OUTLAWS Ep. 2 | “Black Bart: End of the Road”

Summary

Legends of the Old West: OUTLAWS Ep. 2 | “Black Bart: End of the Road”

Host: Black Barrel Media
Host Persona: Chris Wimmer
Release Date: March 26, 2025

In the second installment of the "Outlaws" series, titled “Black Bart: End of the Road,” host Chris Wimmer immerses listeners in the intriguing life and criminal exploits of Charlie Bowles, better known as Black Bart. This episode meticulously chronicles Bowles’ transformation from a prospector and soldier into one of the American West’s most notorious stagecoach robbers. Through detailed storytelling and insights from Detective James Hume, the episode paints a vivid picture of Bowles' audacious crimes, the relentless manhunt to capture him, and his enduring legacy.

Early Life and Transformation

Charlie Bowles’ journey into infamy began with his early life as a prospector, farmer, and soldier in Illinois. Driven by the allure of gold, he abandoned his family to seek fortune in Montana during the gold rush of the 1850s and 60s. However, his pursuit of wealth took a dark turn when “two men who were somehow associated with Wells Fargo ruined his operation” ([02:26] Detective James Hume). Disillusioned and desperate, Bowles moved to California, where he reinvented himself as Charles Bolton, a wealthy mine owner. This new identity allowed him to live a life of luxury funded by his burgeoning career in stagecoach robberies.

The Rise of Black Bart

By the mid-1870s, Black Bart had emerged as a formidable threat in Northern California. His first known robbery occurred on July 26, 1875, where he successfully hijacked a stagecoach across seven counties without harming any passengers. “The bandit, who called himself Black Bart, was causing major headaches for Wells Fargo and company” ([01:12] Chris Wimmer). Bowles’ method was distinctively polite; he preferred taking express boxes and mailbags over passengers' valuables, which allowed him to evade immediate suspicion and maintain a relatively low profile.

Detective James Hume highlights Bowles’ meticulous approach: “He had hijacked 12 stagecoaches, and the money from his robberies funded his fancy lifestyle in San Francisco” ([02:48]). Bowles’ expertise in navigating treacherous terrains and unpredictable weather conditions made him a ghostly figure, elusive to law enforcement despite their persistent efforts.

Escalation and Media Frenzy

As Bowles’ string of robberies continued, his activities garnered significant media attention. By the early 1880s, he had escalated his operations, committing multiple heists annually and robbing stagecoaches in both California and Oregon. “The alarm went up throughout Jackson County” after his robberies in Oregon, reflecting the growing fear and urgency among the local population ([04:00] Chris Wimmer).

Although Bowles often found substantial amounts of money—equivalent to $43,000 today—in mailbags, his dissatisfaction with the lack of golden riches pushed him to seek larger scores. His daring tactics included staking out popular highway stretches and adapting to new methods, such as attempting to rob gold-laden shipments. This boldness, however, also increased his exposure and the determination of law enforcement to apprehend him.

The Manhunt Intensifies

Detective James Hume and his team, including lawmen Joseph Thacker and Charles All, intensified their efforts to capture Black Bart. Despite their dedication, Bowles’ strategic planning and ability to adapt kept him one step ahead. Notable close calls included an incident where a stagecoach driver attacked Bowles with a hatchet, nearly ending his reign ([07:12]).

The media played a crucial role in both mythologizing Bowles and complicating the investigation. As reported by Detective Hume, “Oregon newspapers reported that the notorious operator known as Black Bart had waylaid two coaches in the area” ([05:05]). The sensational coverage ensured that Bowles remained a subject of public fascination, simultaneously aiding and hindering the investigative efforts.

The Final Robbery and Clues to Capture

The turning point in Bowles’ criminal career came with his final robbery on July 13, 1883, near Funk Hill in Calaveras County. Intent on stealing a gold shipment, Bowles confronted seasoned stagecoach driver Reason McConnell and his passenger, Jimmy Raillery. Unlike previous encounters, McConnell was undeterred by Bowles’ intimidation tactics. “McConnell wasn't scared, but it also appears as though he wasn't armed” (<19:39> Chris Wimmer).

During the ensuing confrontation, Bowles was wounded by gunshots, forcing him to abandon the robbery hurriedly. In his escape, Bowles inadvertently left behind critical evidence: a leather satchel containing a handkerchief marked “fx07,” a laundry code identifying his use of Charles Bolton’s laundry service ([24:28] Detective James Hume).

