Rube Burrow
Encyclopedia
Reuben Houston Burrow better known as Rube Burrow, was a nationally infamous train-robber and outlaw in the Southern
and Southwestern United States
. During the final years of the American frontier, he became one of the most hunted in the Old West since Jesse James
. From 1886 to 1890, he and his gang robbed express trains in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, the Indian Territory and Texas while pursued by hundreds of lawmen throughout the southern half of the United States, including the Pinkerton National Detective Agency
.
on December 11, 1854, Rube Burrow worked on the family farm in Alabama until the age of 18 when he moved to Stephenville, Texas
to work on his uncle's ranch. By all accounts, Burrows fully intended to become a rancher by saving up enough money to buy a spread of his own, marry and eventually start a family. He attempted farming but his wife died of yellow fever
in 1880, leaving him to care for two small children. He remarried in 1884 and moved to Alexander, Texas
, but when his crops failed, he turned to robbing trains with his brother Jim in 1886.
His unexpected turn to crime occurred in December 1886 when he and his brother Jim teamed with W.L Brock, Leonard Brock, Henderson Brumley, and Nep Thornton to rob the Denver & Fort Worth Express while returning from a trip to the Indian Territory. Burrows and the other men waited at the train depot at Bellevue, Texas
until the train arrived. Drawing their guns at the crew, in full view of the passengers, they entered the train but were only able to collect $300, as the passengers were able to hide most of their valuables by the time the outlaws passed through. In one of the cars, a U.S. Army sergeant and two privates were escorting two deserters in shackles. The passengers were able to persuade the sergeant not to fire at the outlaws, however he was later censured for cowardice by his superiors following the robbery. Meanwhile, Burrows had already begun planning his next holdup.
On December 9, he and Jim Brock stopped the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad express train at Genoa, Arkansas
. Despite the train being guarded by the Southern Express Company, the two men escaped with a Louisiana lottery payoff. Because the Southern Express Company was a client of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, the robbery came to the attention of Pinkerton detectives, lawmen and bounty hunters alike. Within five days, Pinkerton men came up with their first major lead. A deputy sheriff had reported that he had encountered three suspicious looking men on the day of the robbery. All three escaped, however one of the men left behind a raincoat which was eventually traced to a store in Dublin, Texas
. The sales clerk identified the man who bought the coat as Jim Brock. Once in custody, Brock quickly confessed to participating in the robbery and named Burrow as the ringleader.
Burrow was unknown to authorities, having no criminal record, and Brock insisted he did not know the whereabouts of his accomplice. The Pinkertons would get their second break when Brock received a letter from the outlaw leader. Burrows was not yet aware of Brock's arrest and detectives seized the opportunity to capture him. According to the return address, the letter was sent from Lamar County, Alabama
and a posse was immediately sent to his homestead. Upon their arrival on January 8, 1888, they surrounded his home but found that Burrow had fled after being warned by his brother Jim at their approach.
(or Nashville, Tennessee
) and captured Jim after a brief gunfight. Rube Burrows was able to shoot his way out and escaped from the ambush alone. Jim was taken into custody and sent to jail in Texarkana where he would die from tuberculosis
on October 5, 1888. On December 15, 1888 Burrows with S.C. Brock aka Joe Jackson robbed an Illinois Central express train at Duck Hill, Mississippi; when the Conductor announced train robbery, two passengers-Chester Hughes with a Winchester rifle and John Wilkenson with a revolver-rushed to the express car where Burrows was. Burrows killed Hughes who in falling knocked the pistol out of Wilkinson's hand.
Although Burrow was usually a cautious and detailed planner, he began to develop a reckless attitude which was further encouraged by his recent series of near escapes. Shortly after the gunfight at Montgomery, Burrow shot and killed Lamar County Postmaster Mose Graves in July 1889 during a heated argument when Graves demanded that Burrows sign for delivery of a package. The uncharacteristically cold-blooded murder of the postmaster turned the local residents against him and was forced to flee the county. Ironically the package had contained a false beard Burrow had ordered to disguise himself.
