Butch Cassidy roamed incognito in southwest New Mexico.

Hideout in the Gila

Nancy Coggeshall I For The New Mexican

20 May4 -10,2012

ButchCassidy’spresenceinsouthwesternNewMexicoisbarelynotedtoday.Notoriousforhissuccessfulbankandtrainrobberiesattheturnofthe20thcentury,Cassidywasidealizedandidolizedasa“gentlemanout-

law”andleaderoftheWildBunch.HeandvariousmembersofthegangworkedincognitoattheWS Ranch—setbetweenArizona’sBlueRangeandSanCarlosApacheReservationtothewestandtheruggedMogollonMountainstotheeast—fromFebruary1899untilMay1900.

DescendantsofpioneersandranchersacquaintedwithCassidytellstoriesaboutthemantheirancestorsknewas“JimLowe.”NancyThomasgrewuphearingfromhergrandfatherClarenceTiptonandothersthatCassidywasa“manofhisword.”TiptonwastheforemanattheWSimmediatelybeforeCassidy’sarrival.

TheranchsitsatthesouthernendoftheOutlawTrail,astringofaccommodatingranchesandWildBunchhideoutsstretchingfromMontanaandtheCanadianborderintoMexico.ThecountrysurroundingtheWSRanchisforbidding;volcanicterraincleftwithprecipitouslyangled,crenelatedcanyonwallsdefiesaccess.A“prettyhardlayout,”localold-timerRobertBelltoldLouBlachly,whosecollectionofinterviewswithpioneers— conductedbetween1942and1953—arehousedattheUniversityofNewMexico.Whatbetterplacetododgethelaw?

BritishinvestorsHaroldC.WilsonandMontagueStevensfoundedtheWSRanchin1882.Theshort-livedpartnershipleftWilsonassoleowner.ThefollowingyearhisguestforChristmaswasWilliamFrench,acaptainintheBritisharmy,whoseRecollections of a Western Ranchman isakeysourceofinformationaboutCassidy’stimeinNewMexico.KeentoranchintheAmericanWest,Frenchbought100headofcattlefromWilson,ranthemwiththeWSherd,andstayed.Makinghimself“generallyuseful,”FrenchwroteinhisRecollections,hebecamegeneralmanageroftheranchfouryearslater.

InFebruary1899,Cassidy,goingbythealiasJimLowe,appearedattheWSwithPerryTucker,foremanoftheErieLand

Hideout in the Gila Butch Cassidy roamed incognito in southwest New Mexico wilderness

NancyCoggeshallForTheNewMexican

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PROMIENT PLACES -OUTLAW TRAIL

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1. Cananea Cattle Company 2. Erie Cattle Company 3. Diamond A Ranch 4. WS Ranch 5. Carlisle Ranch 6. Robbers Roost 7. Brown’s Park 8. Powder Springs/Baggs/Dixon, Wyo. 9. Lander, Wyo.10. Hole in the Wall/Lost Cabin11. Thornhill Ranch12. Eddy Co./Seven Rivers, N.M.13. San Saba Co., Tx.14. Las Vegas/Ciimarron, N.M.15. Colorow Canyon16. Mancos, Colo.

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Hideout in the Gila

andCattleCompanyinCochiseCounty,Arizona.FrenchhadwrittentoTucker,askinghimtoreturntotheWStoreplaceTipton,whoresignedoverhisinabilitytocurbtherustlingofWScattle.CassidywasTucker’sassistant.InCassidy,Frenchhadatrailboss,capableofdrivingamixedherdof1,600cows,calves,steers,andbulls.Cassidyalsomanagedthecrewofeighthands,onecook,andahorsewrangleronthe200-miledrivetotherailheadinMagdalena.BeforereachingthelevelexpanseoftheplainsofSanAgustin,thecrewandherdpickedtheirwaythroughtheBlue,Saliz,Kelly,Tularosa,andApachemountains.FrenchwroteinhisbookthatCassidy“neverdroppedahoof.”

