OUTLAWS Ep. 1 | “Black Bart: Outlaw Poet”

Summary

Legends of the Old West: OUTLAWS Ep. 1 | “Black Bart: Outlaw Poet”

Host: Black Barrel Media
Host/Author: Chris Wimmer
Release Date: March 19, 2025

Summary:

In the premiere episode of "Legends of the Old West," Black Barrel Media delves into the enigmatic life of Charles Bowles, famously known as Black Bart—the Outlaw Poet. Host Chris Wimmer masterfully narrates Bowles' transformation from a gold-seeking immigrant to one of California’s most elusive and literary-outlined stagecoach robbers.

---

1. Introduction to the Old West and Early Robbery

The episode opens with a vivid recounting of an attempted stagecoach robbery on July 26, 1875, in Calaveras County, California. John Shine, a seasoned stage driver, faces an unexpected confrontation with a masked assailant demanding only the Wells Fargo express box.

Key Event:

• Ambush on Funk Hill: John Shine and his passengers experience what appears to be a meticulously planned robbery, marked by the bandit's unique approach of targeting only the express box rather than the passengers’ valuables. The encounter hints at the sophistication and selective nature of Black Bart's methods.

Notable Quote:

"I do not want your money. I only want boxes." – Black Bart (04:14)

---

2. Charles Bowles: From England to the Gold Fields

Charles Bowles was born in 1829 in Norfolk, England, and emigrated to the United States as a child. His early years on a farm in Jefferson County, New York, remained largely uneventful until the Gold Rush era ignited his adventurous spirit.

Key Points:

• Gold Fever: At 20, Bowles joined the 49ers, seeking fortune in Northern California's gold fields. His initial prospecting was fraught with hardship, leading to multiple failed attempts and the tragic loss of family members.
• Relocation and Marriage: In 1854, Bowles settled in Decatur, Illinois, where he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson and started a family, temporarily abandoning his gold-seeking ambitions.

---

3. Civil War Service and Recognition

With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Bowles enlisted in the 116th Illinois regiment, displaying notable bravery and leadership.

Key Events:

• Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (December 1862): Bowles fought valiantly despite the Union’s defeat.
• Injury and Recovery: In May 1863, Bowles sustained a severe wound during the Siege of Vicksburg but continued to serve, eventually achieving the rank of brevet first lieutenant.
• Post-War Life: After the war, Bowles returned home, only to be drawn back west by the persistent allure of gold in Montana.

---

4. Reinvention as Black Bart

Upon relocating to San Francisco, Bowles adopted the persona of Charles Bolton, a refined mining magnate. However, financial strains compelled him to resort to stagecoach robberies, marking the genesis of Black Bart's criminal career.

Key Points:

• Disdain for Wells Fargo: An altercation over water rights with men linked to Wells Fargo fueled Bowles' resentment, positioning the company as his primary adversary.
• Criminal Methods: Bowles’ tactics were characterized by meticulous planning, non-lethal threats, and leaving behind poetic notes—a signature that distinguished him from other outlaws.

Notable Quote:

"I've labored long and hard for bread, for honor and for riches, but on my corns too long you've tread, you fine haired sons of bitches." – Black Bart, 1877 (29:11)

---

5. The Art of the Robbery

Black Bart's robberies were methodical and showcased his cleverness in evading capture.

Key Techniques:

• Minimal Violence: Bowles targeted only the express boxes, refraining from harming passengers.
• Covering Tracks: He sabotaged his own footprints by wrapping his boots, capitalizing on his fear of horses to escape on foot swiftly.
• Poetic Messages: Each robbery concluded with a poem, infusing his criminal acts with a unique literary flair.

Notable Quote:

"Here I lay me down to sleep, to wait. The coming morrow, perhaps success, perhaps defeat and everlasting sorrow. Let come what will. I'll try it on my condition." – Black Bart, 1878 (30:30)

---

6. Escalation and Pursuit

As Bowles' notoriety grew, so did the efforts to capture him. The Wells Fargo detectives, led by James Hume, meticulously profiled Black Bart based on witness accounts and crime scene evidence.

Key Points:

• Increased Robberies: Between 1875 and 1879, Black Bart executed twelve robberies across California and Oregon, each reinforcing his reputation.
• Detective Hume's Profile: Hume’s analysis highlighted Bowles' slim frame, knowledge of the region, aversion to horses, and courteous demeanor—all factors that complicated the manhunt.

