1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio Powdy and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: a show that unmasks history one day at a time. 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: I'm Gay Bluesier, and in this episode we're talking about 5 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: the final crime of gold rush outlaw black Bart, including 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: how he was eventually captured thanks to a misplaced handkerchief. 7 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: The day was November three, eight three. Charles black Bart 8 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: Bowls robbed his twenty eight Wells Fargo wagon, the last 9 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: before his capture. The notorious Bandit had plagued the company 10 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: for eight long years, helping himself to stagecoach strong boxes 11 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: throughout northern California and southern in Oregon. His final robbery 12 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: took place near the mining city of Copperopolis in Calaveris County, California. 13 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: After lying in wait for the stage coach to make 14 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: it scheduled pass, black Bart stepped out from behind a 15 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: rock with a shotgun in hand and demanded all the 16 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: gold on board. He didn't fire a single shot that day. Supposedly, 17 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: he never did a show of restraint that earned him 18 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: the nickname the Gentleman Bandit. However, as black Bart made 19 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: his getaway, one of the witnesses fired at him, wounding 20 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: the bandit in the hand and causing him to drop 21 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: an embroidered handkerchief. He didn't know it at the time, 22 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: but that little scrap of fabric would prove to be 23 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: his undoing less than two weeks later. Charles Bowles a 24 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: k a. Black Bart was born in Norfolk, England, around 25 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: the year eighteen twenty nine. Two years later, he and 26 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: his family immigrated to Jefferson County, New York, where his 27 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: father had purchased a farm. When he was about twenty 28 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: years old, Charles set out with his cousin David to 29 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: find his fortune in the gold fields of California. After 30 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: a winter stop over in Missouri, they reached California in 31 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty and began mining for gold along the American 32 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: River near Sacramento. They made a go of things for 33 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: the next five years, but never managed to strike it rich. Still, 34 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: the venture wasn't a total bust, as Charles did meet 35 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: his future wife, Mary Elizabeth Johnson. The couple would later 36 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: have four children together and would settle on a farm 37 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: in Decatur, Illinois. A few years later, the Civil War 38 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: broke out and Charles enlisted in the Union Army in 39 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: the fall of eighteen sixty two. He served valiantly for 40 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: the next four years, and was discharged as a first 41 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: lieutenant in the summer of eighteen sixty five. Following the war, 42 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: Charles went home to his family in Illinois and resumed 43 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: his work as a farmer. He soon grew restles us, though, 44 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: and set out for another mining expedition, this time in Montana. 45 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: He and an old friend from Missouri started working a 46 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: small mine there and had a few minor successes. Sometime later, 47 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: the pair's good fortune attracted the attention of Wells Fargo 48 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: and Company, an express banking and mail delivery service that 49 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: made a killing in the West during the California gold Rush. 50 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: The exact details of this encounter are somewhat hazy, but 51 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: according to a letter Charles wrote his wife in eighteen 52 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: seventy one, several men from the company wanted to buy 53 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: the land where he and his friend's mine was located. 54 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: They refused the offer, and a short time later the 55 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: Wells Fargo agents supposedly retaliated by cutting off the miner's 56 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: water supply, effectively forcing them to abandon their claim. The 57 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: last letter Mary Bowles ever received from her husband was 58 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: dated August eighteen seventy one. In it, he swore revenge 59 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: against the company that had robbed him of his hard 60 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: earned fortune. Mary probably expected her husband to return home 61 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: after settling whatever grievances he had with Wells Fargo, but 62 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: as the months and years went by without word, she 63 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: eventually gave him up for dead, and in a way 64 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: that was true. During his absence, Charles Bowles began a 65 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: new life under the name Charles Bolton. He rented a 66 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: well kept room in a San Francisco boarding house and 67 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: claimed to be a successful mining engineer. In public, he 68 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: made sure to look the part, sporting fashionable clothes, a white, 69 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: bushy mustache, and a gold watch chain. For a time, 70 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: his cover story was more or less true. He really 71 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: had returned to California to once again take part in 72 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: the gold rush, so he likely exaggerated his success. Once 73 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: this new identity had been established, though Charles was finally 74 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: free to carry out his long brewing revenge scheme, he 75 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: was far in the first to target a Wells Fargo 76 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: stage coach. For the last twenty years or so, the 77 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: company's wagons had transported most of the gold output from California, 78 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: making them a favorite target among outlaws. On July eighteen 79 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: seventy five, Charles joined their ranks by committing his first 80 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: stage coach robbery, and the nefarious Black Bart was born. 81 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 1: He may have been following in the footsteps of other bandits, 82 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: but Bart was something of an anomaly in his field. 