Tom-The-Teacher’s American Western History Blog

The life of Matt Warner is certainly a dichotomy.   Born as Willard Erastus Christensen, in Utah, Warner’s parents were Mormon missionaries that immigrated from Denmark.  Accounts of his early life indicate that Warner was a bad hombre.  Along with bank robbery, he was convicted of murder.  Accounts from her family and newspapers claim he kidnapped his first wife (Rosa) when she was thirteen or fourteen.  In his later years, Warner served as a lawman for Price, Utah.  All indications are that Matt Warner was a respected community member. I will discuss Matt Warner later.   For now, he provides a first-hand account claiming to be and identified as an accomplice in the robbery. The following are excerpts from The Last of the Bandit Riders by Matt Warner and Murray King, 1940 … Soon after, Butch Cassidy and I ran into Tom McCarty, and we were all so surprised and happy we drank a saloon in Cortez dry, treating each other and the crowd...

Tom Mccarty's Own Story. Autobiography Of An Outlaw Below are excerpts from McCarty’s account of the Bank of San Miguel Bank Robbery.   This will be an interesting and tough read. If true, this is the closest first-hand account of the robbery we have explored, written about ten years after the robbery.   Tom McCarty I transcribed the material myself, attempting to keep the wording, spelling, and punctuation as presented.   Tom McCarty Own Story. Autobiography Of An Outlaw (excerpt) … After drifting around the country for a considerable length of time I landed in the western part of Colorado, where I again commenced in the mining business with considerable success. I also worked at other occupations. I remained here several years having no adventures of any consequence. In that part of the country were men of all grades and I soon joined with some that longed for excitement of any kind, and having been quiet for so long a time, my restlessness began to annoy me....