Hot Springs, Ark. became an early vacation resort as a result of the many thermal springs that flowed from the hills surrounding the city. Trains from the north and east brought numerous wealthy passenger to Little Rock and Malvern, Ark. where special coaches picked them up and carried them 60 miles through the Ouachita Mountains to Hot Springs.
No Doubt still suffering from leg and chest wounds he received during the civil war, Jesse James found the mineral baths of Hot Springs helpful. Drifting into Arkansas following their robbery of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific train near Adair, Iowa on July 21, 1873, Jesse James and Frank James along with their Younger brother associates planned their first stage coach robbery. John Gould Fletcher described the event in his book,"Arkansas," as follows. On the morning of January 15,1874 as the coach from Malvern carrying fourteen passengers approaching Sulphur Creek voices from nearby rocks ordered the stage driver to stop. Five men were wearing long blue overcoats and handkerchief masks the emerged from the rocks and surrounded the coach with pistols drawn.
Pat O'Connor from Oklahoma was one of the unfortunate passengers and described the event in a newspaper interview as follows. The passengers were removed from the coach and lined up along the roadside. Each were frisked for weapons then asked to kneel with their hands in the air. One of the male passengers refused to keep his arms up until one of the bandits explained that if he continued to disobey their order a bullet would be sent through his head. The passengers were then asked to place their money, watches, and jewelry in a grain sack. A goated old gentleman who admired the robbers horses told the bandits that he had served in the confederate cavalry during the Civil War. Before leaving the scene, a large bandit, believed to have been Cole Younger, returned the man's purse to him. After unhitching the team of horses from the coach and driving them away with gunshots, the robbers quietly rode away. Amounts taken by the gang in the robbery vary greatly. Author Homer Croy reported in his book that $ 8,000.00 was taken by the thieves. Mrs. E. L. Elsworth, a Hot Springs historian, wrote that only $1, 000 was taken by the thieves. Author Carl Briehan reports the figure to have been $ 3,500.00.
When the coach finally reached the Sumpter Hotel several hours later , Sheriff Little was notified and a posse was formed to search the mountains around Hot Springs. Since the James and Younger brothers were well known by this time, it was simply assumed by the passengers that they were robbed by the James - Younger gang. Official documentation of the bandits true identity would not come until some eight years later when Jesse James was killed by Bob Ford at his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, April 3, 1882. A gold pocket watch identified as one taken from Hot Springs coach passenger was found among Jesse James' person effects.
Two weeks after the gang's first stagecoach robbery, a train was held up at Gad's Hill, Missouri, where $ 10,000.00 was taken from the express car.
Trains, Banks, Stagecoaches. . .
The Desparados.
The Victims.
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