83 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: He worked alone and took a decidedly low key approach 84 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,839 Speaker 1: to robbing. He simply stood in the road with a 85 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: flour sack over his head with holes cut out for 86 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: eyes and a black Derby hat on top. Then he'd 87 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: point a gun at an approaching stage coach, and when 88 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: it stopped, he'd take the mail bags hack opened the 89 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: strong box containing the gold and beyond his merry way. 90 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: The coaches were guarded, of course, but Bart devised a 91 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: clever ruse to make them stand down and hand over 92 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: the goods. He'd arrived at the location early and tie 93 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of sticks to the branches of nearby bushes. Then, 94 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: if the guards gave him pushback, he'd simply point to 95 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: the bushes and pretend the sticks were the rifle barrels 96 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: of the rest of his gang. Despite that deception, black 97 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: Bart was reportedly quite polite during his robberies. He never 98 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: used foul language and never stole from the stagecoach passengers, 99 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: only from the Wells Fargo company, And even though the 100 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: band had always brandished a shotgun, he never shot anyone. 101 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: In fact, he later claimed the weapon wasn't even loaded. 102 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: During the course of his eight year criminal career, black 103 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: Bart became famous for his sophisticated approach to larceny. That 104 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: reputation was furthered by his unusual habit of leaving behind 105 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: short poems signed by black Bart the poet That's p 106 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: O and then the number eight. He's only confirmed to 107 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: have done this on a few occasions, but that was 108 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: enough to earn him yet another nickname, The Poet of 109 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 1: the Sierra. The poet's most famous work was seemingly directed 110 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 1: at Wells Fargo and made his feelings about the company 111 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: crystal clear. It reads as follows, I've labored long and 112 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: hard for bread, for honor, and for riches, But on 113 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: my corns too long you've tread you've fine haired sons 114 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: of bass. Given black Bart's literary inclinations, it probably comes 115 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: as no surprise that his outlaw name was likely taken 116 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: from a short story. To be specific, It's believed he 117 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: got the name from the Case of Summerfield, an adventure 118 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: story published in the Sacramento Union newspaper in the early 119 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: eighteen seventies. The villain of that story is you guessed it, 120 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: a stagecoach robber named black Bart. It's worth noting, though, 121 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: that there was also a real life pirate who went 122 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: by black Bart Roberts, but it's doubtful. His exploits were 123 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: well known in nineteenth century California. While stagecoach robberies were 124 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: clearly something of a game for black Bart, Wells Fargo 125 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: was not amused. The company dispatched its private police force 126 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: to bring the bandit to justice, dead or alive. However, 127 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: since black Bart had never been identified or captured before, 128 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: tracking him down proved incredibly difficult. He wasn't on the 129 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: run like most outlaws. Instead, he continued living in public 130 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: as the dapper gentleman Charles Bolton, or at least that 131 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: is he did until the day of his final stagecoach robbery. 132 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: On November three, eighteen eighty three, fifty four year old 133 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: black Bart returned to the scene of his very first crime, 134 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: an isolated wagon route near Copperopolis, California. He went about 135 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 1: his routine as normal, hacking open the stage's strong box 136 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: with an axe and retrieving the sack of gold inside. 137 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: That time, however, when Bart went to make his getaway, 138 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: the driver and his lone passenger opened fire. One bullet 139 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: struck Bart in the hand, causing him to drop a 140 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: stolen bundle of mail, as well as a telltale handkerchief. 141 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: Though he didn't know it at the time, that unassuming 142 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: piece of fabrics spelled the end of Black Bart's criminal career. 143 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: That's because it bore a distinctive laundry mark, a string 144 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: of letters and numbers that were used by laundry services 145 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: to tell employees who owned the items being washed. Bart's handkerchief, 146 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: for example, was marked f X zero seven, and as 147 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: well as Fargo detectives soon found out that meant it 148 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: had been cleaned by a laundry house in San Francisco. 149 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: After checking nearly ninety different laundries, the agency finally traced 150 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: the handkerchief back to local mining engineer Charles Bolton. Under interrogation, 151 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: he lost his temper and eventually confessed to being Black Bart. 152 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: He was arrested on the spot and later pleaded guilty 153 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: at trial. Notably Wells Fargo. Only press charge is for 154 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: his final robbery on November three. As a result, Charles 155 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: was sentenced to only six years in San Quentin prison 156 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: and wound up serving just over four years before being 157 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: released for good behavior. What happened after his release is unknown. 158 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: His last appearance in the historical record was in February 159 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: of eight, about a month after his release from prison. 160 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 1: Witnesses say they saw him at the Visalia House hotel 161 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: in California, but where he went and what he did 162 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: after that remains a mystery. The one thing we do 163 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: know for certain is that he never returned to crime 164 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: or to poetry either. When the former Bandit was released 165 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: from San Quentin, reporters asked if he planned to rob 166 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: any more stage coaches. No, gentlemen, he said, smiling, I'm 167 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: through with crime. Then another reporter asked if you would 168 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: continue to write poetry. Bowles laughed and replied, quote, didn't 169 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: you hear me say that I'm through with crime? Whole 170 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: black bart, you always wear your own worst critic. I'm gay, bluesier, 171 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 172 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. If you enjoyed today's episode 173 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,199 Speaker 1: consider keeping up with the show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 174 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: You can find us at t d i HC Show, 175 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free 176 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: to pass them along by writing to This Day at 177 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: I heart media dot com. Thanks, as always the Chandler 178 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 179 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 180 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: in History class.