Laura Bullion
Encyclopedia
Laura Bullion was a female outlaw
of the Old West. Most sources indicate that Bullion was born of German
and Native American
heritage in Knickerbocker, near Mertzon
in Irion County, Texas
; the exact day of her birth is unclear. Data in the 1880 and 1900 Federal Census suggests that a Laura Bullion might have been born on a farm in the township of Palarm near Conway
in Faulkner County, Arkansas
, and might have grown up in Tom Green County, Texas
. Other sources claim that Laura Bullion was born in Kentucky
in 1873.
In the 1890s, Laura Bullion was a member of Butch Cassidy
's gang the Wild Bunch
; her cohorts were fellow outlaws including the Sundance Kid, "Black Jack" Ketchum
, and Kid Curry
. For several years in the 1890s, she was romantically involved with outlaw Ben Kilpatrick
("The Tall Texan"), a bank and train robber and an acquaintance of her father, who had been an outlaw as well. In 1901, Bullion was convicted of robbery
and sentenced to five years in prison for her participation in the Great Northern train robbery
. She was released in 1905 after serving three years and six months of her punishment.
Laura Bullion moved to Memphis
, Tennessee
in 1918, posing as a war widow and using assumed names. She supported herself as a householder
and seamstress, later as a drapery
maker, dress maker and interior designer. Her fortunes declined in the late 1940s, at which time she was without an occupation. In 1961, Laura Bullion died of heart disease
at the Shelby County
Hospital in Memphis. Her final resting place is at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.
Most sources report that Laura Bullion was born in Knickerbocker, Texas
near Mertzon
in Irion County, in or around October 1876. Although the actual date of her birth is unknown, Bullion's death record indicates October 4 as her birthday. Her mother was German
, and her father was Native American
. Bullion's death certificate
lists Henry Bullion as her father and Fredy Byler as her mother.
Bullion's father had been an outlaw and was acquainted with outlaws William Carver
("News Carver") and Ben Kilpatrick
("The Tall Texan"), both of whom Bullion met when she was around 13 years of age. Her aunt, Viana Byler, married Carver in 1891, but she died soon after the marriage from fever
. At age 15, Bullion began a romance with Carver, who for a time after his wife's death had been involved with female outlaw Josie Bassett
, sister to Cassidy's girlfriend Ann Bassett
.
brothel in San Antonio, Texas
, a frequent hideaway for the gang.
The report of her arrest in St. Louis
, Missouri
in 1901 states her occupation as prostitute.
In an arrest report dated November 6, 1901, her age is mentioned as 28 at the time of the arrest. Provided that the birth year of 1876 is correct, Bullion would have been 24 or 25 years of age at that time.
The death certificate
states Bullion's age at death as 74, and her date of birth as October 4, 1887. Provided that the birth year of 1876 is correct, Bullion would have been 84 or 85 years of age at her death. The certificate is issued under the name Freda Bullion Lincoln, a false identity she assumed when she moved to Memphis
, claiming to be the war widow of Maurice Lincoln and making herself about ten years younger than she was.
Data found in the 1880 and 1900 U.S. Census suggests that Bullion might have been born on a farm in the Palarm Township near Conway
in Faulkner County, Arkansas
. The 1880 Federal Census of Population for Palarm Township show the family of a Kentucky
-born farmer named Henry Bullion, aged 42, living with his wife Martha, 40 years old, and four children, including a son Lewis, 4 years of age.
The 1900 Federal Census documents a 23 year old Laura Bullion, born October 1876 in Arkansas, who stated her occupation as "housekeeper" and who was living with her grandparents E. R. & Serena Byler, her aunt Mrs. Mary Allen and her three children at the Byler homestead in the southwest portion of the Commissioner's Precinct Number 4 in Tom Green County, Texas
. Tom Green County borders Irion County, Bullion's assumed county of birth, in the north and east.
Other material claims that Laura Bullion was "probably" born in Kentucky
in 1873 and was raised in Texas.
