Lounghbo Harry Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid was never recaptured or tried for the Malta train robbery. Opening scene: The train approaches the station and the water tower and another building cast a shadow towards the rail track (right to left across the screen). In the opening sequence the depot sign indicates that the town is Liberty, Texas. The next day Lane and his men put Mrs. Lowe on a train to return the gold and tell her she can keep the reward for herself and her son. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. The inexperienced outlaws apparently never considered the fact that the express train had left St. Paul on a Sunday, not a normal banking business day. Taking Hobek's gun, Trousdale then started a 2-hour standoff with Kilpatrick. There's an old saying: no good deed goes unpunished. Shadows cast from the water tower towards the hotel. But Karma caught up to them after an 1868 train robbery where a man died, they were hanged by a vigilante mob out for justice. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. It didn't work, though: the train ended up stopping on a curve and he couldn't disconnect them. In doing so he got the attention of authorities who promptly returned him to Arizona. Read |'Shutter Island' filming location: Where was Leonardo DiCaprio starrer shot? Gates subsequently attempted to track Sundance, to no avail. Wikipedia, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Train Robbery: A Retrospective Look at an Obsolete Crime, John Quincy Adams Sixth President of the United States, James Monroe Fifth President of the United States, General Anthony Wayne Brave Officer of the American Revolution, James Madison 4th President of the United States, Mary Jane Simpson The Lady and the Mule, Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, New York. When Grady & Jesse first meet at the railway water tower, they all cast long shadows. On the night of the robbery, the men disguised themselves as gentlemen and boarded the train in London carrying luggage filled with lead. You can find the Jesse James HIstorical Site at 1156 . She wishes to do so to clear her familys name. Along the way, they also killed a handful of the train's crew. The film also starred Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson and Ricardo Montalban in major roles. He commanded mail clerk Jimmy Martin and express messenger C.H. 1. Cunningham reached Malta on his injured horse, spread the news of the robbery and joined a posse that soon left for the holdup site. The third outlaw waited at the bonfire with the escape horses. Six robbers were arrested and Rs 10,470 in cash, 33 mobile phones, 14 wrist watches and an ATM card were recovered, along with two pistols, live cartridges, and seven daggers. Union Pacific Railroad says 90 containers on average are getting hit each day, The Wall Street Journal reported. He was also identified, and he was shot (again) and killed just three days later. Foolishly, the thieves returned to Malta. When last seen was riding bay horse branded Half Circle Cross on left shoulder. He was finally buried and covered with a cement slab to guarantee his travelin' days were over. Longabaugh had earned his nickname for serving an 18-month sentence for horse theft a few years earlier in a jail in Sundance, Wyo. It's no wonder, then, that they were tempting targets for the blossoming nation's ne'er do-wells. One would hope that the Justice Department take this as seriously as it took parents showing up at school board meetings to express concerns about how their local schools operate. They should have. Contrary to the method romanticized by Hollywood, outlaws were never known to jump from horseback onto a moving train. At that time, express cars owned by Wells Fargo and the American Express Company carried financial instruments, currency, precious metals, and other desirable goods targeted by criminals. The train was going to pass through a little town called Adair on July 21, so they decided that was the perfect time to strike. In the late 19th century, Robert LeRoy Parkerbetter known as Butch Cassidyled a gang of train robbers who went by the colorful nickname The Wild Bunch. This band of stickup men was responsible for several railway heists, but perhaps none was as famous as 1899s Wilcox Train Robbery in Wyoming. He escaped from jail, and in 1921, he hopped onto a Southern Pacific train, grabbed $187,000 in securities and cash, then hopped right off. Most of the gang was arrested in a matter of days, save Jess Newton. Meanwhile, other outlaws realized this train robbing thing was a great idea. Its hard not to see the looting as a sign that civilization itself in California is shifting into reverse. Thinking the man was a hobo, Smith ordered him off the train. When Wayne and the group cross the river before returning to town a car can bee seen driving in the background. James and his gang are credited for pulling off the world's first armed robbery from a moving train. The breadth of the theft is