This was a favorite thing to say by the more "common" people of the Old West.
In the following page you will find some information on Famous Outlaws of the Old West. I will also be adding new links as I get permission and time to add them.Some information you may find in my page may contridict other pages or information you have found, but I have tried to use the best factual sources I could find to compile this information.
The Reno Gang
On October 6, 1866 the Reno Gang,lead by John Reno, committed the first train robbery in all America and perhaps the world. It took place near Seymore, Indiana. Th robbery of the Ohio & Mississippi Express Car netted the gang $10,000.
From there the gang fled to Missourri.In the same year they managed to rob the Davis County Treasure of $22,000. The Pinkertons, however, captured John Reno. After a failed rescue by older brother Frank, John Reno was put on trial and found guilty. John was sentenced to 40 years hard labor.
Still, the rest of the gang went on robbing banks. Frank took over leadership and the gang moved on to Iowa. In Magnolia,Iowa the gang robbed the Harrison County Bank of $14,000.
Then on May 22, 1868, the gang boarded the Jefferson, Missourri, & Indianapolis Train and robbed it of $96,000 in gold and government bonds.
After this, the gang fled to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Windsor, Ontario served as a "Canadian Dodge City" to outlaws fleeing lawmen of America.However, on December 12, 1868 Alan Pinkerton had the gang extridited to Albany, New York. There they were to stand trial, but they never got the chance.
One night a "scarlet-masked" vigilante group, headed up by one Travis Carter, made their way into the jail the Reno Gang was being held in. They forced a deputy to give up his keys. Once inside they passed ropes from one man to another as they headed up the stairs. They drug Frank Reno from his cell kicking, screaming, and crying. One man pulled the noose over his head as another man throught the end over a steel beam. The dropped Frank and watched the rope snap tight. Frank Reno was dead. The rest of his gang were murdered in the same fashion. There were four in all. And thus ended the Reno Gang robberies. Although they didn't know it then, they are a very significant part of our Western history.
Jesse James
This is a short rendition of the life and criminal career of Jesse James. I will include a link at the end for a different and more detailed look at the life of Jesse James.
In my honest opinion, after exhaustivbe research, Jesse James may have been and still be the most celebrated Outlaw of the American West.The Legends and Myths that surround him are abundant. However, from what I can tell from the fact-based history I have
Frank and Jesse James
found, Jesse James was nothing more than a simple outlaw and a ruthless killer that used the Civil War as an excuse for his behavior. Truth be told, Jesse started his criminal career far before the Civil War even came to be. Although this may not be a popular opinion to have about a man who some call a "hero", I feel it is important to tell the facts so as not to get confused on what he really was.
Charles Quantril was the "bloodiest man" in American West History and the young Jesse James was his student. From Quantril Jesse learned the art of thieving, horse stealing, arson, and butchering. Frank James and the Youngers also rode with Quantril for a time. Jesse was present when the Central Raiders (Quantrils men) slaughtered 75 federal soldiers. In 1864, Jesse refused to ride with Quantril anymore and set out on his own.
Jesse rode to Texas and then back to Missourri, Fighting and killing all the way. He was shot down in Lexington and everyone thought he would surely die from the bullet that pierced his right lung, but miraculously, Jesse recovered from his injuries thanks to his pretty first cousin Zerelda Mimms (whom Jesse would later marry).
Jesse James was born September 5, 1847 near Kearney in Clay County Missourri. He lived in a small wood cabin with his mother. There is little known of Jesse James. It was told once that Jesse was a "real western hero" because he "robbed from the rich to give to the poor", a sort of "Robinhood of the West", although none of this was proven. In his life, Jesse is said to have robbed at least 20 banks. Though he always had a small gang, 16 men were said to have ridden with him at one time or another. Among the most famous, brother Frank James and cousin Cole Younger. The Youngers were cousins to the James boys, Bob, James, and Cole Younger. Bob was the youngest, only 12 when Jesse was riding with Quantril. Jim(James)Younger commited suicide after being released from prison. His girlfriend refused to marry him, in keeping with her families wishes. Cole Younger rode for quite sometime with Jesse and not much is told of what happened to him after Jesse's death. Jesse was said to have carried a bible with him and quote from it frequently. Frank was said to have quoted Shakespeare and he tried to convince people he was well-educated, thought it wasn't true.