Notable Quote:

"He always carried a shotgun, but he never used it." – Detective Profile on Black Bart (34:24)

---

7. The Poet Outlaw's Legacy

Black Bart not only added to his criminal legacy but also enriched the folklore of the Old West through his poetic notes. His blend of sophistication and audacity made him a legendary figure.

Key Points:

• Cultural Impact: Bowles' unique approach set him apart, making his story a blend of crime and artistry.
• Unsolved Mysteries: Despite multiple robberies, Bowles evaded capture, cementing his status as an enduring enigma in Western history.

Notable Quote:

"Nothing lasts forever. And detective James Hume finally gets a lead on the masked bandit whom he has tracked for years." – Narrator (35:39)

---

8. Conclusion and Tease for Next Episode

The episode concludes with a glimpse into the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between Black Bart and law enforcement, promising further exploration of Bowles' exploits and eventual downfall in the following episode.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Black Bart: "I do not want your money. I only want boxes." (04:14)
• Black Bart: "I've labored long and hard for bread, for honor and for riches, but on my corns too long you've tread, you fine haired sons of bitches." (29:11)
• Black Bart: "Here I lay me down to sleep, to wait. The coming morrow, perhaps success, perhaps defeat and everlasting sorrow. Let come what will. I'll try it on my condition." (30:30)
• Detective Profile on Black Bart: "He always carried a shotgun, but he never used it." (34:24)

---

Insights and Conclusions:

"Black Bart: Outlaw Poet" offers a compelling narrative that intertwines historical facts with the legendary aspects of Black Bart’s life. Chris Wimmer effectively highlights the duality of Bowles—a family man and sophisticated poet on one hand, and a cunning stagecoach robber fueled by personal vendettas on the other. The episode underscores the complexities of outlaw life in the Old West, where personal motivations and societal dynamics created some of history's most intriguing characters. As the season progresses, listeners are left eager to uncover whether Black Bart’s elaborate schemes will finally catch up with him or if his legend will continue to thrive undeterred.

---

Production Credits:

• Research and Writing: Michael Meglish
• Producer: Joe Garop
• Original Music: Rob Valiere

Next Episode Preview: Charlie Bowles ventures up to Oregon and returns to California, intensifying his robberies and challenging detectives until a significant breakthrough occurs.

---

Tune in Next Week: Join us for the second part of Black Bart’s saga, where his reign of poetic robberies faces unprecedented challenges from persistent lawmen.

---

Thank you for listening to "Legends of the Old West." Don’t forget to subscribe and access exclusive bonus episodes by joining our Black Barrel program.

Transcript

[LinkedIn Advertiser]

Does it ever feel like you're a marketing professional just speaking into the void? Well, with LinkedIn ads you can know you're reaching the right decision makers. You can even target buyers by job title, industry, company seniority, skills. Wait, did I say job title yet? Get started today and see how you can avoid the void and reach the right buyers with LinkedIn ads. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Get started at LinkedIn.com results terms and conditions apply.

[Warby Parker Advertiser]

What makes a great pair of glasses? At Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost. Their designer quality frames start at $95, including prescription lenses plus scratch resistant, smudge resistant and anti reflective coatings and UV protection and free adjustments for life. To find your next pair of glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses, or to find the Warby Parker store nearest you, head over to warbyparker.com that's warbyparker.com.

[Chris Wimmer]

John Schein had been up since 3am on the morning of July 26, 1875, and his fatigue was steadily growing. Shine was a stage driver who was guiding his coach through Calaveras County, California. He was 27 years old, a veteran of the Civil War, and in his prime. It was a good thing he was an experienced driver. The route he was taking that day required poise and experience. He and his team of horses departed the town of Sonora, California, earlier that day. They were heading west and were taking a familiar trek to the settlement of milton. The roughly 40 mile journey was not the most difficult carriageway in Calaveras county, but Shyne had to keep his wits about him nonetheless. Not only did he have 10 passengers crammed into his stagecoach, but Shyne also had a US Mail pouch and a strongbox from Wells Fargo and Company. As the horses pounded the dirt, Shyne spied the hardest part of his journey. Funk Hill, which sat four miles east of a mining town with the cheeky name of Copperopolis, was arguably the steepest part of the route. Shyne coaxed his team of horses up the hill's incline. At first, the ascent was not memorable. As Shyne cautiously piloted his stagecoach up Funk Hill, he thought the most difficult part would be protecting the horses from exhaustion. Twenty miles into the journey, he and his team were doing well until an unexpected interruption changed Shine's day and the Old west forever. As the loaded stagecoach rolled slowly along, John Shine suddenly yanked on the reins. In front of him stood a figure unlike any he had ever seen. The mystery man's face was shrouded In a mask made out of a flour sack which featured two jagged holes for the eyes. The man wore a dirty white duster and a pair of boots which were wrapped in cloth to hide his footprints. Slung across his back was a lever action Henry rifle. Shine and his passengers took in the sight, but all of them inevitably turned their gaze to the hollow and ominous twin barrels of the double barrel shotgun that the man pointed at the stagecoach. As Shine slowed the stagecoach, he and the passengers also noticed rifle barrels poking out of the brush on both sides of the road. A young miner in the stagecoach foolishly tried to draw his gun, but he stopped when the masked man shouted, if he dares to shoot, give him a volley, boys. Undoubtedly, some of the eyes of the passengers flitted back to the gun barrels in the brush.

