Butch Cassidy American bank robber Date of Birth: 13.04.1866 Country: USA

1. Biography of Butch Cassidy
2. First Encounters with the Law
3. The Wild West's Robin Hood
4. Criminal Career and the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang
5. Escape to South America
6. Uncertain Fate
7. Controversial Afterlife

Biography of Butch Cassidy

Butch Cassidy, born on April 13, 1866, in Utah, was an infamous American bank and train robber, as well as the leader of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. He was the oldest of 13 children in a Mormon immigrant family from England and spent his childhood on his parents' estate in Ohio. Initially, he worked as a cattle rancher before embarking on a career in crime.

First Encounters with the Law

Butch's first conflict with the law was relatively minor. He broke into a store in Hay Springs, Nebraska, where he worked on a farm, and stole pants, leaving behind a note promising to pay for them later. However, it remains unclear if this was Butch Cassidy's first offense. After his parents lost their farm due to a legal dispute, he became fascinated by a local cattle rancher named Mike Cassidy, who had a dubious career and possibly stole cattle with Butch.

The Wild West's Robin Hood

Around 1884, Robert took on the name "Butch Cassidy." He usually stole cattle from large farms that were trying to push out smaller ones. Many historians believe that initially Butch acted out of noble motivations, earning him the nickname "Wild West's Robin Hood."

Criminal Career and the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang

The first documented crime attributed to Butch is the robbery of the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride, Colorado in June 1889. The gang managed to steal $20,000. Butch became one of the pioneers of the Outlaw Trail, a trail from Canada through Montana and Utah to Mexico. Between 1896 and 1901, the Wild Bunch, a subgroup of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, robbed approximately a dozen trains. The most prominent member of the Wild Bunch was Harry Longabaugh, also known as the Sundance Kid.

Escape to South America

In 1901, Butch Cassidy, along with the Sundance Kid and Sundance's wife, Etta Place, fled to Argentina through New York. They lived peacefully as farmers on a ranch for several years. After Etta returned to the United States in 1905, Butch and Sundance resumed their criminal activities and regained their infamous reputation. They eventually escaped to Bolivia via Chile.

Uncertain Fate

In 1908, Butch and Sundance were captured by Bolivian soldiers. It is presumed that they were shot, but there are no reliable sources indicating the exact date or providing evidence of their deaths or injuries. In the mining town of San Vicente, Bolivia, there is a memorial plaque commemorating the deaths of both outlaws. Guidebooks note that they were buried in a local cemetery, but this remains unproven. The mystery surrounding Butch and Sundance's fate and the possibility of their escape still remains unsolved.

Controversial Afterlife

Butch Cassidy's sister, Lula Parker Betenson, claimed that her brother returned and lived in the United States. There were also rumors that he started a new life under the name William K. Philips and died in Spokane, Washington, in 1937. Similar speculation surrounded the Sundance Kid. The lives of these legendary criminals were portrayed in the 1969 film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," with Paul Newman playing Butch Cassidy and Robert Redford portraying the Sundance Kid.