The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-03
THE DESTRUCTION OF
TIE RENOS
Il True Defective Story.
From the ArchfveS Of the pfnkertonS

II B HE FIRST. and probably the
most daring, band Of train
robbers that ever operated in
the United States was the no
torious Reno gang, an associa-
II ton OF desperate outlaws, who.
i'm the years Immediately following the
war. committed crimes without num-
] Der in Missouri and Indiana, and for
4 some years terrOrized several counties
in the region about Seymour in the last
/ named state. The leaders of this band
/ were four brothers, John Reno, Frank
! Reno, sin" Reno and William Reno,
! who rivaled one another in a spirit of
! laWlesSness that must have been born
in their blood through the union of g
hardy Swiss emigrant with a woman
/ sprung from the Pennsylvania Dutch.
! OF the six children from this marriage
I only one escaped the restless, laW-de-
I spising faint that made the others des-
4 perate characters, this single white
sheep being "Clint" Reno, Familiarity
! known as Honest" Reno, and much
/ despised by the rest of the family for
( his peaceful ways. Even Laura Reno.
the one daughter. famed throughout
the west for her beauty. loved danger
| and adventure, was an expert horse
/ woman, an unerring shot, and as quick
with her gun as any man. Laura fair
/ ~ WOFshipped her desperate brothers
whom she aided IN more than one of
/ their criminal undertakings, shielding
1 them from justice when hard pressed,
and swearing to avenge them when ret
/ ributiOn overlook them after their day
| of triumph.
During the war the Renos had be-
| come notorious as bounty jumpers;
and a its close, with a fine scorn for
/ the ways Of commonplace industry.
4 these herce-hearted dashing young
/ fellows. all Well-built handsome boys,
/ cast about for further means OF ex-
element and opportunities to make
/ an easy living. Beginning their op-
/ eratiOns In a small way with house
breaking and stOre-robberies, they
| soon proved themselves so reckless in
/ their daring, so fertile in expedients, SO
successful in their coups, that they
quickly extended their field until, In
| the early part of 1866, they had placed
/ a wide region under contri button, set
/ ting all forms of law at defiance.
John Reno and Frank Reno, the
elder brothers, where at this time the
dominating spirits of the band and
/ they soon associated with them sew
/ eral of the most skillful and notorious
counterfeiters and safe burglars in the
/ country, among these being Peter Nc
4 CARNEY, James and Robert Ritten-
house, George Mckay, John Dean,
alias california Nelse," and William
Hopkins. The band soon came to be
named with the greatest dread and
awe. good citizens fearing to speak a
word of censure, lest swift punish
ment be visited upon them The Reno
influence made itself felt even in local
politics. corrupt officials being elected
at the instigation of the outlaws, so
that their conviction became practic-
ally impossible.
p The Renos,s toward the end of 1866,
began a series Of train robberies which
were carried out with such perfection
of organization, such amazing cool
ness. and such uniform success as to
attract national attention. The first
Of these robberies took place on the
Ohio & Mississippi railroad being ac-
mpHshed by only four men, Frank
and John Reno, assisted by William
Sparks and Charles Gerro1l Other
train robberies followed In quick sue
cession, the same method being used
in each. with the same immunity from
capture, so that people in this region
would say to one another quite as a
matter of course: THE Reno boys got
away with another train yesterday"
But while indulging in its own acts
of outlawry, the Reno band strenu-
ously objected to any rivalry or COM
petition on the part of other highway
men. A train robbery was perpetrated
on the Jeffersonville railroad early in
1857 The RenOs had no connection
with this robbery. It was accom-
plished by two young men named
Michael Collins and Walker Hammond,
the two men escaping with $4,000
taken from a messenger OF the Adams
Express company. But their horses
had carried them only a short distance
from the looted train when they found
themselves surrounded by the for
midable Renos, who had quietly watch
ed the robbery from place of conceal
ment, and now unceremoniously re-
Heved the robbers of their plumber.
Not content with this. and as If to in
timidate others from like trespasses on
their preserves. the Renos used tn cir
influence to have their rivals arrested
for the crime by which they had pro
flied so little; and both we're subse-
ouentIv tried, convicted and sentenced
to long terms in the Indiana peniten-
tiary. The Renos, meantime, although
thew were known to have secured and
kept the $4,000. were allowed to go UNI
molested, and continued their depreda-
tions.
I'D to this time the Reno gang had
confined their operations for the most
part to Indiana; but now they began
10 make themselves felt in Missouri,
where a number Of daring crimes were
committed, notably the rob bing of the
county treasurer's safe at Gallatin, in
Daviess county. In this last act John
Reno was known to have been per-
sona1ly concerned. The case was
placed in the hands of Allan Pinker-
ton.
Taking up the investigation with his
accustomed energy, Mr. Pinkerton
traced John Reno back to Seymour
Ind where the gang was so strongly
intrenched in the midst of corrupt
officials and an inundated populace
that any plan Of open arrest was out
of the question. Recognizing this,
Allan Pinkerton had recourse to the
cunning of his craft. He began by
stationing in Seymour trustworthy
assistant who was instructed, on a
given day. and at given hour to de-
GOV John Reno to the railroad sta
ton on any pretense that might sug-
gest itself. Then he arranged to have
half q dozen Missourians, the biggest
and most powerful fellows he could
find. led by the sheriff Of DaViess
county. board an express train on the
natl and ride through Seymour, ar
irving there at the time agreed upon
with his assistant. Along with them