Image:Wildbunchlarge.jpg|The Wild Bunch in Fort Worth, Texas (1900). Use cursor to identify persons. |thumb
poly 44 400 123 294 180 277 180 256 162 226 170 213 174 187 208 178 242 202 240 228 231 284 284 316 302 458 315 486 307 710 273 710 262 690 265 525 196 530 205 684 197 709 164 710 173 671 140 523 115 497 124 435 The Sundance Kid
poly 353 711 364 665 344 493 356 443 316 432 319 381 349 340 355 312 392 301 400 274 422 260 418 232 404 181 416 175 422 153 444 148 466 155 468 171 485 178 476 201 470 255 490 273 531 289 571 401 531 477 495 674 495 706 460 709 463 511 437 510 414 513 398 709 The Tall Texan
poly 593 700 607 670 583 493 604 473 650 464 638 430 577 403 574 387 616 319 633 324 644 315 649 289 673 267 660 231 659 200 667 201 677 176 696 174 724 184 724 192 724 211 737 211 737 217 727 221 732 236 723 270 781 291 831 383 847 427 847 440 830 457 806 449 782 398 796 502 778 558 738 687 743 710 707 711 701 660 723 527 704 519 644 536 644 680 625 706 Butch Cassidy
poly 215 410 241 164 293 138 293 111 281 108 270 78 278 72 276 50 300 33 316 32 331 52 345 52 344 70 346 104 339 134 386 154 410 228 414 233 406 421 News Carver
poly 432 400 477 258 490 225 501 165 549 141 549 125 530 84 541 54 552 47 570 38 601 49 615 75 608 116 594 131 603 142 648 160 690 403 Kid Curry
rect 4 2 896 710 Use button for full picture or use cursor to hyperlink
desc none
When Bullion first became involved with Carver, he was riding with the Tom Ketchum
("Black Jack Ketchum") gang, and Bullion wanted to join him. However, he would not allow it at first, and they only saw one another between robberies. While in Utah
and on the run from lawmen, Carver became involved with the Wild Bunch gang, led by Butch Cassidy
and Elzy Lay
.
. Often Bullion was also referred to as the "Rose of the Wild Bunch". When Laura Bullion and her boyfriend Ben Kilpatrick fled east to evade the law after a train robbery
in 1901, the couple travelled under the names "Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Arnold".
In an arrest report following the train robbery, dated November 6, 1901, Bullion's name is filed as "Della Rose" and her aliases are stated to be "Clara Hays" and "Laura Casey & [Laura] Bullion". The arrest report lists her profession as prostitute. According to a New York Times article, she was "masquerading as Mrs. Nellie Rose" [emphasis added] at the time of her arrest.Woman Train Robber Held; Special to The New York Times; New York, NY; Nov. 8, 1901; page 2 The same article also mentions the suspicion that Laura Bullion, "disguised as a boy", might have taken part in a train robbery in Montana
. The paper cites Chief of Detectives Desmond: "I would'nt [sic!] think helping to hold up a train was too much for her. She is cool, shows absolutely no fear, and in male attire would readily pass for a boy. She has a masculine face, and that would give her assurance in her disguise." Instead of "Clara Hays", Bullion also used "Clare Hayes" or "Clara Hayes" as a version of her alias. Other assumed names she used at that time were "Desert Rose", "Wild Bunch Rose" and "Clara Casey".
When Bullion turned up in Memphis
in 1918, she used the names "Freda Lincoln", "Freda Bullion Lincoln" and "Mrs. Maurice Lincoln", claiming to be a war widow and that her late husband had been Maurice Lincoln. She also made herself ten years younger claiming to be born in 1887. On her grave marker at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, Bullion's name is inscribed as "Freda Bullion Lincoln" and "Laura Bullion", her birth name. The epitaph
, "The Thorny Rose" refers to her nickname in the Wild Bunch.
In the early 1890s, Bullion became involved romantically with Ben Kilpatrick ("The Tall Texan"), after Carver began a relationship with a prostitute named Lillie Davis, whom he had met while at Fannie Porter's brothel in San Antonio
, Texas
. As the gang robbed trains, Bullion supported them by selling stolen goods, and making connections that could give the gang steady supplies and horses.
By 1901, Bullion was again involved romantically with Carver, as well as occasional involvement with other members of the gang. When Carver was killed by lawmen, on April 1, 1901, Bullion became involved romantically with Kilpatrick again, and the two fled to Knoxville
, Tennessee
. Della Moore and Kid Curry met up with them there, and the four stayed together for a number of months, until October, when Della Moore was arrested for passing money linked to one of the gangs robberies.