Besideshisestimablecowwork,Cassidyandthenewcrew“broughtaboutacompletechangeoverall,”Frenchrecalled.Admittedly,therewasahighturnoverofstaffwithWildBunchmembers—includingElzyLay,JimJames,ClayMcGonagill,TomCapehart,andBruce“Red”Weaver—comingandgoing,butcattlelossduetorustlingnoticeablydeclined.

Furthermore,thebehaviorofWShandsintownreputedlywasbeyondreproach.ThepresentturnofftotheWSRanchismerelyamilefromwhatconstitutesthecenterofAlmatoday.Forthehands,thatmeantthetown’ssaloon,postoffice,generalstore,anddancehallwereconvenientlynextdoor.Cassidyhadafinancialinterest inthesaloonandsometimestendedbar.Ninemilesaway,theminingboomtownofMogollonprovidedmoresaloons,dancingopportunities,and“joyhouses,”orbrothels.OnebrothelcateredtoAnglophones,anothertothosewhospokeSpanish.

AgnesMeaderSnider,oneofCassidy’spartnersattheMogollondances,recalledCassidyasa“realgentleman...wildandreckless.Butaren’tmostyoungfellows?”inaninterviewwithBettyWoodsintheMarch1944issueofThe Desert Magazine.HewasthebestdancerSniderhadeverseen—“marvelous.”Shetoldhergrand-daughterMaryAgnesSniderthatyoucould“putaglassofwateronhisheadandhewouldn’tspillit.Hecouldglide.”

WhileemployedattheWS,Cassidywassuspectedofmaster-mindingtheinfamousWilcoxTrainRobberyinWyomingon

June2,1899;hewasevenaccusedofparticipatinginit,thoughhewasn’tchargedwithbeingatthescene,becausetheeventhadallthecharacteristicsofaCassidyheist.StealingthegoldearmarkedtopaytroopsfightingintheSpanish-AmericanWarelevatedthistothemostnefariousofWildBunchrobberies.AndthekillingofConverseCountySheriffJosiahHazenduringtheposse’spursuitmadethecrimeevenmoreegregious.

Photograph of a man believed to be Butch Cassidy, taken in Silver City in 1937; courtesy Mary Agnes Snider and Randy Haymes

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Left, sign for WS Land and Cattle Company in present-day Alma, New Mexico; right, Mogollon Theatre, where dances were held; photos by Nancy Coggeshall

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CulturalgeographerJohnMacIntoshBlewernotedinaUniversityofWyomingmaster’sthesisdueforpublicationthissummerthatthetheftmovedthestate’sGov.DeForestRichards,Sen.FrancisE.Warren,UnionPacificPresidentHoraceGreeleyBurt,otherrailwayofficials,andPresidentMcKinleytopronounceCassidyanationalterrorist.CassidymadethepagesoftheNew York Herald,andthePinkertonNationalDetectiveAgencyputcrackdetectivesCharlesSiringoandW.O.Saylesonthecase.Abountyof$18,000waspostedforCassidyandhisgang.

W.J.“Bill”Betenson,inButch Cassidy, My Uncle: A Family Portrait,writes,“IfButchwasinWyomingorpresentat[the]Wyomingrobbery,hesoonreturnedtotheWSRanch.”Betenson,Cassidy’sgreat-grandnephew,mentionsthatCassidy’sfrequentstretchesattheWShorsecamp,some20milesfromheadquarters,mighthavemadeitpossibleforhimtoslipaway.

Inearlyspringof1900,PinkertondetectiveFrankMurrayarrivedinAlmalookingforCassidy.ThefutureassistantsuperintendentofPinkerton’sDenverofficetalkedtoFrench,whodiscussedtheinterviewwithCassidy.Theoutlawhadseenthedetective,perceivedhispurpose,andboughthimadrinkattheAlmasaloon.