[Narrator]

It certainly appeared as though the stagecoach.

[Chris Wimmer]

Had rolled into a well laid ambush.

[Narrator]

Of the 10 passengers on board the stage that day, eight of them were women and children. One of the women was convinced the man was there to rob them of.

[Chris Wimmer]

Their possessions, so she threw her purse out the window.

[Narrator]

In what would be one of the many surprises that day, the bandit picked up the purse and returned it to the female passenger. In a deep, low voice, the robber said, I do not want your money. I only want boxes. Shine tossed the Wells Fargo express box down to the bandit. The driver then grabbed the mailbag and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Lowered it as well.

[Narrator]

Satisfied with the compliance and with a wave of his hand, the robber told Shine, that'll be about all, boys.

[Chris Wimmer]

Drive on.

[Narrator]

Not needing to be told twice, Shine snapped the reins and the coach jolted forward. As he urged his team onward, Schein.

[Chris Wimmer]

Glanced back and saw the robber begin to smash the Wells Fargo box with a hatchet. But notably, John Schein did not see.

[Narrator]

Any of the robber's associates hurry out of the brush to assist the effort. If he was puzzled by the sight, it would take quite a while for his questions to be answered. John Shine and his stagecoach of 10 passengers were the first, but far from.

[Chris Wimmer]

The last, to stumble into a trap that would soon become familiar to travelers in Central California.

[Narrator]

The westbound stage from Sonora to Milton on July 26, 1875, was the first to be robbed by the outlaw who called himself Black Bart. A bandit, soldier, prospector, poet, and devilishly clever thorn in the side of Wells Fargo. From Black Barrel Media, this is Legends.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of the Old West. I'm your host, Chris Wimmer, and this.

[Narrator]

Season we're telling the stories of infamous outlaws.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie Bowles, better known as Black Bart.

[Narrator]

Dirty Dave Rudabaugh and the Doolin Dalton Gang this is Episode one Black Bart Part one of two the Outlaw Poet Long before he became a famous stagecoach robber, the man who would be known as Black Bart was born Charles Bowles in 1829 in Norfolk, England, which rests in the lowlands of the eastern part of the country. Bowles was the third of 10 children. When he was about 2 years old, Charles, who was often called Charlie, moved with his family to the United States. Charlie's father bought a farm in Jefferson County, New York.

[Chris Wimmer]

Little is known about his childhood, but.

[Narrator]

It'S likely based on his later actions that he received some formal education and learned proper etiquette.

[Chris Wimmer]

His ability to write, his talent with.

[Narrator]

Language, and his sophisticated demeanor did not develop through laboring on a farm every day from dawn to dusk. When Charlie was 20, he caught the fever that was racing across the United States. Gold fever in January 1848, right before the Mexican American War ended, gold was discovered in Northern California. By 1849, news of the discovery had circled the globe. People from all walks of life, but most often young men, lit out for California.

[Chris Wimmer]

The prospectors, known as 49ers, had dreams of striking it rich.

[Narrator]

In late 1849, Charlie, his brother James, and cousin David joined the throng of Americans who made the arduous journey westward in the hopes of finding their own personal El Dorado, the fabled city of gold in Northern California. The trio began prospecting along the North Fork American river near Sacramento. Panning for gold was long, cold, difficult work, and it was fruitless for many prospectors. Mining camps were notorious for being violent. If a miner avoided becoming a victim of crime, he usually became a victim.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of cholera or typhoid.

[Narrator]

In the end, most miners were just victims of bad luck, and Charlie Bowles.

[Chris Wimmer]

Was one of them. More than $2 million worth of gold.

[Narrator]

Was mined between 1849 and 1852, but.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie and his family saw relatively little of it.

[Narrator]

Charlie, James, and David returned to New York in 1852, but gold fever was.

