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109-464: Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 – November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy , was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the " Wild Bunch " in the Old West . Parker engaged in criminal activity for more than a decade at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century, but the pressures of being pursued by law enforcement, notably

218-485: A controlling interest in the bank the previous year. The robbers stole around $ 21,000 (equivalent to $ 712,000 in 2023), after which they fled to the Robbers Roost , a remote hideout in the southeastern corner of Utah Territory. In 1890, Cassidy purchased a ranch on the outskirts of Dubois , Wyoming . This location was across the state from the notorious Hole-in-the-Wall , a natural geological formation, and

327-601: A Welsh-Argentine who was friendly with Cassidy and enamored of Place, tipped them off. The trio then fled north to San Carlos de Bariloche , where they embarked on the steamer Condor across Nahuel Huapí Lake by the end of the year. Cassidy, Longabaugh, Place, and an unknown male associate robbed the Banco de la Nación Argentina branch in Villa Mercedes , San Luis Province on December 19, 450 miles (720 km) west of Buenos Aires, taking 12,000 pesos . They fled across

436-530: A burning stick. By the European Middle Ages , it commonly identified the process of burning a mark into stock animals with thick hides, such as cattle , so as to identify ownership under animus revertendi . The practice became particularly widespread in nations with large cattle grazing regions, such as Spain . These European customs were imported to the Americas and were further refined by

545-503: A capital letter. Uncapitalized letters are not used. Brands are usually “read” top to bottom and left to right. There are regional variations in how brands are read, and deference is given to the terminology preferred by the owner of the brand. Terms used include: Combinations of symbols can be made with each symbol distinct, or: Livestock branding causes pain to the animals being branded, seen in behavioural and physiological indicators. Both hot and freeze branding produce thermal injury to

654-474: A car has been breached, and packages may continue to fall from the train, causing more loss as cargo is damaged by the fall or the train's wheels. Train derailment, caused either directly or indirectly, is also frequent. One such derailment in China caused a pileup in a railway tunnel that cost ¥3 million to clear, and millions more in indirect costs and loss of income. Additionally, packages or debris falling from

763-518: A copy of the photograph and began to use it for wanted posters. On July 3, 1901, Kid Curry and a group of men robbed a Great Northern train near Wagner, Montana , stealing more than $ 60,000 in cash (equivalent to $ 2,200,000 in 2023). The gang split up, but a posse led by Sheriff Elijah Briant caught up with News Carver and killed him. Kilpatrick was captured in St. Louis on November 5 at Josie Blakey's resort on Chestnut Street. In his pocket, they found

872-694: A cowboy's life in Wyoming Territory and Montana Territory before returning to Telluride in 1887, where he met Matt Warner , the owner of a racehorse . Cassidy and Warner raced the horse at various events, dividing the winnings between them. Cassidy's first bank robbery took place on June 24, 1889, when he, Warner, and two of the McCarty brothers robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. Businessman L. L. Nunn had taken

981-400: A defect, and can diminish the value of hides. This industry has a number of traditional terms relating to the type of brand on a hide. "Colorado branded" (slang "Collie") refers to placement of a brand on the side of an animal, although this does not necessarily indicate the animal is from Colorado . "Butt branded" refers to a hide which has had a brand placed on the portion of the skin covering

1090-458: A few bronco branding competitions at rodeos and campdrafting days, etc. Some ranches still heat branding irons in a wood or coal fire; others use an electric branding iron or electric sources to heat a traditional iron. Gas-fired branding iron heaters are quite popular in Australia, as iron temperatures can be regulated and there is not the heat of a nearby fire. Regardless of heating method,

1199-560: A freeze brand the hair coat of the animal is first shaved very closely so that bare skin is exposed. Then the frozen iron is pressed to the animal's bare skin for a period of time that varies with both the species of animal and the color of its hair coat. Shorter times are used on dark-colored animals, as this causes follicle melanocyte death and hence permanent pigment loss to the hair when it regrows. Longer times ‍ — sometimes as little as five additional seconds ‍ — are needed for animals with white hair coats. In these cases

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1308-611: A frontier town in Bolivia's eastern savannah, still wanting to settle down as respectable ranchers. A courier was carrying the payroll for the Aramayo Franke and Cia Silver Mine on November 3, 1908, near the small mining town of San Vicente in southern Bolivia , when he was attacked by two masked American bandits believed to be Cassidy and Longabaugh. Witnesses saw them three days later in San Vicente, where they lodged in

1417-446: A harness horse collar , is used to rope the selected calf. The calf is then pulled up to several sloping topped panels and a post constructed for the purpose in the centre of the yard. The unmounted stockmen then apply leg ropes and pull it to the ground to be branded, earmarked and castrated (if a bull) there. With the advent of portable cradles, this method of branding has been mostly phased out on stations. However, there are now quite

1526-661: A key to a room at The Laclede Hotel. The next morning, they found Laura Bullion in the lobby, checking out with her luggage. In her valise was $ 8500 in unsigned banknotes from the Great Northern robbery. Curry killed Knoxville policemen William Dinwiddle and Robert Saylor in another shootout on December 13, then escaped. He returned to Montana, pursued by Pinkertons and other law enforcement officers, where he shot and killed rancher James Winters in retaliation for killing his brother Johnny years before. Cassidy and Longabaugh fled to New York City, feeling continuous pressure from

