Did Butch Cassidy survive? Rediscovered text resurrects debate...

[Eric James]

How many times before have we seen this story template?

 

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/apArticle/id/D9P4K18O1/

[Jim Holden]

"Elzy" Lay - purportedly Butch's "best friend" lived until 1934.  There is no record of him having any contact with his old Wild Bunch after his release from Prison, although he initially returned to the general area to live after his release in 1910?  If they were that close, wouldn't Butch have contacted him?  He's mostly unknown, and I've found nothing much on him after the events of the Folsom Train Robbery, the gunfights and his eventual capture and conviction.

[Jim Holden]

Pat, then I'm looking forward to your book.

[Murray A. Gewirtz]

Here's the real story on the after-life of Butch Cassidy: He did survive the shootout in Bolivia where Sundance was killed, and went to California. He always wore black afterward in mourning for Sundance. In repentence for his outlaw life, he went straight, and from then on fought and caught a bunch of bad guys---in books, magazines, radio, the movies and TV. He had never cared much for the nickname "Butch," and somewhat envious of his pal's dashing tag,"The Sundance Kid," he came up with one that he felt was just as exciting and sexy: "Hopalong Cassidy."

[James Allder]

I agree with Jim Holden and Pat Schroeder.  If the story has any real merit, other than pulp fiction, then it should be to keep the genre alive and well.  If only out of desperation.  And if this is a scam, it needs to be vetted and exposed for being as such -- as soon as possible, so it doesn't go any further.

[Daniel Buck]

From Listverse,  "Top Ten Infamous Fake Memoirs"

http://listverse.com/2010/03/06/top-10-infamous-fake-memoirs/

William T. Phillips's "The Bandit Invincible" is so badly written that it's doubtful it will ever crack the top ten list, but at least in Western history circles it deserves mention.

Dan

[Bob Goodwin]

Pointer didn't invent Phillips as Butch, Phillips did that himself in the 1920s and 30s when he wandered around Wyoming claiming he was Butch. Pointer just resurrected the idea in the 1970s trying to capitalize on the success of the Movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

 

Pointer and crew, after their great announcement about the "new" manuscript realized that the gig was up. Instead of waiting for new conflicting evidence to surface they tried damage control and hurried up and and announced that it was a fake, and that Phillips wasn't Cassidy. They want to control the discussion to recoup their losses.