[Chris Wimmer]

Not easily shrugged off.

[Narrator]

Soon, Charlie wanted to go back to California, and his cousin David agreed. Charlie convinced another brother, Robert, to come along. After James declined, the new trio arrived.

[Chris Wimmer]

In California in the summer of 1852.

[Narrator]

But soon after their arrival, David and Robert fell sick. Neither recovered, and both were buried in California. With his two relatives and mining companions dead, Charlie was alone. He also faced a tough decision. Should he return home bearing the bad.

[Chris Wimmer]

News, or should he try once more.

[Narrator]

To make his fortune in the hills of Northern California?

[Chris Wimmer]

He chose the latter.

[Narrator]

Charlie remained in California for two more years. His Prospecting did not result in any bonanzas, but he did manage to keep himself alive and unharmed. According to official documents, Boles quit prospecting.

[Chris Wimmer]

And permanently relocated to Illinois.

[Narrator]

In 1854, he changed the spelling of his surname from B o w l e s to B o l e s. That same year, he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson, and they quickly started a family. Within six years, by 1860, Charlie and Elizabeth had two kids and had settled in the farming and railroad town of Decatur, Illinois. Charlie Bowles was a family man in a small midwestern community, and nothing in his life other than maybe his bout of gold fever hinted at the path.

[Chris Wimmer]

He would follow in later years. But the US Was about to begin the most dramatic and seismic period of its history.

[Narrator]

When the American Civil war began in April 1861, Charlie Bowles was 32 years old, and his wife was due to deliver their third child in June. So Charlie did not rush off to the war. In 1862, Charlie enlisted at the age of 33, and he joined the 116th Illinois. By all accounts, Private Charlie Bowles was a dutiful soldier. He had the respect of his comrades and was soon promoted to first Sergeant of Company B. Charley's first action was the battle of Chickasaw Bayou in Mississippi from December 26 to 29, 1862. It was the first major battle of the campaign led by Union generals William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses S. Grant to capture the valuable Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Although the battle was a Union defeat, the Federal forces regrouped, surrounded Vicksburg, and besieged the city. Five months later, as the siege seemed endless, Charlie and the 116th Illinois made multiple assaults against Vicksburg's impressive fortifications. In May 1863, as he and his comrades surged toward the enemy, a Confederate.

[Chris Wimmer]

Round smashed into Charlie's side.

[Narrator]

The velocity of the ball was so strong that it went through Charlie's cartridge box, his leather belt, his jacket, and his shirt like a hot knife through butter. The ball inflicted a deep wound, and it remained lodged in Charlie's side as he was carried from the battlefield.

[Progressive Advertiser]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game, shifting a little money here, a little there, and hoping it all works out well? With the name your price tool from Progressive, you can be a better budgeter and potentially lower your insurance bill, too. You tell Progressive what you want to pay for car insurance and they'll help you find options within your budget. Try it [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law, not available in all states. There are many ways to entice a potential new customer with flashy branding and calculated marketing strategies. But at the end of the day, the success of a business comes down to the ability to close the sale. And for businesses like Thrive Cosmetics, Allbirds or Skims, it's what goes on behind the scenes. Making, selling and for shoppers buying simple that makes the difference for them and for millions of businesses that that difference is made with Shopify. Businesses that want to grow grow with Shopify. Because if your goal is growth, your commerce platform better be ready to sell wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. And Shopify will make sure you're ready on the web, in your store, in their feed, and everywhere in between. Nobody does selling better than Shopify, and with shop pay they boost conversions up to 50%, meaning way less carts going abandoned and and way more sales going. It's no wonder Shopify is home of the number one checkout on the planet. Upgrade your business and get the same checkout Allbirds uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com realm all lowercase go to shopify.com realm to upgrade your selling today. That's shopify.com realm foreign remarkably, Charlie's wound.

[Narrator]

Did not become infected. He remained with the 116th as the regiment continued to fight in major military campaigns. During the intense combat in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the fall of 1863, Charlie and his comrades participated in a.

[Chris Wimmer]

Bold attack against Confederate defenders who protected.

