Book details hunt for famous train robber in Conecuh, Monroe counties

Those of you with a taste for local history will love a recently published book called “Rube Burrow, Desperado” by Rick Miller of Harker Heights, Texas. Released on Feb. 4, this 201-page book details the criminal career of notorious train robber, Rube Burrow.

Burrow, who’s real name was Reuben Houston Burrow, grew up near Sulligent in Lamar County, and went on to earn the nickname “King of Outlaws.” While Burrow isn’t as well known today as such outlaws as Butch Cassidy, Jesse James and Billy the Kidd, he was just as bad, maybe worse. In all, Burrow robbed eight trains in four states while James’ gang robbed maybe five and Cassidy’s game robbed maybe four.

Burrow’s method of train robbery set him apart from many others. Almost always, he’d stop the train with the passenger cars on a trestle, so that passengers would be afraid to get off and interfere for fear they’d fall off the trestle. Burrow also quickly figured out that he could steal more money by ransacking mail cars than by robbing the passengers.

Burrow, then age 32, and his gang committed their first two train robberies in December 1886 near Bellevue, Texas. From there, they’d go on to commit three more train robberies in Texas and Arkansas.

These robberies drew a lot of attention from authorities that included local law enforcement, U.S. marshals, U.S. postal officials and detectives that worked for the railroad companies, including the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency. Their search for Burrow and his gang ramped up in December 1888 when the gang shot and killed 32-year-old train passenger Robert Chester Hughes during the gang’s sixth train robbery near Duck Hill, Miss.

Months later, Burrow became a household name when reports of another murder hit major newspapers in New York City and Boston. During that incident, which occurred on July 16, 1889, Burrow shot and killed 41-year-old Moses J. Graves, who was the postmaster in the small town of Jewel, Ala. The shooting was the result of a dispute between Burrow and Graves over a package that contained a false beard and wig.

A nationwide manhunt for Burrow followed, but this didn’t stop him from robbing trains. In September 1889, Burrow and another man robbed a train near Buckatunna, Miss. After that robbery, Burrow laid low for a while, working in logging camps in Santa Rosa County, Fla., but law enforcement agents were still hot on his trail.

The itch to rob another train rose again about a year later, and on Sept. 1, 1890, Burrow single-handedly robbed his eighth (and final) train, stopping a northbound Louisville & Nashville passenger train on the trestle over the Escambia River, northeast of Flomaton. After this robbery, detectives and manhunters flooded the area as Burrow began making his way home to Lamar County, where he hoped family members would help hide him from the law.

While on his way north, on Sept. 29, 1890, Burrow arrived at the home of John Barnes, who lived near Castleberry and had once worked with Burrow at a logging camp. Burrow ate breakfast with Barnes and then left for Repton, headed north. As soon as Burrow left, Barnes, who knew Burrow was a wanted man, went to Castleberry and telegraphed authorities to let them know that he’d seen Burrow.

Detectives knew Burrow would have to cross the Alabama River, so they began to monitor river crossings in Monroe County. One of these manhunters, a Southern Express Co. detective named Tom Jackson partnered up with John S. McDuffie who ran a farm at River Ridge, not far from Bell’s Landing. McDuffie had been recommended to Jackson by Monroe County’s sheriff, who said that McDuffie was a “brave and reliable man,” who also knew the geography of the area.

Burrow managed to cross the river undetected, but Jackson and McDuffie continued their hunt. The chase continued for a few more days, and Burrow was captured in Marengo County. Burrow eventually escaped only to be shot and killed by Jefferson Davis “Dixie” Carter during a shootout on Oct. 9, 1890 in Linden.

If the above tale interests you, you’ll love this book because space won’t allow me to give you all the details. There’s a lot more to the story, and I think many of you will enjoy reading it. Miller obviously did a first class job of researching the book, and he noted that he traveled over 2,600 miles doing research for the book.

In the end, I highly recommend this book to readers interested in local history. Copies of the book are $24.95 (plus $3 shipping and handling) and can be purchased by e-mailing the author at outlawlawman@hot.rr.com or by writing him at Rick Miller, 1917 Sutton Place Trail, Harker Heights, TX 76548-6043. Copies of the book are also available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Also, if you’d like to meet Miller in person and buy a copy of the book, he’ll be at the “Rube Burrow Gathering” tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. That event, which will include a presentation by Miller, will be held in Vernon, a small town near Burrow’s home place in Lamar County. For more details about that event, visit www.rubeburrow.org.