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Harvey Logan a.k.a. Kid Curry

© Elizabeth Gibson

Kid Curry's real name was Harvey Alexander Logan. He was born in Iowa in 1867. When their mother died in 1876, Harvey and his three brothers, Hank, Johnie, and Lonny, went to live with their Aunt Lee in Dodson, Missouri. For a while, Harvey made an honest living breaking horses in Texas. It was when he rode along with a herd to Pueblo, Colorado, that he first got into trouble when he became involved in a saloon fight.

He quickly left Pueblo and headed for Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, an outlaw hideout. While there, Harvey met Flat Nose George Curry and adopted his last name. He had been known as Kid in Texas, so when he took George's name he became Kid Curry. In 1884, Kid Curry was hired to help out on the fall roundup in the Judith Basin of Montana. The Kid also worked for the Circle C and Circle Diamond outfit for Robert Coburn and for Granville Stuart.

Shortly afterward, Kid Curry, his brother Hank, and their friend Jim Thornhill bought a ranch in Chouteau County, Montana. Powell "Pike" Landusky was a local prospector who had made a rich strike near the Curry ranch, and a town had built up around the site. Landusky got angry when he discovered that Curry had been courting his daughter Elfie. He felt that the Kid wasn't good enough for his daughter.

An altercation broke out, after which Landusky filed assault charges against the Kid. Though he was held on $500 bond, Curry's friends paid the money. After he got out of jail, Curry went looking for Landusky. Curry had promised to give him a beating for the humiliation he had suffered. On December 27, 1894, the Kid found Landusky in a local saloon. Curry threw the first punch and he kept going until Landusky could no longer stand. Landusky finally drew his gun. Curry was unarmed, but Thornhill tossed him a gun. Landusky fired first, but he missed Curry. Curry did not; his shot killed Landusky on the spot.

At the inquest, eleven people testified that Curry killed Pike Landusky in self-defense. But Curry knew that an unfriendly judge named Debois would hear the case. Landusky had many friends in the area and Curry had started the fight. Curry felt that he didn't stand a chance for a fair trial, so he left town and became a fugitive from justice.

Kid Curry fled to the Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, to hide out. At first he joined the Black Jack Ketchum band. He participated in a train robbery with Black Jack's gang. But immediately afterwards, the Kid argued with Black Jack, and he and brother Lonny left the gang.

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