1635-529: A large explosion that destroyed the targeted goods; ultimately, four people died in the attack. Southern Pacific and the Pinkertons pursued the gang for years and distributed 3.5 million leaflets worldwide for information, eventually apprehending the members. Train robbery had become obsolete by the 1930s in the United States, and many criminals began instead targeting banks . The outlaw culture in

1744-572: A lip tattoo , to be identified at the track. Some breed associations have, at times, offered freeze branding as either a requirement for registration or simply as an optional benefit to members, and individual horse owners may choose branding as a means by which to permanently identify their animals. As of 2011, the issue of whether to mandate horses be implanted with RFID microchips under the National Animal Identification System generated considerable controversy in

1853-442: A long hair coat the freeze brand is still visible, but its details are not always legible. Thus it is sometimes necessary to shave or closely trim the hair to obtain a sharper view of the freeze brand. Besides livestock, freeze branding can also be used on wild, hairless animals such as dolphins for purposes of tracking individuals. The brand appears as a white mark on their bare skin and can last for decades. Immediately after

1962-729: A new search was launched for Cassidy's grave, which zeroed in on a mine outside Goodsprings, Nevada . The dig found human remains, but they did not match the DNA provided. John McPhee 's Annals of the Former World repeats a story that Dr. Francis Smith told to geologist David Love in the 1930s. Smith stated that he had seen Cassidy, who told him that his face had been altered by a surgeon in Paris , and he showed Smith an old bullet wound that Smith recognized as work that he had done. Josie Bassett claimed in 1960 that Cassidy came to visit her in

2071-410: A popular hideout for outlaw gangs, including Cassidy's, during the era. Cassidy's ranching was possibly a façade for clandestine activities, perhaps with Hole-in-the-Wall outlaws, as he was never financially successful at ranching. Cassidy's ranch used the "unmistakable brand " of "Reverse-E, Box, E". In early 1894, Cassidy became involved romantically with rancher and outlaw Ann Bassett . Her father

2180-511: A resemblance between the two men. In 2012, though, Pointer obtained a copy of the Wyoming Territorial Prison mugshot of William T. Wilcox, a previously unknown associate of Cassidy's. Observing the similarities between the two men, he revised his previous theory and concluded that Phillips was Wilcox, and not Cassidy. Train robbery Since the invention of locomotives in the early 19th century, trains have often been

2289-598: A robbery that earned them a great deal of notoriety and resulted in a massive manhunt . Many notable lawmen took part in the hunt but did not find them. Kid Curry and George Curry had a shootout with lawmen following the train robbery, killing Sheriff Joe Hazen. Tom Horn , a killer-for-hire employed by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency , was told by explosives expert Bill Speck about the Hazen shooting. Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo

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2398-477: A scar into the animal's skin, a freeze brand damages the pigment-producing hair cells, causing the animal's hair to grow back white within the branded area. This white-on-dark pattern is prized by cattle ranchers as its contrast allows some range work to be conducted with binoculars rather than individual visits to every animal. Scientists also value the technique for keeping tabs on studied wildlife without having to approach to read, for example, an ear tag. To apply

2507-587: A small boarding house owned by miner Bonifacio Casasola. Casasola became suspicious of them because they had a mule from the Aramayo Mine, identifiable from the company's brand. He notified a nearby telegraph officer, who notified the Abaroa cavalry regiment stationed nearby. The unit dispatched three soldiers under the command of Captain Justo Concha, and they notified the local authorities. The soldiers,

2616-486: A teenager and, while working on a dairy ranch, met cattle thief Mike Cassidy. He subsequently worked on several ranches, in addition to a brief apprenticeship with a butcher in Rock Springs , Wyoming Territory , where he got his nickname (by the word "butcher", which morphed later into "Butch"), to which he soon added the last name Cassidy in honor of his old friend and mentor. Butch Cassidy's first criminal offense

2725-587: A train can damage surrounding infrastructure. In one case in China, sheet metal being thrown from a train by robbers damaged nearby power lines, causing a blackout. Especially during the early decades of train robbery, violence against train staff and passengers, both directly and indirectly, was common. A 2017 review of 241 train robberies in the United States between 1866 and 1930 found that 91% were committed at gunpoint, 28% used dynamite, 29% resulted in shootings, 13.5% led to deaths, and 7.5% included derailments. One 1896 train derailment caused by robbers resulted in

2834-505: A train. Some will obstruct or sabotage the railroad itself in an attempt to derail a moving train. Some use dynamite to damage the rails or train itself to gain entry. Before the invention of dynamite , it was almost impossible to break into safes. Criminals required the combination lock to open safes and often relied on the courier to provide it. Following its invention and widespread use, it became much easier to break into safes and rob trains. Criminals sometimes robbed passengers of

2943-483: A wide circle of criminals, most notably his closest friend William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay , Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan , Ben "The Tall Texan" Kilpatrick , Harry Tracy , Will "News" Carver , Laura Bullion and George "Flat Nose" Curry , who collectively became the so-called " Wild Bunch ". The gang assembled sometime after Cassidy's release from prison in 1896 and took its name from the Doolin–Dalton gang , also known as

3052-712: Is also recounted by W. C. Jameson in Butch Cassidy: Beyond the Grave , referencing the 1975 book Betenson co-authored with Dora Flack, Butch Cassidy, My Brother . On an episode of the series Mission Declassified (2019), investigative journalist Christof Putzel met with local researcher Marilyn Grace at Cassidy's childhood log cabin on the Parker ranch in Circleville to talk about the alleged burial of Cassidy there on July 20, 1937. Grace explains that Cassidy

