Great Train Robberies of the Old West

Great Train Robberies of the Old West PDF Author: R. Michael Wilson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1461748488
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Get Book

Book Description
During the 1800s trains carried the nation's wealth throughout the east, but no one thought to rob a speeding train until 1866. In 1870 the first western train was robbed in Nevada and within hours a second train was robbed. Railroads made every alteration to their cars and changed every procedure they could imagine to thwart the robbers, but to no avail. Robbing trains became epidemic over the next five decades, even when the legislatures made train robbery a capital crime. A few of the hundreds of train robberies stand out as thrilling and dangerous affairs, and the greatest of these (15-20) are included in this book.

Great Train Robberies of the Old West

Great Train Robberies of the Old West PDF Author: R. Michael Wilson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1461748488
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Get Book

Book Description
During the 1800s trains carried the nation's wealth throughout the east, but no one thought to rob a speeding train until 1866. In 1870 the first western train was robbed in Nevada and within hours a second train was robbed. Railroads made every alteration to their cars and changed every procedure they could imagine to thwart the robbers, but to no avail. Robbing trains became epidemic over the next five decades, even when the legislatures made train robbery a capital crime. A few of the hundreds of train robberies stand out as thrilling and dangerous affairs, and the greatest of these (15-20) are included in this book.

Great Stagecoach Robberies of the Old West

Great Stagecoach Robberies of the Old West PDF Author: R. Michael Wilson
Publisher: Two Dot Books
ISBN: 9780762741274
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
Stagecoach robbers evolved as a consequence of the discovery of gold or silver, or some other mineral treasure, and a town would "spring forth from the earth" overnight. Roads were soon built and stage lines began operating. A "pitching Betsy" would take out bullion and dust and bring in payrolls, always through country that was rough and isolated. The temptation to get rich quickly was too great for some, and the demand, "Hold! Throw out that treasure box!" was heard all too often in the Old West. Most robberies were never solved, but many robbers were caught, indicted, tried, convicted, and sentenced. This book includes a collection of 15-20 of the most thrilling stagecoach robberies from 1875-1905.

The Great Train Robbery

The Great Train Robbery PDF Author: Michael Crichton
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307816443
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book

Book Description
From the bestselling author of Jurassic Park, Timeline, and Sphere comes an enthralling novel about Victorian London’s most notorious gold heist. London, 1855, when lavish wealth and appalling poverty exist side by side, one mysterious man navigates both worlds with perfect ease. Edward Pierce preys on the most prominent of the well-to-do as he cunningly orchestrates the crime of his century. Who would suspect that a gentleman of breeding could mastermind the extraordinary robbery aboard the pride of England’s industrial era, the mighty steam locomotive? Based on fact, but studded with all the suspense and style of fiction, here is a classic historical thriller, set a decade before the age of dynamite—yet nonetheless explosive…

The Old West's Infamous Train Robbers and Their Historic Heists

The Old West's Infamous Train Robbers and Their Historic Heists PDF Author: W. C. Jameson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493066633
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Get Book

Book Description
What sort of person undertakes to rob a multi-ton train surging down a set of rails at high speed? For the Old West’s most famous outlaws, including Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Dalton Gang, and Black Jack Ketchum, it was as much about the thrill of the crime as the riches to be won, thumbing their noses at the authorities, and getting away with their crimes more often than not. These men, and at least one woman, were dare devils, rule breakers, adventurers, and rebels. In addition to their train robberies, they led colorful, dramatic, and dangerous lives. The Old West's Infamous Train Robbers and Their Historic Heists profiles sixteen noted train robbers (or train robbing gangs) along with the details of each their forty-seven hold-ups. The mechanics of each of their train robberies—planning, execution, and escape—are dissected and discussed. Pertinent background information relating to each outlaw/gang is included as well as what became of them following their train-robbery days.

