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It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the SP 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com/slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com/slash podcast.
Paid for by Public Investing. Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc., member Finra and SIPC. Advisory Services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
Complete disclosures available at public.com/slash disclosures. Have you heard about Klarna? Klarna is an app designed to make everyday spending simpler and more transparent. It gives you flexibility to decide how you want to pay, whether that's paying right away, paying later, or spreading payments over time, depending on what works best for you. Everything is managed in the Klarna app, so you can keep track of purchases and stay organized.
You can also discover deals and even earn cash back when you shop through the Klarna app with participating brands. It's all about flexibility and staying in control of how and when you pay. Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more. Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license, NMLS number 1353190, aren't a balance account required to be eligible for cashback points.
Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. Time for a sofa upgrade? Introducing Anibay sofas, where designer style meets budget-friendly prices. Anibay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anibay is the only machine-washable sofa inside and out.
Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquids simply slide right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high-resilience foam lets you choose between a sink-in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus, our pet-friendly, stain-resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price.
Visit washable sofas.com to upgrade your living space today.
Sofas start at just $699 with no risk returns and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Get up to 60% off, plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Mm-hmm.
This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star. and the American people. When people think of Butch Cassidy, they often imagine Paul Newman's character from the famous movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made in 1969 with Robert Redford. But the real story of Butch Cassidy is the story of a Western godfather of sorts who brought organization to a world of unorganized crime. Here to tell the story is Roger McGrath.
Roger is the author of Gunfighters, Hollywood, and Vigilantes, Violence on the Frontier. Let's take a listen. Ah! Butch Cassidy, the last great outlaw of the American West. is born Robert Leroy Parker in Beaver, Utah.
On Friday the 13th in April 1866, to a family of Mormon immigrants. He is the first of 13 children born to two of the earliest Mormon settlers. Max Million and Ann Parker. In 1879, a majority of the Maximilian buys a homestead in Circle Valley. and 13-year-old Robert Leroy, or Roy as he is called.
is thought old enough to help support the family. and is sent off to work at a nearby ranch. Here's Tom Hatch, author of The Last Outlaws. Bob Parker was the oldest of 13 kids, and so he. became the surrogate father, and he would take care of the kids.
Bob was like a big kid himself, and he was throughout his whole life. He was a very gregarious man who made friends wherever he went because. of his personality. His mother homeschooled the kids. mostly on the Bible.
She would hold services there. He absolutely adored his mother. Yale Forest winds and droughts make life on the Parker homestead a struggle. Maximilian decides to homestead additional acreage in the valley. but rights to the new property are contested by another settler.
By Mormon custom, The dispute is mediated by the local church bishop. The Bishop awards the land to the other settler. who is thought more faithful to the Church. Maximilian is furious. Young Roy is furious also, and He feels the Mormon religion has been used to cheat his family out of their land.
Royce sets out to support his family by harrying out again. this time at Jim Marshall's ranch. During Roy's second season at Marshall's Ranch, He meets a man. who would forever alter the direction of his life. Small time cattle rustler.
Mike Cassidy. Here's Utah historian. Ken Verdoya Mike Cassidy. He's a well-known horseman and he's great with a revolver, an excellent shot and marksman. And Cassidy takes a liking.
To little Bobby Parker, teaches him how to really ride a horse, teaches him how to handle a revolver, how to become a good marksman. And more importantly, Mike Cassidy shows him how to cut corners. There's big cattle operations, and they'll never miss it if one or two or ten of the herd gets cut away and goes to another place. Ah. In the summer of 1884, Roy Parker is 18 years old and full grown, stands 5'9 and weighs 165 pounds.
It's described as friendly, good-natured, loyal, and generous. He also has an infectious grin and is a natural leader. A ranch cowboy says Roy can ride around a tree at full speed. and put every bullet from his revolver into a three-inch circle. Mike Cassidy.
has taught the kid well. His wrestling soon becomes known to the local authorities though. And he leaves for the gold mining boomtown of Tellhuride, Colorado.