Murray’sappearancewasominous.Soonafter,CassidyandgangmemberWeaverlefttheareawithallthesaddlehorsesofaranchernextdoorwhowaslongsuspectedofrustlingWSstock.Cassidyreunitedwiththegangthatsummer.TheyrobbedtheFirstNationalBankinWinnemucca,Nevada,inSeptember.OnNov.21,1900,CassidyandgangmembersHarryLongabaugh(“theSundanceKid”),BenKilpatrick,WillCarver,andHarveyLoganwerephotographedinbig-cityfineryinFortWorth,Texas;thismisguidedfancyultimatelyinformedthelawoftheirwhereabouts.

HavingcontemplatedamovetoSouthAmericaforsometime,CassidysailedtoArgentinain1901.AlongthewayheenjoyedawhirlwindFebruaryvisittoNewYorkCitywithSundanceandSundance’scompanionEttaPlace.InArgentinathepartnersrancheduntil1905,whentheyrobbedabankinMercedes,400mileswestofBuenosAires.FromtheretheymovedtoChile,thenBolivia,wheretheyworkedasstockhandlers.Afterrobbingapayrollin

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Butch Cassidy, continued from Page 21

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The mystery of Cassidy Spring

P laques,statues,androadsidedisplaysthroughouttheWestcommemorateplaceswhereButchCassidy

andhisWildBunchgangleftverifiabletraces.“Festivalcelebrationsandrobberyreenactmentssustainthelegend,”culturalgeographerJohnMacIntoshBlewernotesinaUniversityofWyomingmaster’sthesisdueforpublicationthissummer.Butsofar,onlyfolkloreandfancysustainthelegendthattheGilaWilderness’CassidySpringwasnamedfortheoutlawwhoworkedatanearbyCatronCountyranchfromFebruary1899untilMay1900.

CassidySpringiscitedona1911U.S.ForestServicemapandaU.S.GeologicalSurveymapsurveyedfrom1911to1912andprintedin1913.It’sfoundspecificallyatTownship11,Range14,Section14,Trail25intheGilaWilderness.YetthederivationofthenameisnotmentionedintheGeologicalSurvey’sgeographicnamedatabaseortheLibraryofCongressnameauthorityfileforgeographicnames.NorisCassidySpringlistedinT.M.Pearce’sNew Mexico Place Names: A Geographical DictionaryorRobertJulyan’sThe Place Names of New Mexico.

Placenamesusuallydesignateageographicalfeature,anevent,oraperson.The1880NewMexicocensuscitesaminernamedGeorgeCassidy,andanengineernamedJohnW.CassidylivedinPinosAltosin1900.ButtherearenoaccountsofearlyGilaCountrysettlersnamedCassidy.TwootherCassidysappearinthe1900censusforNewMexicobesidesJohninPinosAltos—oneinMoraandanotherinTaos,muchfarthernorth.

CassidySpringis10linearmilesfromCentral—present-daySantaClara—nearFortBayard;PinosAltosiseightandahalflinearmilesfromthespring.LoomingbetweenthosetwominingtownsissomeoftheGila’smostruggedterrain:thevolcanicfieldoftheMogollon-Datilplateau,layeredwithancientlavaflows;sheer,rhyolite-cappedcliffwalls;andmountainsranginginaltitudefrom6,000to8,000feet.ButthespecificpocketoftheGilathatishometoCassidySpringisnotknownforminingactivity.GiventheruggeddistancebetweenthesemenandthespringthatbearstheCassidyname,it’shardtoseehowitwasnamedforeitherJohnorGeorgeCassidy.

ThespringissoutheastoftheHulseRanchonthenorthernborderoftheGilaWilderness.LongtimeGila CountryrancherQuentinHulse,widelyregardedasanoralhistorian,maintainedthatthespringwasnamedfortheoutlaw.Hulse’sfather,Pyeart,wasabusinesspartnerofClarenceTiptonJr.,whosefather,ClarenceTipton,wasforemanoftheWSRanchimmediatelybeforeCassidy’sarrival.ThehorsecampsfortheWSRanchwerewestofranchheadquartersinAlma,neartheArizonaborder.Perhapsthespring,eastoftheranch,offeredaneutralhavenawayfromtheWS.