3161-775: Is credited with popularizing and setting a narrative standard for the enture Western film genre. Since then, dozens of Westerns have depicted train robberies, including: In the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2 , train robberies are a source of income for the player. One of the game's cutscenes recreated the opening train robbery scene in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford shot-for-shot . Other notable train robberies in media include: Livestock branding The act of marking livestock with fire-heated marks to identify ownership has origins in ancient times, with use dating back to

3270-443: Is done with paint, crayons, spray markers, chalk, and much more. These can last for up to several months at a time. The sheep's identification number is painted or sprayed with an indelible but non-toxic paint designed for the purpose onto their sides or back. In stark contrast to traditional hot-iron branding, freeze branding uses an iron that has been chilled with a coolant such as dry ice or liquid nitrogen . Instead of burning

3379-433: Is less common today than in the past. However, branding still has its uses. The main purpose is in proving ownership of lost or stolen animals. Many western US states have strict laws regarding brands, including brand registration, and require brand inspections. In many cases, a brand on an animal is considered prima facie proof of ownership. (See Brand Book ) In the hides and leather industry, brands are treated as

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3488-576: Is rare, and the majority of robberies on freight trains are nonviolent, as robbers prefer to avoid confrontation in most cases. However, passengers aboard carrier trains generally still fear being victimized. A 2024 study on Swedish rail safety reported 19% of surveyed passengers feared robbery while on or waiting for a train. Railroad companies have long hired private security agencies to protect cargo during transport, or even establish their own internal police forces to patrol railroads. They may also hire private detectives to investigate and deter theft. In

3597-428: Is referred to as “calling the brand“. Brands are called from left to right, top to bottom, and when one character encloses another, from outside to inside. Reading of complex brands and picture brands depends at times upon the owner's interpretation, may vary depending upon location, and it may require an expert to identify some of the more complex marks. In general, the following usage of the term "symbol" usually means

3706-476: Is unclear. Parker's life and death have been extensively dramatized in film , television and literature, and he remains one of the best-known icons of the "Wild West" mythos in modern times. Robert LeRoy Parker was born on April 13, 1866, in Beaver , Utah Territory , the first of thirteen children of English immigrants Maximillian Parker and Ann Campbell Gillies. The Parker and Gillies families had converted to

3815-493: Is your brother Robert LeRoy." She stated that Cassidy was full of regrets, particularly at having disappointed his mother. She quoted him lamenting, "all I did is make a wreck of my life." Betenson claims that Cassidy lived out his years in "the Northwest" and died in 1937 and that the family had agreed not to disclose his final resting place, since "they had chased him all his life, and now he's going to rest in peace." This story

3924-496: The vaquero tradition in what today is the southwestern United States and northern Mexico . In the American West , a "branding iron" consisted of an iron rod with a simple symbol or mark, which cowboys heated in a fire. After the branding iron turned red hot, the cowboy pressed the branding iron against the hide of the cow. The unique brand meant that cattle owned by multiple ranches could then graze freely together on

4033-531: The Bristol and Exeter Railway , two passengers climbed from their carriage to the mail van and back. They were discovered at Bridgwater after the second robbery. One was Henry Poole, a former guard on the Great Western Railway , dismissed for misconduct (possibly on suspicion of another robbery); the other was Edward Nightingale, the son of George Nightingale, accused, but acquitted, of robbing

4142-958: The Canyon Diablo Train Robbery in 1889, the Fairbank Train Robbery in 1900, and the Baxter's Curve Train Robbery in 1912. Several factors contributed to the decline of train robberies around the turn of the 20th century and the decades following, although they did not stop entirely. Ruddell and Decker (2017) write, "train robberies were eliminated, in large part, due to making targets less attractive, increasing guardianship, and reducing offender motivation or in other words taking routine precaution". Law enforcement agencies and railroad companies, which once struggled to investigate crimes and arrest perpetrators, began creating or recruiting specialized task forces, such as

4251-701: The Dover mail coach in 1826, when two thieves had dressed in identical clothes to gain an alibi for the other. They were transported for 15 years. Henry was sent to Bermuda on the Sir Robert Seppings (ship) in December 1850 whilst Edward was transported to Fremantle on the Sea Park in January 1854. On May 15, 1855, a train carrying gold departed London , England, for Boulogne , France, and

4360-478: The Pinkerton National Detective Agency . These bodies relentlessly pursued offenders, often for years, and imposed harsher sentences, which deterred further crime. Railroad companies spent more than they lost from the robberies on investigating and preventing thefts; "that for every dollar that was stolen in a train robbery, five dollars were spent on apprehending offenders". Trains also became faster and thus more difficult to board. Wireless communications spread and

4469-578: The Pinkerton detective agency , forced him to flee the United States. He fled with his accomplice Harry Longabaugh, known as the " Sundance Kid ", and Longabaugh's girlfriend Etta Place . The trio traveled first to Argentina and then to Bolivia, where Parker and Longabaugh are believed to have been killed in a shootout with the Bolivian Army in November 1908; the exact circumstances of their fate

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4578-401: The ancient Egyptians around 2,700 BCE. Among the ancient Romans , the symbols used for brands were sometimes chosen as part of a magic spell aimed at protecting animals from harm. In English lexicon, the word "brand", common to most Germanic languages (from which root also comes "burn", cf. German Brand "burning, fire"), originally meant anything hot or burning, such as a "firebrand",