The James gang held on to be one of the longest running, most successful gang of their time. The had a string of bank and train robberies streching from 1866 to 1881. In the winter of 1875 occured what many would refer to as "the night of blood". The Pinkertons and a posse of towns men raided the Samuel farm. They threw a bomb through the cabin window. The bomb tore off Jesse's mother right arm and killed his young step-brother. Headlines of this story were made across the country and the popularity of the gang grew. They didn't even have to hide in Clay County for they had many friends in law enforcement. It made it very difficult for the lawmen to even get close to the gang. For this reason, Jesse and his gang continued to rob banks, trains, and stagecoaches. Jesse was very smart. He always knew the layout of the bank, and the caliber and number of police officers. He also knew the total assets of the bank, ect.
On April 25, 1875 Jesse was married to his cousin, Zerelda Mimms, by a clergyman relative. Jesse fell in love with her when she nursed him back to health after he was shot. There would be two children born to this marriage, Jesse Jr. and Mary.
On September 7, 1876, Jesse led his gang into Northfield Minnesota. They had planned to rob the 1st National Bank, but the towns people had a different idea. Fed up with being robbed and scared by some of the "greatest revolver fighters in the west" they ambushed the gang who were joined by the Younger gang. Joeseph Lee Haywod (the cashier) was killed by the would-be bank robbers. Frank and Jesse James both escaped after a thirty minute fight with the angry townspeople. Cole, James, and Bob Younger were all captured. Though severely wounded they were rounded up and taken by wagon train to Wattin County, MN where they were to stand trial. Cole, with eleven bullet holes, managed to stand up and wave his hat to all the stunned ladies lined on the streets.
On November 9, 1876, 63 days later, all three Youngers were found guilty and sentenced to life in the state prison in Stillwater. That same day the Govenor of Minnesota offered a $10,000 reward for Jesse James capture.
In 1882,because the state could no longer afford the reward, the Railroads made up a fund to cover the $10,000. Then Charlie Ford and his brother Bob planned to kill their cousin Jesse. In the early morning of April 3, 1882 Bob Ford was sitting at Jesse's table. While Jesse stood atop a chair straightening a picture, Bob Ford shot him in the back and Jesse James lay dead on the floor. Zerelda ran out of the kitchen and dropped to her knees. She sat on the floor holding her husbands badly bleeding head, crying as Bob Ford looked at her and said, " The gun just went off." Bob left the James home and joined his brother Charlie. They rode as fast as they could to catch the posse that was looking for Jesse. Bob told them, "I Shot Jesse James!" and his brother Charlie said he had witnessed the whole thing.
On October 5, 1882, a somber Frank James walked into the Govenors office and laid his gun on the desk. He was tired of running and hiding after his brothers death so he turned himself in. Frank was taken to Galiton, Missourri to stand trial for the murder of an engineer and injury of another man during a train robbery. Frank James was treated as a Legend by the people, thus making it impossible to hold his trial in te small courtroom due to the crowd of spectators. On August 21, 1883 the trial started in the local Operahouse. Frank James had a lot of friends in high places still. When the railroad refused to let an employee testify against Frank, Prosecutor Wallace told them if the witness didn't turn up he would subpeona everyone in the railroad from the President on down. The railroad produced the witnessed, but it did the prosecution no good. After a steady gaze from Frank during his whole testimony the witness could remember nothing of the robbery. Wallace had to let James go for lack of evidence. It is said that on this day, Prosecutor Wallace scurried to the Depot and was never seen again.
In my honest opinion, after exhaustivbe research, Jesse James may have been and still be the most celebrated Outlaw of the American West.The Legends and Myths that surround him are abundant. However, from what I can tell from the fact-based history I have
