"A Brave Man Reposes in Death Here. Why was he not true?"

Legends in Texas grow tall and mossy, and we natives hate to have them lessened by outsiders. Like tales of the Alamo, most any Texan native can regale you with great stories of early Texas outlaws. Some of the more embellished histories are about a train-robbing gang leader by the name of Sam Bass. If you are interested, a good rendition is told in this article. The city of Round Rock is most famous for Sam Bass tales, as it is where Sam was finally shot and captured. The little town where I lived as a teenager, Benbrook, also has a story of a train robbery by the Bass gang. The history of Benbrook gives a brief description of the event. (Of course, Cowtown is more famous for the antics of a one Butch Cassidy and the Hole-In-The-Wall gang, which deserves another separate posting as does the colorful past of Benbrook.)

"Sam Bass had everything it takes to achieve eternal life as a folk hero. He was young, good looking, lived fast, died young, and his downfall was sparked by the betrayal of one of the boys in his merry band. Something about that "Denton mare" of his made his the perfect cowboy Robin Hood saga. The fact that he robbed trains was cool; back then the railroad companies were almighty and people rightfully resented the hell out of them. Last but certainly not least, Sam Bass had a good song. The worms had barely taken a nibble from his bullet-riddled corpse before "The Ballad of Sam Bass" was making the rounds. Charlie Siringo, the Texas cowboy, detective, and author, claimed that the ballad helped bring calm to longhorns in bad weather and restless nights, and it helped to keep the elastic legend of Sam Bass stretching and growing and flowing melodiously along from cow camp to cow town, from warbling wrangler to rumbling jukebox": (from The Sam Bass Gang, by Rick Miller)

Ballad of Sam Bass

Sam Bass was born in Indiana, it was his native home;

And at the age of seventeen young Sam began to roam.

Sam first came out to Texas, a cowboy for to be --

A kinder-hearted fellow you seldom ever see.

He made a deal in race-stock -- one called the Denton mare.

He matched her in scrub races and took her to the fair.

Sam used to coin the money and spent it just as free;

He always drank good whiskey, wherever he might be.


Sam had that special "code of the west" quality as evidenced by his words when asked to turn in his fellow gang members: "...it is ag'in' my profession to blow on my pals. If a man knows anything he ought to die with it in him." It is said that Sam never killed a man, except perhaps at the last gunfight at Round Rock, and even that is disputed as are the last dying words of Bass. John R. Banister, the Ranger who was assigned to guard the dying Bass claimed that Sam's last words were actually "This world is a bubble, - trouble wherever you go" - probably a more fitting epitaph for Sam Bass's life.


Some many stories, so little time....

Did I ever tell you about my uncle in Santa Anna, Texas who was the postmaster? He met THE Bonnie and Clyde...and lived to tell that tale. Stay tuned, kiddie troupers.