Rube Burrow, king of outlaws, and his band of train robbers

by George W. Agee

We left the Philadelphia road next morning, coming to Pearl River before we got to Philadelphia. We thought we might be waylaid at the bridge by detectives and shot, and when we got within two hundred yards of the bridge over Pearl River, we turned through the swamps and swam the river about eight o’clock Tuesday morning, five miles from Philadelphia. We rode through the timber until we struck a road leading north from Philadelphia to Lewisville. Did not travel the road. Laid up that day in the woods.

Started about sundown, and just after dark stopped at a negro’s house to buy corn for our horses, but found no one at the house. There was a rail pen full of corn, and we could have taken what we wanted, but we did not do it. Stealing corn was out of our line of business. Riding on, we saw a light, and going up to it, we found an old colored woman in the house. From her we bought twenty-five ears of corn and some provisions, paying her one dollar therefor. Fed our horses there, and went through Lewisville on Tuesday night after the robbery, and took the road towards Macon, on the M. & O. Road. Rode fifty miles that night.

Next day we lay up until ten o’clock, stopping at daylight. Then went on towards Macon, and turned to the left and crossed the M. & O. Road at Brooksville, Miss. We inquired here for the road to Columbus. Went via Deerbrook to Columbus, riding slowly, and crossed the Tombigbee River just before day at Columbus. Went out from Columbus about six miles and stayed there that day.

A lightning rod man who lived at Aberdeen, Miss., came out to the house where we were stopping. We remained there until after dark. Took the road at dark and traveled toward Vernon, Ala. Arrived at Vernon about midnight on Thursday night after the robbery, and went to Jim Cash’s house about twelve o’clock. Got something to eat and fed our horses, and left word for him to come up next morning and get our horses. We went five miles above there to a point in the woods.

Don’t remember that we asked Cash anything about the robbery. First saw an account of it in the Memphis Appeal, which came in a day or two after we got there. John Burrow came to us next morning. We did not say anything to him about the robbery. He brought us something to eat. Told us where we could take our horses and sell them. We turned over the horses to John Burrow that morning, and he took them off to sell them, but did not succeed in selling the horses then. Mr. Cash afterwards sold the bay horse. A man there kept the sorrel horse.

We remained around there, staying first in one house and then in another—most of the time at Cash’s house and John Burrow’s, but not much at old man Burrow’s. I stayed in the woods in day-time and in the house at night.

Stayed there until some time in July, 1889, having arrived there from the Duck Hill robbery just before Christmas. Sometime in the spring Burrow decided to send for a wig, and sent for it, to be addressed to W. W. Cain. I don’t recollect at what post-office. After a long time he heard that some mail had come for W. W. Cain, at Jewell post-office. Mr. Cash said that one day he asked the postmaster, Mr. Graves, if there was any mail there. Graves said there was a circular or paper of some kind there for Cain, and he would bring it or send it down, which he did a few days after.

They got word in some manner that a wig had come, and Burrow also got word that Graves said he was going to arrest the man that came after it, and see what business he had with it. Heard that Graves had taken it out of the wrapper and was showing it to people, and remarked to several that he was going to take in the man that came for it, and find what business he had with it. Burrow asked me to go for it, but I did not want to go. I told him that to go after it, if Graves was going to do a thing of that kind, would stir up a big fuss. Burrow at last said he was going to have it, and that Graves would not arrest him, and he went after it.

He started one morning before day, and, on arriving, went in the house from a door on the east side; saw Mr. Graves standing behind a counter near the post-office department, and a lady standing behind the same counter near the other end of the house. As he stepped in he spoke to them politely, and asked Graves if there was any mail there for W. W. Cain. Graves made no reply, but walked slowly from the post-office department towards a double-barrelled shotgun, which Burrow said he saw sitting behind the counter, and which was the gun that Graves intended to arrest the man with. He asked him a second time if there was any mail there for W. W. Cain, and Graves said “Yes,” but still advanced towards the gun. Burrow told him to get the mail, and he made no effort to go to get it, and Burrow then pulled his pistol and shot him, saying, “Get it for me, or I will shoot you again.” About that time Graves began to fall, and the lady said, “Don’t shoot him any more; I will get the mail for you.” She then went and found part of the mail, and Burrow asked her if there was any more. She told him she thought there was, and found it and gave it to him, and he then left, going out the same door he came in.

There was a negro in the house who ran out just as Burrow pulled his pistol, and while he was standing there he saw the negro’s head around the door, but he ran off again.