Place, Etta (fl. 1896–1905)

American woman who accompanied the outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to Argentina, where they began a successful ranch and later returned to their outlaw ways. Name variations: Emma Place; Eva Place. Flourished around 1896–1905; dates and locations for her birth and death are unknown, as are parents' names, marriages, and children; thought to have been educated in the East as a teacher.

Joined the Wild Bunch, an outlaw gang whose two most notable members were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; accompanied the two men to Argentina in an attempt to "go straight"; for a time, the trio lived anonymously and ran their own ranch; when their true identities were discovered, they returned to their formerly successful lives as bandits; with Etta as accomplice, they caused a sensation with their daring robberies; evidently, the three later parted paths leaving each to face an unknown fate.

Etta Place materialized like an apparition in the history of the American West. From an unknown past, she joined the scoundrels and bandits who made up the infamous outlaw gang known as the Wild Bunch. While befriending the gang's leader, Butch Cassidy, she developed a romantic relationship with another central gang member, Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid. The three would later travel to South America in a doomed attempt by the two men to "go straight." The loss of their anonymity eventually led them back to the life they knew best: that of the outlaw. With Etta as accomplice, they robbed a number of banks, handily avoiding capture. In much the same way as she appeared, Etta Place suddenly vanished from history with only rumors and myth to explain her fate.

Theories abound regarding Etta's earlier life. Popular locations for her place of birth include Utah, New York City, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. Possible identities for her parents range from an Englishman named Ingerfeld to more fanciful alternatives, such as Emily Jane Place and George Capel, alleged son of Arthur Algernon Capel, 6th earl of Essex. (Another contemporary woman named Place, Martha Place , was the first woman to die in the electric chair.) Even the Wild Bunch themselves were rumored to have become her guardians after the death of her father. She is often regarded as a schoolteacher educated in Boston or Buffalo, and sometimes accused of being a prostitute. Whatever her background, circumstances would lead her to become acquainted with the best-known outlaw gang in the American West.

Originally named Robert LeRoy Parker, Butch Cassidy was the celebrated leader of the Wild Bunch, a loosely knit group of outlaws and ne'er-do-wells. Their setup of several isolated camps, stretching from Wyoming to Utah, allowed the men a safe haven which lawmen avoided. After each job, a series of relay horses would quickly deliver the bandits to one of their sanctuaries, most notably Hole-in-the-Wall, Brown's Park, or Robbers' Roost. These tactics netted them much success, especially after railroad or bank robberies.

Etta's first documented appearance was in the winter of 1896–97, when she hooked up with the Wild Bunch as they camped at the Utah hideout Robbers' Roost, preferring the company of Harry Longabaugh (Sundance). Eventually, the two would become involved in a romantic relationship that would span several years and two continents. With the arrival of spring, however, Place again disappears from record, her whereabouts remaining a mystery for nearly four more years.

During the time Etta was unaccounted for, the Wild Bunch successfully lived up to their name. They are credited with a number of major robberies and were increasingly becoming a frustration to the authorities. Efforts by both the law and the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which had been hired to assist in their capture, increased the pressure on their outlaw lifestyle. It is thought that Butch and Sundance finally had had enough, and decided to "go straight" in a land where they were unknown. Etta, Butch, and Sundance decided upon the South American country of Argentina, and arranged an East Coast rendezvous from which to begin their new life.

On February 1, 1901, the trio met as planned in New York City. The men sported new aliases; Butch took the name James (later Santiago) Ryan, while Sundance took Etta's last name, making him Harry (later Enrique) A. Place. Pinkerton flyers describe some of their activities:

This is to advise all offices that the above named [Harry Longabaugh] was in New York City February 1, 1901, at which time he lived with a woman he called his wife, at the boarding house of Mrs. Taylor, 234 East 12th St. There he used the name of Harry E. Place…. The woman with him is said to be his wife and to be from Texas.

Their WANTED posters describe Etta as "about 27 years old, five feet four inches in height, weighing about 110 pounds, medium complexion and wears her brown hair on the top of her head in a roll from forehead. She appears to be a refined type." Their research also discovered "that Longbaugh [sic] under the name of Place was treated in the Pierce Medical Institute, Buffalo, New York, and by a Dr. Weinstein, 174 Second Ave., New York City. We do not know the nature of the ailment he was being treated for." Some sources say that Sundance's condition was an old gunshot wound, while others suggest that he suffered from catarrh, an inflammation of the mucus membranes of the nose and throat.

While not otherwise engaged, the outlaws spent nearly three weeks sightseeing in New York City. Butch purchased a Tiffany lapel watch for Etta, and she and Sundance posed for their now famous photograph at De Young's Studio, 857 Broadway at 17th St. Nearly a year and a half later, the Pinkerton Agency would receive a copy of the photograph. "A great pity we did not get the information regarding the photograph while this party was in New York," wrote one Pinkerton agent. "It shows how daring these men are, and while you are looking for them in the wilderness and mountains they are in the midst of society."