. She had $8,500 worth of robbed banknotes in her possession, stolen in the Great Northern train robbery
.
On December 12, 1901, Kilpatrick was arrested. Curry escaped capture on December 13, 1901, killing two Knoxville policemen in the process. Bullion and Kilpatrick were both convicted of robbery
, with Bullion being sentenced to five years in prison
, and Kilpatrick receiving a twenty year sentence. She spent three and a half years before being released in 1905. Kilpatrick was not released from prison until 1911.
In 1918, Bullion moved to Memphis
, where she spent the remainder of her life working as a householder
and seamstress, later as a drapery
maker, dress maker and interior designer.
Claiming to be the war widow of Maurice Lincoln, she lived in Memphis for 43 years under the assumed names of "Freda Lincoln", "Freda Bullion Lincoln" or "Mrs. Maurice Lincoln". According to her death certificate
, she gave October 4, 1887, as her birthday, making her about ten years younger than she was.
In 1920, the Memphis City Directory lists her as seamstress for the Jennings Furniture Co., with rooms at 221 Monroe Ave. From 1927 to 1948 she is listed as "householder
" at 1374 Madison Ave. This is the only one of the buildings still in existence in 2007. In the 1930s, Bullion was listed as "drapery maker". Her occupation was upgraded to "interior decorator" in 1940. Her fortunes declined in the late 1940s. In 1950, Bullion moved to 1065 Walker Ave with no profession listed. The following year she moved to 3691 Southern Ave and in 1952 to 733 Decatur St. From 1953 to 1959, Bullion disappears from the telephone book and is not listed in the City Directory.
In 1959, Bullion was listed as living at 278 Cossit Place. She lived there until her death, two years later.
According to her obituary, Bullion died of heart disease
at the Shelby County
Hospital at 6:45 p.m. on December 2, 1961. The memorial service was held two days later, at 11:30 a.m. on December 4. She is buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee). Bullion was the last surviving member of the Wild Bunch gang.
Her grave marker reads:
Bullion's bronze
grave marker has a decoration of embossed rose vines along the edges. The decoration and her epitaph
, "The Thorny Rose", refer to Bullion's nickname in the Wild Bunch. Gang members nicknamed her "Della Rose", a name she came by after meeting Kid Curry's girlfriend Della Moore
. Often she was also referred to as "Rose of the Wild Bunch" by her fellow gang members. It is unknown who chose the decoration or the epitaph for her grave marker.
, girlfriend to Wild Bunch gang member the Sundance Kid
. Place simply disappeared in 1909, following the Kid's alleged death in Bolivia
. At that same time, a woman named Eunice Gray
began operating a brothel
in Texas
, and it has often been speculated that Gray was in fact Place. Only Bullion, Ann Bassett
, and Josie Bassett
could have confirmed otherwise. Ann Bassett died in 1956. In 1964, Josie Bassett died, the last of any who could shed light on the facts about Etta Place.
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
of the Old West. Most sources indicate that Bullion was born of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
heritage in Knickerbocker, near Mertzon
Mertzon, Texas
Mertzon is a city in and the county seat of Irion County, Texas, United States. The population was 839 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Angelo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Mertzon is located at ....
in Irion County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; the exact day of her birth is unclear. Data in the 1880 and 1900 Federal Census suggests that a Laura Bullion might have been born on a farm in the township of Palarm near Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
in Faulkner County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, and might have grown up in Tom Green County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Other sources claim that Laura Bullion was born in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1873.
In the 1890s, Laura Bullion was a member of Butch Cassidy
Butch Cassidy
Robert LeRoy Parker , better known as Butch Cassidy, was a notorious American train robber, bank robber, and leader of the Wild Bunch Gang in the American Old West...
's gang the Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was one of the loosely organized outlaw gangs operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall in Wyoming during the Old West era in the United States. It was popularized by the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and took its name from the original Wild Bunch...
; her cohorts were fellow outlaws including the Sundance Kid, "Black Jack" Ketchum
Tom Ketchum
Thomas Everard Ketchum , known as Black Jack, was a cowboy who later turned to a life of crime. He was hanged in 1901 for attempted train robbery.-First train robberies and murders:...
, and Kid Curry
Harvey Logan
Harvey Alexander Logan , also known as Kid Curry, was an American outlaw and gunman who rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang. Despite being less well known than his counterparts, he has since been referred to as "the wildest of the Wild Bunch"...
