Could people in the past just move far enough away and pick a new name to escape criminal or financial trouble? When did this stop working?

by stoicjohn
voyeur324

/u/Georgy_K_Zhukov gave a lovely answer to your question in the context of RED DEAD REDEMPTION.

EDIT: I also found this answer about historical bounty hunting by /u/QualityAdvice that might interest you as well.