Rube Burrow, king of outlaws, and his band of train robbers : $b An accurate and faithful history of their exploits and adventuresAgee, George W. (George Washington)
History
Rube Burrow, king of outlaws, and his band of train robbers : $b An accurate and faithful history of their exploits and adventures
Agee, George W. (George Washington)
Burrow, Rube, 1854-1890
Stayed there until some time in July, 1889, having arrived there from
the Duck Hill robbery just before Christmas. Sometime in the spring
Burrow decided to send for a wig, and sent for it, to be addressed to
W. W. Cain. I don’t recollect at what post-office. After a long time he
heard that some mail had come for W. W. Cain, at Jewell post-office.
Mr. Cash said that one day he asked the postmaster, Mr. Graves, if
there was any mail there. Graves said there was a circular or paper of
some kind there for Cain, and he would bring it or send it down, which
he did a few days after.
They got word in some manner that a wig had come, and Burrow also got
word that Graves said he was going to arrest the man that came after
it, and see what business he had with it. Heard that Graves had taken
it out of the wrapper and was showing it to people, and remarked to
several that he was going to take in the man that came for it, and find
what business he had with it. Burrow asked me to go for it, but I did
not want to go. I told him that to go after it, if Graves was going to
do a thing of that kind, would stir up a big fuss. Burrow at last said
he was going to have it, and that Graves would not arrest him, and he
went after it.
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 there for W. W.
Cain. Graves made no reply, but walked slowly from the post-office
department towards a double-barrelled shotgun, which Burrow said he saw
sitting behind the counter, and which was the gun that Graves intended
to arrest the man with. He asked him a second time if there was any
mail there for W. W. Cain, and Graves said “Yes,” but still advanced
towards the gun. Burrow told him to get the mail, and he made no effort
to go to get it, and Burrow then pulled his pistol and shot him,
saying, “Get it for me, or I will shoot you again.” About that time
Graves began to fall, and the lady said, “Don’t shoot him any more; I
will get the mail for you.” She then went and found part of the mail,
and Burrow asked her if there was any more. She told him she thought
there was, and found it and gave it to him, and he then left, going out
the same door he came in.
There was a negro in the house who ran out just as Burrow pulled his
pistol, and while he was standing there he saw the negro’s head around
the door, but he ran off again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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