Some claim the town got its name. From a quick pronunciation of to hell, you're right. For a young man seeking adventure. Roy has come to the right place. Rugged frontiersmen packed Telluride's famous saloons, gambling halls, and houses of ill repute.
Here's historians of the Old West. Paul Hutton and Tom Hatch. Robert Parker goes to a world that couldn't be more different. This is the wild boomtown world of the mining camp.
So a lot of gambling, a lot of drinking. A lot of prostitution. A lot of young men. Heavily armed. and fueled by alcohol.
He went in there with a Mormon mind. And within a week or two, I'm sure he'd been in every saloon there and he learned how to drink with the best of them and he gambled with the best of them. He didn't feel comfortable in Mormon country. but he felt comfortable in telluride. Roy lands a grueling job running a packed train of mules, hauling gold and silver ore from the mines to the mills.
He soon wearies of the drudgery. Going in the mines each and every day. Robert Parker looks at that as a sucker's bet. You're coming out bone-wary. You could die down there.
And what have you earned at the end of the day? But on the corner is the San Miguel Bank. Roy with two of his new friends. a lapsed Mormon named Matt Warner. and Warner's brother-in-law Tom McCurdy.
Poles his first major criminal job. the robbery of the San Miguel Valley Bank of Tellurite. on june twenty fourth, eighteen eighty nine.
Now most attempts at robbing banks in the Old West Fail miserably because of poor planning or no planning at all. Roy is undeterred by the odds against him. And for good reason. From the very beginning. He had a methodology.
He wasn't just one of these wild writers like the movies make so famous. He was very methodical, he was very careful, he was very intelligent. Parker knew it's not just about where the money is. but knowing when it will be at its peak. When will the cash arrive?
Who handles the cash? How many people are in the building at the time when the cash is at its peak? Uh And more importantly than that, How will I make my escape? And you've been listening to the story of Robert Parker, sometimes called Roy, but as we've come to know him, the story of Butch Cassidy. as told by Dr.
Roger McGrath. When we come back, more of the story of Butch Cassidy. Here. on our American stories. Uh Lee Habib here, the host of Our American Stories.
Every day on this show, we're bringing inspiring stories from across this great country. Stories from our big cities and small towns. But we truly can't do this show without you. Our stories are free to listen to, but they're not free to make. If you love what you hear, go to ouramericanstories.com and click the donate button.
Give a little, give a lot. Go to ouramericanstories.com and give. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt.
From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the SP 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com/slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio.
That's public.com/slash podcast. Paid for by Public Investing. Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. Advisory Services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool.
Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com. slash disclosures. Have you heard about Klarna? Klarna is an app designed to make everyday spending simpler and more transparent.
It gives you flexibility to decide how you want to pay, whether that's paying right away, paying later, or spreading payments over time, depending on what works best for you. Everything is managed in the Klarna app, so you can keep track of purchases and stay organized. You can also discover deals and even earn cash back when you shop through the Klarna app with participating brands. It's all about flexibility and staying in control of how and when you pay. Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more.
Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license, NMLS number 1353190, aren't a balance account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. Time for a sofa upgrade? Introducing Anibay sofas, where designer style meets budget-friendly prices.
Anibay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anibay is the only machine-washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquids simply slide right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high-resilience foam lets you choose between a sink-in feel or a supportive memory foam blend.
Plus, our pet-friendly, stain-resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washable sofas.com to upgrade your living space today.
Sofas start at just $699 with no risk returns and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Get up to 60% off, plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Mm-hmm.
Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. all from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop.
That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears.
Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just Windows Shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait, this could actually be home.
So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit Redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. And we continue with our American stories and the story of Butch Cassidy, as told by Roger McGrath. Let's pick up where we last left off.
Roy Parker's accomplice, Tom McCarty, is an old hand at bank robbery. and he impresses upon Roy the importance of not only planning each step of the robbery, but also each step of the getaway. Several weeks before a robbery, Royal train and hardened horses to be used in the getaway. Beloved animals are selected grain fit and exercised rigorously. When the first relay is reached, Rory switches to thoroughbreds, able to maintain a swift pace over a long distance.