4687-413: The "Wild Bunch". On August 13, 1896, Cassidy, Lay, Logan and Bob Meeks robbed the bank at Montpelier , Idaho , escaping with roughly $ 7,000. Cassidy recruited Harry Alonzo Longabaugh , also known as the "Sundance Kid", into the gang soon after. Bassett, Lay and Lay's girlfriend Maude Davis all joined Cassidy at Robbers Roost in early 1897. The four hid there until early April, when Lay and Cassidy sent

4796-836: The 1920s "after returning from South America," and that he "died in Johnnie, Nevada about 15 years ago." Residents in Cassidy's hometown of Circleville, Utah, claimed in an interview that he worked in Nevada until his death. Western historian Charles Kelly observed in his 1938 book The Outlaw Trail: A History of Butch Cassidy and His Wild Bunch , "it seems exceedingly strange" that Cassidy never returned to Circleville, Utah, to visit his father if he were still alive. According to his great nephew, Bill Betenson, he did return to Utah to visit his family in Circleville many times. Bruce Chatwin, in his classic travel book In Patagonia , says, "I went to see

4905-569: The 1920s in a series of interviews with residents of Baggs, Wyoming , a popular destination for the Wild Bunch during their raiding years. Residents claimed that Cassidy had visited for several days in 1924, driving a Ford Model T . Lula Parker-Betenson stated that he returned to the family home in Circleville during this period, and picked up his brother Mark in a Ford, then drove to their father's home, where she also lived. Her father allegedly said to her, "I'll bet you don't know who this is. This

5014-730: The American Old West became romanticized in Hollywood's Western films , such as The Great Train Robbery in 1903. Some serial train robbers, like William L. Carlisle , became folk heroes . Train robbery saw a marked decline as the 20th century progressed, although isolated incidents still occurred. Train robberies outside the United States were not as common before the mid-20th century; additionally, many robberies in Canada and Mexico during that time were perpetrated by American outlaws. Examples of 20th-century robberies outside of

5123-652: The Andes to reach the safety of Chile. On June 30, 1906, Place decided that she had enough of life on the run, so Longabaugh took her back to San Francisco . Cassidy obtained honest work under the alias James "Santiago" Maxwell at the Concordia Tin Mine in the Santa Vera Cruz range of the central Bolivian Andes, where Longabaugh joined him upon his return. Their main duties included guarding the company payroll. The two traveled to Santa Cruz in late 1907,

5232-837: The Banco de Tarapacá y Argentino in Río Gallegos on February 14, 1905, 700 miles (1,100 km) south of Cholila near the Strait of Magellan , and the pair vanished north across the Patagonian grasslands. Cassidy and Longabaugh sold the Cholila ranch on May 1, fearing that law enforcement had located them. The Pinkerton Agency had known their location for some time, but the snow and the hard winter of Patagonia had prevented their agent Frank Dimaio from making an arrest. Governor Julio Lezana issued an arrest warrant, but Sheriff Edward Humphreys,

5341-756: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while still living in the United Kingdom . Maximillian Parker was twelve years old when his family arrived in Salt Lake City in 1856 as Mormon pioneers . Ann Gillies was born and lived in Sunderland in northeast England before immigrating to the U.S. with her family in 1859 at age 14. The couple were married in July 1865. Robert Parker grew up on his parents' ranch near Circleville . Parker fled his home as

5450-668: The Mexican federal government made train robbery a federal crime. China has its own railway police force, which in 2013 employed approximately 80,000 officers. Chinese cargo trains transporting electronics are usually accompanied by armed guards. Several preventative measures are taken to deter and complicate robberies. These include increased security, target hardening , heavier punishments for convicted criminals, and collaboration with different law enforcement bodies. New technology, such as motion sensors, cameras, anti-theft doors, GPS, and smart seals are all used to deter theft. Some of

5559-807: The Midwest and West. The first post-Civil War robberies occurred in Indiana ; Wells Fargo and American Express Company cars carrying money and other expensive materials were common targets. Initially, trains were perceived to be largely impenetrable—especially when compared with the earlier stagecoach—and were often unguarded or only lightly guarded. Early trains passed through large stretches of rural landscape with little to no communication available, leaving them vulnerable to attack and hindering investigation and response by law enforcement. Early bandits were rarely caught. The sensationalization of these crimes in newspapers, dime novels , and Wild West shows added to

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5668-603: The Train Burglary Task Force in response to the robberies. The nature of train robbery varies. Cargo can be stolen from either a moving or stationary train in a variety of ways. Perpetrators of train robberies may work alone or in groups and might be committed by gangs or other organized crime . Sometimes, gangs might recuit local residents to partake in the robbery. Goods are often stolen from unattended train cars and in transitional areas like rail yards, parking lots, and warehouses. Thieves might sabotage

5777-1379: The US include the 1906 Rogów raid in Poland; the 1908 Bezdany raid in Lithuania; the 1923 Lincheng Outrage in China; the 1925 Kakori Train Robbery in India; and the 1976 Sallins Train robbery in Ireland. Some countries were an exception to this rule. Egypt , then a British colony , struggled with an epidemic of train robberies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, Egypt had high rates of poverty and social inequality, leading some citizens to turn to crime; some of these were train employees who were underpaid. An unorganized and ill-equipped police force hampered efforts to resolve cases; during this time, only about 17% of train robbers were apprehended. Some gangs were sheltered by local residents, and in turn gangs often used their profits to support their communities. Most cases occurred in Gharbia Governorate , Beheira Governorate , and Cairo and Giza . Egypt established its Railway Police force in 1893, and this combined with new advances in security and forensic technology led to