Detective Hume and his associate Detective Harry Morse leveraged this clue to trace Bowles’ identity. By methodically visiting laundries across San Francisco, they eventually connected the laundry mark to Charlie Bowles. “The laundry mark identified the business that had cleaned the bandit's clothes” ([21:28]).

Capture and Imprisonment

On November 14, 1883, Detective Morse successfully lured Bowles under the guise of a business meeting. Disguised as a fellow businessman named Hamilton, Morse engaged Bowles in conversation, leading him to a Wells Fargo office where Detective Hume awaited. Confronted with irrefutable evidence and mounting pressure, Bowles confessed his true identity as Charlie Bowles. “He confirmed his true identity as Charlie Bowles, the prolific stagecoach robber known as Black Bart” ([26:04]).

Bowles was subsequently convicted and sentenced to six years at San Quentin Prison. Despite his criminal activities, Bowles maintained a polite and amicable demeanor in prison, becoming a renowned letter writer and a celebrity prisoner. His early release on January 21, 1888, marked the end of his known criminal activities, though rumors of his whereabouts persisted.

Legacy and Mystique

After his release, Charlie Bowles vanished from public records, leading to various rumors and speculations about his fate. Some accounts suggested he traveled to exotic locales like China or Australia, while others claimed he settled quietly in Northern California. The last credible sighting occurred in March 1888 at the Visalia Hotel in Visalia, California, where Bowles signed in as “Mr. Moore” and was never seen again ([29:58] Chris Wimmer).

Detective Hume remained confident that Bowles had ceased his criminal endeavors, despite occasional reports of similar robberies. The episode concludes by reflecting on Bowles’ enduring legacy as Black Bart, a masterful outlaw whose name became synonymous with the romanticized image of the Wild West.

Notable Quotes

• Detective James Hume ([02:26]):
  "In his final letter to his wife, he said he had been working a successful gold claim, but then two men who were somehow associated with Wells Fargo ruined his operation."

• Chris Wimmer ([01:12]):
  "The bandit, who called himself Black Bart, was causing major headaches for Wells Fargo and company."

• Detective James Hume ([24:28]):
  "The handkerchief was marked fx07. The code was a laundry mark. It identified the business that had cleaned the bandit's clothes."

• Chris Wimmer ([07:12]):
  "At that moment, the driver pulled a hatchet from between his feet and swung it at the bandit. The hatchet passed within an inch of Charlie's head."

• Chris Wimmer ([26:04]):
  "Charlie decided to confess. He confirmed his true identity as Charlie Bowles, and he was the prolific stagecoach robber Known as Black Bart, who had prowled the back roads of Northern California for eight years."

Conclusion

“Black Bart: End of the Road” provides an in-depth exploration of Charlie Bowles' criminal career, highlighting his strategic brilliance and the determined pursuit by law enforcement. Through engaging narration and detailed historical accounts, Chris Wimmer effectively brings to life the story of one of the American West’s most enigmatic outlaws. This episode not only chronicles Bowles' audacious robberies but also delves into the investigative techniques that ultimately led to his capture, cementing his place in the annals of Wild West history.

Transcript

[Jack Welch]

The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University helps you go from I know the way to I've arrived with our top 10 ranked online MBA. Gain skills you can learn today and apply tomorrow. Get ready to go from make it happen to made it happen and keep striving. Visit strayer.edu Jack Welchmba to learn more. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Shev and has many campuses including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia.

[McAfee]

Your data is like gold to hackers and they'll sell it to the highest bidder. Are you protected? McAfee helps shield you blocking suspicious texts, malicious emails and fraudulent websites. McAfee Secure VPN lets you browse safely and its AI powered tech scam detector spots threats instantly. You'll also get up to $2 million of award winning antivirus and identity theft protection, all for just $39.99 for your first year. Visit McAfee.com/Untime Terms apply.

