Great Train Robberies of the Old West

by R. Michael Wilson

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762741502
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/01/2006
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

R. Michael Wilson has been researching the Old West for fifteen years, following a quarter century as a law enforcement officer. His particular interest is crime, and none are more thrilling than stagecoach robberies. He has published one book on the subject in Arizona, and four more on other aspects of crime on the frontier. His research philosophy is "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

Previous self-published titles:
Drenched in Blood, Rigid in Death; the true story of the Wickenburg massacre, 132 pages, PB, illustrated, notes, bibliography, index; 2000. A detailed criminal investigation of this controversial "massacre." This event was featured in a vignette during the 2004 season of "Wild West Tech" on the History Channel and in a vignette on the Unsolved Mysteries series [poor historical accuracy]. Author has sold over 600 books.

Tragic Jack; the true story of Arizona pioneer John William Swilling, 82 pages, PB, illustrated, bibliography, index; 2001. Details the life of the man who named Phoenix, Arizona and captured Indian chief Mangas Colorados; falsely accused of a stagecoach robbery Swilling died in the Yuma jail only weeks before the guilty party was arrested. Sold over 250 copies. Book is being reissued by Globe Fall 2006.

Encyclopedia of Stagecoach Robbery in Arizona, 230 pages, HB, illustrated, bibliography, index; 2003. This work details every stagecoach robbery in Arizona; Sold over 200 copies.

Crime & Punishment in Early Arizona, 266 pages, PB, bibliography, index; 2004. This work details every recorded lynching and every legal hanging in Arizona, a history of two prisons and an alphabetical listing of prisoners at each. The prisoner lists provide the names, dates of commitment, crimes, sentences, and counties; 135 copies sold.

Editorial Reviews

The safe was cleaned out, the take being about $4,000, and then mail clerk Robert Spaulding told the robbers that there was no registered mail aboard as it had been sent on the day time run. Cornett replied that it was alright as they were not after “Uncle Sam’s money. We only want Gould’s money.” The robbers removed the obstruction from the tracks and bid the trainmen a “pleasant good night” before they rode off into the darkness.

From the Publisher