5886-580: The Union Pacific Railroad to drop their criminal complaints against him, and Union Pacific chairman E. H. Harriman attempted to meet with Cassidy through Warner. On August 29, 1900, Cassidy, Longabaugh, and others robbed Union Pacific train No. 3 near Tipton, Wyoming, breaking Cassidy's earlier promise to the governor of Wyoming and ending any chance for amnesty. On February 28, 1900, lawmen attempted to arrest Lonny Logan at his aunt's home. Lonny

5995-408: The United States. Most brands in the United States include capital letters or numerals , often combined with other symbols such as a slash, circle, half circle, cross, or bar. Brands of this type have a specialized language for "calling" the brand. Some owners prefer to use simple pictures ; these brands are called using a short description of the picture (e.g., "rising sun"). Reading a brand aloud

6104-534: The animal is restrained, size and location of the brand, and whether analgesics are applied for pain relief. A 2018 study in Sri Lanka , where hot-iron branding is illegal but still widely practiced, concluded that it impairs animal welfare and that there is no real way to improve the procedure. However, this particular study looked at four small dairy farms that used a technique where multiple applications of irons (“drawing”) created large brands extended across

6213-479: The appeal for copycat and repeat crimes. Infamous train robbers from this era include Butch Cassidy , Bill Miner , and Jesse James . Jesse James is mistakenly thought to have completed the first successful train robbery in the American West when on July 21, 1873, the James–Younger Gang took US$ 3,000 from a Rock Island Railroad train after derailing it southwest of the town of Adair, Iowa . However,

6322-492: The battlefield could be identified. The hooves of the dead horses were then removed and returned to the Horse Guards with a request for replacements. This method was used to prevent fraudulent requests for horses. Merino rams and bulls are sometimes firebranded on their horns for permanent individual identification. Some types of identification are not permanent. Temporary branding may be achieved by heat branding so that

6431-580: The birth order, then the tag is either attached to the animal’s ear or to some form of neck collar. Nose printing or use of indelible ink elsewhere on the skin and hair is used at some farms, sales and exhibitions. This method is like fingerprinting: it uses ink and cannot be modified. As hair or skin cells shed, the mark eventually fades. Microchip identification and lip or ear tattooing are generally permanent, though microchips can be removed and tattoos sometimes fade over many years. Microchips are used on many animals, and are particularly popular with horses, as

6540-724: The brand is applied for long enough to outright kill the cells of the growth follicle, preventing them from regrowing new hair filaments and leaving the animal permanently bald in the branded area. The somewhat darker epidermis then contrasts well with a pale animal's coat. Horses are frequently freeze-branded. Neither hogs nor birds can presently be freeze branded successfully, as their hair pigment cells are better protected. Other downsides of freeze branding include its time consuming preparation, greater expense in material and time, low tolerance for sloppy application, long wait until success (sometimes as much as five months) and absence of legal grounding in some American states. When an animal grows

6649-411: The brand will begin to take on its permanent appearance. In Australia, all Arabian , Part Bred Arabians, Australian Stock Horses , Quarter Horses , Thoroughbreds , must be branded with an owner brand on the near (left) shoulder and an individual foaling drop number (in relation to the other foals) over the foaling year number on the off shoulder. In Queensland , these three brands may be placed on

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6758-421: The brand. Brand identification may be difficult on long-haired animals, and may necessitate clipping of the area to view the brand. Horses may also be branded on their hooves , but this is not a permanent mark, so needs to be redone about every six months. In the military, some brands indicated the horses' army and squadron numbers. These identification numbers were used on British army horses so dead horses on

6867-456: The cabin in an attempt to locate remains and led to a positive indication. The underside of the cabin was later dug and two bones discovered, identified as a human spinal bone and a toe bone. Putzel had forensic scientist Suzanna Ryan at Pure Gold Forensics in Redlands, California , conduct a DNA test on the bones. Ryan confirmed they were human, but lacked enough DNA for a complete profile. As

6976-445: The cattle crush or squeeze chute (for larger cattle), which may close on either side of a standing animal, or a branding cradle, where calves are caught in a cradle which is rotated so that the animal is lying on its side. Bronco branding is an old method of catching cleanskin (unbranded) cattle on Top End cattle stations for branding in Australia. A heavy horse, usually with some draught horse bloodlines and typically fitted with

7085-456: The chip leaves no external marks. Tattooing the inside of the upper lip of horses is required for many racehorses , though in some localities, microchips are beginning to replace tattoos. Temporary branding is particularly common for sheep and goats. Ear marking or tattooing are usually used on goats under eight weeks of age because regular branding would harm them. Techniques similar to these are also used on sheep. Temporary branding on sheep

7194-412: The deaths of about 27 passengers. Such violence only added to the high mortality rate of railroad employees, which during the first decades of operation averaged about 12,000 deaths annually. Additionally, perpetrator death was high; in almost 10% of cases, robbers died at the scene or during apprehension. Others were later executed, lynched , or died by suicide. Today, violence against train employees

