Page 25 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Outlaws

4 FAMOUS...
How not to… loot a locomotive
One of the most meticulously Thankstoatip-off,thepolice TRAIN ROBBERS
planned train heists of all time, gottheirmenafterafive-day
the Great Train Robbery is now search. How were they found? BUTCHCASSIDY
astoryoflegend.Holdingupa Someofthegangalreadyhad
train travelling from Glasgow to criminal records and their 1866-1908, USA
Euston,thegangof15thieves fingerprintswerefoundintheir Accompaniedaseverbythe
boarded the postal train in rural deserted hideout. The biggest Sundance Kid, the famous
Buckinghamshire at about three clue,however,camewhenoneof American outlaw formed the
inthemorning.Stoppingthe thegangorderedthetrainstaffto WildBunchandhaltedatrainin
locomotiveataredsignal,the wait 30 minutes before calling the Wyoming in 1899.
robbers climbed aboard and police.Thisrevealedavitalclue;
stole120sacksofbanknotes thehideoutwouldbeahalf-hour
containing £2.6 million. radius from the scene.

JESSEJAMES
1847-82,USA
TherenownedbanditJesse
Jamesturnedhisattentionto
trains when he loosened a section
of track, toppling a locomotive.

Don’t raise the alarm! Take what you need
If someone suspects a heist is happening, it won’t be TheclassicHollywoodvillainmistakeistotaketoo
03 longuntilthemissioniscompromised.Tomaintain 04 much,sosticktothetaskinhand.Ifyoucamewitha
secrecy, move covertly and wear an outfit that will help set amount in mind, do your job and then leave as planned. Any EDWARDAGAR
you blendintothedarkofthenight.Intheplanningstage, waitingaroundcouldaffecttherobberyandleaveyouexposed 19TH CENTURY, BRITAIN
ensurethatthelayoutofthetrainhasbeennotedsoallofthe to the security services, who will undoubtedly soon discover £12,000worthofgoldwasstolen
conspirators know their role. what’s going on. from a train headed from London
to Boulogne by Edward Agar, a
professional criminal.

GEORGE PARROT
19TH CENTURY, USA
George’s gang planned an
audacious heist on the Union
Pacific Railroad, but were foiled
by workers before the train was
dislodged.
Escape Lay low
With the robbery complete, now’s the time for the Thepolicearen’tgoingtogiveuponsolvingthecrime
05getaway.Onememberofthecrewshouldbethe 06any time soon, so make sure to stay in your hideout until
designated driver, and make sure the vehicle has enough space theheatisoff.Trainrobberiesattractplentyofpublicandmedia
for both the loot and your buddies. The police will be hot on attention, so it could be a matter of months or even years until you
yourtail,sodrivecarefullyandinconspicuouslyuntilyoureach can roam freely. You may have wads of cash, but your life will never
the hideout and, if everything went to plan, safety. be the same again.
© Ed Crooks

25