Sam Bass Became Texas’s Beloved Bandit And Was Admired By The Poor

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Despite being an outlaw, Sam Bass was considered a good man of a kind nature. Sam Bass became Texas's beloved bandit because he was kind and generous, and just like the legendary Robin Hood, he only robbed the rich.

Outlaw Sam Bass was loved by the poor, and newspapers fueled his fame. Credit: Adobe Stock - Antonio Gravante

Sam played hide-and-seek with law enforcement for years, and his wild train robberies gained him glory and admiration across Texas and many other states. His treasure, estimated to be worth about $340 million, is still hidden in Texas. Many treasure hunters have searched for it, but if it exists, it hasn't been found yet.

Sam Bass Was Not An Outlaw From The Start

Born on July 21, 1851, in Mitchell, Indiana, Sam was an orphan who was raised by his uncle, who unfortunately refused to provide him with schooling. Sam left home at the age of 19, but he didn't start his criminal career at once.

"He came to Texas while a youth and worked for W. F. (Dad) Egan, sheriff of Denton County, until he reached manhood. While still an exemplary and honest young man Bass came into possession of a race pony, a little sorrel mare.

On Saturday evenings, when most of the neighborhood boys met in Denton, Bass raced his pony with much success. Mr. Egan soon noticed that Sam was beginning to neglect his work because of his pony and, knowing only too well what this would lead to, he advised Sam to sell his mare. Bass hesitated, for he loved the animal. Finally matters came to such a point that Mr. Egan told Sam he would have to get rid of the horse or give up his job.

Thereupon Bass promptly quit, and this was probably the turning point in his life." ¹

Sam Begins His Criminal Career

Now, it was time to look for a new way to earn money. Together with his business partner Joel Collins, Sam formed a cattle drive for several ranchers in the San Antonio, Texas, area. They drove the cattle to Nebraska and sold it for $8,000, but the money did not last long. They should have returned to Texas, where they owned the money for the cattle, but Sam and Joel were confident they could make more profit by investing in a brothel-saloon-gambling den and gold mine. They were wrong, and they lost the money. Some of it they most likely gambled away. It was an easy thing to do in the Wild West in those days.

Sam and Joel were now desperate. They needed money and tried working as freighters but could not make a living at it.

Not being able to see if there were any other options, the two decided to form an outlaw gang preying on stagecoaches. They were successful right from the start, but their first robberies were modest. In time, when the gang was more experienced, the robberies were much more daring, but Sam disapproved of unnecessary violence.

On one occasion, an employee could not open the time lock safe and was beaten severely for his failure. Sam is said to have prevented the man from being killed by his gang of outlaws.

Union Pacific Railroad Gold Train Robbery – One Of Boldest Train Robberies In The United States

In September 1877, Sam Bass and his outlaws rode to Big Springs, Nebraska, where they stopped a train. The gang had planned this particular train robbery in detail. The train they robbed was unlike the others they had stolen money from. This was an eastbound Union Pacific train rumored to carry gold from California.

Sam became a legend because he "conceived, planned, and carried into execution one of the boldest train robberies that had ever occurred in the United States. When all was ready these six men, heavily armed and masked, held up the Union Pacific train at Big Springs, a small station a few miles beyond Ogallala.

The bandits entered the express car and ordered the messenger to open the safe.

The latter explained that the through safe had a time lock and could only be opened at the end of the route. One of the robbers then began to beat the messenger over the head with a six-shooter, declaring he would kill him if the safe were not opened. Bass, always of a kindly nature, pleaded with the man to desist, declaring he believed the messenger was telling the truth.

Left: Sam Bass (1851 - 1878). Credit: Waco Tribune-Herald -  Right: Reward for Sam Bass who is described as a handsome young man,  5 feet 7 inches high, black hair, dark brown eyes, brown moustache. Credit: Public Domain

Just as the robbers were preparing to leave the car without a cent, one of them noticed three stout little boxes piled near the big safe. The curious bandit seized a coal pick and knocked off the lid of the top box. To his great joy and delight he exposed $20,000 in shining gold coin! The three boxes each held a similar amount, all in $20 gold pieces of the mintage of 1877.

After looting these boxes the robbers went through the train, and in a systematic manner robbed the passengers of about $5,000. Before daylight the bandits had hidden their booty and returned to Ogallala.

They hung around town several days while railroad officials, United States marshals, and sheriffs' parties were scouring the country for the train robbers." ¹

This great train robbery was the talk of the town. Still, the robbers also became the object of a manhunt by Pinkerton National Detective Agency agents and a special company of the Texas Rangers headed by Captain Junius Peak.

Treachery Ended The Life Of Sam Bass

The fact that Sam Bass and his gang robbed only the rich does not excuse their criminal activities.

Jim Murphy was a member of his gang of outlaws. When Murphy's father was ill and taken into custody for questioning, something nasty happened. Bass was able to elude the Texas Rangers for a while, but he was lured into a trap that ended his life.

Six Years with the Texas Rangers is a fascinating account of one Ranger's life attempting to maintain law and order on the Texan frontier. Read more

Murphy's father did not receive any medical treatment, and his health deteriorated. The law enforcement informed Murphy his father was kept in custody and he would not receive his medicine until Murphy agreed to meet them. Fearing for his father's life, Murphy agreed to the meeting and reluctantly revealed Sam Bass' whereabouts. This led to the capture and death of Sam Bass.

Sam Bass was shot and killed on July 19, 1878.

It would be easy to say that Sam Bass was just one of many American Old West outlaws, but he gained fame thanks to the press. Newspapers write about his daring train robberies, "fueling the public's excitement and Bass's fame. The fact that none of the new gang were captured immediately and continued to rob trains into the summer of 1878 added to their fame." dubbed "Sam Bass and Company" by the newspapers, the gang's exploits became the stuff of legend in parts of Texas, inspiring fear in businessmen and bankers and admiration in the poor.

Being poor is never easy, and many who did not have money felt great sympathy for Sam Bass and his outlaws, who only stole from the rich.

Updated on December 13, 2023

Written by  Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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