7303-582: The development of railroads , stagecoach robbery was common. Especially in Europe and North America, stagecoaches and mail couriers were frequently targeted for their cargo. As coaches and horses were phased out in favor of trains, which could haul far more freight and passengers, so too did robbers adjust their targets. Several major train robberies occurred in England in the mid-19th century. The Great Western Mail Robbery occurred in 1849. In two robberies on

7412-440: The early decades of train robbery, sheriffs would often recruit vigilante posses of citizens to apprehend perpetrators. Of the robberies during 1965–1930 studied by Ruddell and Decker, up to 90% of all train robbers were eventually caught. Those who survived the arrest—30% died during the confrontation—were sentenced to prison and sometimes faced capital punishment or were lynched . In response to increased cargo train traffic,

7521-751: The east bank of the Rio Blanco near Cholila , just east of the Andes in Chubut . Bruce Chatwin 's In Patagonia references a letter Butch wrote from Cholila to Elza Lay's mother-in-law in Utah, dated August 10, 1902. The letter cites "our little family of 3" living in a 4 room house with 300 cattle, 1500 sheep, and 28 horses. Chatwin states the letter resides with the Utah State Historical Society . Two English-speaking bandits held up

7630-516: The first peacetime train robbery in the United States occurred on October 6, 1866, when robbers boarded an Ohio & Mississippi train shortly after it left Seymour, Indiana . They broke into one safe and tipped the other off the train before jumping off. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency later traced the crime to the Reno Gang . There was one earlier train robbery in May 1865 , but because it

7739-432: The freeze branding iron is removed from the skin, an indented outline of the brand will be visible. Within seconds, however, the outline will disappear and within several minutes after that, the brand outline will reappear as swollen, puffy skin. Once the swelling subsides, for a short time, the brand will be difficult or impossible to see, but in a few days, the branded skin will begin to flake, and within three to four weeks,

7848-556: The government; however, there are a few exceptions: captured Mustangs made available for adoption by the BLM are freeze branded on the neck, usually with the AABS or with numbers, for identification. Horses that test positive for equine infectious anemia , that are quarantined for life rather than euthanized , will be freeze branded for permanent identification. Race horses of any breed are usually required by state racing commissions to have

7957-578: The gradual decrease of train robberies after 1904. The Great Train Robbery of 1963, the UK's most infamous occurrence, occurred in Buckinghamshire in 1963. On April 8, a group of robbers targeted a Post Office train enroute from Glasgow to London and stole over £2.3 million in parcels. Apprehended members of the gang were sentenced to a collective total of 307 years imprisonment. Modern train robbery still exists, although it no longer resembles

8066-560: The grave of a German miner named Gustav Zimmer. American forensic anthropologist Clyde Snow and his researchers attempted to find the graves in 1991, but they did not find any remains with DNA matching the living relatives of Cassidy and Longabaugh. Snow's search formed the basis of the British documentary Wanted - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ( Channel 4 , April 22, 1993; later screened on Nova , October 12, 1993). In 2017,

8175-414: The hair is burned, but the skin is not damaged. Because this persists only until the animal sheds its hair, it is not considered a properly applied brand. Other temporary, but for a time, persistent marking methods include tagging, and nose printing. Tagging usually uses numbering system as a way to identify animals in a herd. It does this by putting together a letter and number to represent the year born and

8284-412: The iron is only applied for the amount of time needed to remove all hair and create a permanent mark. Branding irons are applied for a longer time to cattle than to horses, due to the differing thicknesses of their skins. If a brand is applied too long, it can damage the skin too deeply, thus requiring treatment for potential infection and longer-term healing. Branding wet stock may result in the smudging of

8393-439: The mayor heard a man scream three times inside the house, then two successive shots were fired from inside the house. The authorities entered the house the next morning, where they found two bodies with numerous bullet wounds to the arms and legs. The man assumed to be Longabaugh had a bullet wound in the forehead, and the man thought to be Cassidy had a bullet hole in the temple. The local police report speculated that judging from

8502-453: The most notable train robbers and gangs are: Train robberies are a common depiction in Western films and media. The first movie to depict a train robbery was the 1903 silent film The Great Train Robbery , produced by Edison Studios . This 11-minute film depicts a gang of outlaws who rob a train, only to later be hunted down by vigilantes and killed in a shootout. The Great Train Robbery

8611-590: The mythos set by Hollywood Westerns. Thieves often target train cars carrying cargo for large corporations, such as Walmart and Amazon ; and are most interested in commercial goods, particularly electronics, or raw industrial materials like metals and textiles. In the United States, the Los Angeles Basin is the most common spot for freight to be stolen en route. Other hotspots include areas near large depots, like Detroit , Chicago , and Memphis . In Mexico in 2011, train theft had increased by 120% from

8720-497: The near shoulder in the above order. Stock Horse and Quarter Horse classification brands are placed on the hindquarters by the classifiers. Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds in Australia and New Zealand are freeze branded. Standardbred brands are in the form of the Alpha Angle Branding System (AABS), which the United States also uses. In the United States, branding of horses is not generally mandated by

8829-408: The numerous law enforcement agencies pursuing them and seeing their gang falling apart. They departed from there to Buenos Aires , Argentina , aboard the British steamer Herminius on February 20, 1901, along with Longabaugh's companion Etta Place . Cassidy posed as James Ryan, Place's fictitious brother. They settled in a four-room log cabin on a 15,000-acre (61 km) ranch that they purchased on