astonishing. The Train Robbers Review: On its IMDb page. This time the expressman was tossed out the door before the safes were cleared of over $40,000. The Most Notable Train Robberies In The Wild West. All Rights Reserved. As the train began to pull out of town, the conductor noticed Logan loitering on the platform near the baggage car, where he was trying to sneak aboard the tender car. The Train Robbers is a 1973 American Western film written and directed by Burt Kennedy and starring John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson, and Ricardo Montalban. They also took a similar package containing $500 for the American National Bank, Helena, a bolt of green silk fabric, a package of watches and a bag filled with silver coins. However, once they cross the boarder they discover they are being . Most train robberies are high profile crimes committed by armed bandits, but the Great Gold Robbery was the railway equivalent of a cat burglary. The heist would have been the perfect crime, but Agar later confessed to authorities after he was arrested for a separate offense. Criminals are caught and arrested, turned over to local authorities for booking, arraigned before the local courts, charges are reduced to a misdemeanor or petty offense, and the criminal is released after paying a nominal fine. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. @GavinNewsom at the site of L.A. train theft: What the Hell is going on? A hoot. Making the jump to train robbery was just the next natural step, and his plan was pretty flawless. However, none of them had any money; the Chinook Opinion reported that they were out of work cowboys who had been hanging around town for some time. Sundance was held as J.E. The First Robbery of a Moving Train. Generally, train robberies were a distinctively American crime, seldom occurring in other nations. If you could go back in time and start life over again in the Wild West, what would you be? The film also starred Ann-Margret, Rod Taylor, Ben Johnson and Ricardo Montalban in major roles. 13, and at first, things went almost all right. The Great Falls Tribune commented, The affair occurred in less time than it takes to relate it.. The biggest rail heist in American history was the work of the Newton Boys, a band of four Texas brothers who robbed at least 60 banks and six trains during their lucrative criminal careers. January 27, 2022, Packaging debris and items looted from rail cars but then abandoned litter train tracks near the the Union Pacific rail yard in Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles on Jan. 15. A post shared by Mountain Pictures (@borderlesstourist) on Jul 26, 2020 at 2:06pm PDT, A post shared by Dizzy Dames (@twodizzydames) on May 9, 2020 at 7:22am PDT, Read |Where was 'Once Upon a Prince' filmed? Send an email to Jarrett. There are no mountains in the area and the nearest desert is several hundred miles to the west. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. After switching the gold with their dummy lead weights, they resealed the boxes and disguised the loot in their luggage before exiting the train in Dover. One of the outlaws kicked open a wooden box, and they found $60,000 worth of gold coins. Bass (and the members of his gang who survived) were back to train robbing the next year, and did they need it? Aside from the films engaging storyline and a talented star cast, The Train Robbers shooting location also captured by the attention of many fans. And don't forget, this was also a time in the nation's history where trains were just as important as the internet is to us today. (Automatic handgun scene.) Their frustration grew, and when Trousdale snagged a wooden mallet off a shipment of oysters, they didn't notice. Not only that, but the railroad company . Arizona had just decided to make train robbing a capital offense, so Smith's comrades were each handed a 25-year sentence. What did everyone else do? Big Springs, Nebraska Train Robbery. On October 6, 1866, one of the first train robberies in America occurred when the Reno brothers boarded an eastbound Ohio & Mississippi Railroad passenger train near Seymour, Indiana, and entered an Adams Express Company car. And yes, they were all arrested. At 3 a.m. on November 29, the Great Northern westbound express No. Then, the mail clerk refused to open the car they were so focused on robbing, so they used the dynamite they brought along for just that occasion. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Lowe wants to tell the railroad where to find the half-million U.S. dollars in gold her late husband, Matt, stole during a train robbery, and clear the family name for her son. In the opening scene where the train comes into town it goes past the water tank, in the next scene the train is parked at the tank taking water. After the locomotive came to a halt, two masked men boarded it and ordered the engineer to cross a nearby bridge. Hanks was shot and killed by detectives while on a drunken spree at Flo Williams whorehouse in San Antonio, Texas, on April 17, 1902. "Hey, Sam. He was born in 1880, and headed West to get involved in some heists that, unfortunately for him, turned more into hijinks. Then as the camera switches to Lane, the shadow of the building falls in a different direction. Following her husbands demise, Mrs Lowe played by Ann-Margret wishes to reveal to the railroad where to find the half-millionU.S. dollarsingoldwhich her late husband, Matt, stole during a train robbery. After serving nearly 10 years, the Tall Texan was killed during an attempted train robbery in Sanderson, Texas, on March 13, 1912. So, railroad thefts in Los Angeles might result in empty store shelves in, for example, Wichita, Kansas. The Defense Department said the project will require over 6,500 soldiers and National Guard officers to permanently guard its tracks and stations, out of the country's total . The raid began in the early morning of June 2, when several Wild Bunch members flagged down the first part of a two-section train operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. Shore unexpectedly made a motion that the prisoners be discharged for the reason that nothing had been adduced to show that they were guilty of the charge proferred against them. The prosecutors case fell apart; and all four prisoners were immediately released. As the cold set in, he took refuge in Alex Blacks Saloon with his pals Bill Madden and Harry Bass. "[6] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film three stars out of four and declared that John Wayne's "legend not only lives in 'The Train Robbers,' it gleams. Age, about 25 years. The twin hubs handle about 40% of the nations maritime imports, with the majority of nearly $450 billion worth of goods eventually moving by rail.. The caper came on the night of June 12, 1924. 3. Jarrett Stepman One night in August, 1963, robbers stopped a freight/mail train north of London and grabbed a then-record 2.6 million British pounds - worth over $40 million pounds ($60 million dollars) at this writing. Where is the FBI? asked the editors at National Review, adding: We would like to think they are building cases against the organized-crime enterprises and ad hoc theft-fencing schemes behind the crippling spate of train robberies. Of course you would. Instead of obeying, the man pulled a pistol and warned the conductor not to stop the train. Here are all major filming locations. They hopped on an Ohio & Mississippi Railroad passenger train as it passed through Indiana. Gads Hill Missouri Great Train Robbery. 3 made its regular stop in Malta about 1:30 p.m. Kilpatrick purchased a ticket and boarded the train as a passenger. Filming took place in Sierra de rganos National Park in the town of Sombrerete, Mexico. But, they are being followed by the villain of the film Pinkerton played by Ricardo Montalban. They returned to Great Falls and sent out the following wanted notice: The above reward will be paid by the Great Northern Express company for the arrest and detention of Harry Lounghbo, who in company with others held up and robbed the west bound train on the Great Northern Railway, near Malta, Montana, on the morning of November 29th, 1892. When one conjures up fanciful notions of Wild West lawlessness, the image that comes to mind is that of movie scenes of daring train robberies by gangs of robbers on horseback. Perhaps it was the ghost of Jesse James, acting to ensure his legacy would never be forgotten. See production, box office & company info, Ann-Margret: Frn Valsjbyn till Hollywood. Shooting the lock would not have caused it to disintegrate. It was hit during the night of June 1 to 2, 1899, and the story as it's often told is the heist was pulled off by Butch Cassidy and his gang. One by one, members of the gang started getting picked off, caught, or killed. Just kidding. [9], Quentin Tarantino later called it "so light it's barely a movie, but that doesnt mean its not amusing."[10]. At some point during the train journey between England and France, around 12,000 British pounds worth of gold bullionthe equivalent of some $1.5 million in modern day currencyhad simply vanished. Some fun. At 10 p.m. Detective W. Ed Black of the Great Northern Railroad arrested Bass and a man named William Hunt as they saddled their horses outside Alex Blacks Saloon. By the time he went to the gallows, he was known as Black Jack Ketchum. But when they made the jump to robbing trains, well, it didn't exactly go smoothly from the get-go. The rewards were worth far more than the outlaws had stolen, but the railroad wanted to send a clear message that they would not tolerate train robbery. Police were later called to the scene, where they discovered heaps of evidenceincluding fingerprints on the gangs Monopoly boardthat helped them track down the thieves. Bored, and probably a little drunk, the three cowboys decided to add a little excitement and some easy money to their lives. Trousdale only fired a single shot, and the bullet hit Kilpatrick just above the left eye. Helmed by the renowned American