Notably the back of his sleeves and the front of his shirt where it is covered by his vest. Lounghbo Harry Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid was never recaptured or tried for the Malta train robbery. All of them are hoping to get a share of the reward. However, none of them had any money; the Chinook Opinion reported that they were out of work cowboys who had been hanging around town for some time. Sundance was held as J.E. Arizona had just decided to make train robbing a capital offense, so Smith's comrades were each handed a 25-year sentence. Soundtracks. DeAutremont Brothers - Wanna Be Train Robbers. The group split into pairs and headed off into the sunset forever. Given that it deals with international and interstate commerce, it would presumably be a priority issue for the Justice Department and President Joe Bidens administration. There's an old saying: no good deed goes unpunished. Woodside later had to have his arm amputated. When the locomotive stopped at the light, more than a dozen men in ski masks appeared, beat the driver with a metal rod and uncoupled most of the cars. The biggest train robbery in British history came in 1963, when a gang of 15 thieves stole more than $7 million in banknotesthe equivalent of $60.5 million todayfrom a Royal Mail train.. They hit another train in 1897 for around $60,000 in gold and silver (or almost $2 million in today's money), and yet another in 1899 for only slightly less: $50,000. Malta in 1892 was little more than a cattle shipping depot for local ranches along the Great Northern Railroad. The men eluded capture for over a month, but by September the train robbers had been arrested along with around 30 other revolutionaries. Cunningham reached Malta on his injured horse, spread the news of the robbery and joined a posse that soon left for the holdup site. The gang had been led to believe it would contain a large cache of gold bullion, but upon opening it they found only a meager $2,000. Lane said: Connections The author begins by looking at the robbers, most of whom belonged to gangs of professional thieves. Save one: JJ Smith. / Unfortunately for the brothers, the Adams Company had a relationship with the Pinkerton Detective Agency, who almost immediately arrested them. Once in transit, Agar and Pierce stowed away in the baggage car and used their copied keys to open the safes. The train pulled away from Dryden, and that's when they stormed the engine. Opening scene: Lane, Jesse and others walk from the train in bright sunlight. A master criminal aims to rob a train of a large sum of gold. Well make it interesting for you and well take even bets or give odds that you dont take us. Rod Taylor finally got to work with John Wayne after being considered for " Rio Bravo (1959)," walking out on " Circus World (1964)," and being passed over for " The War Wagon (1967)." In later years Taylor would claim to have been good friends with Wayne, although others who knew the older actor have doubted this. But the other original train robbers have gathered a gang and will try to get the gold at any cost. Here's an example. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. The breadth of the theft is astonishing. The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. Lane even gets help from some of his old in retrieving the gold. McCurdy's luck continued, even after death. They were important symbols, too, standing for prosperity, progress, and possibilities. Join us for our annual CAR-B-Q earlier in the day on Saturday! Although frustrated with the small amount taken, the robbers toasted the crew with a drink and escaped off into the night. Along the way, they also killed a handful of the train's crew. Eugene Bunch - A Gentlemanly Train Robber. Forgive me for saying gangs. Thats not a pejorative, he said. California Gov. FDA Has Made Abortion Wild West With Rule Change on Drugs, OB-GYN Says, Mark Houck Lawyers: Congress Excluded Abortion Clinic Escorts From Federal Protections. Between 1919 and 1924, they'd be responsible for a shocking 87 bank robberies and six train heists. The heist would have been the perfect crime, but Agar later confessed to authorities after he was arrested for a separate offense. / Criminals are caught and arrested, turned over to local authorities for booking, arraigned before the local courts, charges are reduced to a misdemeanor or petty offense, and the criminal is released after paying a nominal fine. In the late 19th century, Robert LeRoy Parkerbetter known as Butch Cassidyled a gang of train robbers who went by the colorful nickname The Wild Bunch. This band of stickup men was responsible for several railway heists, but perhaps none was as famous as 1899s Wilcox Train Robbery in Wyoming. Donate now. He boarded a train, with the intention of disconnecting the mail and express cars, and walking away with still more loot. Their frustration grew, and when Trousdale snagged a wooden mallet off a shipment of oysters, they didn't notice. Opening scene: The train approaches the station and the water tower and another building cast a shadow towards the rail track (right to left across the screen). Bidens Border Disaster Isnt Incompetence. One of those masked men was Big Jack Davis, who wasn't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill robber he was one of Virginia City's most upstanding and respected businessmen, who just happened to moonlight as a stagecoach robber. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Lowe wants to tell the railroad where to find the half-million U.S. dollars in gold her late husband, Matt, stole during a train robbery, and clear the family name for her son. Written By Disha Kandpal The 1973 John Wayne film The Train Robbers had won many hearts upon its release. The crash killed the engineer and badly injured another man, but the rest of the cars lurched to a stop on the tracks. Short upper lip, exposing teeth when talking. At that time, express cars owned by Wells Fargo and the American Express Company carried financial instruments, currency, precious metals, and other desirable goods targeted by criminals. Railroad personnel are often injured in the robberies. Under questioning, Madden confessed his part in the robbery and implicated Bass and a man identified as Loungbo.. While the rest of the men stood guard, four robbers made their way to the guards van and used hammers to batter their way into a British safe filled with moneybags. During this time, the Reno Gang fromIndianabegan to terrorize the Midwest. (Automatic handgun scene.) It was in full Sunshine before. As their target rounded a blind curve, the thieves used a rope to dislodge the track, causing the locomotive to derail and topple into a ditch. Logan then ordered engineer Jones to disconnect the baggage and express cars from the passenger cars and to pull forward again. The film also starred Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson and Ricardo Montalban in major roles. After gathering information on the train schedule, James and his gang loosened a section of track on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. "[5] Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called it "an above-average John Wayne actioner, written and directed by Burt Kennedy with suspense, comedy and humanism not usually found in the formula. As a result, the railroad special agent of today is educated and well trained, and equipped. Quotes Before the conductor could kick him off the train, however, Logan had already crawled over the tender and onto the engine cab. Here are all major filming locations. While at Deer Lodge, two of Hanks fellow inmates had been Harry Bass and Bill Madden, both serving time for the first Malta holdup. B.F. ONeal, Sheriff It was hit during the night of June 1 to 2, 1899, and the story as it's often told is the heist was pulled off by Butch Cassidy and his gang. If you've ever just wanted to kick something out of sheer frustration maybe you should. As the cold set in, he took refuge in Alex Blacks Saloon with his pals Bill Madden and Harry Bass. As the trio started to leave, a local sheepherder named John Cunningham came upon the scene and realized what was happening. A hoot. He was finally buried and covered with a cement slab to guarantee his travelin' days were over. They picked up some extra cash and jewelry from the passengers then split: news traveled fast, though, and it forced them into hiding. Two masked men boarded the blind baggage car and, as the train began to pick up speed again, they slipped onto the engine and ordered the engineer to stop near a fire about one mile ahead. By the turn of the 20th century, most of the famous train robbers, including Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the other members of the Wild Bunch gang, had been captured, killed, or were no longer operating in the United States. The conductor who was being robbed for the third time shot at him, almost severing his arm. A feisty, beautiful widow bands together with three cowboy buddies to recover a cache of gold stolen by her husband and her attempt to clear his son's name. The biggest train robbery in British history came in 1963, when a gang of 15 thieves stole more than $7 million in banknotesthe equivalent of $60.5 million todayfrom a Royal Mail train. The train shot off the track, killing the engineer. Two days later, Bill Madden was also arrested in Malta and taken to Fort Benton, where he too was held over for trial. And when criminals loot trains over and over again, not only does it directly delay (or prevent) goods from arriving at their destination, it creates a ripple effect of bad outcomes. The men split their take and disappeared into the night. Human injury and death rates were sometimes high because many trains were derailed as part of the robbery, or cars were sometimes dynamited. The biggest happened on June 12, 1924, when the Newtons along with a few Chicago gangsters and a crooked postal inspector forced a mail train to stop in Rondout. [5] Shrestha's injuries to his left arm required two months of medical treatment, but he recovered full use of his injured hand. | "[7] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "In the light of the currentand largely admirablecycle of revisionist westerns that lay waste to those cherished myths of the frontier, it's downright reassuring to watch an amiable, traditional-style John Wayne adventure . Movies. The Most Notable Train Robberies In The Wild West. Helmed by the renowned American director Burt Kennedy, The Train Robbers became one of the most successful films of the year. But over time, the railroads wised up. Shadows cast from the water tower towards the hotel. Here is the major shooting location of the film, A post shared by 20th Century Movie Posters (@20thcenturymovie), A post shared by Mountain Pictures (@borderlesstourist), A post shared by Dizzy Dames (@twodizzydames), A post shared by John Wayne The Duke Fans (@john.wayne.fans), A post shared by a thriftstore cowboy (@athriftstore_cowboy), According to the films IMDb page, the main antagonist in, The IMDb page also reveals that the films directorBurt Kennedywanted to castJack Elamas Grady in. We do. Burrow Brothers - Outlaw Train Robbers. The citys George Soros-backed district attorney, George Gascon, has pursued a course of not prosecuting basic crimes in the city and generally taking a lenient approach to criminality, to say the least. One by one, members of the gang started getting picked off, caught, or killed. During the shootout at the abandoned