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Butch Cassidy

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Robert LeRoy Parker was a famous outlaw from the American Old West.

Robert Leroy Parker Childhood Cabin
Robert Leroy Parker Childhood Cabin

He was born on April 13, 1866, in Beaver, Utah Territory. His parents were immigrants from the United Kingdom. They were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Parker grew up on a ranch near Circleville, Utah. He eventually became known by the name Butch Cassidy. This name came from a nickname he earned while working as a butcher. He later added the name Cassidy to honor an old friend.

Butch Cassidy mugshot detail
Butch Cassidy mugshot detail

Parker's life as a criminal started with very small crimes. Around 1880, he broke into a shop to take some jeans and pie. He even left a note promising to pay for them later. He soon moved on to much bigger jobs. In 1889, he robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride, Colorado.

San Miguel Valley Bank In Telluride
San Miguel Valley Bank In Telluride

He and his partners stole about $21,000 from the bank. After the robbery, the group fled to a remote hideout called Robbers Roost. This was a place in the corner of the Utah Territory. He also owned a ranch in Wyoming with a special cattle brand.

As time went on, Parker formed a large group of criminals. They were known as the Wild Bunch. This gang included many people like the Sundance Kid and Kid Curry. They worked together to rob banks and trains across the West. In 1896, Cassidy and his friends robbed a bank in Idaho. They took about $7,000 during that crime. Later, in 1899, the gang robbed a Union Pacific passenger train near Wyoming. This big robbery made them very famous and started a massive manhunt. Many lawmen tried to catch them, but the gang was hard to find.

Law enforcement agencies worked hard to stop the Wild Bunch. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency was one group that hunted them. They even used a famous photograph of the "Fort Worth Five" to find the men. Because of this pressure, the gang began to fall apart. Some members were caught or killed during shootouts with the law. In 1901, Cassidy and his friend Harry Longabaugh decided to leave the United States. They wanted to escape the detectives who were always following them. They traveled to New York City and then sailed to Argentina.

Sundance Kid and wife-clean
Sundance Kid and wife-clean

In South America, the men tried to live a quiet life. Cassidy, Longabaugh, and a woman named Etta Place lived on a ranch. They lived in a small log cabin near the Andes mountains. A letter from 1902 shows they had 300 cattle and 1,500 sheep. They stayed there for a few years until they felt unsafe again. They eventually moved to Bolivia to hide. Most people believe that Cassidy and Longabaugh died there in November 1908. Even though his life was full of crime, many stories about him still exist. People still write books and make movies about the Wild West today.

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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Robert Leroy Parker Childhood Cabin.jpg
Robert Leroy Parker Childhood Cabin.jpg
File:San Miguel Valley Bank In Telluride.jpg
San Miguel Valley Bank In Telluride.jpg
File:Butch Cassidy mugshot detail.jpg
Butch Cassidy mugshot detail.jpg
File:Sundance Kid and wife-clean.jpg
Sundance Kid and wife-clean.jpg
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