June 02, 1899

 

Rock Creek, Wyoming is the scene of a daring train robbery in the early hours of the morning today.  According to engineer W. R. Jones, the train was on its regular run to Wilcox when it was stopped just outside of Wilcox when he saw a barricade across the tracks.  Not wishing to derail, he stopped the train and was immediately boarded by armed robbers wearing white kerchiefs who disengaged the baggage car and ordered him to pull forward and stop in the middle of the trestle bridge.  When he refused, he was severely pistol-whipped by the robber’s Colt .45.  The robber was so enthusiastic about this beating, his kerchief slipped down and the engineer was able to make out his face.  The knowledge of who it was that was beating him was on little comfort, as it was none other than Harvey Logan, (also known as Kid Curry)

who was known to be one of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch.  Another bandit, believed to be Elza Lay, another

member of the Wild Bunch, after moving the train forward, dynamited the trestle into uselessness.  Jones said the robbers then turned their attentions to the baggage car, guarded by special messenger Woodcock.  Woodcock attempted to guard the company safe, but after the door was blown open by dynamite, he was knocked unconscious, waking up to find the men running around trying to gather the money they had blown out of the safe with another load of dynamite (this robbery is recreated early in the movie “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid”, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford).  Others recognized from this holdup were George Sutherland “Flat Nose” Curry and

Harry “Sundance Kid” Longabaugh.   Most of the robbers were very gentlemanly, according to Jones. 

 The man himself, Butch Cassidy, was not seen at the robbery.  

This was not the Wild Bunch’s last train robbery.  But their group picture, taken in Ft. Worth, would prove to be their undoing.

 

 

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Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com