George Sutherland Currie (March 20, 1871 – April 17, 1900), also known as George "Flat-Nose" Curry, was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
-
American robber
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...
of the
American Old West. Curry was a mentor to
Harvey Logan
(Known month and day)
(known month)
(known year) -->
, birth_place = Iowa, United States
, death_date =
, death_place = Parachute, Colorado, United States
, resting_place = Linwood Cemetery, G ...
, who would adopt the surname Curry, and the two robbed banks together before both became members of
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was one of the loosely organized outlaw gangs operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall, near Kaycee in Wyoming, a natural fortress with caves, with a narrow entrance that was constantly guarded. In the beginning, the gan ...
. Curry was killed by a sheriff while rustling in
Grand County, Utah
Grand County is a county on the east central edge of the U.S. state of Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 9,225. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.
History
Evidence of indigenous occupation up ...
.
Early outlaw career
Currie was born in
West Point, Prince Edward Island
West Point is a cape and an unincorporated community located in the southwestern corner of Prince Edward Island, Canada.
''West Point Lighthouse'', a square tapered tower, was built in 1875 by the federal Department of Marine. The West Point Lig ...
, Canada in 1871, the second of six children of John and Nancy Ann (Macdonald) Currie. His family moved to
Chadron, Nebraska, where he started rustling as a young man. He gained the nick-name "Flat-Nose" and took up residence at the outlaw hideout
Hole-in-the-Wall,
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
. While there, he met Harvey Logan, who adopted his surname and became known as
Kid Curry
Harvey Alexander Logan (1867 – June 17, 1904), also known as Kid Curry, was an American outlaw and gunman who rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite being ...
. The Kid's brothers Lonny and Johnnie Logan, following his example, also adopted Curry as a surname. Kid Curry would go on to become one of the most dangerous and feared
gunmen of the Old West.
George Currie formed a gang that included Kid Curry, and was captured with him on June 28, 1897. The gang had held up the Butte County Bank at
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche (; ) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 5,617 at the 2020 census. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles northwest from the ...
, earlier in the month. All but one of them (Tom O'Day, whose horse had run away without him) had escaped with the money, but while planning another robbery a posse caught them in
Fergus County, Montana
Fergus County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,446. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was founded in 1885 and named for James Fergus, a Montana politician who was instrumental in cr ...
, and captured Curry, along with the Kid and Walt Putney. They escaped from
Deadwood jail in November by overpowering the jailer.
The three men stole horses and made their way back to Montana, stealing supplies as they went. Another posse caught up with them in the Bearpaw mountains. There was a gunfight from which the fugitives escaped on foot, leaving the stolen goods and horses behind. They retreated to the Hole-in-the-Wall, robbing two post offices on their route.
Wild Bunch
![George Flat Nose Curry, 1900](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/George_Flat_Nose_Curry%2C_1900.jpg)
At the Hole they were involved in a gun battle with another posse, but the rough terrain, and the defensive structures built and manned by the several dozen outlaw members of the
Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang, or the Oklahombres, were a gang of American outlaws based in the Indian Territory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were active in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Terr ...
hiding there, were too much for the lawmen.
Curry participated in the Wild Bunch raid on the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...
Overland Flyer train at
Wilcox, Wyoming
Wilcox is a populated place in Albany County, Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho ...
, on June 2, 1899, which became famous, as well as taking part in several other robberies. The Overland Flyer's train crew provided descriptions of the robbers, which local
Converse County Sheriff Josiah Hazen recognized as being
Butch Cassidy, Kid Curry, Flat Nose George Curry, and
Elzy Lay
William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay (November 25, 1869 – November 10, 1934) was an outlaw of the Old West in the United States. He was a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, gang, operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming. ...
.
Hazen formed a
posse
Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates.
Posse may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Posse'' (1975 ...
immediately but Kid Curry and George Curry shot and killed Hazen during his posse's pursuit of them, which slowed the posse.
In the ensuing confusion the Wild Bunch were able to wade downstream and escape without their horses. The outlaws walked to a sheep ranch at
Castle Creek, where they rested before continuing to the Tisdale mountains on the north fork of the
Powder River. Here they were able to obtain replacement horses and resupply. (Local Deputy Sheriff William Deane came into contact with the gang there but was shot and killed by Kid Curry April 15, 1897.)
Although the posse greatly outnumbered them and could cover a lot of ground in its search, the Wild Bunch reached the safe stronghold of the Hole-in-the-Wall.
Pinkerton agent
Charlie Siringo
Charles Angelo Siringo (February 7, 1855 – October 18, 1928) was an American lawman, detective, bounty hunter, and agent for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Early life
Siringo was born on ...
and contracted Pinkerton agent
Tom Horn
Thomas Horn Jr., (November 21, 1860 – November 20, 1903) was an American scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century and early 20th-century American Old West. Believed to have committed 17 killings as a ...
developed information that identified Kid Curry as killing Hazen. There were never any definite accounts connecting Kid Curry to the killing of Deputy Deane, but rumors uncovered by Siringo while he worked undercover indicated that Kid Curry had been the killer.
The Currys and some of the other members of the Wild Bunch went to hide at
Robbers Roost
The Robbers Roost was an outlaw hideout in southeastern Utah used mostly by Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch gang in the closing years of the Old West.
The hideout was considered ideal because of the rough terrain. It was easily defended, dif ...
in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, after getting supplies at the ranch of female outlaws
Josie and
Ann Bassett
Ann Bassett (May 12, 1878 – May 8, 1956), also known as Queen Ann Bassett, was a prominent female rancher of the Old West, and with her sister Josie Bassett, was an associate of outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.
Early life
Bas ...
.
George Curry was shot and killed on April 17, 1900, by Sheriff Jesse Tyler
while Curry was rustling in
Grand County, Utah
Grand County is a county on the east central edge of the U.S. state of Utah, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 9,225. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.
History
Evidence of indigenous occupation up ...
. Upon hearing of this, Harvey "Kid Curry" Logan, who was also enraged by the recent law enforcement killing of his younger brother Lonny in
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, vowed to get revenge. In May, Kid Curry rode from New Mexico to Utah, and took revenge for his brother and George Curry's deaths by killing Sheriff Tyler
and his Deputy Sheriff Sam Jenkins
in a gunfight.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
*
Post mortem photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curry, George
1871 births
1900 deaths
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch
Deaths by firearm in Utah
Outlaws of the American Old West
People shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States
Train robbers
American bank robbers
19th-century American criminals