If necessary, A second and a third relay of horses is used. This master stroke will become Roy Parker's signature technique. The robbery of the bank at Tellurite goes exactly as planned. and Roy and the others gallop out of town. Here's Ken for Doya.
and True West magazine contributor, Tom Ross. And this is the genius of Robert Parker. He had planned the escape even better than he had planned the holdup. This is the first of his great escapades where they wind up with big money. I mean, you walk away from a bank with $20,000.
I mean, you're looking at what a cowboy might take him five or 10 years to make if you save every penny. Uh This is a serious crime. It's one thing to take a few cows or take a couple horses, but This is big time robbery. There's no going back. There's no going back.
Bright Parker knows his Deed will break the heart of his pious mother and decides to deflect shame from his family. He drops a family name. and begins using the surname Cassidy. in honor of his mentor. He will later also add the nickname Butch.
and become known to history. has Butch Cassidy. The steep canyons and unforgiving terrain that make up the 1,500-mile-long stretch of wilderness. That runs from New Mexico to Montana is known as the Outlaw Trail. The series of hideouts on the trail are notorious.
with the names Robbers' Roost. Brown's hole. and hole in the wall. Yeah. One of the benefits of being a Western outlaw.
is space. The American West is vast. It's cut by canyons and Mountain ranges River trails. Mm. A lot of places, there's only one way in, and so it's easy to guard, it's easy to see who's coming.
And so these become natural fortifications. for the outlaw bands to hide in. And if you're a lawman, especially if you're just a civilian posse. You're not going in there. It's so sad.
In April 1892, A couple of lawmen arrest butts. For being in possession of three stolen horses.
Now, Butch claims he purchased the horses fair and square. And that seems to have been the case.
However, the man he had purchased them from had stolen the horses. In July, 1894. Is sentenced to two years in the Wyoming State Penitentiary. After serving 18 months, much applies for a pardon. William Richards.
The Governor of Wyoming. Ask Cassidy.
Well you give me your word. that you quit rustling. But she replies, Can't do that, Governor. Because if I gave you my word, I'd only have to break it. I'm in too deep now to quit the game.
But I'll promise you one thing. If you give me a pardon. I'll keep out of Wyoming. While Cassidy's frankness wins over Governor Richards, The governor signs the pardon. And in January, 1896 Butch Cassidy walks out of the penitentiary a free man.
If Butch Cassidy was a minor outlaw before he went to prison. Upon his release, he is determined to make a name for himself. Butch begins to gather together a group of outlaws who will become known as the Wild Bunch. Among this band of strong personalities, Butch is the clear leader. Here's Cassidy biographer, W.
C. Jamieson. There was no job that he couldn't do. I think the others in the gang recognized his confidence, recognized his leadership, and thought that with this guy, we're going to be able to do some cool things. Butch handpicks each member of the gang and expects the best from those who ride with him.
The corps members include William Elsie Lay. Harvey, Kit Curry Logan. Ben the tall Texan Kilpatrick. We all knew'Carver. And lastly, The 21-year-old introvert, Harry Longabaugh.
the man known to history as the Sundance Kid. Sundance was born Harry Longabaugh, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. And he grew up basically on the canals. He would work probably 20 hours a day sometimes, and he would walk 25 miles each day. But Harry had dreams.
He paid one whole dollar for a library card, which was quite a bit of money at that time to a poor boy. And he read. these Pope novels about Jesse James and Buffalo Bill. This is where dreams of the West came into his head. I think it's difficult to understand today.
The lore of adventure that existed in the late 19th century, especially for a young boy like Harry growing up in Pennsylvania. The West offered everything that the society of the East It seemed to work again. And A lot of young men. went west in search of adventure. The twenty-year-old Longabaw earns his nickname the Sundance Kid.
After having served a year in the Sundance, Wyoming jail for horse theft. In 1892, Sundance Kid and Two O'Connor's. Rob a great Northern Railroad train at Malta, Montana. The accomplices are eventually captured, tried, and convicted. But the Sundance kid makes good his escape.
and is introduced to Butch Cassidy on the Outlaw Trail. Butch saw in Sundance someone he could trust, number one, and number two, someone he could bounce his ideas off of, and they would go nowhere else. Butch Cassidy's first robbery following his release. from the Wyoming State Penitentiary. occurs in August, eighteen ninety six.
at Mount Peelier, Idaho. As usual, Butch's gaper is conducted with impeccable execution. A breathtaking escape. and not a single dead body. Butch understood one simple premise.