Burrow continued to rob trains despite being a wanted fugitive. In September of that year, he robbed the Mobile & Ohio express train near Buckatunna, Mississippi and then the Northwestern Railroad train in Louisiana two months later. He was pursued by Pinkerton detectives following the robbery who chased him for two days across the Raccoon Mountains in Blount County, Alabama
. The posse was forced to turn back after two trackers had been killed and three others seriously wounded.
for supplies. He, John Barnes, and another Linden man apprehended Burrows and marched him to the local jail where he remained until his escape less than two hours later. Another version claims he was captured by Carter single-handed and locked in his storeroom while he went for help. Instead of taking the opportunity to leave town, Burrow stole a gun and went to confront the store-owner. Finding him at the local feed store, a gunfight broke out between the two men. The store-owner was hit in the arm while Burrows was shot in the stomach. Carter then went after Burrow as he staggered outside and gunned him down with the outlaw dying in the street. Carter would later recover the reward for Burrow's capture. In December 1890 accomplice Jackson committed suicide in the Jackson Penitentiary by jumping from his gallery to the floor. Accomplice Rube Smith was sentenced to 10 years in the Mississippi Penitentiary for the 1889 Buckatunna robbery but was then tried again in Federal court for mail robbery; found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Ohio Penitentiary in January 1891 as inmate # 21,849 and died April 20, 1895.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
. During the final years of the American frontier, he became one of the most hunted in the Old West since Jesse James
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...
. From 1886 to 1890, he and his gang robbed express trains in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, the Indian Territory and Texas while pursued by hundreds of lawmen throughout the southern half of the United States, including the Pinkerton National Detective Agency
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired...
.
Early life
Born in Lamar County, AlabamaLamar County, Alabama
Lamar County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, member of the United States Senate from Mississippi. As of 2010 the population was 14,564...
on December 11, 1854, Rube Burrow worked on the family farm in Alabama until the age of 18 when he moved to Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
to work on his uncle's ranch. By all accounts, Burrows fully intended to become a rancher by saving up enough money to buy a spread of his own, marry and eventually start a family. He attempted farming but his wife died of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
in 1880, leaving him to care for two small children. He remarried in 1884 and moved to Alexander, Texas
Alexander, Texas
Alexander is an unincorporated community in Erath County, Texas, United States located in the Southern part of the county along Texas State Highway 6 and Fm-914. The town was originally called: "Harper's Mill" when the Post Office was approved for operation around the 1870s...
, but when his crops failed, he turned to robbing trains with his brother Jim in 1886.
His unexpected turn to crime occurred in December 1886 when he and his brother Jim teamed with W.L Brock, Leonard Brock, Henderson Brumley, and Nep Thornton to rob the Denver & Fort Worth Express while returning from a trip to the Indian Territory. Burrows and the other men waited at the train depot at Bellevue, Texas
Bellevue, Texas
Bellevue is a city in Clay County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 386 at the 2000 census.- History :...
until the train arrived. Drawing their guns at the crew, in full view of the passengers, they entered the train but were only able to collect $300, as the passengers were able to hide most of their valuables by the time the outlaws passed through. In one of the cars, a U.S. Army sergeant and two privates were escorting two deserters in shackles. The passengers were able to persuade the sergeant not to fire at the outlaws, however he was later censured for cowardice by his superiors following the robbery. Meanwhile, Burrows had already begun planning his next holdup.
From Texas to Arkansas
Six months after their first robbery, Burrow and his gang boarded the Texas & Pacific Express heading eastbound from Ben Brooks, Texas in June 1887. Learning from their mistakes from the last holdup, Burrows had the engineer held at gunpoint and forced him to stop the train on a trestle outside the town. This was to meant to discourage passengers, who would have to "brave the heights and meager footing" in order to interfere with the robbery. Although how much Burrows escaped with is not known, it was apparently enough for Burrows to rob a second train at the same spot on September 20, 1887. On the second occasion, news reports estimated Burrows and his gang escaped with between $12,000 and $30,000.On December 9, he and Jim Brock stopped the St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad express train at Genoa, Arkansas
Genoa, Arkansas
Genoa is an unincorporated community in Miller County, Arkansas, United States. It is located east of Texarkana along Highway 196. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 71840....
. Despite the train being guarded by the Southern Express Company, the two men escaped with a Louisiana lottery payoff. Because the Southern Express Company was a client of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, the robbery came to the attention of Pinkerton detectives, lawmen and bounty hunters alike. Within five days, Pinkerton men came up with their first major lead. A deputy sheriff had reported that he had encountered three suspicious looking men on the day of the robbery. All three escaped, however one of the men left behind a raincoat which was eventually traced to a store in Dublin, Texas
Dublin, Texas
Dublin is a city located in southwestern Erath County in Central Texas. The population was 3,754 at the time of the 2000 census.The town is the home of the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant...