[Chris Wimmer]

Stagecoach drivers dealt with stressful situations regularly. The work was exhausting and there were potential hazards everywhere. The terrain was often treacherous and the weather was unpredictable. During the earliest decades of heavy westward expansion, the 1850s, 60s and 70s, Native American war parties were constant threats. By the 1880s, bandits, who were often called highwaymen or road agents, were the chief antagonists for drivers in Northern California, there had been a rise in holdups over the past five years. Since July 26, 1875, a man donning a mask and wielding a shotgun had robbed stages across seven counties. Although he was generally polite and he took the express boxes and mailbags instead of the property of passengers, the bandit, who called himself Black Bart was causing major headaches for Wells Fargo and company. Despite their best efforts, they could not identify or catch the outlaw, whose real name was Charlie Bowles. Charlie was a former prospector, farmer and soldier who had abandoned his wife and four kids in Illinois to try to find gold in Montana.

[Detective James Hume]

In his final letter to his wife, he said he had been working a successful gold claim. But then two men who were somehow associated with Wells Fargo ruined his operation.

[Chris Wimmer]

After that letter, she never heard from Charlie again.

[Detective James Hume]

He had moved west to California and become the most infamous stage robber in.

[Chris Wimmer]

The state, maybe the entire West.

[Detective James Hume]

He had hijacked 12 stagecoaches, and the money from his robberies funded his fancy.

[Chris Wimmer]

Lifestyle in San Francisco.

[Detective James Hume]

There he pretended to be a rich mine owner named Charles Bolton, but to continue to afford the finer things in life, he needed to continue robbing stagecoaches. In September 1880, Charlie left San Francisco.

[Chris Wimmer]

And traveled by train and by foot to unfamiliar territory.

[Detective James Hume]

He arrived in Jackson County, Oregon, and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Staked out a popular stretch of highway. He set up camp near a bend in the road and waited for stages to rumble by. Southbound stages were coming from the prosperous.

[Detective James Hume]

Mines that littered southern Oregon, and Charlie.

[Chris Wimmer]

Believed they may be loaded with gold or cash, or both. At about 10pm he spotted a stagecoach nearing his position. Jimmy Smithson was the driver, and the glowing lanterns on the front of his stage cast their light upon Charlie as he stepped out of the darkness. He walked into the road wearing his typical flour sack mask and holding his typical double barrel shotgun. Charlie made two demands of the driver. Hold up your hands and throw down the mail sacks and the box. Jimmy told Charlie that the box was bolted to the stage, so Charlie handed him a hatchet and told him to get cracking. Jimmy was unable to detach the box, so Charlie told the driver to get off the stage. Charlie climbed up onto the bench and broke out the box. Unfortunately for him, there was little inside to justify the effort. Charlie found $1,400 in a mail pouch, which would be about the equivalent of $43,000 today. But he was disappointed that the express box didn't contain any golden riches. Charlie jumped down and told Jimmy Smithson to get moving. Two days later, Charlie held up another stagecoach in Oregon. Although the express box was empty, the mail contained $1,300. With the pair of robberies he had stolen the equivalent of more than $80,000 in today's money. The alarm went up throughout Jackson County.

[Detective James Hume]

Oregon newspapers reported that the notorious operator.

[Chris Wimmer]

Known as Black Bart had waylaid two.

[Detective James Hume]

Coaches in the area. Wells Fargo assembled a posse which included a Native American tracker. But after following the outlaw's trail for 25 miles, the posse lost their man. Black Bart had vanished again. But unlike previous years, he wouldn't stay dormant for long.

[Chris Wimmer]

From Black Barrel Media, this is Legends of the Old West. I'm your host, Chris Wimmer, and this.

[Detective James Hume]

Season we're telling the stories of infamous outlaws.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie Bowles, better known as Black Bart, Dirty Dave Rudabaugh and the Doolin Dalton Gang.

[Detective James Hume]

This is episode two, Black Bart Part two of two End of the Road. After Charlie Bowles robbed a pair of stagecoaches in Jackson County, Oregon, he returned to California, where he stayed for the remainder of his criminal career. Although Charlie was an expert bandit, robbing stagecoaches was feast or famine, and there was always a chance that his next robbery could be his last. Charlie returned to the sites of previous holdups because he was familiar with the locations and he knew the avenues of escape. Since he often traveled by foot, it was impressive to understand how quickly a wiry man in his 50s could move. Apparently, he was also unfazed by frigid temperatures because he robbed a stage on November 20, 1880, when the weather was icy and freezing. During the holdup, the driver tossed down the mailbags, but he claimed the express box was too heavy and he couldn't pull it out from under his seat by himself. Cautiously, Charlie stepped onto one of the front wheels of the stage and offered.