Wells, Fargo & Co. Stagecoach and Train Robberies, 1870-1884

Wells, Fargo & Co. Stagecoach and Train Robberies, 1870-1884 PDF Author: James B. Hume
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786456248
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

Get Book

Book Description
In January 1, 1885, Wells, Fargo & Company's chief detective James B. Hume and special agent John N. Thacker published a report summarizing the company's losses during the previous 14 years. It listed 313 stagecoach robberies, 23 burglaries, and four train robberies but included little or no details of the events themselves, focusing instead on physical descriptions of the robbers. Widely circulated, the report was intended to assist law enforcement in identifying and apprehending the criminals believed still to present a danger to the company. The present volume revisits each crime, updating Hume and Thacker's original report with rich new details culled from local newspapers, personal diary entries, and court records.

Rocky Mountain Train Robberies

Rocky Mountain Train Robberies PDF Author: W. C. Jameson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493033379
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Get Book

Book Description
One of the most colorful parts of American History is the time of train robberies and the daring outlaws who undertook them in the period covering from just after the Civil War to 1924. For decades, the railroads were the principal transporters of payrolls, gold and silver, bonds, and passengers who often carried large sums of money as well as valuable jewelry. For the creative outlaw, trains became an obvious target for robbery. The list of America’s train robbers is a veritable Who’s Who of American outlawry and includes: Frank and Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Charles Searcy, Charles Morganfield, Sam Bass, Black Jack Ketchum, Seaborn Barnes, and others. To this cast of train robbery-related characters can be added the relentless investigations and pursuit by individuals associated with the Pinkerton Detectives, Texas Rangers, Wells Fargo detectives, railroad company detectives, as well as local and area law enforcement authorities. In addition, there are numerous tales of bravery that took place during train robberies involving heroic express car messengers, conductors, engineers, brakemen, and even passengers.

He Rode with Butch and Sundance

He Rode with Butch and Sundance PDF Author: Mark T. Smokov
Publisher: University of North Texas Press
ISBN: 1574414704
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 457

Get Book

Book Description
The definitive biography of infamous western outlaw Harvey Alexander Logan, better known as Kid Curry. A violent conflict with a ranching neighbor in Montana caused him to flee to the Hole-in-the-Wall valley in Wyoming, where he became involved in rustling and eventually graduated to bank and train robbing as a member of the Wild Bunch. This outlaw group was a melding of the best of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang and Butch Cassidy's Powder Springs gang. Smokov shows that Curry was not the bloodthirsty killer that many have claimed. He contends that Curry was the actual train robbing leader of the Wild Bunch.

Bill Carlisle, Lone Bandit

Bill Carlisle, Lone Bandit PDF Author: William L. Carlisle
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 1789126606
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 387

Get Book

Book Description
Bill Carlisle was the last of the Old West’s real outlaws. But, unlike many of the other famous characters of the early days, Bill was not the gunfighter type. Bill never shot or injured anyone in his hold-ups; further, he never robbed a woman passenger. He had, like most old-time cowboys, a wholesome respect for women—all women. This story of his life reads like the dime-novel fiction of an earlier day, but every incident of his daring and gripping exploits is a matter of record throughout Wyoming and all Western states.

Butch Cassidy

Butch Cassidy PDF Author: Charles Leerhsen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501117491
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Get Book

Book Description
"For a century Butch Cassidy has been the subject of legends about his life and death, spawning a small industry of mythmakers and a major Hollywood film. Charles Leerhsen sorts out fact from fiction to find the real Butch Cassidy, who is far more complicated and fascinating than legend has it"--

Rube Burrow, Desperado

Rube Burrow, Desperado PDF Author: Rick Miller
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1491717815
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 217

Get Book

Book Description
Rube Burrow was a prolific train robber in the 1880s and early 1890s ranging from Texas to Arkansas to Mississippi and Alabama. He ended his career with a cold-blooded murder that triggered a major manhunt. Rick Miller through diligent research has laid out the true story from primarary resources (see 456 endnotes) correcting many errors previously written about Burrow and his cohorts.