Missouri Outlaw History (Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia: crimes, hotel, attorney)

[Walter Sperr]

There were many other outlaws and "lawmen"/outlaws who were from Missouri or lived in the state at one time or another. Some are not thought of as "Missourians." For example, Ike Clanton was born in Callaway County. Unlike the way Hollywood has portrayed him in several films, he was shot by a detective for cattle rustling in Springerville, Ariz. six years after the shootout at the OK Corral. His brother Phin Clanton, wisely surrendered. It's interesting to note that allthough Wyatt Earp was born in Illinois, he and his family also lived in Missouri for a time. And let's not forget the Daltons. The Dalton brothers, who met their fate in Coffeyville, KS when they tried to rob two banks at the same time, were from Missouri too.

[brushrunner]

In late '50's my Mom married into a large crime family in Missouri as a 7 year old Boy it was exciting and scary at times.

brushrunner

[Versatile]

Originally Posted by jps

Here's a couple of interesting blurbs on the Vaughns...

Quantrill wanted to raid Lawrence to get even for a raid on a big farm in Lone Jack.Mo. I think the name was Calloway or Calvin.

[aliasfinn]

Here is an impressive list of outlaws/lawmen and characters that were either born in Missouri or lived here.

TOM HORN
SAM HILDEBRAND
ALF BOLIN
JOHNNY RINGO
BOONE HELM
BOONE MAY
JIM LAMBERT
JESSE EVANS
HENRY NEWTON BROWN
GEORGE COE
FRANK COE
THE MISSOURI KID
JAMES ADDISON REAVIS (BARON OF ARIZONA)
HARVEY LOGAN (KID CURRY)
BILLY THE KID?
HOODOO BROWN
JOHNNY RINGO
CLAY ALLISON
DOC HOLLIDAY (SHARED DENTAL PRACTICE IN ST.LOUIS FOR A SHORT TIME)
LITTLE BRITCHES
JIM REED
TETON JACKSON
THE TAYLOR GANG
THE RENO GANG
MARION HEDGEPETH

There are a lot more, I am building a website on this subject and have over 200 names so far. Missouri was a killer's playground during that period. Have you ever noticed on Gunsmoke how many times Matt Dillon referred to us as border trash?

[luzianne]

My husband happened to be in Kearney when they exhumed Jesse James in 1995 to check DNA and make sure it was really Jesse James buried there (it was determined that it was, indeed, Jesse James). He got to look down into the grave while the body was out of the grave. Creepy!

[aliasfinn]

Here are some more that lived in Missouri. I can provide links for every one of them if you need them.

BILL POWERS
HARVEY BAILEY
BEN CRAVEN
BLACK BART
HENRY LEE MOORE
ROSCOE RED JACKSON
FRANCES TUMBLETY (Jack The Ripper?)
POLK WELLS
YOUNG GANG 1932
CHARLES BINAGGIO
UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN
CARRIE NATION
ROBERT CAMDEN
WILBUR UNDERHILL
ROBERT CAREY
LYDA AMBROSE (The Black Widow)
HADE BROWN
LULU PRINCE KENNEDY
JODIE HAMILTON
MEARLE TURPIN
HENRY CLAY WHITE
FRED " YELLOW KID " MOHRLE
GUS WINKLER
FRED KILLER BURKE

[BerkeleyKid]

Interesting. I found my family name.

[Walter Sperr]

There's no question that Missouri was both a breeding ground and a killing ground for outlaws. aliasfinn's lengthy list of Missouri outlaws is impressive and I for one am looking forward to the website that is being created. Very exciting project and a great way to codify the historic research into the past of this great and colorful state.

[aliasfinn]

How is this for a killer lineup? I chose all Missourians for this team. The number of kills are what Historians estimate, could be less, could be more.


TOM HORN (1860-1903) 17-50 kills
His neighbors killed his dog and his father beat him so he ran away from home. He headed out west and helped capture Geronimo then became the most proficient hired killers in U.S history. He was accused of shooting a 14 year old boy and ended up doing an air dance for it.

HENRY LEE MOORE (1874-1960?) 25-30 kills
He was a serial killer who started with his mother and grandmother then travelled all over Iowa,Colorado and Kansas. His weapon of choice was an axe.

BOONE HELM " THE KENTUCKY CANNIBAL " (1828-1864) 11+ kills
We acquired him from Kentucky during the off season while he was a baby but he grew up in Missouri. He headed out to California and preyed on gold prospectors, not only did he kill and rob them but he also snacked on them. He couldn't wait to be hanged, after they put the noose around his neck he jumped off the box before they could kick it out from under him.

SAM HILDEBRAND (1836-1872) 80-100 kills
I have him batting clean up because I couldn't find anyone with more kills than old Sam.
When the Civil war broke out Sam's brother went to enlist with the Union but they found out he was wanted for horse theft and turned him over to vigilantes who quickly lynched him and threw his body in a ditch. Sam found out then joined the Confederate guerrillas and went on one hell of a killing spree. He was quoted " The key won't rust in the lock to the gates of Hell as long as I'm on the warpath " He was a hero to Jesse James who once yelled after robbing a bank, " Hurray for Sam Hildebrand "

BLOODY BILL ANDERSON (1839-1864) 54 kills
Like Hildebrand, Bloody Bill went nuts after his relatives were killed. He was known to rearrange the heads of his decapitated victims. Union soldiers reported that he and some other Bushwhackers were screaming like Indians when they charged the Union line. He took 2 bullets to the head and had a scalp tied to his saddle and a length of string in his pocket with 54 knots tied in it.

BERTHA GIFFORD (1872-1951) 17+ kills
She was a farmwife serial killer of mostly children and her weapon of choice was poison. She spent the remainder of her life in a nut house.


ALF BOLIN (1842-1863) 19-40 kills
He came up thru our farm system in the Ozarks. He didn't care who he killed, little boys, old men and for no apparent reason. There was a reward on him and after he got killed, his body was too heavy so they just brought his noggin back as proof.


DAVID " CHIPPY " ROBINSON (1897-1967) 10? kills
He was a torpedo for Egan's Rats, St.Louis gangsters. He was another trigger happy basket case especially when drunk. He once killed another gang member and then propped him up in the car with a cigar stuck in his mouth and drove around cracking jokes with him as if he were still alive.


HENRY NEWTON BROWN (1857-1884) 6 kills
He's batting 9th because he only had 6 kills but he was still a dangerous hombre. He rode with Billy The Kid during the Lincoln county war and later was appointed city marshal of Caldwell Kansas. He needed to add to his income so he and his deputy robbed a bank in another town and killed the bank president and a cashier but were caught. He was scheduled to be lynched but made a break for it and got cut in half by a shotgun blast.


Just in case you're wondering what kind of bench strength I have, Fred Killer Burke, Gus Winkler, Ben Craven, Johnny Ringo........

[aliasfinn]

JIM LAMBERT (1865-1912)

He was a deadly gunman from Pattonburg Missouri.
He once rode with Tom Horn.
He wore 2 guns from his belt and always bragged how fast and accurate he was.
He became a deputy sheriff in Colorado and got into a scrape with two constables who were sitting on a fence near a polling place on election day, both were killed. His cousin said that he drew both guns lightning fast and put a bullet from each gun into the men who died instantly. Witnesses on the scene said the two men never tried to draw their guns and an autopsy showed they were both shot in the back. He was not charged. A couple of years later they found Jim's bullet ridden frozen body near a mountain, both of his guns were gone.