the San Vicente bank robbery. Those involved were certain they had at least located the body of the Sundance Kid. When DNA extracted from the nucleated cells of each Bolivian skeleton was compared to DNA from living relatives of both outlaws, there was not a positive match. Some believe that the wrong remains were exhumed. They believe that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remain buried in the San Vicente cemetery in unmarked graves. The answer to the question of whether Butch and/or Sundance were killed at San Vicente and buried in the local cemetery continues to elude us.