The Deadliest Outlaws of the Wild West

Summary

This script recounts the tales of the Wild West's most notorious outlaws, from gunfighters like Clay Allison and Cherokee Bill to the infamous gangs of Jesse James and Butch Cassidy. Each story reveals their violent crimes, daring escapes, and sometimes tragic ends, painting a vivid picture of lawlessness and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Takeaways

• 🔫 Clay Allison was a notorious gunfighter known for extreme violence, including decapitating a man and displaying his head in a saloon.
• 🏔 Cherokee Bill, starting his criminal career at 18, was responsible for the murder of 8 to 13 men and was part of The Cook Gang known for robbing banks, trains, and stagecoaches.
• 👤 Big Nose George Parrott, notorious for his crimes and bad temper, was eventually lynched by an angry mob and his skull and shoes made from his skin are now museum exhibits.
• 🎭 Bill Doolin, founder of the Wild Bunch Gang, was successful in multiple robberies and amassed a fortune before being killed in a confrontation with lawmen.
• 🔪 Jim Miller, known as 'Killing Jim', was a hitman who claimed to have killed up to 50 men and was eventually lynched by an angry mob.
• 🚆 Sam Bass was a famous train robber who led a gang to commit the largest train robbery in American history, stealing $60,000 worth of gold.
• 🗡 John Wesley Hardin began his life of crime as a child and was believed to have killed between 20 to 40 men, becoming a psychopathic killer of the Wild West.
• 🔍 Jesse James, famous for his violent crimes during the Civil War and post-war years, was eventually betrayed and killed by a former gang member.
• 🏞️ Billy the Kid, after becoming an orphan, turned to a life of crime and became a deadly gunfighter, involved in the Lincoln County War and known for multiple murders.
• 🤠 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were partners in crime, leading the Wild Bunch Gang and becoming legendary figures of the Wild West, with their ultimate fate being a matter of speculation.

Q & A

Who was Clay Allison and what was his notorious act?

Clay Allison was a wild man and notorious gunfighter known for extreme violence. His notorious act included leading a mob to break out a murderer from jail, only to decapitate the man and display his head at a local saloon.

What was Cherokee Bill's real name and how many men was he responsible for murdering?

Cherokee Bill's real name was Crawford Goldsby. He was responsible for the murder of 8 to 13 men.

How did Cherokee Bill become an outlaw?

Cherokee Bill became an outlaw in 1894 at the age of 18 when he confronted a man who had beaten up his brother and ended up shooting him.

What was unique about George Parrott's nickname and how did it affect him?

George Parrott was known as Big Nose George or Big Beak Parrot, which was considered one of the worst outlaw nicknames. It made him very angry and contributed to his committing of heinous crimes.

What was Bill Doolin's role in the Wild Bunch Gang?

Bill Doolin was the founder of the Wild Bunch Gang and was involved in multiple crimes including robberies and murders.

How did Jim Miller meet his end?

Jim Miller was captured and arrested for hiring to kill a former deputy U.S. marshal named Alan Augustus. He was later hanged by an angry mob after breaking out of his cell.

What was the significance of Sam Bass's train robbery in 1878?

Sam Bass and his gang pulled off the largest train robbery in American history in 1878, stealing $60,000 worth of gold from a Union Pacific train.

How did John Wesley Hardin's life of crime begin?

John Wesley Hardin's life of crime began as a child when he stabbed a classmate after a fight, and escalated to killing a man at the age of 15.

What was the Lawrence massacre and Jesse James's involvement in it?

The Lawrence massacre was an atrocious crime where 150 unarmed men and boys were killed in Kansas in 1863. Jesse James took part in this massacre as part of The Bushwhackers, a pro-Confederate guerrilla warfare unit.

How did Billy the Kid escape from jail and what was the aftermath?

Billy the Kid escaped from jail by getting into a fight with a jail guard, stealing his revolver, killing him, and then killing another guard with a shotgun. He was later tracked down and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

What is the mystery surrounding Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's deaths?

The mystery is that the bodies of two men who died in a shootout in Bolivia, supposedly Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, did not match their DNA with living relatives. Some speculate that they survived, returned to the U.S., and lived under new identities.