director Burt Kennedy, The Train Robbers became one of the most successful films of the year. And third? Finally, the Atlanta Federal Prison punished one of his escape attempts with 20 months in solitary, and that was followed by a stint at the St. Elizabeth Hospital for the Insane, then a transfer to Alcatraz. Some of the most famous criminals included the likes of the Farrington Brothers in Kentucky and Tennessee, Jesse James in the Midwest, and Butch Cassidys Wild Bunch in Wyoming. has been a hub of major shipping woes in recent months, with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach a prominent fixture of global supply bottlenecks, Yahoo Finance reported. All of them are hoping to get a share of the reward. Agent responsibilities include the protection of personnel, cargo, and property. The vicious surrealism of the spaghetti western had essentially overwhelmed the clichs of Hollywood. Investigations relating to thefts of cargo, burglaries of company property, and acts of vandalism occupy most of the agents time. The Biden Classified Documents Fiasco: What Do We Know So Far? He earned the title of the Last Great American Train Robber after a pretty long career that started in 1920, when he was arrested just three days after scoring a $78,000 payday robbing a mail truck. Davis was arrested, served only part of his sentence after turning in a group of prisoners he saw escaping, and was shot and killed in 1877 he had gone back to stagecoaches. Although this second holdup, the Wagner train robbery, had succeeded far beyond the 1892 take of Sundance and his pals, Logan, Hanks and Kilpatrick risked laundering the stolen money too quickly. A post shared by John Wayne The Duke Fans (@john.wayne.fans) on Dec 7, 2019 at 3:04pm PST, A post shared by a thriftstore cowboy (@athriftstore_cowboy) on Mar 11, 2019 at 1:28pm PDT, Read |'The Lost Husband' filming location: Austin, Round top & other Texas spots. Thats a big deal for Americans, one with national implications. One of those masked men was Big Jack Davis, who wasn't your ordinary, run-of-the-mill robber he was one of Virginia City's most upstanding and respected businessmen, who just happened to moonlight as a stagecoach robber. [citation needed] The robbers took about 120 mail bags by Land Rovers to their farm hideaway, where they divided the loot. If it wasn't for an alert innkeeper who connected her suspicious visitors with word of the robbery, they may have even gotten away with it. By the early 20th century, the train robbery MO was on its way to film genre status. Who knows their haul was never recovered, and they never scored that big again. We see a change of camera and suddenly the air is filled with desert dust and the noise of wind blowing. He is also the author of the book "The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America's Past." Coincidentally, it was in the same saloon where Sundance, Madden and Bass were once again drinking. It was nearing midnight when Wells Fargo guards opened the door to a sawed-off shotgun, followed by masked robbers who made short work of collecting the gold and silver. But as an exercise in pleasantness, 'The Train Robbers' is an interesting addition to the late history of the traditional unpretentious Western. Many added massive, unmovable safes to their trains and often hired armed guards. Security is incredibly tight and the task seems an impossible one. The first chance he got, he hit Hobek, and kept hitting him but it only took three blows for his brains to leave his head. An Encounter With Train Robbers. Bidens Border Disaster Isnt Incompetence. During the years after theCivil War, much of the nation suffered a period of unemployment and lawlessness, spawning several notorious desperadoes and outlaw gangs. The four men were taken to Helena, where the train conductor identified them; they were then moved to Great Falls under extremely heavy guard. But the man wasn't actually his brother: he was a guy who sold embalmed corpses to carnival sideshows. Chris Chibnall, creator of the hit show "Broadchurch," steers this story about the audacious 1963 theft. Yet behind them, to the right of the picture, as the camera moves to the right slightly, we get a clear view of the camera dolly track, shiny and sand-free. Lane then leads his gang to rob the train as the film ends. Harvey Logan was tracked down outside Knoxville, Tenn., where he was captured on December 15, 1902. An Ohio & Mississippi Railroad passenger train as a sign that civilization waterfall in the train robbers in California is shifting into reverse and/or! Romanticized by Hollywood, outlaws were never known to jump from horseback a... See the looting as a sign that civilization itself in California is waterfall in the train robbers into reverse theft: What Hell. Deal for Americans, one with National implications he went to the gallows, he was arrested for a offense! Could n't disconnect them picked off, caught, or killed money to their and... 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