[Chris Wimmer]

To help lift the box. At that moment, the driver pulled a hatchet from between his feet and swung it at the bandit. The hatchet passed within an inch of Charlie's head.

[Detective James Hume]

The robber fell backward off the front.

[Chris Wimmer]

Wheel and crashed to the ground. The stagecoach raced away, and Charlie Bowles was left with only mailbags and a racing pulse. The cycle of Charlie being flush with cash and and then being nearly destitute repeated again in the summer of 1881. The money from the three heists in 1880 had lasted for eight months. Charlie hopped a train and traveled up.

[Detective James Hume]

To the California Oregon border. He set up camp near a trail.

[Chris Wimmer]

To wait for oncoming stagecoaches. And this time, he planned to try a new tactic. On the night of August 31, an unsuspecting stage rolled into Charlie's ambush site, and the driver spotted a fire burning by the side of the road.

[Detective James Hume]

When the driver slowed his team of.

[Chris Wimmer]

Horses, Charlie confronted the man with his shotgun.

[Detective James Hume]

The stage wasn't carrying passengers, but it.

[Chris Wimmer]

Was carrying an express box and 9 mailbags. Charlie scored a decent haul and sent the driver on his way. Two months later, in October 1881, Charlie robbed two more stagecoaches. He had gone from committing one heist per year, usually in the summer, to committing at least three per year. He was stealing more money, but he was also drawing more attention to his activities. And at least to some degree, he was encountering stagecoach drivers who were more bold than previous victims. The driver in August had nearly smashed Charlie in the head with a hatchet. After the second robbery in October, the.

[Detective James Hume]

Driver drove his stage away from the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Robbery site as instructed. But then he grabbed his gun, turned.

[Detective James Hume]

His stage around, and hurried back to.

[Chris Wimmer]

The spot of the encounter.

[Detective James Hume]

With the intent of killing the bandit, Charlie had maintained his discipline and fled the area quickly. But the trend would continue over the next two years.

[Chris Wimmer]

Meanwhile, the media attention rose exponentially. In 1881, newspapers like the Sacramento union regularly relayed information about a ghostly highwayman called Black Bart who held up stagecoaches all over northern California. There seemed to be no way to predict when or where the bandit would strike, which no doubt delighted newspaper editors because it ensured they could write more stories, but it continued to frustrate lead detective James Hume. He decided to bolster his team of investigators, and he brought in successful lawmen Joseph Thacker and Charles all to help him catch Black Bart. Unfortunately, none of them were near the village of Dobbins in Yuba county on December 16, 1881. But Charley's experience that day was also unfortunate. He adventured into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in search of a lucrative prize. Instead, he found exhaustion, hunger and frustration.

[Detective James Hume]

When he stopped a stagecoach on December.

[Chris Wimmer]

16, he was tired and irritable. His gentlemanly Persona slipped, and he used crass language to convince the driver to throw down the Wells Fargo box and the mailbag. He was also timid, and he tried to keep himself concealed because he noticed that the stage had a lot of.

[Detective James Hume]

Passengers who may have been carrying guns. No shots were fired and the stage moved on.

[Chris Wimmer]

But Charlie found no money in the.

[Detective James Hume]

Express box and very little of value in the mailbag. It was the beginning of the low.

[Chris Wimmer]

Point for the infamous Black Bart.

[Progressive Insurance]

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 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 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.

[Detective James Hume]

Charlie Bol's recent lackluster robberies had not provided him with the cash he needed, and now he was slogging through bad weather to find another stagecoach. He ended up marching more than 25 miles through the bitter cold to find another hold up spot along a stage route. He spent Christmas camped beneath a bridge like a troll from a folklore story. Two days after Christmas, Charlie stopped a stage and took its express box and mail. To Charlie's exasperation, the items had little.

[Chris Wimmer]

In the way of cash.

[Detective James Hume]

But Charlie was relieved that the coach had no passengers. Some historians believed that it was during this time that Charlie decided if he was going to keep robbing stages, he.

[Chris Wimmer]

Was going to prioritize holding up coaches that had no passengers.

[Detective James Hume]

Charlie's luck finally changed when on January 26, 1882, he held up a stagecoach that carried two express boxes, three mailbags, and not a single passenger.

[Chris Wimmer]

The bandit now had hundreds of dollars.

[Detective James Hume]

In cash and he could finally take a train to Sacramento or San Francisco, where he could enjoy hot food and.