[Narrator]

The high ground called Missionary Ridge outside the city. Caked in soot and blood, Charlie and his men helped the Union army achieve a massive victory. Because of his bravery, Charlie received two battlefield promotions. He achieved the rank of brevet first lieutenant and fought throughout the remainder of the war. Some of the highlights of his service included participation in General William Tecumseh Sherman's infamous march to the sea in Georgia and then the Union Army's grand parade in Washington, D.C. after the war, Charlie Bowles returned home with the 116th Illinois after the regiment was discharged from service on June 7, 1865. Like many men who endured the hardships of war, Charlie tried to return to a normal routine. It looked as if Charlie's life reverted to a mundane existence, but the same fever that struck him as a young man returned. There was gold in Montana, and Charlie Bowles couldn't fight the urge to go west again. Gold had been discovered in Montana Territory in 1862, and now that the war was over. Legions of people moved west to strike it rich in Big sky Country. In 1867, Charlie sold his farm and relocated his wife and family, which now consisted of four children, to a nearby town in Illinois. Then he headed west toward Montana, and he never returned home. Supposedly, Charlie got his wife's permission to.

[Chris Wimmer]

Leave the family and go prospecting. He had convinced her he could make.

[Narrator]

A lot of money and provide for his family, more so than if he remained a farmer. So off Charlie went. And when he arrived in Montana, Charlie. He began working for a miner named Henry Roberts. Roberts later became a successful businessman and one of the directors of the Anglo Montana Mining Company. But Charlie Bowles was on a different path. Charlie sifted for gold in the Montana hills for at least two years. In August 1871, Charlie wrote to his wife and told her that he had made his stake. He had apparently accumulated enough gold to to provide for his family as he had promised. But in the same letter, he also informed his wife that something had made him vehemently angry. According to Charlie, several men approached him and asked if he wanted to sell shares in his mining operation. Charlie declined. The men didn't seem to appreciate the response, and they trudged away. Two days later, the water flow that Charlie needed to be able to sift his gold began to decrease in volume. Eventually, it slowed to a trickle, and then it stopped completely. The men he had rebuffed bought two claims upstream and dammed the water. Charlie was outraged, and he soon discovered that the men were associated with Wells Fargo and Company. Wells Fargo is a recognizable name today in banking and business, and it was the premier banking and express organization in the American West. In the West, Wells Fargo shipped payroll for businesses. It delivered mail that often contained cash, and it drove travelers to their destinations in its iconic stagecoaches. But unbeknownst to the company, it had just made an enemy of Charlie Bowles. The company, of course, knew nothing of Charlie Bowles. He was just one miner among thousands in the West. But in Charlie's letter to his wife, he. He said he was going to, quote, take steps to rectify the injustice. It took time for Charlie to begin to execute his plan. But when he did, it quickly became clear that Wells Fargo was his primary target. Charlie's life is mostly a mystery from 1871 to 1875. Information about his actions and exploits are scant in the historical record. But three things are certain. In 1871, he wrote to his wife for the last time from the mining town of Silver Bow in southwest Montana. Second, his wife and family would not hear his name again until he was a convicted criminal. Third, Charley Bowles drifted through Utah and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Nevada before arriving in California in 1875. It had been more than 20 years since Charlie's second trip to California to prospect for gold.

[Narrator]

And when he returned, now for the third time, the state was both similar.

[Chris Wimmer]

And radically different from his previous experiences.

[Narrator]

It was similar in that there were.

[Chris Wimmer]

Still miners and mines in abundance, although the mining process was more commonly hydraulic.

[Narrator]

Mining, which used high pressure water jets to expose gold in the rock formations. It was different because California's population had grown significantly. Because California's gold was located in the northern part of the state, San Francisco became the most thriving city. Its population exploded. By 1870, it was the 10th most populated city in the country and the most populated city west of Chicago by far. San Francisco became Charlie's home and it was where he started to lead a double life. He grew to enjoy the finer things in life. Using the money that was supposed to go back to his wife and children. Charlie ate at fine restaurants and sometimes stayed at luxurious hotels. He donned immaculate and expensive clothes. Charlie reinvented himself as a mining magnate and investor who used the name Charles Bolton. Charlie looked the part and sounded the part. He was in his mid-40s. He had a distinguished look supported by graying hair, and he had a bushy yet dashing mustache. He made friends with businessmen, restaurateurs and, ironically, policemen. The problem was that Charlie was not a magnate.

[Chris Wimmer]

He did not have unlimited funds, so.

[Narrator]

He needed to find a way to get enough cash to supplement his new lifestyle. And he had no interest in going back to a life of unending labor.

[Chris Wimmer]

Like a miner or a farmer. He heard that some bandits in Northern.

[Narrator]

California had made lots of money by robbing stagecoaches.

[Chris Wimmer]

And that was the solution for Charlie Bowles.

[Narrator]

He would rob stagecoaches to supplement his lifestyle. And he would exact a measure of revenge against Wells Fargo at the same time. That was how Charlie Bowles found himself standing in the middle of a road.