8938-505: The open range. Cowboys could then separate the cattle at "roundup" time for driving to market . Cattle rustlers using running irons were ingenious in changing brands. The most famous brand change involved the making of the X I T brand into the Star-Cross brand, a star with a cross inside. Brands became so numerous that it became necessary to record them in books that the ranchers could carry in their pockets. Laws were passed requiring

9047-460: The police chief, the local mayor, and some of his officials all surrounded the lodging house on the evening of November 6, intending to arrest the Aramayo robbers. As they approached the house, the bandits opened fire, killing one of the soldiers and wounding another and starting a gunfight which lasted for several hours into the evening and the night. At around 2:00 am, during a lull in the fighting,

9156-524: The population and law enforcement presence in once-sparse areas grew, making crime reporting and response much faster. The first train robbery to be reported by telephone occurred in 1907. In 1923, what would later be dubbed the "Last Great Train Robbery", the DeAutremont Brothers targeted a Southern Pacific Railroad carrying mail. The would-be robbers attempted to breach the mail car using dynamite but accidentally used too much, causing

9265-478: The positions of the bodies, Cassidy had probably shot the fatally wounded Longabaugh to put him out of his misery, then killed himself with his final bullet. The Tupiza police identified the bandits as the men who robbed the Aramayo payroll transport, but the Bolivian authorities did not know their real names, nor could they positively identify them. The two bodies were buried at the small San Vicente cemetery, near

9374-401: The previous year. Railroads in the south-central part of the country, such as Zacatecas , Veracruz , Puebla , and Guanajuato , are at the highest risk. The area around Acultzingo has the highest rate of train robberies, recording 521 in 2017–2018 alone. A string of train robberies in India have targeted both cargo and passengers. On August 9, 2016, a group of robbers drilled a hole into

9483-580: The registration of brands, and the inspection of cattle driven through various territories. Penalties were imposed on those who failed to obtain a bill of sale with a list of brands on the animals purchased. From the Americas, many cattle branding traditions and techniques spread to Australia , where a distinct set of traditions and techniques developed. Livestock branding has been practiced in Australia since 1866, but after 1897 owners had to register their brands. These fire and paint brands could not then be duplicated legally. Free-range or open-range grazing

9592-998: The roof of a secure car aboard the Chennai–Salem Express and stole ₹ 57.8 million ($ 860,000; £570,000). The train had been transporting ₹342 crore from the Indian Overseas Bank to the Reserve Bank of India in Chennai . The Indian media dubbed it "the great train robbery". Eight arrests were made in 2018 in connection with the heist. Since 2023, several instances of armed dacoits boarding trains and robbing money, mobile phones, and valuables from passengers have been reported aboard Indian passenger trains. Multiple people have been injured in these attacks. In 2021, train robberies in Los Angeles resulted in hundreds of discarded packages to be strewn about

9701-449: The rump area of the animal. A native hide is one without a brand. Outside of the livestock industry, hot branding was used in 2003 by tortoise researchers to provide a permanent means of unique identification of individual Galapagos tortoises being studied. In this case, the brand was applied to the rear of the tortoises' shells. This technique has since been superseded by implanted PIT microchips (combined with ID numbers painted on

9810-402: The shell). The traditional cowboy or stockman captured and secured an animal for branding by roping it, laying it over on the ground, tying its legs together, and applying a branding iron that had been heated in a fire. Modern ranch practice has moved toward use of chutes where animals can be run into a confined area and safely secured while the brand is applied. Two types of restraint are

9919-542: The site may have become public knowledge, the Parker family is believed to have since excavated Cassidy's remains at the cabin and moved them to a different burial site, leaving the spinal and toe bones behind in the process. William T. Phillips claimed to have known Cassidy since childhood. In his book In Search of Butch Cassidy , Larry Pointer speculated that Phillips was actually Cassidy, based upon stories in Phillips's unpublished manuscript, The Bandit Invincible, and

10028-498: The size of trains has also increased. Ferromex , Mexico's largest railroad company, reported that its carload volume had increased by 6.6% in 2011. Financial losses to train robbery are difficult to calculate and vary from one crime to another. Robberies during the American Old West period resulted in an average loss of $ 9,980 per crime. In 2006, 11,711 train robberies in China were reported, with losses totalling ¥41.7 million ($ 6.8 million). Sometimes, train drivers do not realize

10137-479: The skin, but hot-iron branding creates more inflammation and pain than freeze branding does. Although alternative methods of identification such as ear tags are suggested, the practice of branding is still common worldwide. Standard hot iron branding can take about eight weeks to heal. Use of analgesics helps reduce discomfort. Topical treatments such as cooling gels helps speed healing in pigs, but results are less clear for cattle. Common concerns include how long

10246-492: The star witness; his sister, Mrs. Lulu [sic] Parker Betenson, a forthright and energetic woman in her nineties ... She has no doubts: her brother came back and ate blueberry pie with family at Circleville in ... 1925. She believes he died of pneumonia in Washington in the late 1930s." An episode of the television series In Search of... (1978) examined the claims and possible evidence for Cassidy's return to America during

10355-484: The target of robbery , in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables. Train robbery was especially common during the 19th century and is commonly associated with gangs of outlaws in the American Old West . It has continued into the 21st century, with criminals usually targeting freight trains carrying commercial cargo, or targeting passengers of public transportation for their valuables. Prior to

10464-494: The tracks. Trains were targeted on a section of tracks that they must slow down on and that are easy to access. Thieves used bolt cutters to cut open the locks on shipping containers and took the packages inside. The dropped packages were then picked over by thieves as well as passerby. Union Pacific estimated that losses were in the millions from all the stolen merchandise. By late 2021, an average of 90 containers were broken into daily. The Los Angeles Police Department assembled

