Eunice Gray

Eunice Gray (b-1878 or 1885-d-January, 1962) was a brothel and hotel owner and operator in Fort Worth, Texas from 1909 to 1962. She is best known for the belief that she in fact was Etta Place, the former girlfriend of the famous outlaw the Sundance Kid, who disappeared from history shortly after his alleged death in South America.

Arrival in Fort Worth

Nothing is known of Eunice Gray's life prior to her arrival in Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-1909. Gray was described as a beautiful woman, and according to Pinkerton reports she arrived in Fort Worth, Texas, and begins running a brothel in 1909 after Etta Place had been seen for the last time, in San Francisco, where she had requested assistance in obtaining a death certificate for the Sundance Kid, aka Harry Longabaugh, in an effort to settle his estate.

Gray is semi-wealthy, and many speculate that she was in fact Etta Place. She never makes any indications that she is, nor does she make any attempt to fuel this rumor, as many would have done if for no other reason than to achieve fame, but instead avoids the topic all together. She runs her brothel until at least 1925, at which time she takes over the "Waco Hotel", located at 110 E. 15th street, in Fort Worth. She gives one interview during her time in Fort Worth, during which she told Delbert Willis, of the "Fort Worth Press", "I've lived in Fort Worth since 1901. That is except for the time I had to high-tail it out of town. Went to South America for a few years . . . until things settled down". It is this story that has the most support from researchers. However, Willis concedes that Gray never admitted or even claimed to be Etta Place, he merely made that connection on his own, given the similarities of their age, the fact that both had classic good looks, and the period in which Gray said she went to South America coinciding with when Place was in South America. There are no known photographs of Gray from that period, and only one quality photograph of Place from that period. Willis believed that the similarities were striking, but there is no way of verifying his assumption.

Etta Place-Eunice Gray connection

Contrary to common belief, the connections between Place and Gray did not happen to any great extent at the time she arrived, but rather many years afterward. Several have noted that it would have been unusual for a woman as beautiful as Gray to have never had herself photographed, but if she ever did have any photographs taken, they are not known to exist today.

In January, 1962, a fire destroyed the "Waco Hotel" operated and owned by Gray, and Eunice Gray died in the fire. Documents salvaged from the fire indicate she was 77 years of age. Place was believed to have been born around 1878, which should have made her 84 years of age by 1962. That would have placed Gray's birth year closer to 1885, and if she were actually Place she would have been closer to 14 years of age when Place met and became involved with Longabaugh in 1899. However, at that time, it was not unusual for girls to work as prostitutes by 14 or 15, it was generally accepted, and several of the Wild Bunch gang members girlfriends became involved with them at or around that age.

The documents found after the fire further showed that Gray's estate was valued at more than $90,000. There were no letters or communications to verify her family, origin, or where she lived prior to 1909. Whether she was actually Etta Place, or not, has never been verified beyond any doubt.

By all reports, aside from a few Wild Bunch gang members, all of whom had either died or been killed by 1934, there were only four women who actually knew Etta Place, and who could have confirmed as to whether Gray was in fact or was not Place: female outlaw "Queen Ann" Bassett, who was involved romantically with several Wild Bunch gang members, and who died in 1956; Laura Bullion, who was a member of the gang and who also was involved romantically with several gang members, dying in 1961; Maude Davis, girlfriend to gang member Elzy Lay, and who returned to prostitution after their relationship ended, and who eventually faded from history; and Josie Bassett, sister to Ann Bassett, and who also was involved romantically with several gang members. Josie was the last person alive who actually knew Etta Place, and could have either confirmed or denied the identity of Gray. Bassett died in 1964, and there is no existing evidence that she was ever asked to identify as to whether she knew Gray.

External links

* [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/danne/etta.htm Mysteries of Etta Place]
* [http://ndnd.essortment.com/ettaplacebutch_rnmb.htm Who Was Etta Place?]
* [http://www.poeforward.com/mrperfumery/deadgirls/historical/western/place/place.htm Etta Place theories]