[Chris Wimmer]

In Calaveras county at 3am with John.

[Narrator]

Shine's stagecoach rolling toward him. The horses that had just pulled shine and his 10 passengers up the steep incline of Funk Hill were understandably tired.

[Chris Wimmer]

They rounded a bend at a slow.

[Narrator]

Pace and then Shine stopped them with a jerk of the reins. Charlie Bowles stood in the road with a flour sack over his head as a mask and a double barrel shotgun in his hands. After some back and forth with John Shine and a couple of the passengers, Charlie convinced Shine to throw down the Wells Fargo box that he was sure would be on the stage. Schein tossed the box to the ground, and then Charlie allowed the stage to continue on its way. He refused to take anything from the passengers. He only wanted the Wells Fargo box.

[Chris Wimmer]

He had learned the stage routes, and it was a solid bet that many, if not most of the stagecoaches would carry a money box. After John Shine's stagecoach rumbled onward, Charlie used a hatchet to smash open the Wells Fargo box. Inside was $160, roughly $4,500 in today's money. But Charlie didn't have time to revel in his success. No sooner had John Shine's coach moved on than another stagecoach rolled up. Funk.

[Warby Parker Advertiser]

Your data is like gold to hackers. They're selling your passwords, bank details and private messages. McAfee helps stop them. Secure VPN keeps your online activity private. AI powered text scam detector spots phishing attempts instantly and with award winning antivirus you get top tier hacker protection. Plus you'll get up to $2 million in identity theft coverage. All for just $39.99 for your first year. Visit McAfee.com cancel anytime. Terms apply.

[LinkedIn Advertiser]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying Big Wireless Way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Narrator]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent.

[Progressive Advertiser]

To $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price.

[Warby Parker Advertiser]

Plan options and fees extra. See full [e-mail].

[Chris Wimmer]

Donald McLean, the driver.

[Narrator]

Of the second stage coach, was taking.

[Chris Wimmer]

Several passengers from Sonora to Milton.

[Narrator]

Despite Charlie's knowledge of the stage routes, he wasn't expecting another coach that night. And McLean definitely wasn't expecting to turn the corner and be confronted by a highwayman. Charlie, still wearing his mask, leveled his shotgun at McLean. He politely requested the Wells Fargo box. McLean calmly told the masked Bandit that the coach was a private stage and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Did not have an express box.

[Narrator]

Instead of cursing or robbing the passengers, Charlie took a step back and waved the coach on.

[Chris Wimmer]

McLean did not need to be told twice.

[Narrator]

He snapped the reins and hurried his team onward. When McLean's stage was out of sight, Charlie took off. And it was a good thing he did because McLean's stage soon encountered John Shine's stage. Shine had paused his coach while he and his two male passengers debated if they should go back and confront the desperado. With McLean and his passengers present, the men thought they had enough firepower to go after Charlie and his gang. Everyone had seen the gun barrels sticking out of the bushes along the sides of the road, and Shine's group had heard Charlie shout to his crew of robbers. When Shine, McLean and their impromptu posse hurried back to the site of the robbery, they learned the truth of their experience. Charlie Bowles had vanished. All that remained was the splintered Wells Fargo box, the mail pouch and the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Rifle barrels that were still peeking out of the brush.

[Narrator]

It seemed impossible to believe that the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Gang members would have left their rifles behind. And of course, they didn't. There was no gang and there were no rifles.

[Narrator]

As Shine approached the shrubs, he realized it was all a trick. The rifles were just sticks. Surviving accounts don't specify that the sticks were coated with black paint or shoe polish, but they probably were. In the darkness of 3 o'clock in the morning, sticks painted black could easily.

[Chris Wimmer]

Have tricked the passengers. Like the flour sack mask and the shotgun. The fake firearms would be a trademark of Charlie's criminal career.

[Narrator]

He worked alone and he used his brains instead of brawn to that end. Another hallmark was his simple plan to literally cover his tracks. In that first robbery, he wrapped his boots in clothes to prevent them from leaving distinguishable footprints. That detail was important to Charlie because.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of a rare quirk of his personality.

[Narrator]

Despite growing up in a rural community and spending copious time in the West, Charley Bowles was terrified of horses. Because of his fear of horses, he always escaped on foot. Hence the need to cover his footprints. The robbery on Funk Hill satisfied Charlie's.

