Butch and Sundance: Harry Tangles with the Law and Takes His Case Public

Howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas! We're in a series about two of America's most famous outlaws, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The story recap

I've been looking at where they came from and how they were raised to determine what caused them to choose a life of crime. We've already established that Butch had zero excuses, he just flat out chose stealing over working for a living.

Now we're breaking down Sundance's upbringing and how he started out but at this point he still goes by his given name Harry. In the last post we saw him make a bone-headed decision to steal a horse and not only that but did it in such a way that everyone knew he did it.

So his skill as a thief, so far, sucks pretty bad. We did find out that he was gifted in one area though, and that was picking handcuff and shackle locks. His escape from a moving train got him rave reviews by the newspapers who glamorized his deeds and he was well on his way to fame.

Another bone-headed decision

We left off yesterday with Harry escaping by jumping off the train that the Sheriff was taking him back to Sundance on. But what he did next made no sense whatsoever.

Instead of traveling to another region where he was unknown he headed straight back to Miles City where they had just picked him up! And ok, I can see going back and taking his horse and gear out of there in the dead of night and disappearing but no, he went back and stayed in the area.

Being that he was only 20 years old I think he may have had a girl that he liked there. He was a smart kid from all indications so that's the only reason I can think of that would make him risk being arrested again.

Harry's second arrest

Well, of course it wasn't long before he WAS arrested again and a local Sheriff, Sheriff Davis, with a Deputy, went to pick him up. He'd been working at a local ranch but someone must have recognized him and with that kind of money offered, $7,000 in todays dollars, it was only a matter of time before he was turned in.

source

I think he lasted about a month before he was found out. It was in this time frame that his mother Annie had passed away but he was laying low out on that ranch, probably using another name, and his family had no way to contact him.

The day the Sheriff got out there to make the arrest it was getting close to dark so they decided to sleep in a line shack there on the property and Harry was shackled to the wall.

The best handcuffs money can buy

The handcuffs and shackles were newly patented, the latest model, and guaranteed to hold the prisoner until unlocked with a key. They settled in for the night and the Deputy fell asleep right away.

The Sheriff appeared to be sound asleep too. Sure enough, Harry pulls another "Harry Houdini" and slips out of the cuffs and shackles and stealthily starts climbing out the shack's window.

Sheriff Davis plays possum

The only problem was, Sheriff Davis was only playing "possum" and wasn't really asleep. When Harry was half way out the window the Sheriff raises his six shooter and says softly.."Kid you're loose, ain't you?"

Harry drops back down to the floor. The rest of the night they take turns watching him. So much for those fancy new handcuffs and shackles!

Now Harry is sitting in a cell in Miles City and reading newspaper articles about him. It seems that during the month that he was trying to lay low there was a rash of robberies in the area. The same things that he had stolen were being taken...horses, saddles and six shooters.

The newspaper hypes Harry's rep

The newspapers had heard about his attempted second escape and were now writing articles about him going on this big crime spree and building up his reputation.

He was sitting in jail reading the articles and getting highly offended so he wrote a letter to the newspaper which they published.

Harry sways the Public's opinion of him

I don't know about you all, but I love reading old letters written by people in the 1800's. Their mastery of language and skill of writing always impresses me. Take Harry's letter for example. Here was a poor cowpoke with very little education, and here is what he wrote:

"In your issue of the 7th inst. I read a very sensational and partly untrue article, which places me before the public not even second to the notorious Jess James. Admitting that I have done wrong and expecting to be dealt with according to the law and not by false report from parties who should blush with shame to make them, I ask a little of your space to set my case before the public in a true light.

In the first place I have always worked for an honest living; was employed last summer by one of the best outfits in Montana and don't think they can say aught against me, but having got discharged last winter I went to the Black Hills to seek employment-which I could not get- and was forced to work for my board a month and a half, rather than beg or steal.

I finally started back to the vicinity of Miles City to get employment on the range and was arrested at the above named place and charged with having stolen a horse at Sundance, where I was being taken by Sheriff Ryan, whom I escaped from by jumping from the cars, which I judged were running at the rate of 100 miles an hour.

After this my course of outlawry commenced, and I suffered terribly for the want of food in the hope of getting back south without being detected, where I would be looked upon as I always had been, and not as a criminal.

Contrary to the statement in the Journal, I deny having stolen any horses up to the time I was captured, at which time I was riding a horse which I bought and paid for, nor had I the slightest idea of stealing any horses.

I am aware that some of your readers will say my statement should be taken for what it is worth, on account of the hard name which has been forced upon me, nevertheless it is true.

As for my recapture by Sheriff Davis, all I can say is that he did his work well and were it not for his "playing possum" I would now be on my way south, which I hoped to go and live a better life."

He's pretty convincing isn't he? Just an honest, hard working cowboy who just wants to get back home to where people know his real character.

I know this post is already long. My apologies. I'm a sucker for hand written letters from the hand of the actual person who's story I'm telling.

His story continues tomorrow, if his letter is honest, there's still hope for him right?

Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy Texas
the gentleman redneck

PS- ya know...you might just be a redneck if:

Dinner may or may not have tire tracks on it!