Forth Worth Five


Five men in suits and derbys

Sundance Kid, News Carver, The Tall Texan, Kid Curry, Butch Cassidy

The problem with being a slippery sort is that it’s so easy to slip up.  Kid Curry–the most wanted outlaw of his time and cohort of Butch and Sundance–probably changed his alias more often than his underwear.  He and those he ran with were so careful to ride under the radar that even when they made the mistake of having their picture taken, lawmen spent years looking for someone who could identify them.
It was the already widowed bride from the wedding the fellas dressed up for, who finally provided aliases. Even she didn’t know their actual names.

I learned the iconic tale of the Fort Worth Five, four years ago before I toured Colorado telling how my great-grandfather came to shoot Kid Curry.  A visit to their fateful stomping ground, should have been an anticipated thrill for me, but somehow I let it take me by surprise.  With a slippery memory like that, multiple aliases are a no go.  Fortunately I do manage to remember to change my underwear.

The Fort Worth photographer liked the Fort Worth Five photo so well, he posted it in his shop window where a lawman noticed it and recognized one of the men as an outlaw.


About breathtakebyways

Ann Williams’ travel articles have appeared in publications all over the country including The Washington Post, Roads to Adventure, and Jack and Jill. Between researching and writing books, she specializes in creative lectures.