William Ellsworth Lay

It is said that the Sundance Kid character in the classic 1969 film Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid was largely based on Elzy Lay. While Sundance would become Cassidy’s longtime partner, it was Lay who was said to be his best friend.

Elzy Lay was born William Ellsworth Lay to parents John Landis and Mary Jane Lay in Mount Pleasant, Ohio on November 25, 1868. Shortly after Lay’s birth his parents made their way west, settling in northeastern Colorado. At the age of eighteen Lay left home with his childhood friend William McGinnis. McGinnis quickly became homesick returned home. Perhaps as a prank, Lay would go on to use his friend’s name as a frequent alias in his life of crime.

After leaving home Lay roamed the west and by fall of 1889 Lay found himself in Brown’s Park, Utah where he struck up a friendship with a young Butch Cassidy. The two men became fast friends. Like Cassidy, Lay also became friendly with the Bassett family and may have dated their daughter Josie. Lay was known as something of a ladies man with his flashy clothes and good looks. He is also remembered for his intelligence and thirst for knowledge, often attending classes with the Bassett daughters while in Brown’s Park.

Lay was also friends with Matt Warner and during a trip to Warner’s ranch gave the outlaw a tip for a robbery. Lay told Warner of a shopkeeper transporting stolen merchandise for resale in his shop. Warner and his nephew, Lew McCarty robbed the shopkeeper and divided the loot with Lay and another man in on the robbery.

Along with several partners, Lay operated a gambling hall outside of Vernal, Utah that may have also served as the headquarters for a counterfeiting operation. Sheriff John T. Pope eventually shut down the gambling hall.

In 1896 Lay found himself working alongside Albert Davis when Davis introduced Lay to his sister, Maude. It was love at first sight and the two soon became inseparable. During this time Lay and Butch Cassidy, recently released from prison, were staying with Matt Warner at Warner’s ranch on the Diamond Mountain. Lay and Cassidy eventually got their own cabin near the Green River.

By August of 1896, Warner found himself standing trial for the deaths of Dick Staunton and Dave Milton resulting from the Coleman Affair. Seeking to help their old friend, Lay and Cassidy, along with Bub Meeks, robbed the Bank of Montpelier in Montpelier, Idaho. The bandits made off with $16,500 that enabled them to hire Douglas A. Preston to represent Warner.

Following the Montpelier robbery, Cassidy and Lay hid out at Robbers Roost. Maude Davis and possibly Ann Bassett joined the two men. It is rumored that the Sundance Kid and Etta Place also stayed at the Roost during this time.

The women were eventually sent home as Lay And Cassidy made plans to rob the Pleasant Valley Coal Company’s payroll. The two outlaws stayed in Castle Gate, Utah for several days leading up to the robbery posing as horse racers. When the payroll arrived on April 21, 1897, the outlaws struck making off with $7,000 of the PVCC’s money.

By this time Maude Davis was pregnant with Lay’s child. After the Castle Gate robbery Davis begged Lay to give up the outlaw life and settle down to raise their family. Lay refused and the two parted ways over the incident.

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