Who Were the Real Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid?
For centuries, the legendary outlaw duo, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, have fascinated people worldwide with their daring robberies and epic escapes. Their larger-than-life personalities have inspired countless books, movies, and TV shows, with perhaps the most famous portrayal coming from Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the iconic 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. However, the true stories behind the outlaws are more remarkable than fiction, with interesting facts that are little-known to the general public. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating lives of Harry Longabaugh, a.k.a. The Sundance Kid, and Robert Leroy Parker, a.k.a. Butch Cassidy.
Origins and Early Lives
Robert Leroy Parker was born on April 13, 1866, in Beaver, Utah. Raised as a Mormon, his family was considered modest and respectable, with Parker working as a ranch hand as a teenager. Parker and his gang would go on to steal thousands of dollars from banks and train depots across the Western United States, eventually forming one of the most infamous criminal organizations in history, Hole-in-the-Wall.
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, known as Sundance Kid, was born around 1867, exact date unknown, in New York City. There are conflicting reports about his upbringing, but most believe that he came from a difficult home environment. With multiple aliases, including H.L. and Henry Logbaum, Sundance was first arrested in 1896 for a burglary charge in Pennsylvania, after which he fled to Montana. Meeting Butch Cassidy’s cousin, Will Haymaker, in the small mining town of Rock Springs, Longabaugh soon found himself part of Cassidy’s criminal gang.
Crimes and Crazes
The criminal exploits of Parker and Longabaugh led to them earning numerous notches on their crime-loving belts, as it were. One notable score saw them steal an estimated $40,000, with some claiming that Parker orchestrated the heist of over $100,000.
Key crimes committed by Parker (Butch Cassidy):
* Stealing 19,000 head of sheep from the Oatman family (estimated value: $14,500)
- Taking cash and gold from multiple Utah banks and rail yards, including a notorious train depot heist at Helper Junction
- Partnering in a large gold train heist
Some key highlights of Sundance Kid (Harry Longabaugh)’s crime career include:
* Breaking Harry Bridger, the outlaw father of Billy the Kid
- Fleeing through the US and Canadian wilds
- Hauling over 400 feet of explosives out of Salt Lake City in an incredible escape
* The infamous raid on Foyer’s Ferry on January 12, 1880
Butch and Sundance: In Prison and Aftermath
Robert Leroy Parker spent nine years behind bars at Idaho State Penitentiary for an aggravated robbery. During this time, Parker became fast friends with Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, then awaiting sentence for bank robbery.
What happened to Butch and Sundance after prison remains uncertain due to inconsistent records. Officially, their legend ended on November 1, 1896 when authorities tracked and engaged them near the Smallville (then Rio Arriba County) settlement on the Bolivian Salt Flats.
Many suspect that, while exact burial sites have never been confirmed, DNA studies showed that two sets of unmarked remains did NOT match their notorious DNA profiles, thereby concluding, in fact, their legends were exaggerated myths, and no such identities had been located at Bolivian burials, according to FBI studies on-site**. What an impressive and unforgettable mystery story from the Old West?
After the Butch and the Sundance story and death, these criminals got remembered as iconic heroes due to their legendry robbery experiences. There isn’t accurate information, only folklore legend. People today do get inspired and imagine such crimes and hero stories when studying the 2 heroes!