(Robert LeRoy Parker, “Butch Cassidy” and Harry Alonzo Longbaugh, “The Sundance Kid”) (1846 – 1923) Typed Letter Signed in a secretarial hand, 2pp. 10 1/2 x 8 in. on Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency letterhead, St. Paul, Minn., 1 October 1901, with original transmittal envelope addressed in Pinkerton’s hand to the Missoula County, Mont. Sheriff concerning the whereabouts of Butch Cassidy’s gang who had been implicated in the Great Northern Express robbery of 3 July 1901.
Pinkerton forwards the Montana authorities a circular [not present] which offered “… a large reward for the bandits.” Pinkerton adds some additional intelligence on the possible whereabouts of the gang: “… The following is a copy of a letter from Missoula, which reached me only a few days ago; the information is consequently nearly a month old: ‘Homer Algers, miner from North Fork of the Clearwater, in Drummond today, saw photos of G. N. Ry. train robbers in depot. Says he has seen and talked with them on North Fork of Clearwater August 16th and that they ROBBED the sluice boxes of Wolf Mining company and shot at them about 20 miles form Iron Mountain and that they are still in that neighborhood and can be found by applying to Mr. Wolfs Camp…’” Pinkerton adds that “Algers positively affirms that Harry Longbaugh shot at him to scare him away from the camp; that the other two parties in the circular were with him, but Harry Logan alias ‘Kid’ Curry had his beard shaved off; and on Sept. 12th the parties were still in camp on North Fork of Clearwater. They have plenty of wine and are having a good time… Presuming that you have Deputies in different parts of your territory, we thought possibly that on account of the large reward, this information would be of interest to you…”
Letters and documents concerning the last escapades of Butch Cassidy’s gang just before Parker and Longbaugh fled to Argentina are extremely rare, making much of the history of their final months in the United States quite murky and sometimes contradictory. Some accounts have Parker leaving the United States for Argentina in February 1901, months before the Great Northern Express robbery. Other popular accounts place Parker in Montana on the day of the train robbery and fleeing to South America soon afterwards. It appears that the Pinkertons were convinced of the former.
Some light toning and marginal wear, usual folds, else near fine.
(EXA 4272) SOLD.