Speculationbasedonfolkloremightnotholdupassolidproof.Fornow,though,itsatisfiesthelocalsasthemostlikelyexplanation.

—N.C.

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HuacaHuañuscaonNov.4,1908,theirbanditryculminatedintheNov.6gunbattleinSanVicente,blazinglyportrayedattheendof1969’sButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

AnneMeadowsandDanBuck,authorsofDigging Up Butch and Sundance,researchedextensivelyinSouthAmericaandconcurwithmostWildBunchhistoriansthatCassidyandSundancediedinSanVicente.Theirdeathswere“beyondallsustainabledoubt,”assertsJeffreyBurtoninDeadliest Outlaws: The Ketchum Gang and the Wild Bunch.

Butdoubtspringseternal.BetensonmarshalsinterviewswithrelativesandcommendableresearchtosupporthisbeliefthatCassidysurvivedtheSanVicentegunfight.BiographerRichardPatterson,authorof Butch Cassidy: A Biography,arguesthatCassidydiedtherebutallowsthat“thereseemstobesomeevidencefromreliablewitnessesthatButchlivedlongafterhewassupposedlykilledinBolivia.”

TworeliablewitnesseshavestatedthatCassidywasinNewMexicoafterhisreporteddeath.MaryAgnesSnider,thegranddaughterofCassidy’sdancingpartnerAgnesMeaderSnider,maintainsthatCassidyvisitedhisoldfriendin1937,atherSilverCityhome.Duringtheencounter,describedinanarticleinNew Mexico Magazinein1972,aphotographwastaken.WhenAgnesMeaderSniderintroducedhervisitortohergranddaughterandhergranddaughter’splaymate,QuentinHulse, as“ButchCassidy,”thevisitorreplied,“That’sanameIwanttoforget.”Hulsecorroboratesthestory.(Attheturnofthe21stcentury,thetwoeldershadn’tseeneachotherfordecadesbutrecountedCassidy’scommentswordforwordindependentofeachotherfortheauthorofthemagazinearticle.)

Giventhebox-officesuccessofButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,it’ssurprisingtherearen’troadsideplaquescitingCassidy’sstintattheWSRanchinAlma.InthemorerecentfilmBlackthorn,SamShepard’sportrayalofanolder,grizzledCassidyashavingfictionallysurvivedonBolivia’saltiplanorekindlesinterestanddebate,revivingthelegend.

“MustnameslikeAlmabekeptaliveonlybecausetherehavebeennameslikeButchCassidy?”theRev.StanleyFrancisLouisCrocchiolaasksinhisbookThe Alma (New Mexico) Story,writtenunderhispennameF.Stanley.Heneedn’thaveworried.AspringintheGilaWildernessissaidtobenamedforCassidy.Butyoucan’tevenbuyapostcardofthefamousWildBunch’sFortWorthphotographinanyofthenearbytowns. ◀

Nancy Coggeshall is a freelance writer who lives in Reserve, New Mexico. She gives a talk, “Butch Cassidy in New Mexico: His Winning Ways, His Dancing Feet, and Postmortem Return,” as part of a session on “Famous Western Characters in New Mexico” at the Historical Society of New Mexico conference at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center from 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday, May 4. See www.hsnm.org for the convention’s full schedule of events.

•Sam Shepard as Butch Cassidy in the 2011 film Blackthorn; courtesy Magnet Releasing

Opposite page, top: the Wild Bunch in a photo taken Nov. 21, 1900; from left, Harry Longabaugh (aka the Sundance Kid), Will Carver, Ben Kilpatrick, Kid Curry, and Butch Cassidy; below, Ettta Place with the Sundance Kid