Trackers,Trailers and Bounty Hunters in America's Past
Memorable Bounties and BountyHunters
David J. Cook: This legend began his longcareer tracking down Confederate Spies for the Colorado Cavalry during theCivil War. He would prove himself worthy of becoming a federal marshal, then private investigator. By the close of the century, Cook logged over3,000 total arrests. He, published an autobiographical account of the Western lawman, Hands Up!; Twenty Years of Detective Work in the Mountains and on the Plains.
Edward Bonney: Neither lawman nor private detective, Bonney was the 19th Century's ballsiest newsman, ferreting out counterfeiters, stock thieves, robbers and murderers. His penmanship was as good as his nose, and he supplied countless stories for the dime novels, newspapers and even police. His masterpiece was the book he published in1850 called The Banditti of the Prairies; A Murderer's Doom!.
Amazingly, the most wanted men of the 19th Century were not always cattle rustlers nor train robbers.
John Taylor: This religious leader never robbed, rustled or even drank. He was the third president of the Mormon Church, following Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Polygamywas extremely unpopular in Washington, and Taylor spent the bulk of his leadership, between 1877 and 1887, hiding out with devotees.
Also associated with the Mormons was the Danite faction boasting some of the wickedest untouchables in the West. Danite Porter Rockwell,the Mormon's "Destroying Angel" remained at large for nearly fortyyears after killing Missouri ex-Governer Boggs in 1842.
Thomas Hurly: Presumed chief assassin for the underground labor organization, the Molly Maguires, Hurly was chasedby Pinkerton and federal agents for 25 years until 1900. His fate is still unclear, either disappearing to Europe or committing suicide.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid:
Notable about these well known outlaws was their innovative use of horses in their getaways: They would station 'caches' of fresh horses every 50 miles or so along their getaway route. This forced Railroad companies to begin stationing full-time horse detectives along the lines, ready for deployment via train on to the bandits trail.
Cassidy, Sundance and their various gang members were a little too successful, and their confidence led to their dissolution. A photo taken of the gang in Texas was a key used by Pinkerton agents to unlock the gangs whereabouts.
The two outlaws fled America and were actually tracked by the Pinkertons all the way to Bolivia. In fact, Pinkerton agent Joe Le Fors spent so much time down there, his wife filed for divorce on grounds of cruelty by absence. Still, the pair eluded all efforts at their retrieval and although stories of their demise were rumored, they remain one of the few unsolved cases in the Pinkerton files.
Harry Tracy: This Northwestern "RobinHood" legend refused again and again to be kept in jail. His daring daylight holdups won public fascination, but leaving prison without first aging to the point of harmlessness was inexcusable.
In 1902, federal agents, national guardsman, private bounty hunters and dogs were all looking high and low for this gentleman bandit . Finally, a sixteen man posse cornered Tracy on a farm in Oregon. Instead of surrendering to the gunmen, Tracy shot himself with his last bullet. The posse received $1,500 for their efforts.
Check out the stories of the Pinkerton Detectives, Juaquin Murieta and BlackBart.
BizarreBounty Hunts:
Bounties also went out on the heads of particularly nasty wolves and bears who would feed on cattle or sheep. Bounties for wolves continued well into the 20th Century, eventuallybeing replaced by the US Fish and Game and hired gunmen. Often trappers or ranchers with a keen eye, rather than detectives or lawmen, would collect these fairly substantial rewards posted by range associations. Some men found local fame in this profession, though little documentation exists.