. The sales clerk identified the man who bought the coat as Jim Brock. Once in custody, Brock quickly confessed to participating in the robbery and named Burrow as the ringleader.
Burrow was unknown to authorities, having no criminal record, and Brock insisted he did not know the whereabouts of his accomplice. The Pinkertons would get their second break when Brock received a letter from the outlaw leader. Burrows was not yet aware of Brock's arrest and detectives seized the opportunity to capture him. According to the return address, the letter was sent from Lamar County, Alabama
Lamar County, Alabama
Lamar County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, member of the United States Senate from Mississippi. As of 2010 the population was 14,564...
and a posse was immediately sent to his homestead. Upon their arrival on January 8, 1888, they surrounded his home but found that Burrow had fled after being warned by his brother Jim at their approach.
On the run
Two weeks after making their escape, Rube and Jim Burrow were spotted by a conductor while riding on a Louisville & Nashville train in southern Alabama. Police surrounded the train when it arrived in MontgomeryMontgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
(or Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
) and captured Jim after a brief gunfight. Rube Burrows was able to shoot his way out and escaped from the ambush alone. Jim was taken into custody and sent to jail in Texarkana where he would die from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on October 5, 1888. On December 15, 1888 Burrows with S.C. Brock aka Joe Jackson robbed an Illinois Central express train at Duck Hill, Mississippi; when the Conductor announced train robbery, two passengers-Chester Hughes with a Winchester rifle and John Wilkenson with a revolver-rushed to the express car where Burrows was. Burrows killed Hughes who in falling knocked the pistol out of Wilkinson's hand.
Although Burrow was usually a cautious and detailed planner, he began to develop a reckless attitude which was further encouraged by his recent series of near escapes. Shortly after the gunfight at Montgomery, Burrow shot and killed Lamar County Postmaster Mose Graves in July 1889 during a heated argument when Graves demanded that Burrows sign for delivery of a package. The uncharacteristically cold-blooded murder of the postmaster turned the local residents against him and was forced to flee the county. Ironically the package had contained a false beard Burrow had ordered to disguise himself.
Burrow continued to rob trains despite being a wanted fugitive. In September of that year, he robbed the Mobile & Ohio express train near Buckatunna, Mississippi and then the Northwestern Railroad train in Louisiana two months later. He was pursued by Pinkerton detectives following the robbery who chased him for two days across the Raccoon Mountains in Blount County, Alabama
Blount County, Alabama
Blount County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 57,322. Its county seat is Oneonta.Blount County is a dry county.-History:...
. The posse was forced to turn back after two trackers had been killed and three others seriously wounded.
Death
Becoming the sole subject of one of the most widespread manhunts in American history, Burrow would continue to elude authorities in the wilderness of Alabama hill country for another two years. On October 9, 1890, Burrow was recognized by a local store-owner, J.D. "Dixie" Carter, after riding into Linden, AlabamaLinden, Alabama
Linden is a city in and the county seat of Marengo County, Alabama, United States.. The population was 2,424 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally known as the Town of Marengo, it was changed to Hohenlinden in 1823 to honor the county's earliest European settlers, French Bonapartist refugees to...
for supplies. He, John Barnes, and another Linden man apprehended Burrows and marched him to the local jail where he remained until his escape less than two hours later. Another version claims he was captured by Carter single-handed and locked in his storeroom while he went for help. Instead of taking the opportunity to leave town, Burrow stole a gun and went to confront the store-owner. Finding him at the local feed store, a gunfight broke out between the two men. The store-owner was hit in the arm while Burrows was shot in the stomach. Carter then went after Burrow as he staggered outside and gunned him down with the outlaw dying in the street. Carter would later recover the reward for Burrow's capture. In December 1890 accomplice Jackson committed suicide in the Jackson Penitentiary by jumping from his gallery to the floor. Accomplice Rube Smith was sentenced to 10 years in the Mississippi Penitentiary for the 1889 Buckatunna robbery but was then tried again in Federal court for mail robbery; found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Ohio Penitentiary in January 1891 as inmate # 21,849 and died April 20, 1895.