Dutch van der Linde

Dutch van der Linde was the leader of the infamous Dutch's Gang, which once operated in West Elizabeth. Notable gang members included John Marston, Abigail Marston, Bill Williamson, and Javier Escuella.

At the time, Dutch was an altruistic and idealistic rogue, believing the gang could make a difference in the world. He fashioned himself into a Robin Hood figure, taking money from those who had more than they could ever need, and giving it to those who had very little, and truly needed it. He saw himself as a symbol of the romanticized Wild West, and a humanitarian champion of the people, opposing government control, supporting individual liberty and punishing general human cruelty and selfishness. His romantic image and charisma inspired his gang to believe in his vision of a "Savage Utopia", and it was in the name of Dutch and his cause that they committed crimes such as murder and robbery.

As the years rolled by, though, Dutch slowly began to realize the futility of his cause. With new technology making it easier for the government to exert control over the people, liberty had given way to bureaucracy. The violence and greed of humanity had not stopped, and no one had been inspired by his example. His work had ultimately changed nothing. Worse still, the truth of his own hypocrisy crept deeper and deeper into Dutch's thoughts. He and his gang had attempted to change the world for the better, yet in doing so, they had become the worst humanity had to offer. His idealism turned into extreme anger, and Dutch gradually descended into madness, masking his pain with meaningless violence and an unfocused hatred of everything and everyone around him. In the end, Dutch himself caused the disillusionment of the other gang members.

Van der Linde had not been seen nor heard from in several years, and --despite claims of sightings-- was thought to have perished in a fire following a botched robbery in 1906. During one of the cutscenes in The Gates of El Presidio, it is hinted that Dutch is in Colombia and not likely to be seen ever again. This is false, however, and Dutch plays a central role in the remainder of the game.

Marston and Williamson may have competed for Dutch's favor as hinted at by Williamson's line, "Dutch always said you were an arrogant son of a bitch!"

When Bill Williamson is killed in Mexico, Edgar Ross declares John is not finished. He is told Dutch van der Linde is back in the West Elizabeth region and Marston is obligated to kill him. Together with a Native American named Nastas and Professor Harold MacDougal, John tries to hunt down Dutch. John kills a scout after a battle to reach Dutch's mountain hideout: Cochinay and picks up his binoculars, a vital tool in Red Dead Redemption. When looked through, John observes Dutch killing a police officer. He then looks through again and sees that Dutch has his pistol pointed at Marston. A shot is fired, but it hits the binoculars and knocks Marston out. Dutch recruits disenfranchised young Native Americans off of the local reservations for his new gang. John and a posse of U.S. Marshals stake out the bank and wait for a chance to kill Dutch. The mission goes south when the gang kills a man in the front entrance and fights off the posse for a few minutes. John corners Dutch in an upper room but he has taken a woman hostage and uses her as a human shield. Dutch escapes after shooting the girl in the head and throwing her body into Marston's arms. Next, Dutch surrounds the Blackwater Hotel while John and Professor MacDougal are inside. Shouting up at John, he announces that he plans on killing John and the Professor for "sport". However, John and MacDougal escape out of a window and across the rooftops before reaching a pair of waiting horses. John is then able to safely escort MacDougal to the train station at Manzanita Post.

In the final assault on his hideout with the U.S. Army, John and government agents wipe out his army. Together, he and Dutch battle with each other. Eventually, Marston gains the upper hand and chases Dutch to the edge of a cliff. Marston and Dutch exchange words, with Dutch explaining how he can't fight his nature so he can't change. He then tells John that they are a dying breed in a changing world before committing suicide by dropping backwards from the cliff. Agent Ross uses Marston's pistol to shoot the corpse, claiming it will look better in the report.

(From Red Dead Wiki)