New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-10
RUBE BURROW.
AN UNPREJUDICED ESTIMATE OF HIS LIFE
AND CHARACTER

debate. eloqnently remarked that when 1t caho Ia
footracing. he 0he distinguished legislator was
whole fourehoss team and dog under the wagon.
so II is claimed for Mr.. Hurrow that he IS "hoio
feud and sherif's posse thrown in.
1t Is hoped that the reader has not forgotten VINO
Mr.. Rubc Burrow IS. dscourasing feature OF 'iio
life of a prophet in his country was brough' ~
public attention a good many years ago, pu' '',
Burrow has brought himself into public view 50 "'"
more forcibly than could any prophet th"
believed that he Is pretty well known n"' Wv
any should fail 10 recognize his name at hlst ei""'o
II may be mentioned that Rube Burrow Is the no'
distinguished train robbor and slayer OF his ieno~
men now before the American public. Certai"' 40
readers can have forgotten that all through the NOUN
OF October the State Of Alabama was chasing MI
Rube Burrow Occasionally 1t would come up W
him and then 1t would pause and dispose VI 40
dead and wounded, and wish Il hadn't lie was ny
man who robbed rhe train near Bucaunna, Mississippi
on ono OF the last days OF September. haNi"e
face disguised In red bandanna handkerchief '1.o
Of last years campaign, mention OF WHO"
already been made in The Tribune lie Is oo''''0
as a man utterly without party pride. .o
IT, &c an old story, that OF the Chicago man WV"
after witnessing performance Of Hamlet re''"''.
10 a friend as he passed out OF the lnc''V 49,,
the fellow who wrote that play Wouid man.
mark vet ~ he would only work hard and lei wiss
alonos and II might be said of Rilbe BuIro~ ""
he will yet rise 10 great things If he VIII So =,
his work and keep out OF Jail. Rube Burro"
80 ,,ahomo what tbe Harlan County fcud and me
uotgeldNcCov vendetta IS 10 Kentucky. Each I'is"'
ncrbans be said TO act as sort of mlstaIu Pi
an the body polite Teoplo in the nciBnoo'"V01
don't suffer from onnui. Especially If the Na'''
~ tbe fe,d or Rube has taken dislike 10 '''"i,
Mr. Burow IS said 10 be of the most war;" anu
,rbo,e soulcd men ia his dislikcs In the proiess'
Tho reader may well suspect that close at'e"''o"
~ tho
robber leaves man but little time for literary
co I. is not surprising that Mr.. Burfow has no' 90
vet found an opportunity 10 prepare his
He homes some day 10 issue such WORK, b'iu', '
title of Rccollcctions Of Road-Aecno' DUN
Roys but he does not see his way cear l" Wv
present The nearest approach Mr.. Burrows ni' 49,
made TO literary work has been to wad MS s"''7 :,
with the local paper Though this Is pu' "' IT.,
stem # Is nevertheless in the right direction ~
sore h,msen that he would prefer to wad his eu"
with Tcpnyson and Shakespeare If he couh hd''
occose IN these authors. But though his hieno"e
have not vet been given 10 the public, shor' p'oS
rapby is extant and a few judicous seecuo"S "o'I'
if VIII not 1T IS believed, fail to Interest uno r"''
R,,be Burrow was born in Lamar County AIlDa'd'
in 1850. where his father, Allen Bu1ow' SUN ~ 49,
Ills early life was quiet and gave little hlht VI u,
future achievements. Indeed, he was rather ioon,'
down on By his schoolmatcs, because, instead o' 'V
inc in their sports he would steal away over me NH
~ the railroad track and watch the paSsehg'r-'''''
90 by following the express-car win d ioN Aie
as long as It In sight. HIS mother "oi'
rebuled him for his grave and preoccuPed All ~
the stage passed their house, htte hho"I"e ~
,boupbts were stirring In the boys mind. hls
teacher IS fond of telling how one day In ms ns"'S
class when Young Burrow about eight years oiu'
the boy expressed his strong contempt Tor AeAs"'o'
Hamilton in allowing his affair with Aaron Dun "
end as IL did. On another occasion me "" "o' ~
oured each pupil in tho arithmetic Grass " O,",e
in a problem for the others TO solve' YOUNG NuDo
was as follows II a is In an eApresScdr VIZ,
$40 600. and b drops in with a shotgun, at inc emu
- 6,o minutes how much more money Will j have
,han Al "Ltte did think thcn,' said the teacher
when speaking of it recently, with tears IN his eye
little did we dream then that 'B' was Dohhehlail
cipher standing for Burrow"
Tho elder Burrow wanBd his son Ia study for the
bor when Rubc left the district school his father
proposed tho subject, but he did not fau IN WIN
readily. That he had strong leaning toward the
LEGAL profession he admitted but he considered 1t over
crowded. lie told his father that he had broader
and he believed as satisfactory field IN NINA
Shortly after he went to Texas where he subsequently
married and settled down on a small lsrm' n'ahn'e
no beginning in the profession which he was de'uh'
10 adoIn for several years. In 1856 MS WIG uoN
and shortly after he launched on his present '"o'
He began his practice by chvalrous attempt TO TOD
and a man named Thornton, and another named Blam-
low be went up into the Nation to rob the dusky
of an oppressed But tho woman was
something of a desperate herself. and from her en-
trencbed position in her house opened such livery
FIRE that they concluded 10 retreat On the way Dach
they met train which fOolshly stopping 10 taho
water at little station. RUDE said he considered the
meeting of the train provdentia and after shoonhs
lew times at the conductor. who was out looking a.
he scenery they went in and robbed the passengers
Unfortunately the coOred porter had anticipated hei
20 they got but 300.
Rube Burrows career now opened grandly before
,in and success after success followed. With ule
anne Marty before mentioned. he few days later
obbed a train on the Texas Pacific road and got
airly good sum from the express car month la'er
hey began a memorable campaign against particular
rain on the same road. Their plan was to boari IL
very two or three days at Gordon, ride out re"
niles. compel the engineer 10 stop. and then rod tne
xpress and mall cars. As they always encouhteied
he same trainmen they all soon got well acquahVu
md made up a very pleasant party. As they started
rom Gordon, the engineer would turn around Snu
,cer down the barrel of Rubos revolver and say
WeSl Mr. Burrow, where shall stop tonightF
{" Same old place HANK Rube would reply ana
hen they would 20 back and chat with the conductor
bout the bear movement in the express compah!
took till the train stopped. Then they would TOD inc
xprcss and mail cars the agents having left the sac
oors open before they went 10 sleep. get on their
lorses previously placed near the track and rae |
way 1t is said the company changed the time tao'o
% as to give this train all extra ten minutes De1"oo"
5ordon and seymour Springs for the robbery. Ihh |
S not authenticated, however
shortly after this Thornton and Bromley were cap |
lred and inclosed in the Texas penitcnt~y. RUDE |
md his brother then went to Arkansas and In Decem
,er 1887 robbed train near Tcxarkana, get'ing
arge sum. They then went back TO the old homeStean
n Alabama to enjoy short rest While on this va
alton they one day went 10 Montgomery TO attehu
ircus when they got Of the train heartless o'''e's
# the law attempted 10 arrest them. instead OF "ais
III after tho circus was Tho brothers ran ou'
i'm was captured and subsequently sent To Ii''io
rock for trial but died in Jail while the Judge vas
rylng TO get an impartial jury. Rubc, however, hep'
m running and shooting back Every time he Sno'
on MON nnlLcemen Lit The dust and he eaeIIy |