At this point, some accounts insist that Place and Longabaugh departed for South America while Cassidy returned to the American West, following his cohorts south in a year or so later. In support of this is his alleged involvement in the July 3, 1901, holdup of a Great Northern train near Wagner, Montana. The deed is credited to the Wild Bunch, though the identities of the individual members involved have long been disputed. Indeed, with the revolving door of outlaws passing through the ranks of the Wild Bunch over the years, a variety of characters may have been involved. Without further evidence, it is most likely that on February 20, 1901, the three boarded the ship Herminius, bound for South America.

She appears to be a refined type.

—Pinkerton Detective Agency

Upon their arrival in Argentina some time in March, Pinkerton records show that Longabaugh went to the London and River Platte Bank and "opened an account with the bank on March 23, 1901, depositing $12,000 in gold notes. He gave his address as the Hotel Europa, Buenos Aires." Apparently, the outlaws spent the next year or so building a ranch in the Andes foothills, in southwest Argentina, as described in the following Pinkerton information:

On April 2nd, 1902, [Longabaugh using the name Place] and [Cassidy using the name Ryan notified] Argentine Republic Government they had settled on 4 square leagues of Government land within the Province of Chubut, district 16th of 11 October, near Cholila and had 1300 sheep, 500 head of cattle, 35 horses, and asked for the first right to buy some [land] and were settled on land improving it. This petition was signed by Place and Ryan, per Santiago.

Since they obviously occupied the land but the transaction had not been completed, it was noted that the property was "Not Sold Yet, Place and Ryan are squatters."

That same spring, the three again were known to be staying at the Hotel Europa in Buenos Aires, with Cassidy posing as Etta Place's brother. From here, Butch left his companions to return to their ranch, traveling south by water to Rawson, then west by land to Chubut Province. Etta and Sundance boarded a ship to New York, ostensibly to visit Longabaugh's relatives in Pennsylvania and Atlantic City. Their trip included a sojourn to Coney Island, and possible further medical treatment for Longabaugh's unknown condition. Pinkerton records note their return:

They left New York July 10, 1902, on steamer Honorious. Arrived Buenos Ayres [sic] August 9, 1902, as Harry A. Place, Purser, Mrs. Harry A. Place, Stewardess, which was OK as no passengers were carried, hence put them in the crew's list.

Their classification as service personnel was apparently to allow them to gain passage on what was not a passenger vessel but a freighter.

For the next two-and-one-half years, the trio ran a successful ranching enterprise, with Etta's equestrian skills and knowledge of horses surely contributing to a doubling of their stock. In a letter to his neighbor and close friend Daniel Gibbon, dated February 29, 1904, Cassidy shows genuine immersion in the everyday routine of ranching. "I will want to buy some Rams, so please keep your ears open for we dont know where to look for them. if you hear of any one that want to sell please tell them about us." He concludes with "Kindest Regards to your Wife and Family." A respected dentist and neighbor, George Newbery, stated that the three "were considered respectable citizens."

As had been the case in the United States, many Argentinean crimes were attributed to the trio with little or no reliable evidence. Additionally, sworn sightings occurring simultaneously yet hundreds of miles apart were not uncommon. This may have been the result of their notoriety, or the perception that Cassidy, Longabaugh, and Place were the only Bandidos Yanqui (American Bandits) in South America. In fact, there were a number of North American outlaws drifting throughout the Southern Continent, any of whom may have been responsible for the crimes blamed on them. Barring new information, their time ranching was most likely spent lawfully.

March 1903 marked the beginning of the end for the trio in their comfortable exile. Frank Dimaio of the Pinkerton Detective Agency arrived in Buenos Aires and began a three-month investigation. Through his research, he discovered a paper trail and enough eyewitness reports to significantly improve the chance of capturing the outlaws. Curiously, the agency took no action, perhaps because of a reticence on the part of their North American clients to support the operation. When Dimaio departed Buenos Aires empty-handed in May 1903, he assembled and distributed WANTED posters describing Butch, Sundance, and Etta. After returning to the U.S., Pinkerton agents sent a letter to the Buenos Aires police:

It is our firm belief that it is only a question of time until these men commit some desperate robbery in the Argentine Republic. They are all thorough plainsmen and horsemen, riding from 600 to 1,000 miles after committing a robbery. If there are reported to you any bank or train hold up robberies or any other similar crimes, you will find that they were undoubtedly committed by these men.

With their identities and whereabouts thus exposed, it became impossible to lead the anonymous, law-abiding life they desired.

Perhaps it was the perception that their situation was hopeless which lured the Wild Bunch back into action. In February 1905, the outlaws heldup the Banco de Tarapaca y Argentino in Rio Gallegos, located in southern Argentina. According to the police report, "two subjects armed with large revolvers, apparently Colts, presented themselves in the establishment." The assistant manager was forced to put "all of the bank's money into a white canvas sack," after which one of the bandits "took under his arm a small tin box that contained approximately 483 pounds sterling." The assistant manager related:

While one of the thieves covered us, the other went outside and put the sack that contained the money on his horse. About a minute later, I heard the one who was outside say in English something like "all set." The other assailant at once went outside, and they immediately took off in flight on horses that they had already prepared.

