Butch Cassidy roamed incognito in southwest New Mexico.
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Butch Cassidy roamed incognito in southwest New Mexico. Hideout in the Gila Nancy Coggeshall I For The New Mexican 20 May 4 -10, 2012 B utch Cassidy’s presence in southwestern New Mexico is barely noted today. Notorious for his successful bank and train robberies at the turn of the 20th century, Cassidy was idealized and idolized as a “gentleman out- law” and leader of the Wild Bunch. He and various members of the gang worked incognito at the WS Ranch — set between Arizona’s Blue Range and San Carlos Apache Reservation to the west and the rugged Mogollon Mountains to the east — from February 1899 until May 1900. Descendants of pioneers and ranchers acquainted with Cassidy tell stories about the man their ancestors knew as “Jim Lowe.” Nancy Thomas grew up hearing from her grandfather Clarence Tipton and others that Cassidy was a “man of his word.” Tipton was the foreman at the WS immediately before Cassidy’s arrival. The ranch sits at the southern end of the Outlaw Trail, a string of accommodating ranches and Wild Bunch hideouts stretching from Montana and the Canadian border into Mexico. The country surrounding the WS Ranch is forbidding; volcanic terrain cleft with precipitously angled, crenelated canyon walls defies access. A “pretty hard layout,” local old-timer Robert Bell told Lou Blachly, whose collection of interviews with pioneers — conducted between 1942 and 1953 — are housed at the University of New Mexico. What better place to dodge the law? British investors Harold C. Wilson and Montague Stevens founded the WS Ranch in 1882. The short-lived partnership left Wilson as sole owner. The following year his guest for Christmas was William French, a captain in the British army, whose Recollections of a Western Ranchman is a key source of information about Cassidy’s time in New Mexico. Keen to ranch in the American West, French bought 100 head of cattle from Wilson, ran them with the WS herd, and stayed. Making himself “generally useful,” French wrote in his Recollections, he became general manager of the ranch four years later. In February 1899, Cassidy, going by the alias Jim Lowe, appeared at the WS with Perry Tucker, foreman of the Erie Land • PROMIENT PLACES - OUTLAW TRAIL • 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 Cabin 11. Thornhill Ranch 12. Eddy Co./Seven Rivers, N.M. 13. San Saba Co.,Tx. 14. Las Vegas/Ciimarron, N.M. 15. Colorow Canyon 16. Mancos, Colo.
Transcript of Butch Cassidy roamed incognito in southwest New Mexico.
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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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