railroad crash site, when John Wayne is talking to Ann Margret, tire tracks can be clearly seen in the sand. The caper came on the night of June 12, 1924. Jesse James may not have been the first to rob a train in the West, but . Thomas, Kevin (February 7, 1973). Its Intentional. When Grady & Jesse first meet at the railway water tower, they all cast long shadows. Not only that, but the railroad company . A local newspaper reported, Loungbo was supposed to have gone from Malta to a ranch on the Missouri. The safe haven might have been Bob Coburns Circle C Ranch. Library of Congress Davis was arrested, served only part of his sentence after turning in a group of prisoners he saw escaping, and was shot and killed in 1877 he had gone back to stagecoaches. Sure, $10,000 is a lot of money, but in 1866, it was even more: adjusted for inflation, their haul was worth around $177,000. Some even added cars with armed men and horses who could be deployed to chase down any bandits who robbed the train. Some people are cut out for living a life of crime. has been a hub of major shipping woes in recent months, with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach a prominent fixture of global supply bottlenecks, Yahoo Finance reported. Though train robbery is nearly obsolete today, the railroads still employ full-time law enforcement personnel to protect their interests. Teeth white and clean with small dark spot on upper front tooth to right of center. Police were later called to the scene, where they discovered heaps of evidenceincluding fingerprints on the gangs Monopoly boardthat helped them track down the thieves. Most rail heists are inspired by blind greed, but many in India saw 1925s Kakori Train Robbery as an act of political protest. A cold spell hit the town of Malta in north central Montana at the end of November 1892. Everything has to start somewhere, and when it comes to train robberies, the Smithsonian says that all started on October 6, 1866. When it comes to notorious outlaws of the Wild West, Jesse James and his gang are at the top of anyone's list. Choteau County, Mont. Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid, had recently arrived in Malta after working as a horse wrangler for three years near Calgary, Canada. Slender and erect, with slight stoop in head and shoulders. The next day Lane and his men put Mrs. Lowe on a train to return the gold and tell her she can keep the reward for herself and her son. After the locomotive came to a halt, two masked men boarded it and ordered the engineer to cross a nearby bridge. Investigations relating to thefts of cargo, burglaries of company property, and acts of vandalism occupy most of the agents time. Although this second holdup, the Wagner train robbery, had succeeded far beyond the 1892 take of Sundance and his pals, Logan, Hanks and Kilpatrick risked laundering the stolen money too quickly. After serving nearly 10 years, the Tall Texan was killed during an attempted train robbery in Sanderson, Texas, on March 13, 1912. As Great Northern westbound train No. In total, the gang made off with around $30,000 in unsigned banknotes before disappearing into the mountains. But as an exercise in pleasantness, 'The Train Robbers' is an interesting addition to the late history of the traditional unpretentious Western. "John Wayne at his mythical best". Join the millions of people who benefit from The Daily Signals fair, accurate, trustworthy reporting with direct access to: Dont have time to read the Washington Post or New York Times? But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The 1973 John Wayne film The Train Robbershad won many hearts upon its release. Moments later as Mrs. Lowe and Lane walk towards Grady & Calhoun, Mrs. Lowe and Lane cast shadows towards the rail track and the water tower (left to right across the screen). She was lost, confused, and hadn't eaten in days, and Smith stopped to help her. Sheriff ONeal, Detectives Black and Kilgore of the Great Northern Railroad and railroad Superintendent G.C. He headed to Texas and came up with the brilliant idea to bury his share of the money, but later, he realized he'd been so drunk when he buried it that he had no idea where it was. When it comes to famous Wild West outlaws, Sam Bass is up there, too. Disappointed, the men resorted to robbing the stunned passengers of their money and valuables. He acknowledged that the mess made California appear to be a Third World country., Gov. We had previously seen: 1. Theyre organized groups of folks that move from site to site., And some members of the California media got in a huff about his use of the phrase Third World country., Hello, @GavinNewsom: the term Third world country was replaced by developing nation like, 25 years ago. So, why not Old West-style train robberies, too? The James-Younger gang rode off with nearly $3,000worth about $51,000 today. When they ordered him to show them where the good stuff was, he deliberately misled them. When the men refused, the robbers simply the blew the doors off with sticks of dynamite, pushed aside the dazed inhabitants, and then used even more explosives to crack open a safe. Once in Fort Benton, Madden was lodged in the towns new mail-ordered log jailhouse, where each cell was a tiny 4-foot-by-8-foot-by-6-foot steel cage. Address communications to 3 pulled away from Malta, Montana, on the afternoon of July 3, 1901, conductor Alex Smith saw a tall, red-faced man board the blind baggage. Meanwhile, on December 8, a trial was held for the four outlaws still jailed in Great Falls. At a rate of 90 freight cars ransacked per day, Union Pacific estimates that thefts against its trains are up by more than 160 percent over the last year . 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