Community Heroes Series
From the April 2003 issue of Alabama Living magazine

The Rise and Fall of the South's Most Famous Criminal

Story by guest writer Chris Marshall

Outlaw. Train robber. These words bring to mind the Wild West, a place populated by bandits, vigilantes, and any other ne'er-do-well you can imagine. Reuben Houston Burrow was an exception, for he was born in Jewell, Alabama, about as far away as one can get from the Western Frontier, and he became the most famous southern outlaw of all time. From 1886 to 1890, nobody was feared as much as Rube Burrow.
Rube’s family moved to the outskirts of Sulligent to farm. The actual home where the Burrow family lived is still standing and is a visual reminder of the life of a 19th century farmer. Sitting on a gentle curve of a Lamar County road amid green pastures, one can almost picture the young Burrow boys innocently playing outside the large white farmhouse. Those who know the story say that Rube’s descent from country boy to train robber still holds a hint of mystery. The question is still asked today: was Rube Burrow a Robin Hood or a robber?
Lamar County’s link to Rube Burrow is still quite strong. Many of Rube’s family reside in the area and have much to say about their family’s infamous relative. Bo Morris of Sulligent, the great-great nephew of Burrow, explained how many accountings of his notorious kin’s life have been misrepresented.
According to Morris, most of the things you see written about Rube are just hearsay, particularly stories about the people he is said to have killed. Another bit of misinformation is the spelling of Rube’s surname. “Rube’s name has always been misspelled. Even his tombstone has the name Burrows rather than Burrow on it, and it’s been misspelled on all the markers that have been placed on the grave,” said Morris. When asked why the markers had been replaced, Morris said that vandals had repeatedly destroyed the tombstone.

Accurate information about this lawless local seems hard to find. The most reliable documentation about Rube’s life comes from The Saga of Rube Burrow, published in 1981 and written by William Stanley Hoole, a professor of history from the University of Alabama. Professor Hoole drew his material from the diaries of George W. Agee, a member of the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. Pinkerton’s detectives are mostly noted for their capture and dogged pursuit of bandits such as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the James gang.
Rube Burrow moved to his Uncle Joel’s ranch in Texas, where his brother was already living, in 1873. In December, 1886, Rube and Jim robbed their first train in Bellevue, Texas. After four more robberies, Rube and Jim decided to go back home to Lamar County. When the brothers arrived, they were advised to go into hiding.
Strangely enough, most people around Lamar County were not afraid of them; in fact, they admired the Burrow Brothers. They were seen as "Robin Hoods," robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. Indeed, Rube bought new clothes for his relatives and lent them money when they needed it.
Bo Morris relates a bit of folklore about his famous great-great uncle. “Although folks around here weren’t afraid of Rube, they still didn’t want to be robbed by him. A good bit of money was kept up at the Courthouse, and the officials kept trying to figure out a good place to keep it. Banks weren’t safe and neither was the courthouse. They finally found an answer. They took the money from the Courthouse and carried it to Rube’s father, Allen, who was known in the area as an honest man, despite the fact that two of his sons were notorious robbers. They figured that of all the places to keep the money safe, this was it because Rube would never rob from his own father,” he said, laughing. Only a few days later Rube and Jim decided that being in Lamar County was too dangerous, so they packed their belongings and went their separate ways; Rube headed for Birmingham, and Jim went to Montgomery. While there, the police captured Jim. At first, Jim would not cooperate, giving the police an array of false names.

The police weren’t fooled, however. They knew that they had Jim Burrow. The next day when, hoping for a shorter prison sentence, Jim confessed to his crimes and gave his true identity. Meanwhile, Rube was still on the run. He had another near miss in Montgomery and decided to go back to his hideout in Lamar County. Even with narrow escapes and the capture of his brother, Rube was ready to rob more trains, so he wrote a letter to an old friend who had worked for him while he lived in Texas. His name was Joe Jackson, and Rube trusted him like a brother. Jackson, who was wanted for armed robbery, headed for Sulligent. After Jackson arrived, the two men went to Columbus, Mississippi, where they lived for just over a month before returning to Lamar County. There, Rube and Joe hatched a plan to rescue Jim from prison; the Burrow family disapproved, but they would not be stopped, especially after they found out that Jim was deathly ill in prison. Their plan failed; Jim was shuttled off to a different prison and died a few days afterwards.
Rube’s desire for crime could not be overcome, though. In December 1888, Rube and Joe robbed yet another train. This time, however, everything went wrong. Passenger Chester Hughes tried to subdue Burrow and was shot and killed. Other passengers tried to stop them but they escaped and fled to the woods, where they hid for several days.
In 1889, Rube is said to have killed Jewel postmaster Moses Graves after he refused to hand over a package addressed to W.W. Cain. Infuriated, Burrow went home, got a gun, and told Joe Jackson that he planned to shoot the postmaster. Joe tried to talk him out of it, but it was of no use. Rube rode back to the post office and asked for the package once more. Graves again refused, so Rube pulled out his gun and shot Graves in the stomach. After the murder of Graves, a posse of 200 men was formed and the state militia was called into Lamar County but once again Rube avoided being captured.
The true circumstances around the shooting of Moses Graves are still unknown. Many people believe that Joe Jackson, not Rube Burrow, shot Graves. Bo Morris is one of these people. When asked about the murder of Graves, he said, "Joe Jackson shot the postmaster. Rube killed at least three people, but Graves wasn't one of them."
Burrow continued his run from the law and Joe Jackson decided to head to Mississippi. Joe boarded a train for Columbus, but, to his dismay, lawmen were waiting for him. They arrested Jackson and took him to jail, where he confessed his crimes and gave valuable information about Rube’s whereabouts.
Burrow's days were numbered. He was captured in Marengo County in 1890 and sent to Linden, where a man named Jefferson Davis Carter killed him in a shootout. There remains some controversy over how Burrow died. Recounting family history, Bo Morris said, “An autopsy revealed that Rube’s neck and skull were broken and there was a stab wound too. It’s kind of hard to believe that all that was done in a shootout.” Some suggest that these injuries killed him and were not sustained after his death. “Down through the family we’ve all heard the story of how they brought Rube’s body through town from the train station. He was the prized catch and they hauled him through town on the back of a wagon,” said Morris. “He was photographed in his casket with his guns by his side, but the man who killed Rube was given his rifle as a souvenir.”
However Rube Burrow died, one thing is certain: his train robbing days were over. Rube’s story is fascinating and sometimes confusing. There is nothing in his upbringing that can give any reasons for his inclination towards crime. Perhaps he did it for the thrill or for the money.
The Birmingham Age-Herald wrote about Rube, “It is morbid sentimentality that finds anything to praise in the life of an outlaw, but daring such as that displayed by Rube Burrow commands a certain kind of admiration which makes us regret that such qualities could not have been better applied.” It is hard to argue with that. Though most of Rube’s actions were cruel and inexcusable, many were kind and thoughtful, and that should never be forgotten.

Note: A special Thank-you to Bo Morris for his help in substantiating many parts of this article and for his kindness in showing us Rubes grave and former home.

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