Etta Place (p.2)

After the Wild Bunch rendezvous in Fort Worth, Texas, Etta and Sundance spent the New Year’s holiday in New Orleans, and later visiting Sundance’s family in Pennsylvania. Before reconnecting with Cassidy in New York City, the couple headed to Buffalo, New York and checked into Dr. Pierce’s Invalids Hotel for unknown medical ailments. In February 1901, the couple checked into Mrs. Catherine Taylor’s Boarding House in New York City along with Butch Cassidy. While the trio was in New York they went on a shopping spree at Tiffany’s with Sundance purchasing Etta a gold lapel watch and a diamond stickpin for himself. Armed with their new accessories, the couple posed for a portrait at DeYoung’s Photography Studio. This photograph stands as one of the only pictures of Etta Place known to be in existence.

In March 1901, Mr. & Mrs. Harry A. Place arrived in South America registering at the Hotel Europa in Buenos Aires. The following year the couple boarded a steamer and headed back to New York, arriving there April 3, 1902. The couple visited Coney Island and again visited with members of Sundance’s family. Some believe while visiting the States the Sundance Kid took part in the robbery of the Chicago Rock Island Express on July 3, 1902. The couple headed back to South America July 10, 1902, arriving in Buenos Airs on August 19, 1902.

Once back in South America, the couple joined Butch Cassidy at their new ranch in Cholila, Argentina. The outlaws laid low for a few years, living the quiet life on the ranch in an attempt to go straight.

Sometime in 1904, Sundance and Etta paid another visit to the United States. A Pinkertons memo dated October 24, 1904 places the couple in Forth Worth, Texas and it is said they took in the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis while stateside. While it is not known when the couple left the States, they were back in South America by early 1905.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid returned to a life of crime on February 14, 1905, knocking over the Banco de Londres y Tarapaca in Rio Gallegos, Argentina. In May of the same year the trio made preparations to sell the Cholila ranch.

Some believe that Sundance and Etta made one final trip together to the States, possibly to San Francisco, California where Sundance had a brother. This information is based upon a 1905 letter by Sundance to their Cholila neighbor Daniel Gibbon. A 1907 Pinkertons memo places the couple back in South America. Whether or not the San Francisco trip ever happened remains a mystery.

Sometime before the San Vicente shootout Etta Place returned, alone, to the United States. Some have theorized the purpose of this trip was to get an appendectomy, others believe she left to escape the outlaw life, possibly at the request of Sundance.

From there, Etta Place simply vanishes from the history books leading to wild speculation as to what became of her.

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