Lordsburg Train Robbery, valued today at 4.4 Million.

 There has been a boat load of crap written about Jesse and Frank James, Butch and Sundance and even Billy the kid, most of which is unintentionally untrue through continuous regurgitation, some intentional and even some by profound delusion. I won’t take the time to tell of the delusional stories but at this time wish to point out some stories that if I had to weigh the evidence, is likely true with support of various forms of evidence.

Grat, Jesse and Butch

But before considering the following I would recommend getting familiar with the real James Family… The Family of Jesse Woodson James

and where the information comes from, the source The Black Book, Jesse James was One of his Names.

Lets talk about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Much of what we read about Butch is true, other than he was not killed in Brazil, but lets talk about Sundance first, who was he?.. Really? The source and the evidence seems to weigh in favor of… Sundance was not only know as the Sundance Kid, but also his Alias, Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, yes, Alias… His birth name was Gratton Hanley Dalton, yes the same Grat Dalton of the Dalton Gang, Jesse Woodson James’s Cousin who was supposedly killed in 1892. 

The photo that has been circulating for a very long time, supposedly Grat in his youth, may or may not be him, I am undecided but lean towards not.

 

Grat Dalton? Maybe and maybe not.

 

According to the source, in his later years Grat was living and died in 1965, at just under 100 years of age under the name of Grover Shropshire outside of Cut Bank Montana. Strangely enough, I found a Grover Shropshire in the area but the time frame isn’t right. 

At what was likely the last time Lee Howk met with Grat Dalton in 1958, Lee Asked Grat...

"When did you last see Butch Cassidy?"  "Well, sir," Grat answered, "when a man gets older, you'd think he'd seek out his old  buddies more. But that isn't always the case. Let's see, Butch and I last got together in the  late 1930s over in Lander, Wyoming, where he died about six months later. 

Funny thing,  Butch and I for years were thicker than thieves, which we were. But after we'd talked all  night, there was nothing more to talk about. In a way,  I guess there's nothing more lonely than being an old outlaw." Grat Dalton told Jesse that a few years after their escapades in South America, he and  Butch Cassidy went to Hollywood and worked as movie extras. Cassidy even played  some roles using the name "Tex Driskell." Grat reminisced about his old days in The  Wild Bunch, the Hole in the Wall Gang and Butch Cassidy Gang. And he talked of Kid  Curry, who died in Bannack, Montana, about 1942.

I found a photo or two of Tex Driscoll and I must say, it isn’t conclusive but possible…  Hard to tell with all that beard…

Sundance AKA Grat Dalton said to be with Eta Place

Or more likely Ann Basset? Sister of Josie Bassett?

Ann Bassett sister of Josie Bassett

Looks like the same girl to me…

 

“Those who had met Place claimed the first thing they noticed about her was that she was strikingly pretty, with a very nice smile, and that she was cordial, articulate, refined in speech and manners, and an excellent shot with a rifle. She was said to have spoken in an educated manner, and she indicated she was originally from the East Coast, although she never revealed an exact location.” WIKI

 

Butch was reported having married “Dotty” who was the daughter of Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia and lived in Seattle for a time.

 

Now for the Gold Story… 

A few nights later, Lee asked cousin Grat, 

"I want you to tell me the real truth. Did you and Butch Cassidy help old Jesse pull 'one last train holdup' over in Arizona in about 1905?" Grat grinned. 

"Well, seeing your Grandpappy has climbed his last mountain, I see no harm in 'fessing up. Yes, we did, but the so-called holdup was staged near Lordsburg, New Mexico. 

We dragged the $44,000 over to Ft. Thomas, Arizona, and buried it." The old bandit warmed up. "Butch and I fell in the dust that day laughing. Your Grandpa had really set us up for that one. Or, I should say, set up the railroad and the insurance company."   Lee cut in, "Well, Grat, I heard the story. It was one of Grandpa's death-bed confessions. But I want to see if his version jibes with yours. Go on, please." Grat's eyes took on a new lustre. 

"Old Jesse James was real foxy. It was his own money to begin with. He insured it in Chicago for what I believe was $100,000. Then he bribed the engineer and the baggage coach boys. Let's see who was there. First, there was old Jesse, and Butch, Tim Capps and Ora Doiel, and me, of course. All five of us were sitting on our horses and when the train rounded the bend, the engineer stopped the baggage coach right in front of us.   "A darky opened the door and asked, 'Where do you want it, Colonel?' and Jesse said, 'Just roll it out. That'll be fine.' The two Negroes pushed it out and Jesse said, 'Nice doing business with you.' The engineer tooted twice and pulled out.

The loss of the chest wasn't reported until the train hit Los Angeles. Of course, the insurance company paid off and apologized profusely."   Grat stared into the fireplace. "Yup, there'll never be another man like old Jesse Woodson James, God rest his soul. He did a lot more good than he did bad, but he was a real outlaw alright."   

At the time of the Lordsburg Train Robbery, Jesse was posing as Captain Harrison Trow living in North West Texas and at the same time managing his alias William A. Clark through his paid double Carl O’Haver Clark in Butte Montana.

Interestingly enough, located a hop skip and a jump from the train robbery site is located the Lordsburg Mystery Glyph panel...

Lordsburg Mystery Glyphs

Somewhere near Fort Thomas may very well be a buried chest of 4.4 million in Gold…