Rube Burrow

Alabama Desperado

Legends of Rube Burrow and Gang

Taken from book:

It is said:

That Rube once said, “I went home one night but there was so many detectives around, and I didn’t want to kill’em, so I went right off”. Atlanta

Constitution.

That Rube once said “Stealin corn is out of our line of business.”

That Rube Burrow once went to Aberdeen, Mississippi with the intent to rob the bank, but told Mr. Sykes president of the bank, that he went to a hanging in town instead.

That Rube once said “I don’t take chances when they are too risky”.

That Rube once said to Joe Jackson when the posse was closing in on them “We are in it sure nuff this time”.

That Nep Thornton was “winged” in the Gordon robbery.

From timeline in book:

December 3, 1887

William “Bill” Brock met the Burrow Brothers at Texarkana,Ark. According to his confession, all three registered at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Brock using his own name. Rube Burrow registered as Rube Houston and Jim Burrow registered as James Buchanan

according to Agee book.

December 9, 1887

Southern Express Company train left Texarkana, Arkansas the evening of December 9, 1887. About thirty miles out, as the train pulled out of Genoa, Arkansas, the Burrow gang robbed the train, a short distance from Red River. This was the first time in 17 years, the Southern Express had been robbed. Source Agee Book.

That night a few miles outside of Texarkana, a posse led by Sheriff Dixon of Miller county, came upon three men walking the rail track to Texarkana. The posse let the men pass, but then turned back and told the men to stop. The men ran and the posse opened fire but the men escaped. The next morning, two rubber coats and a slouch hat were found in the area of the fight. These articles were identified as worn by the men in the Genoa robbery. The hat had the name of a company in Dublin, TX and the coats had a simple coat mark “K.W.P.” Finding these articles was important and detectives went to Dublin, looking for information.

About October 1, 1888

Rube Burrow and Joe Jackson found a secure retreat at the farm of Fletcher Stevens in Tate County, MS about 18 miles from Senatobia, a station on the Illinois Central Railway. They hired themselves on as day laborers and began the business of picking cotton on the farm.

Mr. Stevens later reported that Rube was quite good at picking cotton, but Joe Jackson was rather awkward at it. They worked on this farm from October 1, 1888 until about December 1, 1888. At times they would take their pistols.........

.....

Historical Newspaper articles:

The Vernon Courier November 7, 1889.

Dead Sure Its Rube. Detective Robbins Returns and Tells Why He Thinks So.

Detective Robbins returned yesterday from his little private excursion in chase of the Blount county desperadoes. “Have you give it up?” asked a reporter. “Not by a blank sight,” answered Mr. Robbins. “I came back on business and will return very soon. You will be informed of the precise hour, in case you want to join in the chase. It is to be a still hunt and a good hunt.”

As this fight has been preempted by Mr. H. Bunthorne Gray, the Pinkerton of the Age Herald, the reporter of the News very thankfully

declined any invitation to participate in this little frolic.

Murder of Moses Graves

He started one morning before day and on arriving went in the house from a door on the east side; saw Mr. Graves standing behind a counter near the post-office department and a lady standing behind the same counter near the other end of the house. As he stepped in he spoke to them politely and asked Graves if there was any mail for W. W. Cain. Graves made no reply, but walked slowly from the post-office department towards a double barreled shotgun, which Burrow said he saw sitting behind the counter.....................

Much Much More in book............

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