[Chris Wimmer]

Have a roof over his head. Behind him, Detective James Hume was slowly making progress.

[Detective James Hume]

Hume arrived at the site of the January 26 robbery and tracked Bowles by.

[Chris Wimmer]

Foot through the Sacramento Valley.

[Detective James Hume]

But when Bowles boarded a train, Hume lost the trail. Hume didn't know it at the time, but but he was playing the long game. It would take another year and a half for the detective to find some success. The money Charlie stole on January 26 was enough to sustain him until June. On June 14, 1882, he robbed his unprecedented 22nd stagecoach. The Express box was empty, but he.

[Chris Wimmer]

Grabbed a little money from the mailbag.

[Detective James Hume]

After that, he headed deeper into the pine forests of the Sierra Nevada mountains east of the town of Oroville.

[Chris Wimmer]

He targeted one of the many small towns in the mountains that sprang up around gold strikes. Charlie wanted a big score, and he hoped to steal a gold shipment as it moved down out of the mountains. But Charlie should have known that gold was bound to be more protected than express boxes and mailbags.

[Detective James Hume]

On July 13, five miles outside of town, Charlie held up a stagecoach that was laden with gold. The driver was Hank Helm, and the guard was George Hackett. Hackett was formidable, and he had never lost A gold shipment to a bandit. Charlie didn't know that he faced two men who would not be easily intimidated. He leapt onto the road with his shotgun. But the two men on the rig didn't hesitate.

[eBay]

Hat.

[Detective James Hume]

Helm shouted to Hackett. Sock it to him.

[Chris Wimmer]

And Hackett let fly with his shotgun.

[Detective James Hume]

The bandits spun around and ran back into the trees. George Hackett jumped down from the stage and chased the robber, but the outlaw escaped into the pine forest.

[Chris Wimmer]

When Hackett walked back to the waiting.

[Detective James Hume]

Stagecoach, he noticed the highwayman's bowler hat on the ground.

[Chris Wimmer]

Hackett picked up the hat and saw four small holes in it. There were traces of blood on the inside and strands of grayish white hair. Some of Hackett's buckshot had struck the bandit, but evidently not enough to do major damage.

[Detective James Hume]

Hackett and Helm continued their trip and Hackett was secure in the knowledge that his street continued. He still hadn't lost a shipment of gold.

[Chris Wimmer]

And given the newspaper coverage of the prolific robber, who wore a flour sack mask and a bowler hat, it was possible that Hackett knew he nearly took down the infamous Black Bart. Charlie worked his way back to San Francisco and he recuperated from his superficial wounds.

[Detective James Hume]

He was not a young man and he took his time before venturing back into the familiar grounds of Shasta County, California. When he held up a stagecoach on September 17, the driver told him that he was going to get caught one of these days. Charlie responded, perhaps, but in the meantime, give My regards to J.B. hume, will you? Detective Hume received word of the holdup and he raced to the scene. But as usual, he was way too.

[Chris Wimmer]

Far behind Black Bart.

[Detective James Hume]

The bandit struck again three months later in Sonoma County. It was robbery number 25 in an eight year period. And Detective Hume was still no closer to catching his prey. Despite being 54 years old. Charlie Bowles set out to rob more coaches in the spring of 1883. From April to June, he took two stages, but neither gave him the amount.

[Chris Wimmer]

Of cash he wanted.

[Detective James Hume]

Detectives Hume and Thacker hurried to the sites of the robberies and confirmed that.

[Chris Wimmer]

Both were the work of Black Bart.

[Detective James Hume]

But that knowledge didn't help much. Even though the bandit had experienced a couple close calls, he hadn't made any serious mistakes and he was still in control of his own destiny. For the bandit Black Bart, he was still in search of the elusive Big Score. Near the end of 1883, Charlie decided to return to the place where his career had started.

[Chris Wimmer]

He traveled to Funk Hill in Calaveras.

[Detective James Hume]

County, and on November 3rd, he conducted robbery number 28. But number 28 would end far differently from number one. That day in 1883, a 31 year old stagecoach driver named Reason McConnell urged his team of horses up Funk Hill. McConnell was a seasoned frontiersman who had battled Native American warriors. That was why he'd been entrusted with a shipment of gold worth $4,200, which would be worth more than 100,000 today. In addition, he carried just one passenger, 19 year old Jimmy Raillery, whose mother.