[Chris Wimmer]

Financial needs for a little while. But soon enough, the money ran out and it was time to rob another stagecoach. This time he stopped a coach in Yuba County, California. Yuba county was more than 100 miles north of his first robbery, and it was a place where gold had been found in abundance. Wells Fargo coaches raced across the area and the next unlucky stage was driven by Mike Hogan.

[Narrator]

He was taking his coach from San.

[Chris Wimmer]

Juan to Marysville, north of Sacramento.

[Narrator]

Mike Hogan's stagecoach had been robbed on December 15, 1875, by a man armed with a rifle. On December 28, 1875, Hogan's stage was.

[Chris Wimmer]

Robbed again as it rounded a bend.

[Narrator]

But this time it was robbed by Charlie Boles. Like Charlie's first robbery, he was brandishing his double barrel shotgun and using his flour sack mask. Hogan pulled on the reins and Charlie set to work demanding the Wells Fargo Express box And the mail sack. The driver complied and after the desired items were tossed down from the stagecoach, Charlie sent the coach onward. The money was enough to hold Charlie over, so he decided to lay low as the calendar turned from 1875 to to 1876. During the winter, he continued to act as the stylish and respectable Charles Bolton in San Francisco. When the money ran out In May of 1876, he went out robbing again. But it would be a long time before he robbed multiple stagecoaches in a single year. He seemed to begin a pattern of one robbery per summer, and during the second in the pattern, he started to.

[Chris Wimmer]

Write his own legacy and and legend.

[Narrator]

On June 2, 1876, five miles from the settlement of Cottonwood, Charlie donned his hood and his white coat and he stood in the middle of the road. It was nighttime and presumably there was a decent moon out. That night, a stagecoach rolled up and stopped at the sight of a man with a shotgun. Charlie demanded the express box and the mailbag. He kept his shotgun trained on the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Driver as the man nervously tossed down the items.

[Narrator]

Charlie sent the coach on his way and he laid low for a year. On August 3, 1877, he went to Sonoma County, California. He held up a stagecoach using his tried and true method, and then he escaped on foot.

[Chris Wimmer]

But that robbery was the one that really set him apart from other bandits. In the busted up Wells Fargo money.

[Narrator]

Box, he left behind a brown scrap.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of paper on which he had written a poem.

[Narrator]

It read, I've labored long and hard for bread, for honor and for riches, but on my corns too long you've tread, you fine haired sons of bitches. It was signed, Black Bart 1877. Charley gave himself the famous nickname and he became the outlaw poet. But he waited a year before he showcased his literary talents again. In the early morning hours of July 25, 1878, Charlie Black Bart Bowles laid in wait for an oncoming stagecoach. He was positioned on a wagon road which is now Highway 162 between the towns of Quincy and Oroville in Yuba County. He knew the area well, and he had hoped to rob a stagecoach that carried gold which was being shipped from the local mines. As a stagecoach drew near, Charlie raised his shotgun and shouted, throw out the box. The driver halted the coach and did as he was told. When Charlie had the express box, he told the driver to move on, which the driver gladly did. When a posse found the empty express box, they also found a new poem.

[Chris Wimmer]

Which read, here I lay me down to sleep, to wait. The Coming morrow, Perhaps success, perhaps defeat and everlasting sorrow. Let come what will. I'll try it on my condition.

[Narrator]

Can't be worse. And if there's money in the box.

[Chris Wimmer]

Tis money in my purse. The poem was signed Black Bart. The poet Charlie Bowles was not the most prolific highwayman in the west, at least not yet. But he was certainly one of a.

[Narrator]

Kind, with his signature dress style and methods.

[Chris Wimmer]

During his robberies and now his poems.

[Narrator]

And his nickname, Wells Fargo, detectives knew they were looking for a distinctive figure. Whether it helped detectives or not, the Black Bart nickname originally originated in Charlie's adopted home of San Francisco. Charlie borrowed the name from a short story that had been published two years earlier. The story was written by San Francisco lawyer William Rhodes, and it featured a cavalcade of villains. One was a stagecoach robber named Bartholomew.

[Chris Wimmer]

Graham, who went by the alias Black Bart. By the summer of 1878, the real bandit, who was using the name of the fictitious bandit, started to draw more attention from authorities in Northern California. Wells Fargo, the US Post Office, and the State of California pooled their resources and offered an $800 reward for the.

[Narrator]

Capture of Black Bart.

[Chris Wimmer]

Today, that would be more than $23,000.

