Page 19 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Outlaws

Pearl Hart
MARTIN LUTHER GERMAN 1483-1546 CANADIAN 1871-UNKNOWN (AFTER 1928)
An unlikely candidate for a place in the Hall of Infamy, Hart starred in a Hart’s life started out as that of a
Augustinian friar Martin Luther was outlawed by the show where she privileged lady – her parents were
Holy Roman Emperor and excommunicated by the Pope relived her crime to affluent, religious and provided her
after publishing his Ninety-Five Theses.Init,Luther an eager audience
with the best education available – but
criticised the teachings and practices of the Roman
when Hart fell for a drunken, violent
Catholic Church, especially the claim that sins could be
gambler, her life changed. After finding
forgiven in exchange for a fee. Eventually, he won over
herself penniless, she turned to a life
the support of the public and became a leading figure in
of crime, deciding to rob a stagecoach
the Protestant Reformation.
travelling from Globe to Florence,
Arizona. With her hair cut short and in
men’s clothes, Hart held the coach up
at gunpoint and robbed $431.20 and
three firearms. Hart was eventually
captured, but managed to escape from
jail by digging a hole through the
Hart’s wall. She was recaptured, but,
robbery was now a media favourite, left
one of the last prison early and disappeared
from public view.
recorded stagecoach
robberies in
Henry American It is argued that
‘Robin Hood’ was
Plummer history an alias used by all
AMERICAN 1832-64 thieves and outlaws
Ironically, of the period
Plummer’s Finding his fortune
gang was as a miner, Plummer was elected as s
known as the and city marshal of Nevada City in 18
Innocents
danger and death seemed to follow h
whereverhewent.In1857,heshotaman,allegedlyin
Luther famously
smuggled 12 nuns self defence, and shot another in 1861 while attemptin
out of a convent in citizen’sarrest.Heattemptedtoescapehiscriminalp
herring barrels however, when he was attacked in a bar and defende
himself.Thecitizensweresoimpressedthathewas
elected as sheriff of Bannack. Although the citizens p
Murrieta
their trust in their hero, crime increased and a notorio
may have highway robbery gang killed hundreds. The citizens f
been the a vigilante group and followed the trail of crime straig
SheriffPlummer,whotheyclaimedwastheringleade
inspiration for the
Joaquin thegroup.TheyroundedupPlummerandhistwode
Murrieta fictionalcharacter andhungthem.Althoughwecan’tbesurePlummer
MEXICAN 1829-53 of Zorro responsible, his name has gone down in infamy as a
corrupt sheriff who used his power to unleash terror.
Known as the
Mexican Robin Hood
and as enveloped in myth and legend ROBIN HOOD ENGLISH UNK
as the man himself, Murrieta allegedly
travelled to California to find his There are numerous theories as to
fortune during the Gold Rush. It whether this mysterious outlaw act
is believed that he and his family existedornot.Themostpopularna
were targeted in racist attacks, so is that he was a supporter of Richar
he formed a band of outlaws Lionheartbutwasdriventothelife
who attacked settlers and outlaw during the reign of King Joh
wagon trains. A bounty was Itisbelievedthathestolefromthe
placed on Murrieta’s head rich to give to the poor, and hid out
and he was supposedly Sherwood Forest, Nottingham, with
killed in a shoot out hisbandofMerryMen.Whetherth
between his gang and the There is great storiesarebasedonfactismuch
California State Rangers, speculation over debated, but Robin Hood remains
whether the
his head decapitated and preserved head to this day the figure of the heroic
then displayed in a jar belonged to outlaw, fighting against injustice fo
across California. Murrieta or not the common people.

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