Reuben Houston Burrow (December 11, 1855 – October 9, 1890) was an American outlaw and train‑robber who operated primarily in the Southern and Southwestern United States during the late 1880s. He and his gang—commonly known as the Burrow Gang—carried out a series of express‑train robberies across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, the Indian Territory (present‑day Oklahoma), and Texas. Burrow’s criminal career, which lasted from 1886 until his death in 1890, made him one of the most notorious figures of the closing American frontier, frequently compared to contemporaries such as Jesse James.
Early life
- Birth: Born in Lamar County, Alabama (then part of the Alabama frontier) on December 11, 1855 to Allen and Mary Caroline (Terry) Burrow.
- Family background: Raised on a farm; his family were subsistence farmers.
- Migration: At age 18 he moved to Stephenville, Texas, to work on his uncle’s ranch, intending to become a rancher.
- Personal tragedy: His first wife, Virginia Catherine Alverson Burrow, died of yellow fever in 1881, leaving him with two young children. He remarried in 1884 and relocated to Alexander, Texas. Repeated crop failures and mounting debts prompted a shift toward criminal activity.
Criminal career
- First robbery (December 11, 1886): Burrow, his brother Jim, and several accomplices ambushed the Denver & Fort Worth Express near Bellevue, Texas, stealing a modest sum of cash and watches.
- Expansion of raids: Over the next four years the gang executed multiple high‑profile train robberies:
- June 9, 1887: Texas & Pacific Express near Benbrook, Texas; forced the engineer to stop the train on a trestle, netting approximately $1,350.
- September 20, 1887: Re‑robbed the same train at the same location, with reported proceeds ranging from $1,200 to $30,000.
- December 9, 1887: St. Louis, Arkansas & Texas Railroad express at Genoa, Arkansas, where the gang seized a Louisiana lottery payout estimated between $10,000 and $40,000.
- Modus operandi: Burrow’s gang typically used intimidation, brandishing firearms, and occasionally employed strategic positioning (e.g., stopping trains on trestles) to minimize passenger resistance.
- Law‑enforcement response: The robberies attracted the attention of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, local sheriffs, and bounty hunters, leading to an intensive manhunt across multiple states.
Capture and death
- Arrest attempts: In early 1888, a Pinkerton lead traced a raincoat left at a robbery to a store in Dublin, Texas, resulting in the capture of associate Jim Brock, who implicated Burrow. Subsequent attempts to locate Burrow at his family homestead in Lamar County failed as he fled after being warned by his brother.
- Final confrontation: In January 1889, Burrow was pursued aboard a Louisville & Nashville train; a gunfight in Montgomery, Alabama, resulted in the capture of Jim Burrow while Rube escaped.
- Death: Burrow was eventually cornered near Linden, Alabama, on October 9, 1890. He was shot and mortally wounded in a gunfight with a posse; he died at the age of 34. His body was displayed publicly before burial, a common practice for notorious outlaws of the era.
Legacy
Rube Burrow is remembered as one of the most prolific train‑robbers of the Old West, noted for his ability to conduct solo robberies—a distinction sometimes cited as unique among historical train‑bandits. His exploits have been documented in a range of historical works, including the Encyclopedia of Alabama and numerous Old West histories, and have inspired folklore portrayals that emphasize his “Robin Hood‑like” reputation in the Southern United States, despite the primarily criminal nature of his activities.