[Chris Wimmer]

Ran a hotel in the area. Jimmy wanted to go hunting with his.44.

[Detective James Hume]

Caliber Henry rifle and he hitched a ride with McConnell up into the hills.

[Chris Wimmer]

Halfway up Funk Hill, Jimmy hopped off.

[Detective James Hume]

The stage to start his hunt. McConnell urged his team onward and and Charlie Bowles prepared to jump out of his hiding spot and stop the stage.

[Chris Wimmer]

McConnell's team sensed Charlie hiding behind a boulder. The lead horses stopped and their ears leaned forward as McConnell scanned for a predator. The bandit stepped into the road. Black Bart was wearing his customary flour sack mask, but it was now crowned with a slouch hat in instead of a bowler hat.

[Detective James Hume]

Charlie leveled his shotgun at McConnell, but McConnell wasn't intimidated.

[Chris Wimmer]

He shouted, what in the hell are you looking for? Charlie ordered McConnell to unhitch the horses.

[Detective James Hume]

McConnell wasn't scared, but it also appears as though he wasn't armed, or at.

[Chris Wimmer]

Least he didn't have a weapon close at hand.

[Detective James Hume]

He climbed down and unhitched the horses.

[Chris Wimmer]

From the coach as instructed.

[Detective James Hume]

Charlie ordered McConnell to lead the horses.

[Chris Wimmer]

Up the road and away from the robbery site. When McConnell was gone, Charlie crawled into.

[Detective James Hume]

The coach and began to smash open the express box with a hatchet.

[Chris Wimmer]

For whatever reason, it turned out to be slow work and the delay would prove costly.

[Detective James Hume]

While McConnell was leading his horses away, he saw Jimmy Rilleri. McConnell told Jimmy about the holdup and they worked their way back to the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Scene of the robbery. When they were about 100 yards away.

[Detective James Hume]

They took cover and saw that the infamous Black Bart was still struggling with the express box. It had taken Charlie 30 minutes to break into the box and when he finally stepped down from the coach with the gold, he spotted McConnell and Jimmy in the distance. McConnell grabbed Jimmy's rifle and fired two shots. Then Jimmy took the rifle and fired more shots. As Charlie dashed into a nearby thicket, a bullet struck him in the hand. He crouched and waited to see if he would be pursued.

[Chris Wimmer]

When McConnell and Jimmy didn't approach, Charlie snatched some of the gold coins out of the stash and stuffed the rest into a hollow tree. Then he made it out of Calaveras county, took a train to Sacramento, and eventually made it back to San Francisco. He checked into one of his favorite favorite establishments, the Web house, and nursed his wound. The injury didn't keep him from enjoying the lifestyle he had grown accustomed to. But he didn't know that trouble was brewing on Funk Hill. After the heist, a posse had returned to the scene of the robbery.

[Detective James Hume]

Detectives James Hume and other lawmen scoured.

[Chris Wimmer]

The area and found a wealth of clues. The motherlode was a leather satchel that Charlie had forgotten in his haste. In it were scraps of food, shirt cuffs, a belt, a razor, a set of field glasses, and flour sacks that would be used for future masks. But the most important item was an old handkerchief. The handkerchief was marked fx07. The code was a laundry mark. It identified the business that had cleaned the bandit's clothes. And with a single old handkerchief, Detective Hume finally had the piece of evidence that would lead him to the identity of Black Bart.

[Pluto TV]

Still getting around to that fix on your car? You got this on ebay. You'll find millions of parts guaranteed to fit. Doesn't matter if it's a major engine repair or your first time swapping your windshield wipers. Ebay has that part you need ready to click perfectly into place for changes big and small, loud or quiet. Find all the parts you need at prices you'll love. Guaranteed to fit every time. But you already know that. Ebay Things people love. Eligible items only Exclusion Supply.

[Jack Welch]

This episode.

[McAfee]

Is brought to you by Pluto tv. Pluto TV has all the shows and movies you love streaming for free. That means laughter is free with gut busting comedies like the Neighborhood Key and Peele and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Mystery is free with countless cases to crack from Criminal Minds Tracker and Matlock. And thrills are free with heart pumping.

[Jack Welch]

Hits like the Walking Dead and Defiance.

[McAfee]

Feel the free Pluto TV stream now pay. Never.