He didn't have to kill people.
Some would go into a robbery and kill. just to sound its voices. Butch said, if my getaway is clean enough, I don't have to silence voices.
Okay. A station agent tries to telegraph Price, Utah. the direction the outlaws seem to be headed. But Cassidy and Lay have cut the wires. Cassidy and Ley then escaped by a circuitous route.
with fresh relays of horses. and eventually reach Brown's hole some eight thousand dollars richer. More than a quarter of million today. And you've been listening to Roger McGrath tell the story of Butch Cassidy and later in the segment of The Sundance Kid and how they got together and it had to do in the end. with Butch Cassidy's talent, his managerial talent, his leadership talent.
and mastering not just the art of robbing a bank. but more importantly, mastering the getaway. And these were big-time bank robberies. This was not nickel and dime stuff. And as we learned, once you're in, it's hard to get out of this life.
And that's back then, and still today, you choose a life of crime. and the people around you. become, well, a part of that choice as well, and then your entire lifestyle. is that choice. And we learn that here in the 19th century, where to go for adventure was the Wild West.
And that indeed is where the Sundance kid ended up. He grew up in Philadelphia, of all places. but the lure of adventure. and the lore of that open country and those dime store novels he read in the bookstore. That's what got him to just pack his bags.
and head west. When we come back, more of the story of Butch Cassidy is told by Doctor Roger McGrath here. on our American stories. Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI.
It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high-free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the SP 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's.
Go to public.com/slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com/slash podcast. Paid for by Public Investing. Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc., member FINRA, and SIPC. Advisory Services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC Registered Advisor.
Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at Public dot com slash disclosures. If you're looking for more flexibility in how you pay for everyday purchases, meet Klarna. Klarna lets you decide whether to pay now, pay later, or spread payments over time.
All managed right in the Klarna app. Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more. Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license, NMLS number 135-3190. Klarna balance account required to be eligible for cashback points.
Limitations, terms, and conditions apply. Kids, pets, life, your sofa sees it all. But with a washable sofa, stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine washable covers and cushions, making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain-resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes.
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you Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in, all from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own, but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script.
With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears.
Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2,200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win, not just Windows Shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait, this could actually be home.
So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit Redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com. And we continue with our American stories and the story of Butch Cassidy. Here again to continue with the story.
is Roger McGrath. By 1898, news of the charismatic Cassidy and his wild bunch Begin to make headlines from San Francisco to New York. But along with their success, As America approaches the 20th century, The once wild and free West is being transformed. 30 years of unprecedented expansion of fast transportation. And communication systems have connected the settled and civilized East.
with the once wild and woolly American West. Powerful railroad executives, mining barons, and cattle kings. are tired of being robbed by Western outlaws. and turn into a powerful ally. to impose their own brand of law and order.
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Here's historians of the American West. Marshall Trimble. and Andrew Nelson. They were a private detective agency, therefore, they weren't bound by the laws of regular lawmen.
bribery, deceit. Nothing is off the table for the Pinkertons. And they are just as, if not more, sophisticated than Butch Cassidy. They also have assembled a crew of diverse talents. Founded 50 years earlier by Scottish immigrant Alan Pinkerton, the agency is America's first private detective outfit for hire.
Bigger than his logo. A simple, unblinking eye underlined by the words, we never sleep. Adds a new term to the American lexicon. Private Eye. The Pinkertons embodied the modern age.
They thrust everything together, memoranda. Files Regional offices, photography. Everything. Butchin's wild bunch are now wanted dead or alive. But as usual.
Butch has planned ahead. keeping an attorney on retainer to protect him and his men. Douglas Preston is Butch Cassidy's lawyer. Whenever any of the wild bunch gets in trouble, it is Preston who defends them. Usually with success.
