News Carver: Outlaw, Ladies’ Man, and the Wild Bunch's Infamous Cowboy

If I was ever in a gang I think I would have to be the leader, The accomplices never seem to get much recognition. You've heard of Joaquin Murrieta from a previous episode, You have likely heard of Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid and Jesse James but do you know the name William Carver known by the nickname News Carver? Well in a few minutes you will. Let me tell you a story.

In the middle of nowhere Utah there was a guy that soon would become known by the nickname, News. He was a Texas cowboy who turned outlaw after his wife of six months died with child.

He wasn't lonely by any means he had a side piece sidekick who happened to be his dead wife's niece Laura Bullion to keep him company…

He was quite the ladies man having another outlaw girlfriend named Josie Basset. They all were hiding out in what was known as Robbers Roost in Utah after a robbery gone bad down in New Mexico with Black Jack Ketchum and his gang. There was a shootout where a sheriff got killed and some deputies got shot officially labeling Carver as an Outlaw and Murderer

Here at Robbers Roost Carver met up with a new group headed by a guy named Butch Cassidy. Butch and his wild bunch were hiding out there planning another hit.

By the way Wild bunch became part of their name because of the way they all partied after a successful heist.

The next hit was to be a bank; Carver, The Sundance kid and Kid Curry robbed the First National Bank of Winnimucca, which went very very well.

Spending that money, getting rowdy and sleeping with a bunch of hookers Carver started to see his name plastered in newspapers, he absolutely loved it he'd laugh all night looking at his name in the paper thinking to himself he was famous. The other guys thought his reaction was too funny and started calling him News.

Throughout all the different robberies and parties News' love life was a bit tangled. Josie Basset was his lover but he was on the road a lot and you know Brothels provide a certain service for men with some extra money.

He was found a little too often with a certain prostitute from a brothel in San Antonio which made Josie jealous so she decided to get with one of his friends Ben Kilpatrick.

The two made up and got back together and Kirkpatrick got with News' old side piece Laura.

Anyway, Butch and the gang planned another big hit on a a train up in Montana which went perfectly, so perfectly that to celebrate, the gang went and had a professional picture taken of themselves all dressed up in Fort Worth.

In the picture you see News Carver, Kid Curry, Butch Cassidy, Robert Leeroy Parker, The Tall Texan Ben Kilpatrick and The Sundance Kid.

This picture sealed their fate though, now having a picture, some Wells Fargo Detective sent it out to all the different law enforcement agencies in the southwest to keep an eye out for these men.

Sure enough back down in Texas; News, Kid Curry and the Kilpatrick brothers Ben and George went to a few saloons spending a bunch of money and killing a few people.

At one point they were at The Maude S. Saloon where the bartender recognized them and sent word to the Sheriff.

The Sheriff got a posse together and searched the town for these guys finding them in Either a bakery or a store (the records are a bit muddy)

Supposedly going in to arrest News Carver for the murder or some guy, George Kilpatrick reached for his gun which caused News to reach for his gun which resulted in both of them getting blasted. News got shot seven times, the kill shot being in the lung, the Sheriff took him to jail where he bled out and died then was put on display at the courthouse for all to see.

News was buried in an unmarked grave in the Sonora, Texas Cemetery but one day a lady came by, veiled and mysterious carried a grave stone and placed it where he laid. That grave simply says the date of his death.

Nobody knows who the woman was and we'll never know but I'd like to think it was Josie.