[Detective James Hume]

If Charlie Bowles was concerned about leaving behind evidence, he didn't show it. He was strolling Market street in San Francisco as his alter ego, a rich businessman named Charles Bolton.

[Chris Wimmer]

Meanwhile, Detective Hume and one of his top associates, Detective Harry Morse, began the hunt for the laundry that was used by the outlaw.

[Detective James Hume]

The men were convinced that only a laundry in a large city would need to use such a mark. A laundry in a large city would have lots of customers. So logically, the laundry would need to mark the items to make sure the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Proper item would went to the proper person. The mark was like a fingerprint, but it would still be a tough task. There were 91 laundries in San Francisco, and there was no guarantee that the bandit was in San Francisco. But the detectives had to start somewhere, so they began the methodical process of visiting each laundry. Nine days after the robbery, Detective Morse went to a place called Biggs California.

[Detective James Hume]

Laundry at 113 Stevenson St. The owner told him that he recognized the laundry mark, and he said it was assigned to a Mr. C.E. bolton. The owner further told Morse that Mr. Bolton's clothing was dropped off at a.

[Chris Wimmer]

Tobacco shop three blocks away.

[Detective James Hume]

Detective Morse hurried to the tobacco shop.

[Chris Wimmer]

And told the owner that his name was Hamilton. He was trying to track down a Mr. Bolton because he was interested in getting into the mining business. The tobacco shop owner said Mr. Charles E. Bolton, who lived at the Webb house, would be at the shop the next day. Detective Morse returned to the tobacco shop on November 14, and sure enough, he met Charles Bolton. Detective Morse kept up his ruse of being a businessman named Hamilton, and the lawman and the bandit had a pleasant, though guarded conversation wherein they both tried to keep their true identities secret. Morse suggested they go to his office to continue the chat. Charlie agreed, and the two men then.

[Detective James Hume]

Walked a few blocks down the street. To Charlie's shock, the office belonged to Wells Fargo, and inside was Detective James Hume. Charlie quickly braced for an interrogation. Charlie's false Persona, Charles Bolton, supposed to be a rich mine owner. But when Morse and Hume asked pointed questions about the locations of the mines, Charlie flubbed his words. Charlie started to sweat as Morse asked more demanding questions. The final nail in Charlie's coffin was when Morse noticed a small cut on Charlie's right hand, which Morse presumed was a wound from the last robbery. When Morse asked Charlie how he got hurt, Charlie. Charlie changed the topic.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie probably knew he was doomed when Hume summoned San Francisco police Captain Appleton Stone into the room. Stone and another officer joined the two detectives, and they all followed Charlie to the web house. They marched upstairs to Charlie's room, room number 40, and Charlie was indignant as the lawman sifted through his belongings. Hume opened up a Bible, and inside was an inscription. To First Sergeant Charles E. Boles, 116th Illinois. Detective Hume accused Charlie of using a fake name, and Charlie responded by trying to give yet another fake name. The lawman disregarded the weak attempt, and then Hume ramped up the pressure. He threatened to place Charlie before a witness who claimed to be able to identify the bandit despite the fact that Charlie always wore a mask. At that point, Charlie, a tired and aging robber, decided to confess. He confirmed his true identity as Charlie Bowles, and he was the prolific stagecoach robber Known as Black Bart, who had prowled the back roads of Northern California for eight years. Wells Fargo decided to charge Charlie with only the most recent robbery, likely because the evidence was overwhelming and unimpeachable. It was an open and shut case.

[Detective James Hume]

And Charlie was convicted and sentenced to.

[Chris Wimmer]

Six years at San Quentin prison.

[Detective James Hume]

Newspapers loved the story and spread it far and wide. Arguably, the greatest stagecoach robber in American history had been caught and convicted. The news spread across the country.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie's sister in Reno, Nevada, read the.

[Detective James Hume]

News, as did his veteran buddies in Illinois. Last but not least, Charlie's wife Mary, who had relocated to Missouri, realized her.

[Chris Wimmer]

Long lost husband was not dead.

[Detective James Hume]

Instead, he was a successful criminal, a.

[Chris Wimmer]

Gentleman bandit and a poet whose verses.

[Detective James Hume]

Would be mimicked by at least one other outlaw.

[Chris Wimmer]

On November 21, 1883, Charlie Bowles was.

[Detective James Hume]

Escorted into San Quentin prison, which had been built in 1852 and was the.

