Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Robert Leroy Parker, AKA Butch Cassidy, and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, AKA the Sundance Kid, were immortalized in the film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” featuring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Reality immoralizes them.

Lonabaugh got his name from the ranch where he stole his first gun, horse, and saddle in Sundance, Wyoming. He adopted the name while serving his prison sentence for the robbery. Parker got his name as a result of having been a butcher. Recently I visited one area where the two hung out for a time and visited with relatives of Cassidy. The area is known as Brown’s Park or Hole located in the northwest corner of Colorado bordering Wyoming and Utah along the Green River.

What follows is mostly their account of their outlaw ancestors. According to them they were not killers, but for a time were members of the “Wild Bunch, many members of which were killers. They liked the area for many reasons. One was they could easily move from state to state and wait for things to cool off in the vacated area before returning. Repeatedly they were not killers, but ranch hands and robbers. They would not steal from people who employed them. As a result ranchers were willing to pay them top dollar to work for them. People in the area were intrigued by them and looked after them. If a lawman was coming to the area local citizens would warn them and they would hide out in the vastness of Brown’s Hole.

Out of gratitude Butch and Sundance would throw a big Thanksgiving feast for the community going to the extreme of importing exotic foods such as oysters and other seafood. Relatives give this account of their demise which is contrary to the film.

The movie depicts them as being killed in a shootout in Bolivia. Not so, say relatives. They assert they never went to Bolivia. It was a time when photos and printing presses were not common so their profile was not well known. However, there were a couple of men who passed themselves off as Butch and Sundance. Using the stolen image they got a lot of favors because of their popularity. They are the two who went to Bolivia and were shot in the gunfight.

Relatives tell of Sundance and Butch being seen in America several times after the Bolivia shootings. Again this is the story of relatives. The real Butch and Sundance reputedly lived out their days and are buried in the state of Oregon. I report — you decide. The notoriety of these two has made them old west icons. In reality they were bad dudes who were an embarrassment and grief to their families.

The mother of Cassidy is described by relatives as weeping over her outlaw son as she worked in the field. There is little or no pride in them among relatives today. It is a strange thing that we tend to lionize our villains and demonize our virtuous heroes.

Think about that including those who are alive today.