[Narrator]

And it didn't. At one point, authorities thought they might have caught the bandit who had robbed multiple stages in Northern California over the past couple years. A posse nabbed two ex convicts. One of them was the same height, age and complexion as Charlie Bowles, and the man was known to carry a shotgun. Both ex cons were soon convicted of possessing stolen property, but neither was Black Bart the poet. As always, Charlie Bowles had walked and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Ridden trains back to San Francisco after.

[Narrator]

His robbery in Yuba County. He enjoyed himself in the big city. But the allure of more money drew.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie back to the winding roads of northern California.

[Narrator]

On October 2, 1878, Black Bart robbed his seventh stagecoach. This time he traveled about 150 miles.

[Chris Wimmer]

North of San Francisco to to Mendocino County. He robbed two stagecoaches in two days, which made three robberies for the year. He tripled his usual once a year pattern. For the next eight months, Black Bart remained dormant. But on June 21, 1879, he was back at it. Decked out in his normal attire, mask and all, Charlie Bowles held up a stage bound for Oroville in his familiar territory of Yuba County. Then he did another double dip in October 1879, when he robbed two stagecoaches at the end of the month. That made 12 robberies in the space of four years, nearly all of which cost Wells Fargo money. The company was not happy, and his detectives were frustrated. As lawmen fruitlessly searched for Black Bart.

[Narrator]

The bandit paused his criminal activities for 11 months. The money from the express boxes and the mailbags was easily funding his lifestyle, and the long stretches of inactivity made it tough to track him down. Wells Fargo detective James Hume, who will.

[Chris Wimmer]

Play a prominent role in Black Bart's story, was the lead investigator, and he.

[Narrator]

Wrote detailed notes about each crime. Hume created a profile based on witness statements and evidence. He was looking for an older gentleman.

[Chris Wimmer]

With a slim frame who was familiar with the region and who must have had some sort of aversion to horses because there were never any hoofprints at the scenes of the crimes. The bandit was always calm and polite. He always carried a shotgun, but he never used it. He stole from the money box and the mail pouches, but never the passengers. It was a fair amount of information, but not nearly enough to identify the.

[Narrator]

Outlaw poet who called himself Black Bart. Wells Fargo was frustrated.

[Chris Wimmer]

California's government had no answers.

[Narrator]

Charlie Bowles was feeling mighty fine.

[Chris Wimmer]

But as always, his money started to run out.

[Narrator]

In 1880, he expanded his operations northward. Now coaches in Oregon had to watch out for a bandit with a bowler.

[Chris Wimmer]

Hat, a shotgun, and an unexpectedly polite demeanor. With that combination, Black Bart would become one of the most successful bandits of the Old West.

[Narrator]

Next time on Legends of the Old West. Charlie Bowles ventures up to Oregon and then returns to his home territory of California. He continues to frustrate detectives as he robs stage after stage.

[Chris Wimmer]

But nothing lasts forever. And detective James Hume finally gets a lead on the masked bandit whom he has tracked for years. That's next week on Legends of the Old West. Members of our Black Barrel program don't have to wait week to week to receive new episodes. They receive the entire season to binge all at once with no commercials. And they also receive exclusive bonus episodes. Sign up now through the link in the show notes or on our website blackberrymedia.com memberships are just $5 per month. The series was researched and written by Michael Meglish. The producer was Joe Garop. Original music by Rob Valiere. I'm Chris Wimmer. Thanks for listening.

[Warby Parker Advertiser]

Airport stress. Step into relaxation with the Platinum card and get that wait, am I famous Treatment. Enjoy complimentary access to over 1400 airport lounges with the American Express Global Lounge collection and the Platinum Card. Learn more@american express.com Explore-platinum Terms apply.

[Ann Foster]

Have you ever heard about the 19th century French actress with so many lovers that they formed a lovers union? Or what about the aboriginal Australian bandit who faked going into labor just to escape the police, which she did escape from them. It was a great plan. How about the French queen who murdered her rival with poison gloves? I'm Ann Foster, host of the feminist women's history comedy podcast Vulgar History. Every week I share the saga of a woman from history whose story you probably didn't already know and you will never forget after you hear it. Sometimes we re examine well known people like Cleopatra or Pocahontas, sharing the truth behind their legends. Sometimes we look at the scandalous women you'll never find in a history textbook. Listen to Vulgar History wherever you get podcasts. And if you're curious, the people I was talking about before the Australian woman is named Marianne Bug and the French actress was named Rochelle. No last name, just Rachelle. And the queen who poisoned her rival is Catherine de Medici. I have episodes about all of them.

[Indeed Advertiser]

You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday? How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites with Indeed sponsored jobs. Your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com Arts, just go to Indeed.com Arts right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.