SUNDANCE KID
Harry Longabaugh
(a.k.a. the Sundance Kid)
Born 1867
Died c. November 1908
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (1867 - c. November 1908), sometimes spelled Longbaugh,
born in Mont Clare, Pennsylvania, also known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw
and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild bunch, in the American Old West.
In 1887, Harry Longabaugh was convicted of horse theft and sentenced to 18
months in the Sundance, Wyoming, jail. Because of this jail time he was called
the Sundance Kid. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy sometime after Cassidy was
released from prison around 1896. They formed the "Wild Bunch Gang." Together
with the other members of the gang, they performed the longest string of
successful bank robberies in American and Old West history. Little is known of
Longabaugh's exploits prior to his riding with Cassidy. However, this is known:
in 1891 Harry Longabaugh was a 25 year old ranch hand working at the Bar U Ranch
in Alberta, Canada. The Bar U was one of the largest commercial Ranches of
the time.
Although Longabaugh was reportedly fast with a gun and often referred to as a "gunfighter",
Longabaugh is not known to have killed anyone prior to a later shootout in
Bolivia, where he and Cassidy were alleged to have been killed. He became better
known than another outlaw member of the gang dubbed "Kid", Kid Curry, who killed
numerous men while with the gang. It is possible that often the "Sundance Kid"
was mistaken for "Kid Curry", since many articles referred to the "Kid". The
Sundance Kid did participate in a shootout with lawmen who trailed a gang led by
George Curry to the Hole-in-the-Wall hideout and was thought to have wounded two
lawmen in that shootout. With that exception, though, his verified involvement
in shootouts is unknown.
Historically, the gang was for a time best known for their lack of violence
during the course of their robberies, relying heavily on intimidation and
negotiation, but nevertheless if captured they would have faced hanging. However,
that portrayal of the gang is less than accurate and mostly a result of
Hollywood portrayals depicting them as usually "non-violent". In reality,
several people were killed by members of the gang, including five law
enforcement officers killed by Kid Curry alone. "Wanted dead or alive" posters
were posted throughout the country, with as much as a $30,000 reward for
information leading to their capture or death.
They began hiding out at a place they called the Hole In The Wall, located near
Buffalo, Wyoming. From there they could strike and retreat, with little fear of
capture, since it was posted high on a mountain top, with a view in all
directions of the surrounding territory. Pinkerton detectives led by Charlie
Siringo, however, hounded the gang for a couple of years.
Cassidy and Longabaugh, evidently wanting to allow things to calm down a bit and
looking for fresher robbing grounds, left the United States on February 20, 1901.
Longabaugh sailed with Butch Cassidy and Longabaugh's "wife", Etta Place, aboard
the British ship Herminius for Buenos Aires in Argentina.
One theory is that both Butch and Sundance were later killed by soldiers in
Bolivia in November 1908, after the two of them heisted a Bolivian mining
company payroll. According to reports, the two were involved in a lengthy gun
battle with the soldiers, who had surrounded them inside a building in San
Vicente, ending with their alleged death.
However, there is some evidence to suggest that one or both returned to the
United States, with Longabaugh dying in 1936. The subject remains a matter of
dispute.
Harry Longabaugh
(a.k.a. the Sundance Kid)
Born 1867
Died c. November 1908
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (1867 - c. November 1908), sometimes spelled Longbaugh,
born in Mont Clare, Pennsylvania, also known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw
and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild bunch, in the American Old West.
In 1887, Harry Longabaugh was convicted of horse theft and sentenced to 18
months in the Sundance, Wyoming, jail. Because of this jail time he was called
the Sundance Kid. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy sometime after Cassidy was
released from prison around 1896. They formed the "Wild Bunch Gang." Together
with the other members of the gang, they performed the longest string of
successful bank robberies in American and Old West history. Little is known of
Longabaugh's exploits prior to his riding with Cassidy. However, this is known:
in 1891 Harry Longabaugh was a 25 year old ranch hand working at the Bar U Ranch
in Alberta, Canada. The Bar U was one of the largest commercial Ranches of
the time.
Although Longabaugh was reportedly fast with a gun and often referred to as a "gunfighter",
Longabaugh is not known to have killed anyone prior to a later shootout in
Bolivia, where he and Cassidy were alleged to have been killed. He became better
known than another outlaw member of the gang dubbed "Kid", Kid Curry, who killed
numerous men while with the gang. It is possible that often the "Sundance Kid"
was mistaken for "Kid Curry", since many articles referred to the "Kid". The
Sundance Kid did participate in a shootout with lawmen who trailed a gang led by
George Curry to the Hole-in-the-Wall hideout and was thought to have wounded two
lawmen in that shootout. With that exception, though, his verified involvement
in shootouts is unknown.
Historically, the gang was for a time best known for their lack of violence
during the course of their robberies, relying heavily on intimidation and
negotiation, but nevertheless if captured they would have faced hanging. However,
that portrayal of the gang is less than accurate and mostly a result of
Hollywood portrayals depicting them as usually "non-violent". In reality,
several people were killed by members of the gang, including five law
enforcement officers killed by Kid Curry alone. "Wanted dead or alive" posters
were posted throughout the country, with as much as a $30,000 reward for
information leading to their capture or death.
They began hiding out at a place they called the Hole In The Wall, located near
Buffalo, Wyoming. From there they could strike and retreat, with little fear of
capture, since it was posted high on a mountain top, with a view in all
directions of the surrounding territory. Pinkerton detectives led by Charlie
Siringo, however, hounded the gang for a couple of years.
Cassidy and Longabaugh, evidently wanting to allow things to calm down a bit and
looking for fresher robbing grounds, left the United States on February 20, 1901.
Longabaugh sailed with Butch Cassidy and Longabaugh's "wife", Etta Place, aboard
the British ship Herminius for Buenos Aires in Argentina.
One theory is that both Butch and Sundance were later killed by soldiers in
Bolivia in November 1908, after the two of them heisted a Bolivian mining
company payroll. According to reports, the two were involved in a lengthy gun
battle with the soldiers, who had surrounded them inside a building in San
Vicente, ending with their alleged death.
However, there is some evidence to suggest that one or both returned to the
United States, with Longabaugh dying in 1936. The subject remains a matter of
dispute.