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Cassidy Butch 1866 - 1908 Remarkable Unique Archive of 11 documents relating to the reputed killing of Butch Cassidy and "Wild Bunch" desperado Joe Walker On April 21, 1897, Butch Cassidy, Joe Walker, and Elza Lay robbed the payroll of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company at Castle Gate, Utah, just west of Price, Utah. Hearing that Walker had been seen in the area, on May 8, 1898, a posse consisting of Carbon County, Utah, Sheriff C.W. Allred, Pete Anderson, Jack Gentry, Jim Inglefield, Billy McGuire, J.W. Warf, Jack Watson, J. B. Whitmore, and George Whitmore, was formed. Early on the morning of May 13th, mistakenly thinking they had discovered the camp of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the posse shot and killed two men. They recognized one body as Joe Walker. They thought the other was Butch Cassidy.

The headline in the "Salt Lake Tribune" on May 14, 1898 proclaimed "Butch is dead." A coroner's inquest ruled that Walker and Cassidy were indeed the two bodies. Sheriff John Ward, of Evanston, Wyoming, who once had Cassidy in his jail for three months, was asked to come and confirm the identity of the second outlaw. He arrived a day after the burial; the bodies were exhumed. The May 17th edition of the "Salt Lake Herald," headlined "Butch Cassidy is Still Alive," reporting that Ward had identified the second body as that of Bob Culp, a notorious cattle thief. Photocopy of the article is present. There are reports that Butch Cassidy, hiding under a haystack in a wagon, watched his own funeral on May 15th.

(1) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". "For Burial Espencies of Joe Walker Butch Cassida (Elias) Roy Parker Tom Gilis. The following Property Sold on the 24th May 1898 at Price Utah." Over 20 items, with price and name of buyer, including pistols, a gun, boots, blankets, seven horses, saddle, spurs.

(2) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". Continuation of previous page. Headed "Brought over." Lists "1 Black horse sold," also "1 Bay" horse and "1 Yellow horse sold..." Drawings of brands on horses. Purchasers' names and prices are listed.

(3) Seventh Judicial District Court, Carbon County, Price, Utah, letterhead, 1.5 pages, 8" x 10.75", front & verso. "Burrial Exspences of Joe Walker and Butch Cassiday Elias Parker Tom Gilis. May 14 & 15 1898." List of expenses, with cost and name of person paid. Including coffins, washing bodies, digging graves, hawling bodies and boxes, hay to feed horses, shaving bodies, sheriff expenses.

(4) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". "Burrial Exspences of Joe Walker and Butch Cassidy." Price, Utah, May 14 & 15, 1898. Clear listing of the information on the preceding page, including cost of items purchased ("2 Coffins & Boxes") and from whom and names of those paid for "washing 2 bodies... Diging graves ... 2 suits under wear... Two Shrouds... halling Coffins... halling Bodies to place of Burial... Diging up Body for identification... Shaving 1 Body..." After it was exhumed, Sheriff Ward identified the body thought to be Butch Cassidy as cattle thief Bob Culp.

(5) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". Price, Utah, 1898. In pencil. Headed "Expences." Five names listed, 2 or 3 days each, at $3 per day. Cost of hiring and feeding horses. Noted on verso "Exspences of Sail."

(6) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". Price, Utah, 1898. Headed "Continued." In ink, includes information on previous page and other expenses including "Sheriff for Bringing Bodies C.W. Allred." Noted on verso: "I hereby certify that the within Bills have been Paid. P.J. Olsen Justice of the Peace."

(7) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". Price, Utah, 1898. In pencil. "We the undersigned certify we have received the ammounts set opisite the names in the Burial expences and delivering Property of Joe Walker and Butch Cassidy." Twelve signatures, including some who were members of Sheriff Allred's posse.

(8) County of Carbon letterhead, 8.25" x 11". Price, Utah, May 28, 1898. Tear at lower left blank edge. Headed "Notice" announcing the sale by P.J. Olsen, Justice of the Peace, Price Precinct, and Albert Bryner, Treasurer Carbon County, at public auction "One Yellow horse" and "One bay horse," each described with markings and brand. "The above described property beeing part of that found in the possesion of Joe Walker and Butch Cassida."

(9) Typed Document Signed "P.J. Olsen" as Coroner, 8" x 9.5". Lightweight carbon signed in ink. Sale of two branded horses for $19.50. Brands drawn in ink.

(10) Seventh Judicial District Court, Carbon County, Price, Utah, letterhead, 8" x 11". In pencil. "Inquest held on Dead Robbers." Four named men "Sworn and testified... All Testified on information and belief that one was the body of the man that held up Paymaster Carpenter.... John Bryner was sworn and testified that one was the body of Joe Walker and the other was one of the men that committed the Castle Gate Robbery. Sheriff Allred sworn and testified."

(11) Seventh Judicial District Court, Carbon County, Price, Utah, letterhead, 8" x 11". In pencil. Four additional names "sworn and testified."

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