Person later becomes a state legislator and then the Attorney General of Wyoming. Preston says that once upon a time, during a saloon brawl, Cassidy saved his life, and in gratitude, He promised to defend Butch whenever the need should arise.
Now, after the Civil War, outlaws begin targeting trains. Starting with the Reno brothers in 1866, and followed by others such as Jesse James and Sam Bass. I make quick work of railroad express cars packed with money. and lumbering through remote locations far from local posse. Most train robberies were successful.
Everybody knew that. Banks got a little more difficult. The trains were fairly easy to rob because they hadn't put armed messengers on them. They hadn't taken any precautions whatsoever with security. Butchin is trained robber syndicate.
pulled the first train robbery in the desolate countryside of Wilcox, Wyoming, in June 1899. The flyer is coming down the tracks. They're about ready to cross a wood trestle bridge. And we see a couple guys with a lantern shaking it back and forth to stop the train. Usually it meant a washed out track or damaged track ahead and the train should stop.
Any engineer's right mind goes, we gotta lock up the brakes. The train stops before the trestle. The people on the train are nervous. We don't stop trains in the middle of the desert, but it just happened. The engineers thought that the bridge might have been washed out.
Little did he know that these were robbers upon the tracks. They pull apart. Passenger cars, separate them from the engine and the car which carries the safe. Butcher the boys then surround the express car and shout to the messenger inside that, open the door. Ernest Woodcock replies Come in and get me.
Is it a dad? Butch answers by lobbying a stick of dynamite under the card. Gotta die. The blast blows out one side of the car. Woodcock has thrown the entire length of the car and knocked Groggy.
Harvey Logan jumps into the car and puts a revolver to Woodcock's head. Butch yells at Logan, let him alone. A man with his nerve deserves not to be shot. The gang then blows the safe apart with still more dynamite. Too much, in fact.
Bonds and money are blown everywhere. and the outlaws have to scurry him out. to gather together some thirty thousand dollars in loot. All right, boys. We're gonna go.
That's around 1 million in today's money. It's the most spectacular robbery. the West has ever seen. A few hours later, A special train is dispatched to the scene from Cheyenne. 120 miles away.
The train carries railroad detectives, Binkerton detectives, and a posse with horses.
Well then. Rendezvous at Wilcox. and then set out upon the trail. of a wild bunch. Here's a story in.
David Eisenbach. If they could nail Butch Cassidy, no matter how much money and resources they devoted to this, the fame of the agency would become so great that it would pay off in the long run with other jobs that they would get. and they would literally go to the ends of the earth to do it. The Bankertons put two of their best operatives, Charlie Seringo, and WO sales on the assignment. These pros don't follow hoof prints in the dirt.
Instead, they began methodically tracking serial numbers on the bank notes stolen at Wilcox.
Soon the stolen money, begins to surface in towns across the region. Unintentionally, the Wild Bunch members are illuminating their own trail. Because of the dynamite blowing it up, a whole bunch of the bills had cuts on the bottom. And so they knew that if they got one of the bills that had a cut in a certain way, it was from this robbery. All of this stuff worked against these antiquated horse-powered cowboys who were trying to steal this money.
You know, they're up against. Serial numbers No contest. One by one. The hideouts for the wild bunch. had been penetrated.
More of a By nineteen hundred, the Several members of the Wild Bunch have been killed or captured. Thanks to a tip. Butch narrowly escapes capture by Pinkerden's detective. and decide it's time. to call it quits.
It's like a noose getting tighter and tighter. And Butch is smart enough to understand this. He's smart enough to see that.
Now All of the Pinkerton's resources are focused on the wild bunch and They're never going to give up. They walled. Stop. And you're listening to one heck of a story about Butch Cassidy. As being told by Dr.
Roger McGrath, who is a regular contributor here in Our American Stories, you can also hear him and he's appeared on any number of History Channel documentaries as well. And my goodness, what we learned is because he was born in 1866.
Well, Butch Cassidy was running up against a new era. And as the West, well, got less wild over time, as transportation and moneyed interest and formal interest started to make these towns more legitimate. It became more and more difficult. for Butch Cassidy to pull off. is crimes.
