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Work of the 'Hole In The Wall Gang' with rare mention of 'Butch Cassidy' (well, almost)...
Work of the 'Hole In The Wall Gang' with rare mention of 'Butch Cassidy' (well, almost)...
Item # 696633
August 31, 1900
THE BETHLEHEM TIMES, Pennsylvania, Aug. 31, 1900 The top of page 3 has column heads: "BANDITS GOT $100,000" "Thrilling Hold Up of Union Pacific Express Train" "Money Belonged to Uncle Sam" "it Was En Route for Manila to Pay American Soldiers--Famous Outlaw Band the Robbers--Now Fighting Desperately to Escape".
The report is datelined from "Table Rock, Wy." and takes over half a column with details of the robbery. This robbery is now ascribed to the work of Butch Cassidy and the "Hole In The Wall Gang".
A few bits include: "...It was one of the most dramatic cases of railroad robbery on record...The messenger was ordered from the express car under pain of being blown up...the outlaws emptied their rifles at the coaches to keep inquisitive passengers back...passengers hid their valuables...The bandit shot at one passenger to scare him...The bandits worked very coolly...was simply blown to pieces with dynamite...The bandits took two bags of gold and paper money from the wreck...in a moment were galloping away...In less than two hours 50 men were at the spot... and were in pursuit of the fugitives..." with much more.
And what is great is a reference to one of the more famous of the Western outlaws, Butch Cassidy (although they got it slightly wrong), whose name is rarely mentioned in period newspapers: "...It is now said that the men, who are members of the 'Dutch' Cassady outlaw band, are cornered 30 miles north in the Red desert...The outlaws have an enormous quantity of ammunition..." with more.
Several website credit Butch Cassidy and his gang with this robbery, even though the robbers were never caught.
Finding period newspapers with period reports on the Hole In the Wall Gang is very difficult.
Complete in 8 pages, archival strengthening at the spine, a few archival mends at the margins. Given the era, the newsprint is rather fragile and must be handled carefully.
Category: The Old West
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