This morning, I was stuck in traffic on 395 as police rounded up horses that had gotten loose. Upon arriving at the work, I found this story which is irresistible as part of the spontaneous cowboy theme this morning. The discovery of a book manuscript has led some to suggest that Butch Cassidy did not die with Robert Redford in Bolivia (Ok, with The Sundance Kid). To the contrary, it is claimed, Butch Cassidy died in 1937 as William T. Phillips, a machinist who in Spokane. Somehow dying in your bed after a second career as a machinist does not work quite as well as the shootout with Bolivian cavalry in 1908. I believe Cassidy is shown here sitting with the mustache and bowler on the far right next to the flowers.
Many historians insist that Phillips was an imposter but his book “Bandit Invincible: The Story of Butch Cassidy,” contains many details that Utah book collector Brent Ashworth and Montana author Larry Pointer insist are proof of authenticity.
Cassidy’s real name was Robert LeRoy Parker and was born a Mormon in 1866 in Beaver, Utah — the oldest of 13 children. He served time in Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie for possessing three stolen horses and eventually hooked up with the Sundance Kid or Harry Longabaugh. You can read the column below and judge for yourself. However, when the grave in San Vincente, Bolivia was dug up, the two bodies reportedly were not DNA matches to the outlaws. However, historians insist that the evidence is quite strong that they died in the shootout. You can be your own judge.
As someone addicted to Westerns, my only concern is having to do a remake of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with the former finishing the movie exploring the exciting potential of modern machinery in mass production.
Source: Fox.com
Jonathon,
Re Butch Cassidy: I posted “Anatomy of a Farce,” today at True West, here
http://truewest.ning.com/forum/topics/anatomy-of-a-farce
explaining (I hope) the matter.
Dan
PS We only pulled up one set of Caucasoid remains during the early 1990s dig in San Vicente, and he turned out to be Gustav Zimmer, a German miner.
pete-
Uh huh! You got that right.
i don’t know, billy the grumpy old bastard just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
One of my all time favorite movies.
Of course, there are still people who believe that Billy the Kid died of old age.
OK, http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpps/news/offbeat/video-shows-horses-grazing-along-rush-hour-traffic-on-i-395-081511_14574056
although why horses in Arlington are being broadcast from Atlanta….
sheesh, I can’t believe nobody else bit at your opening, 😎 !!
What amazes me is how passionate some people can get about such an inconsequential thing. Who really cares it they got it in Boliva or moved to Tanzania and crocheted tea cozies for the export market? Yes it would be interesting to know but it is not something to get your blood pressure up over, believe it or don’t.
Lets face it, the westerns went through a lot of what Star Wars eventually went through.
This question of the Cassidy escape is not unlike “These Are Not The Droids You Are Looking For” episode in Star Wars.
I’ll bet the Governor of Washington didn’t outlaw the bargaining rights of the Machinists Local in Spokane.
Unfortunately, as an American Indian, I grew to hate westerns because the American Indian is always the bad guy. I also despise the professional Washington, DC football team mascot and its denigration of American Indians. Although, I do confess to being in love with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
That is the way propaganda works. You choose the story that makes you comfortable, and reject the rest.
The problem is that it does not work for very long, in terms of its effect on empires and on civilization itself.
Like Karl Rove once said we make the shit up, you decide which shit you want to believe … shit happens.
I love it!
Well if he ended up in Spokane…
raff,
Are you trolling or trying to be a rain maker…..
Wyatt Earp wound up as a used car salesman and movie western technical adviser in L.A.. Most of his legend was his version of his life as he embellished it, Ned Buntline’s breathless dime novels and then further embellished by the movies. Although I too love westerns they really represented a fantasy view of the fantasy of “The Frontier.” However, that was a damn good final scene.
No DNA tests for Mr Phillips?
Great movie and an interesting story. Would Mr. Phillips estate have an claim on the proceeds from the movie?