The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-11-23
THE KING OF OUTLAWS.
Rube EurroVv Debating Terms 0f
Peace.
TFrom the Kansas City Times.I


Alabama has ecIipsed all the stories
of wild western ouilawry i'll the career
of RuGe Burrow, the king OF outlaws,
who is now bidding defiance 10 every
form of authority which the state has
been able 20 send against him. With Il
record of robbery and murder that the
Jesse James gang can not match, and
with big price upon his head, this
audaCious desperate has just repulsed
IL small army OF pursuers with such
decisive slaughter that he now pro-
poses TO dictate terms OF peace to the
governors OF the states which have
halters waiting for his neck. The
friends OF Burrow offer on his behalf
that if full and free pardon is granted
him for all his crimes he will relax his
reign of terror and will settle down
peaceably TO enjoy the fortune which
he has accumulated as train robber.
lnasmuch as the authorities of Alabama
have utterly abandoned the pursuit
which has So far brought only death TO
the pursuers, it appears that Burrows
terms have been tacitlv accepted.
The fate of the expeditions which
have gone against him during the past
few weeks down To the utter routing a
week ago of the combined force of
sheriffs and deputies, PinkertOn's men,
private detectives aud bl0OdhOunds are
fresh in the puDliG's mind. Reckless,
dare devil courage and IA most wonder
ful skill with the rifle have enabled this
man to carve out bloody career that
is not Y. ithOut a weird fascination in its
audacious bravadO. The Atlanta Con-
stitution recently made thorough
bandit hero III the scene OF his recent
exploits and the facts gathered make
an astounding record. Within two
years Burrow has robbed nine trains
in three states, has killed several and
wounded many men with his deadly
Winchester and has whipped 100 armed
men in open fight. Unlike most train
robbers, Burrow has no gang. He
works with only one confederate, All
equally daring and reckless fellow,
named Joe jackson. Indeed, he says
cOmtemptuously:
''lts as easy to hold up and &c
through train as it is to rob hens
nest"
Rube Burrow, cred Rube" he is
called in the terrOriZed region he lives
in, is physically a splendid specimen OF
manhood. He is just 81 years of age,
and stands 6 feet l inch in his stocking
feet weighing 175 pounds. His should
ers are very broad and square, and bis
arms long and muscular. lie is as
active as cat, and has been noted as 8
runner since his boyhood days,it being
Loo ,tI hot In N a mi
race or thrown in wrestling match
His face, even, has muscular appear
ance. 1t is rather long, with higt
cheek bones and prominent lower jaws
protrud;ng noticeably backward under
his ears. His complexion is inclined
10 be light, his hair dark sandy color
rather stiff, and his moustache long anC
dropping. His eyes are. however, the
main feature Of his appearance. They
are grayish blue in cOlOr,set well back
and are very piercing, giving him s
daredevil, reckless appearance.
AS be appeared in BlOunt county the
other day he was dressed in darl
coat. heavy jeans pants and wore 6
broad sombrero or cowboy hat. Run.
ming down from over his shoulders anC
around his waist was leather cart
ridge belf. On each side, rather il
front of his hips, was a Colts 45 calibe
revolver. In front stuck through tht
belt, was large bowie knife, and il
his hand he carried a sixteen shooting
40 caliber Winchester rifle. 1t is sur,
death for any one to stand in front O
that rifle within quarter of a mil,
distance with Rnbe at the trigger. Hi
pal, Joe Jackson, alias Henry Davis
who was with him, is very much small
ler in stature, with dark hair and darl
complexion, and similarly equipped.
Allen Burrow, Rube's father, wht
lives in Lamar county, Alabama, give
his son a good record i'll early life. Ii
was dutiful boy at home, and wen
TO Texas when l6 years old. There h
remained until his wife died two year
ago, when he returned to Alabama
But his career as train robber wa
begun in Texas. a detective who ha
been on his track for two years says:
"The first time | knew OF Rube Bur
row ever having held up a train was j
1856. 1t was on the Fort Worth an
Denver rallroai. Rube and Jim Bur
row, Nip Thornton and Iemderso
Bromley went mp into the Indian Ter
ritory to rob All Indian woman. The
failed, and in returning, about noon
they met Fort Worth train takin
water up i'll the Pan Handle. The
boarded the train and robbed the pas
scngers, although there were five Uni
ed States soldiers on board. The frs
thing they did WAS to level their pistol
at the passengers aud make theI
throw up their hands. Then they too
the pistols from the soldiers and mad
every one shell out 4 money. The
got about $500.
being succcs in this, the sam
party then held i. train on the Texs
Pacific, at Ben Brooks, and got a cor
siderable sum from the express. NeJ
fine, a few weeks later, they held u
another train on the same road nes
Gordon, this time, however, getiin
Pn, about 800 A few days later the
boarded the same train with the san
grew at Gordon, ,and when the engine,