[Chris Wimmer]

Most prominent prison on the West Coast.

[Detective James Hume]

Despite being incarcerated as prisoner number 11046.

[Chris Wimmer]

Charlie did not stop being polite, well.

[Detective James Hume]

Spoken and amicable, he didn't cause trouble, and he stayed away from the hardened criminals. He wasn't wild about the hard labor at his advancing age when he did it. Nonetheless, he also became a prolific letter writer, and he wrote to his wife, his children, his friends, and even some of the stagecoach drivers he held up. Charlie was a celebrity prisoner, but when he was given an early release for good behavior on January 21, 1888, he.

[Chris Wimmer]

Left with little fanfare.

[Detective James Hume]

For whatever reason, Charlie chose not to reunite with his family. After his release, his life becomes hard to track. Rumor and gossip about the infamous Black.

[Chris Wimmer]

Bart was prevalent, but most of the.

[Detective James Hume]

Stories were hard to verify. Some people claimed he traveled to exotic destinations like China, Japan and Australia. Others said he left the country but stayed closer to home by going to Canada or Mexico. Still others said he spent his remaining years in Northern California. One account suggested Charlie settled in Marysville in Yuba county and became a pharmacist. In March 1888, three months after Charlie's release, a guest checked into the Visalia Hotel in Visalia, California, a small town.

[Chris Wimmer]

In the Central Valley, about halfway between Fresno and Bakersfield. The man signed the guest book as Mr. Moore.

[Detective James Hume]

He stayed just one night, and he was never seen again.

[Chris Wimmer]

That is presumed to be the last.

[Detective James Hume]

Mostly credible sighting of Charlie Bowles, also.

[Chris Wimmer]

Known as Black Bart.

[Detective James Hume]

But the rumor mill exploded to life eight months later when a Wells Fargo stagecoach was robbed by a masked outlaw.

[Chris Wimmer]

On November 14, 1888. The bandit held up the stage and also left behind A brief poem. The lone version verse read, so here I've stood while wind and rain have set the trees a sobbing and risked.

[Detective James Hume]

My life for that box that wasn't worth the robin. The robbery stoked concerns that Black Bart.

[Chris Wimmer]

Was back at it. Detective Hume examined the note and compared it to the two previous poems written by Charlie Bowles. To Hume, the handwriting didn't match. He considered the recent robbery robbery to be the work of a copycat and not the infamous Black Bart. More robberies occurred in the following weeks and Black Bart was naturally the prime suspect.

[Detective James Hume]

But descriptions of the new robber were so vague that the criminal could have been anyone. Detective James Hume was confident that Charlie Bowles was no longer an active outlaw. He was probably right. And if so, then the life of Charlie Bowles after March of 1888 remains a mystery to this day. He robbed 28 stagecoaches between 1875 and 1883, and he did so with flair, guile, and he never once fired a shot.

[Chris Wimmer]

No one knows how much money he.

[Detective James Hume]

Stole, but he ensured that his name.

[Chris Wimmer]

And his alias would live forever. Next time on Legends of the Old West.

[Detective James Hume]

It's the first of a pair of.

[Chris Wimmer]

Episodes about an outlaw who seemed to be everywhere in the West.

[Detective James Hume]

He was in Dodge City while Wyatt.

[Chris Wimmer]

Earp and Bat Masterson were lawmen. He played poker with Doc Holliday in Texas.

[Detective James Hume]

And most famously, he ran with Billy the Kid after the Lincoln County War. The story of Dirty Dave Rudabaugh begins.

[Chris Wimmer]

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 Garra. Original music by Rob Valiere. I'm Chris Wimmer. Thanks for listening.

[Anne 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 Anne 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 Buggy and the French actress was named Rochelle. No last name, just Rochelle. And the queen who poisoned her rival is Catherine de Medici. I have episodes about all of them.

[Verizon]

For a limited time at Verizon, you can get our best price ever for a single line, just $45 per month. When you bring your phone, which is less than you spend on Too Tired to Cook takeout every week, get one line on unlimited welcome for $45 per month with autopay plus taxes fees. Visit your local Portland Verizon store by April 2nd to save $20. Monthly promo credits applied over 36 months with a new line on Unlimited Welcome. In times of congestion, unlimited 5G and 4G LTE may be temporarily slower than other traffic domestic data roaming at 2G speeds. Additional terms apply.