By Larry E. Heck
photographer: Larry E. Heck
Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay took their time riding along the San Rafael River onto Robbers Roost. They felt 10 feet tall and bulletproof after pulling off the most daring heist in Utah's history. That heist was followed by the best-planned and best-executed getaway ever recorded. Since the previous day's robbery at Castle Gate, they had changed horses twice at prearranged relay points. There was absolutely no way any posse could have kept up with them across the San Rafael Swell without the benefit of fresh mounts.
Rock art near the ghost town of Sego.
While Cassidy and Lay led the posse to Robbers Roost, the bags of loot were being carried to Browns Hole. They had been passed off to a third member of the heist who had not been seen by anyone and whose identity has been debated ever since.
Cassidy and Lay wanted everyone to know where they went. They had no doubt the posse would turn around rather than risk a confrontation with an entire outlaw army. No one knew how many outlaws called Robbers Roost their home, but stories about their number grew every time they were told. If the truth had been known, the lawmen in that one posse probably outnumbered the outlaws on Robbers Roost two to one.
Rock art near the ghost town of Sego.
No one liked Robbers Roost. It had the reputation of being a bad-man's land. Water holes were few and far between. They were nearly impossible for anyone to find without guidance from someone who had already been shown where to look. The summer heat was deadly and the winters extremely harsh. Getting onto the Roost from the north involved crossing 40 miles of open desert. Any rider was an easy target for anyone waiting in ambush. For all of those reasons, many who entered Robbers Roost never returned. Although their disappearance was often attributed to outlaws, it is more likely they were killed by the environment.
For the most part, outlaws tried to avoid killing anyone. Once the "wanted for murder" poster came out, the bounty went up and the risk of being hunted down multiplied. One story tells of a lawman who decided to see if Robbers Roost could hold up to its reputation. Once he began his journey onto the Roost, he could be seen crossing the desert from miles away. Three outlaws laid a trap for him. He found himself surrounded with no other choice than to surrender. They took his horse, his guns, his boots, and his clothes. They ordered him to return to Green River knowing he had no chance of getting there alive. The hot desert sun began to take its toll. Just as he thought he could go no farther, one of the outlaws appeared from a nearby ravine. The lawman was sure the outlaw was there to kill him, but instead the outlaw gave him a canteen of water with a warning to never be seen on the Roost again. That story was added to the many others used to form the imaginary wall that protected Robbers Roost from the law.
Most historians believe Cassidy used Horseshoe Canyon for his headquarters on the Roost. The exact location will always be debated as will the exact number of outlaws in his band. Only three outlaws are known to have been involved in Castle Gate even though others may have been involved in preparing the relays for the getaway.
In any case, Cassidy had no intention of staying on the Roost after the holdup. He had already spent the winter there and the hot summer months were just weeks away. Also, there was nothing to do on the Roost except gamble with the other outlaws, and so life on the Roost was often boring. Once the outlaws were sure the posse had given up, the lure of the money in Browns Hole became more than they could resist.