Tom Ketchum lost his head during the execution. April 26, 1901. Outlaw Tom Ketchum is hanged in Clayton, NM. In August 1899, Ketchum tried to...
A Botched Hanging
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old west outlaws
Famous Last Words
Some memorable thoughts from those about to die. A number of men had notable last words as they faced the executioner. Augustine Chacon stopped to...
From Hero to Outlaw
It took John Joel Glanton a year to hit bottom. The name John Joel Glanton probably doesn’t ring a bell. But in the 1840s into 1850, he made an...
Truth vs. The Legend
Who was California outlaw Joaquin Murrieta? Bandit Joaquin Murrieta (picture) is a legend, especially in the Central California region where he rode...
Drop Your Guns
Lawmen attempted to disarm outlaw Sam Bass, not realizing who he was. On July 19, 1878, the Sam Bass gang was in Round Rock, Texas to rob the local...
Don’t Reach for Your Six-Shooter Unless You’re Sure Somebody Hasn’t Snatched It
Bill Downing was one of the most disliked fellows in Old Arizona. He was moody, morose, bad-tempered, sullen and surly. And that was when he was...
Stagecoach Robberies: Double Trouble
With a stage robbery anything could happen. It depended on the robbers and the behavior of the passengers. A well-known and presumably well-liked...
The Big Score
The Reno Gang’s last robbery is their largest. May 28, 1868. Just two months after breaking jail, the Reno Gang makes its biggest score. Some 12...
The Reno Gang: Arrested
Most wanted outlaws go to jail…for a time. March 28, 1868. Four members of the Reno Gang—led by Frank Reno (photo)--are arrested and jailed...
The Bandit Bard
How the English-born, Civil War veteran’s career as America’s most prolific poet-stagecoach robber began on the backroads of California’s gold...
Running into the Law
Outlaw Tom Folliard had an accidental—and fatal—encounter with a posse. Billy the Kid pal Tom Folliard had some bad luck. He and another outlaw were...
Black Bart, Buffalo Robes and Outlaw Hideouts
What were buffalo hides used for? Pat McManus Cave Junction, Oregon Often, they were used for coats or blankets—both by Indians and Whites. In the...