OUTLAW TRAIL
“Flat Nose” George Curry A Canadian Cowboy in the Wild Bunch By DARYL DREW, PHD
G
eorge Sutherland Currie was known for his cowboy skills, but as a young man he fell in with bad companions. He became a key member of the train and bank robbing Wild Bunch and an associate of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Born on Prince Edward Island to Nancy and John Currie on March 20, 1871, he was the second of six children of Scottish ancestry, probably from the Dumfriesshire area. His first home was a mixed farm on the Little Pierre Jacques River near the West Point area of P.E.I. Farm produce on P.E.I. was plentiful, and the local market was limited while high shipping costs reduced profits for off-island sales. However, the Currie family could sell all the beef they could raise. Cattle seemed the way to financial success, so they moved to Chadron, Nebraska to take up ranching where grassland was available for homesteading. George grew up working on local ranches, but while developing his cowboy skills, there were rumours that he might be rustling unbranded stock. His alleged activities eventually caused him to leave Chadron, and at 15 years of age, he headed west, turning his hand to rustling cattle and horses full time. At some point, he was kicked in the face by a horse flattening the bridge of his nose resulting 14
in his alias of “Flat Nose” George Curry. By this time, he was using the Irish spelling of Curry to avoid tarnishing his family name. George Curry likely met Butch Cassidy at Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming and expanded his operations to the more lucrative robbing of banks, post offices and trains shortly after. His cowboy skills were essential because members of the Wild Bunch hid their real identities by living as working cowboys between criminal activities. They had to be expert horsemen to stay ahead of the law until they could reach a hideout or work undercover on a ranch. In the late 1890s, they worked at the William French ranch near Alma, New Mexico. George’s skills with horses were such that he mentored Harvey Logan (Kid Curry) the most violent of the Wild Bunch along with Harvey’s brothers John and Lonnie — who also adopted the Curry name. In April of 1897, the outlaws were operating around the north fork of the Powder River and encountered Deputy Sheriff
William Deane. During the ensuing gunfight, Sheriff Deane was shot and killed. “Flat Nose” George took part in robbing the Butte County Bank in Belle Fourche, South Dakota on June 28, 1897. The gang was captured in Fergus County, Montana and placed in the Deadwood Jail but soon escaped. They stole horses and made their way back to Montana. In October a posse engaged them in a gunfight in the Bears Paw Mountains. The outlaws escaped, robbing two post offices on the way back to Hole-in-the-Wall. Curry participated in the Wild Bunch raid on the Union Pacific Overland Flyer at Wilcox, Wyoming, on June 2, 1899. Converse County Sheriff Josiah Hazen formed a posse, but on June 6 during the chase, Hazen was killed. The gang returned to the safety of Hole-In-The-Wall. A posse, led by Charlie Siringo, located and penetrated the hideout. A gunfight took place, and again, the outlaws escaped. They headed to Robbers Roost in Utah after getting
Canadian Cowboy Country August/September 2020