And then we hear about the advent of the Pinkertons. Of course, these kinds of resources and tools could not be matched. by Butch Cassidy and his gang, the Wild Bunch. And by 1900, as McGrath said, the noose was getting tighter. for butch.
When we come back, the final part of this story. The story of Butch Cassidy. and the story of the Wild West. Becoming teamed. Here on Our American Stories.
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high-free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the SP 500.
Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com/slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com/slash podcast. Paid for by Public Investing.
Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. Advisory Services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures are available at public.com.
Have you heard about Klarna? Klarna is an app designed to make everyday spending simpler and more transparent. It gives you flexibility to decide how you want to pay, whether that's paying right away, paying later, or spreading payments over time, depending on what works best for you. Everything is managed in the Klarna app, so you can keep track of purchases and stay organized. You can also discover deals and even earn cash back when you shop through the Klarna app with participating brands.
It's all about flexibility and staying in control of how and when you pay. Download the Klarna app today or visit Klarna.com to learn more. Terms apply. California resident loans made or arranged pursuant to a California finance law license, NMLS number 1353190, aren't a balance account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, terms, and conditions apply.
Time for a sofa upgrade? Introducing Anibay sofas, where designer style meets budget-friendly prices. Anibay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anibay is the only machine-washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy.
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Working with his lawyer, Douglas Preston, Butch agrees to meet with Union Pacific representatives to negotiate a truce. The railroad will drop charges against him. in exchange for him working as A railroad express card. To avoid any chance of treachery, Butch asks that Preston bring the railroad officials. to the remote lost soldier stage station, at the base of Green Mountain in Wyoming.
The railroad contingent are ready to make a deal.
Well, that contingent is delayed en route by a storm and when the hour of the rendezvous comes and goes without Preston, And without the Union Pacific Representatives, Showing up. Butch is left alone. and thinking he's been stood up, or worse, set up. in what would have been a historic meeting, Butch becomes impatient and leaves behind an angry note. Damn you, Preston!
You double-crossed me! I waited all day, but you didn't show up. Tell the UP to go to hell. And you can go with them. As a result of what Butch believes to be the Union Pacific's treachery, He decides to strike against the railroad as soon as possible.
On a warm evening in August 1900, The boys stopped the Union Pacific at Tipton, Wyoming. Butch finds that the messenger inside the express car is none other than the clerk from the previous Wilcox robbery, Ernest Woodcock. Again, the brave messenger refuses to open the door. Seeing the wild bunches dynamite though, The conductor convinces Woodcock to comply this time. The outlaws then dynamite the safe.
and take an estimated 55,000. Butch now thinks he should leave the once wide open American West and try his luck in South America. Here's Historian. Gerald Copen. Butch wants to go to a place that's more like the Western United States was, say, 20 years before.
where you don't have the Pinkertons to worry about. And we're law enforcement. isn't quite as effective. Before he leaves, Butch, Sundance, and three of the core members of the Wild Bunch rendezvous in the roaring cattle boom town of Fort Worth, Texas, To live it up in hell's half acre. the Red Light District.
decked out like the businessmen they are robbing, the five men commemorate their adventure. by posing for a group photograph. Ironically for the master planner. it will be this relatively new Technological innovation that will result in the biggest blunder of an otherwise brilliant criminal career. The photographer put this photograph in his window as advertisement for his skill.
Unfortunately, A local lawman goes by, recognizes one of the boys in the photo, and soon that photo is circulated throughout the Pinkerton Detective Agency and throughout the West. They made flyers with pictures of Butch Cassidy. The Sundance Kid, all the wild bunch. They plastered those pictures up everywhere, and they had them in the hands of all their operatives.
Now, indeed, you couldn't escape. The eye that never slept, because it really had you. Butch splits up the gang. and by february nineteen one, Cassidy Sundance. and his mysterious girlfriend.
the absolute knock out Yeah, the place. Spend several weeks living the high life in the modern metropolis of New York City. From there. They leave on a steamship. for Argentina.
It seemed like they had a chance. To start over. to reinvent themselves. The old days are over. Butch and Sundance, get out.