A Pinkerton account states that "Etta Place, Harry Long[a]baugh's wife, in male attire, is alleged to have held the horses while Long[a]baugh and Cassidy committed the robbery." After eluding their pursuers, the outlaws eventually returned to their ranch near Cholila. Wenceslao Solis, a Chilean ranch hand employed by Longabaugh, claimed to have assisted in the outlaws' departure from Cholila on May 9, 1905. Evidently, he escorted them north to Lake Nahuel Huapi, where the trio then headed west into Chile. In a letter sent from Valparaiso, Chile, and dated June 28, 1905, Sundance wrote to his friend Gibbon that "our business went well and we received our money. We arrived here today, and the day after tomorrow my wife and I leave for San Francisco."

If Longabaugh and Place did visit San Francisco, they had to return to Argentina in order to meet Cassidy to plan and execute the December 1905 holdup of the Banco de la Nacion in Villa Mercedes. According to the Buenos Aires Herald:

Four well-mounted horsemen rode up to the [bank] and, knife in hand, entered, taking the employees by surprise. The safes were open and two of the brigands emptied them whilst the other two covered the employees. The manager … offered resistance [and] was wounded. Before any policemen arrived, the four robbers had re-mounted and disappeared in a cloud of dust.

In a description that obviously referred to Etta, the Argentine newspaper La Prensa reported that "one of the bandits was beardless, had small feet and delicate features … said woman is a fine rider, to the extent that she is widely admired by the Argentines for her skill and natural ability." Presumably, the fourth bandit was one of several possible fellow outlaws rumored to have been in the region.

With their take from the robbery reported at 12,000 pesos ($137,500 today), an extensive search for the trio was begun. Optimistic rumors of capture soon changed to criticism as no results were forthcoming. In a cynical jab at the powers that be, a Buenos Aires Herald editorial on December 23, 1905, touted:

Those bad, bold, whisky-drinking, hard-riding, round-the-corner-shooting, Anglo-American, gaucho, Bank robbers have not been captured yet. The whole Republic has been astonished by the depravity of those four buccaneers, and all the horses and men of the Province of San Luis have, it would appear, been turned out upon their trail. The authorities of the adjoining provinces have volunteered to co-operate: and yet … the robbers are still at large, and their valuable booty unrecovered.

Again, the Wild Bunch fled to Chile, at which point the documentation of their activities gallops off into dozens of conflicting accounts. Popular myth has Etta leaving the men, and Butch and Sundance alternately robbing and working for mining concerns throughout southern and eastern South America. Among the many stories of the two men and their apparent demise, the account by Arthur Chapman published in the April 1930 issue of Elks Magazine has been the seed for many accounts, all varying in detail, location, and date. It tells how Cassidy and Longabaugh were looking for food and wandered into the Indian village of San Vicente, Bolivia, in 1909. One of their mules was recognized by a local as having been stolen, and a nearby Bolivian cavalry company was alerted. A bloody stand-off ensued, ending with the injured Butch shooting the mortally wounded Sundance in a mercy killing, and then taking his own life. Other versions have Cassidy and Longabaugh eluding capture, and eventually splitting up to live anonymously throughout North and South America. Regardless of their fate, all accounts seem to lack reasonable evidence and credibility.

As for Etta Place, the remainder of her life is just as unclear. Differing accounts have her traveling to Denver for a medical procedure and settling there, fighting in the Mexican Revolution, living somewhere in South America, residing in Mexico City with Longabaugh, or settling in a number of locations within the United States. This unfortunate lack of facts only adds to the curiosity about one of the most mysterious figures of the American West, the woman who rode with the Wild Bunch.

sources:

Brawer, Moshe. Atlas of South America. NY: Simon and Schuster, 1991.

Buck, Daniel, and Anne Meadows. "Leaving Cholila: Butch and Sundance Documents Surface in Argentina," in True West. January 1996, p. 21.

Goldman, William (screenplay). Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Beverly Hills, CA: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 1969.

Kelly, Charles. The Outlaw Trail. NY: Devin-Adair, 1959.

Kirby, Edward M. The Saga of Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. Palmer Lake, CO: Filter Press, 1977.

Lamb, F. Bruce. The Wild Bunch. Worland, WY: High Plains, 1993.

Meadows, Anne. Digging Up Butch and Sundance. NY: St. Martin's Press, 1994.

Parker Betenson, Lula. Butch Cassidy: My Brother. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.

Patterson, Richard. Historical Atlas of the Outlaw West. Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 1985.

Pointer, Larry. In Search of Butch Cassidy. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977.

Redford, Robert. The Outlaw Trail. NY: Grosset and Dunlap, 1976.

suggested reading:

Patterson, Richard. Butch Cassidy: A Biography. NE: University of Nebraska, 1998.

related media:

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (112 min. film), starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Katharine Ross as Etta Place, screenplay by William Goldman, directed by George Roy Hill, produced by 20th Century-Fox, 1969.

Matthew Lee , freelance writer, Colorado Springs, Colorado