10573-447: The train itself and bypass security measures, either causing it to drop cargo, creating a distraction, or triggering an emergency stop, thereby creating an easier method of boarding the train. Sometimes, thieves will climb onto the train and pass or spill cargo onto the ground below, where packages can be retrieved. However, as was much more common historically but is still done today, robbers sometimes use more violent means of breaching

10682-634: The train's carriages at gunpoint , stealing their jewelry or currency . Contrary to the method romanticized by Hollywood , outlaws in the American Old West were never known to jump from horseback onto a moving train. Usually, they would either board the train normally and wait for a good time to initiate the heist , or they would stop or derail the train and then begin the holdup. Train theft results in significant financial and commercial losses. As e-commerce has increased demand for large quantities of goods to be transported even longer distances, and as trains create fewer emissions than cargo trucks,

10791-554: The women home so that the men could plan their next robbery. They ambushed a small group of men carrying the payroll of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company in the mining town of Castle Gate, Utah , on April 22, 1897, stealing a sack of silver coins, with which they fled back to the Robbers Roost. On June 2, 1899, the gang robbed a Union Pacific Overland Flyer passenger train near Wilcox, Wyoming ,

10900-687: Was a rancher who did business with Cassidy, supplying him with fresh horses and beef. That same year, Cassidy was arrested at Lander, Wyoming , for stealing horses and possibly for running a protection racket among the local ranchers there. He was imprisoned in the Wyoming State Prison in Laramie , where he served eighteen months of a two-year sentence; he was released and pardoned in January 1896 by Governor William Alford Richards . He became involved briefly with Bassett's older sister Josie before returning to Ann. Cassidy associated with

11009-561: Was committed by armed guerrillas and occurred shortly after the end of the Civil War, it is not considered to be the first train robbery in the United States. Train robberies peaked in the 1890s. Although they occurred in a wide variety of states, California , Missouri , Texas , and Oklahoma recorded the highest numbers. Notable robberies during this period include the Union Pacific Big Springs robbery in 1877,

11118-637: Was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment at the New Mexico State Penitentiary . The Wild Bunch typically separated following a robbery and fled in different directions, later reuniting at a predetermined location such as the Hole-in-the-Wall, Robbers Roost, or Fannie Porter 's brothel in San Antonio . Cassidy approached Utah Governor Heber Wells to negotiate an amnesty . Wells advised him to ask

11227-505: Was found upon arrival to be missing over £12,000 worth of gold and money. The incident became known as the Great Gold Robbery of 1855 . Four men were arrested in 1856 for the crime. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, train robberies were frequent in the American Old West , where trains carrying valuable cargo, like payroll shipments, were a frequent target. These shipments would be guarded by an expressman whose duty

11336-490: Was killed in a shootout with Grand County, Utah , Sheriff John Tyler and Deputy Sam Jenkins. On May 26, Kid Curry rode into Moab, Utah , and killed both Tyler and Jenkins in another shootout in retaliation for the deaths of George and Lonny. In December, Cassidy posed alongside Longabaugh, Logan, Carver, and Ben Kilpatrick in Fort Worth, Texas , for the now-famous "Fort Worth Five" photograph. The Pinkerton Agency obtained

11445-622: Was killed in the shootout that followed, and his cousin Bob Lee was arrested for rustling and sent to prison in Wyoming. On March 28, George Curry and News Carver were pursued by a posse from St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona , after using currency they had stolen in the Wilcox train robbery. The posse engaged them in a shootout, during which Deputies Andrew Gibbons and Frank LeSueur were killed, while Carver and Curry escaped. On April 17, George Curry

11554-449: Was minor. Around 1880 he journeyed to a clothier shop in another town but found it closed. He broke into the shop and stole a pair of jeans and some pie, leaving an IOU promising to pay on his next visit. The clothier pressed charges, but Cassidy was acquitted by a jury. He continued to work on ranches until 1884, when he moved to Telluride , Colorado , ostensibly to seek work, but perhaps to deliver stolen horses to buyers. Cassidy led

11663-459: Was secretly buried at Tom's Cabin, a former sheepherders' log cabin located in a remote area of the property, a favorite camping spot for his brothers and him. Grace says an eyewitness, neighbor Dee Crosby, saw the burial take place at the cabin. Earlier, Putzel spoke to Alta Orton, another Parker neighbor, who described the family as having been dressed in funeral-like attire on that same day. Grace goes on to say that cadaver dogs had been brought to

11772-534: Was then assigned the task of capturing the outlaws. He became friends with Elfie Landusky, who was using the last name Curry after becoming pregnant by Kid Curry's brother Lonny Logan, and Siringo intended to locate the gang through her. On July 11, 1899, Lay and others were involved in a Colorado and Southern Railroad train robbery near Folsom, New Mexico , which Cassidy might have planned and personally directed. A shootout ensued with local law enforcement, during which Lay killed Sheriff Edward Farr and Henry Love; Lay

11881-510: Was to protect the cargo of the " express car ". Changing social and economic situations after the American Civil War led to the development of gangs and individuals who took up train robbery as a means of income. After the war, many soldiers were faced with little economic opportunity upon returning home, and train robbing required little specialized skill. Other robbers held the railroad companies in contempt, particularly those from

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