Just in time.
Okay. Two years after Butch and Sundance leave for Argentina, Edwin Porter's The Great Train Robbery. one of the first motion pictures. is captivating New York audiences in 1903. By 1903, the story of the Wild West, the story of the Bookshan Sundance.
has already become fodder for mass entertainment.
So famous is the wild bunch. that Buffalo Bill Cody. in his Wild West show, which is playing not only all across America, But to the crown heads of Europe. features one of their train robberies. I mean, I think to the American public, Butch and Sundance are gone.
It's over. That's why they're making movies. It's a show. It's a show now. In the winter of 1903, Pinkerton informants in Pennsylvania.
intercept a letter Sundance sends to his family. In South America, Butch Cassidy may have forgotten about the Pinkertons, but the Pinkertons certainly had not forgotten about Butch Cassidy. They were still employing every tool and every method at their disposal to bring him to justice. That included intercepting mail. I need to send a telegram.
To Argentina. Puts Cassidy has been sighted. On the run from Argentine authorities in Anita Cash. Butch and Sundance return to what they know best. Along with Etta Place, They take 10,000.
from the National Bank in Central Argentina. and twenty thousand from bank in Rio Galagos. In 1907, at a place returns to the United States for medical treatment. and butch and sundance rob a mule train with a payroll for the Alpoca mine in southern Bolivia. Within hours of the heist, The telegraph wires began humming.
Even in the wilds of South America, the civilizing forces of westward expansion have caught up with butch and sundance. Every town in the area is supplied with descriptions or what they call bandito shiaki. Butch makes the mistake of taking not only the gold, but also a big silver gray mule.
Sometime later, Much and Sundance ride into the village of San Vicente. where a hotel owner recognizes the mule and grow suspicious. While his wife prepares a meal for Butch and Sundance, he rides to alert a nearby troop of Bolivian cavalry. He led three people down. to this home.
One of the soldiers went on to the patio. drew his weapon, Wooch saw his silhouette. through the window. and pulled out his sixth gun. Uh and shot the guy dead.
First person, the only person that Butch ever killed.
Meanwhile, the word goes out and other residents of the town heavily armed.
Now come to surround the house. They're surrounded. They're not going anywhere. There's no way they're getting out of there. The shooting becomes general.
Butch and Sundance had put their Winchesters in extra ammunition. across the patio. And now Sundance makes a dash for them. He miraculously gets to the rifles and ammo unscathed. but on his return dash is hit by several rounds and drops to the ground.
Butch runs out and drags him back to covert. The two continue fighting. But Sundance is fading fast and dies. Butch has one round left. With that last bullet He shoots himself.
Butch Cassidy, the one time Mormon boy named Robert Leroy Parker. is dead at forty two years old. The two are laid to rest in unmarked oblivion graves. But there are some who believe These famous outlaws had not yet met their end. Almost immediately, stories began that they hadn't been killed in Bolivia.
We don't want. The outlaws to die. We certainly don't want them to die the way Butch and Sundance died. As wild as they were, As bad as they were. still represented something that Americans embrace.
That wild freedom. And when they're gone, Yeah. The Wild West is gone. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hengler. And a special thanks, as always, to Roger McGrath, the author of Gunfighters, High Women, and Vigilantes, Violence on the Frontier.
He's a U.S. Marine, former history professor at UCLA. and Dr. McGrath has appeared on numerous History Channel documentaries. We're grateful to have him as a regular contributor, a regular voice here.
in our American stories. And what a story he told here. The death of the West, at least to outlaws, as the legitimate types of businesses started to close in on the wild bunch, the gangs, and the criminals, and outlaw mentality that had governed much of the West before. And in the end, these guys had no choice. Butch Cassidy felt like the Wild West had left him, so he was looking for new frontiers to continue his life of crime.
Going to Argentina. and ending up killing himself in Bolivia. The Wild West Untamed: The Story of Butch Cassidy, as told by Roger McGrath. Here on our American Stories. Uh Dryness is one of the biggest challenges for curly hair, and many products, they clock out after wash day.
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