Willis believed that Place and Gray held a striking resemblance to one another, but there is no way of verifying his assumption. Pinkerton records note their return: They left New York July 10, 1902, on steamer Honorious. 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. 18961905) There has been no evidence to support her having a half-sister named Hazel Tyrone/aka Etta Place. was a companion of the American outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, alias Sundance Kid. was a companion of the American outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, alias Sundance Kid. Evidently, he escorted them north to Lake Nahuel Huapi, where the trio then headed west into Chile. Plot summary. Despite Longabaugh and Parker's fame, by the mid-20th century it was the mysterious vanishing of Place that sparked the most interest, which continues to the present day. Some historical accounts record that she became the outside man for the gang Butch organized with her husband. July 10, 1902: Place and Longabaugh pose as stewards, and sail on the steamer Honorius back to Argentina. Researchers have been unable to verify any of his claims. With the exception of the Pinkerton Agency files, there is little concrete information about Etta. One claim is that she returned to her life as a school teacher, living the remainder of her life in Denver, Colorado, while another story claims she lived the remainder of her life teaching in Marion, Oregon. The majority of the experts agree that Butch and Sundance probably met Etta at a bordello around 1900. In February 1905, the outlaws heldup the Banco de Tarapaca y Argentino in Rio Gallegos, located in southern Argentina. if you hear of any one that want to sell please tell them about us." The second, put out in 1906, described her as having, "classic good looks, 27 or 28 years old, 5'4" to 5'5" in height, weighing between 110 lb and 115 lb, with a medium build and brown hair.". By the age of 5, she was known as a gospel prodigy, gaining fame by NY: Simon and Schuster, 1991. James 1960 debut album, At Last! Wenceslao Solis, a Chilean ranch hand employed by Longabaugh, claimed to have assisted in the outlaws' departure from Cholila on May 9, 1905. From an unknown past, she joined the scoundrels and bandits who made up the infamous outlaw gang known as the Wild Bunch. Etta Place (1878-unknown) was almost certainly not her real name, but no one knows for sure what name she was born under. Encyclopedia.com. Born In: Los Angeles, California, United States. Etta Place (born c. 1878, date of death unknown) was a companion of the American outlaws Butch Cassidy (real name Robert LeRoy Parker) and the Sundance Kid (Harry Alonzo Longabaugh), both members of the outlaw gang known as the Wild Bunch. Beautiful, refined, intelligent Etta Place was a triple threat when she met Harry Longabaugh and Robert Leroy Parker, the outlaws known as The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy, respectively, at a San Antonio brothel around 1900. According to historians, on February 20, 1901, the husband and wife and Cassidy boarded the, Shortly after the trio arrived in South America, they opened a bank account with $12 thousand in gold notes. When Mama Lu died in 1950, Dorothy took her to the Fillmore District, San Francisco where she was exposed to doo-wop and was inspired to form a girl group, called the Creolettes. He rode away in order to escape the possibility of being caught by the Pinkerton men, and the couple never saw one another again. Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 1985. In fact, Bassett was arrested for rustling cattle, and also entered her first marriage, while Place was in South America with Longabaugh and Parker. After eluding their pursuers, the outlaws eventually returned to their ranch near Cholila. It is possible that she met Parker and/or Longabaugh in Fort Worth or in the brothel of Madame Fannie Porter in San Antonio, which was frequented by members of the Wild Bunch gang and which resulted in several gang members meeting girlfriends that later traveled with them, to include Kid Curry's meeting of prostitute Della Moore. About a minute later, I heard the one who was outside say in English something like "all set." She was well educated and an excellent horsewoman. Documents salvaged from the fire indicate she was 77 years of age. His point had been proven many times in the six years the outlaws had been in South America. A mule train rumored to be transporting a rich payroll was going to be in the area. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. The Pinkerton Agency had known their precise address for some months, but the rainy season prevented their assigned agent, Frank Dimaio, from traveling there and making an arrest. Its my secret where hes buried. According to Lula, Etta returned to America long before Butch and Sundance fought it out with the South American police. Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on January 25, 1938, in Los Angeles to fourteen year old Dorothy Hawkins. Popular locations for her place of birth include Utah, New York City, Pennsylvania, or Matthew Lee , freelance writer, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Late 1909: A beautiful woman named Eunice Gray arrives in Fort Worth, Texas, and begins running a brothel. He gave his address as the Hotel Europa, Buenos Aires." Presumably, the fourth bandit was one of several possible fellow outlaws rumored to have been in the region. WebIn much the same way as she appeared, Etta Place suddenly vanished from history with only rumors and myth to explain her fate. It traveled a little-known route outside of San Vicente. The outlaws fired their own weapons indiscriminately into the collection of law enforcement officers that had gathered. It has been conjectured, often without any real evidence, that she was variously a cousin of Longabaugh's (hence the surname Place), or that she was a cattle rustler named Ann Bassett (d.1956) who knew and operated with the Wild Bunch at the turn of the 20th century. The three were members of the outlaw gang known as Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch. by Chris Enss | Jul 15, 2019 | Features & Gunfights. There is no evidence that Longabaugh and Place saw one another at all between 1905 and his alleged death in 1908. Reminiscing about their past adventures drove the former gang members back to their old habits. . Josie Bassett died in 1964, and there is no indication that she was ever asked to confirm whether Eunice Gray was or was not Etta Place. 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. She is the third of five children to be raised in the area her mother will rename Browns Park. The woman later known as Ethel Place, is most likely born in Texas in 1876. 1963: The last person known to have actually met and spent time with Place, female outlaw Josie Bassett, dies. History writer Edward Kirby noted in his book The Saga of Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch that she was truly the mystery woman of the Wild Bunch story.. Tomeka Thiam Met Akon When She Was 18 & Gave Him 5 Children. In 1901 she was going by the name Ethel and Etta is Spanish for Ethel. time through the years until he died. In researching his claims about his mother, there is some evidence that she did once teach school, but also some indications that she was a prostitute. Gang member Will Carver also began a relationship with one of Porter's "girls," Lillie Davis, and Wild Bunch female gang member Laura Bullion is believed to have worked at the brothel from time to time. Governor Julio Lezana issued an arrest warrant, but before it could be executed, Sheriff Edward Humphreys, a Welsh Argentine who was friendly with Parker and enamored of Place, tipped them off. Frank Dimaio of the Pinkerton Detective Agency arrived in Buenos Aires and began a three-month investigation. NY: Grosset and Dunlap, 1976. Another account formulated by research done by journalist Jim Dullenty indicates that Etta moved to Marion, Oregon, after news that Sundance had been killed in Bolivia. They are credited with a number of major robberies and were increasingly becoming a frustration to the authorities. WebAccording to reports of the day, Bassett and Davis were two of only five women ever allowed into the Robbers Roost hideout, the other three being Josie Bassett, the Sundance Kid 's girlfriend Etta Place, and Wild Bunch gang member Laura Bullion . Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. The photo was sent to a family member and remained in the family for many years until it was published in 1992. While not otherwise engaged, the outlaws spent nearly three weeks sightseeing in New York City. The claim that she met the gang while working as a prostitute is the most likely scenario. The funeral was presided by Rev. Always soulful, her extraordinary voice was showcased to great effect in singles such as, At Last, Dance With Me Henry and Id Rather go Blind. Etta Place (1878-unknown) was almost certainly not her real name, but no one knows for sure what name she was born under. Tomeka Thiam Met Akon When She Was 18 & Gave Him 5 Children. Principally the companion of Longabaugh, little is known about her; both her origins and her fate remain mysterious. On April 2, they registered at a Mrs. Thompson's rooming house in New York City. Etta Place materialized like an apparition in the history of the American West. Add synopsis. However, the dates do not match up when alleging she was Ann Bassett, plus, Bassett was a former girlfriend of Parker's, and there are several documents to prove that Bassett was in fact in Wyoming during much of the time when Place was in South America. Her first solo hit in doo-wop style, All I Could Do Was Cry, became an R&B hit. ." Popular locations for her place of birth include Utah, New York City, Pennsylvania, or Even her real name is a mystery; Place was the maiden surname of Longabaugh's mother (Annie Place) and she is recorded in various sources as Mrs. Harry Longabaugh or Mrs. Harry A. When the political climate in the region began to change, and with rumors that the Pinkerton Agency had picked up a lead on their whereabouts, the three felt it was best to leave the country. Barring new information, their time ranching was most likely spent lawfully. Genres. WebIn Sundance Kid. She made her final television appearance performing "At Last" on Dancing with the Stars. HER STORY CONTINUES - TO Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, To Pancho Villa and His Rebel BanditsShe Was a Lot of WomanTo a Lot of Men! In 1906 he and Cassidy returned to outlawry, robbing banks, trains, and mining interests in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. 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