. For several years in the 1890s, she was romantically involved with outlaw Ben Kilpatrick
Ben Kilpatrick
Ben Kilpatrick was an American outlaw during the closing days of the American Old West. He was a member of the Wild Bunch gang led by Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay. He was arrested for robbery and served about 10 years of his 15 year sentence...
("The Tall Texan"), a bank and train robber and an acquaintance of her father, who had been an outlaw as well. In 1901, Bullion was convicted of robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and sentenced to five years in prison for her participation in the Great Northern train robbery
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
. She was released in 1905 after serving three years and six months of her punishment.
Laura Bullion moved to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1918, posing as a war widow and using assumed names. She supported herself as a householder
Householder
A householder is a person who is the head of a household; see House.Householder is also a family name:*Alston Scott Householder, American mathematicianMathematical topics named after A.S...
and seamstress, later as a drapery
Drapery
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles . It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothing, formerly conducted by drapers.In art history, drapery refers to any cloth or...
maker, dress maker and interior designer. Her fortunes declined in the late 1940s, at which time she was without an occupation. In 1961, Laura Bullion died of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
at the Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
Hospital in Memphis. Her final resting place is at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis.
Early life
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
near Mertzon
Mertzon, Texas
Mertzon is a city in and the county seat of Irion County, Texas, United States. The population was 839 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Angelo, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Mertzon is located at ....
in Irion County, in or around October 1876. Although the actual date of her birth is unknown, Bullion's death record indicates October 4 as her birthday. Her mother was German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, and her father was Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Bullion's death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
lists Henry Bullion as her father and Fredy Byler as her mother.
Bullion's father had been an outlaw and was acquainted with outlaws William Carver
William Carver (Wild Bunch)
William "News" Carver was an American outlaw and a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch during the closing years of the American Old West. His nickname "News" was given to him because he enjoyed seeing his name in newspaper stories of his gang's exploits...
("News Carver") and Ben Kilpatrick
Ben Kilpatrick
Ben Kilpatrick was an American outlaw during the closing days of the American Old West. He was a member of the Wild Bunch gang led by Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay. He was arrested for robbery and served about 10 years of his 15 year sentence...
("The Tall Texan"), both of whom Bullion met when she was around 13 years of age. Her aunt, Viana Byler, married Carver in 1891, but she died soon after the marriage from fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
. At age 15, Bullion began a romance with Carver, who for a time after his wife's death had been involved with female outlaw Josie Bassett
Josie Bassett
Josie Bassett was a female rancher. She and her sister "Queen" Ann Bassett are known for their love affairs and associations with well-known outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.-Early life:...
, sister to Cassidy's girlfriend Ann Bassett
Ann Bassett
Ann Bassett , also known as Queen Ann Bassett, was a prominent female rancher of the Old West, and with her sister Josie Bassett, was an associate of outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.-Early life:...
.
Prostitution
Bullion also worked as a prostitute for a time, until reaching the age of either 16 or 17. She is also believed to have returned to prostitution from time to time, working mostly in Madame Fannie Porter'sFannie Porter
Fannie Porter was a well known Madame of the 19th century. She was best known for her association with famous outlaws of the day, and for her popular brothel.-Career as a Madame:...
brothel in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, a frequent hideaway for the gang.
The report of her arrest in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1901 states her occupation as prostitute.
Birthday ambiguity
Most sources, as well as Bullion's grave marker, provide 1876 as the year of her birth. 1873 is also mentioned as a possible year of her birth. The exact day is not known.In an arrest report dated November 6, 1901, her age is mentioned as 28 at the time of the arrest. Provided that the birth year of 1876 is correct, Bullion would have been 24 or 25 years of age at that time.
The death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
states Bullion's age at death as 74, and her date of birth as October 4, 1887. Provided that the birth year of 1876 is correct, Bullion would have been 84 or 85 years of age at her death. The certificate is issued under the name Freda Bullion Lincoln, a false identity she assumed when she moved to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, claiming to be the war widow of Maurice Lincoln and making herself about ten years younger than she was.
Birthplace ambiguity
Most sources, including Laura Bullion's death certificate, give Texas as her state of birth.Data found in the 1880 and 1900 U.S. Census suggests that Bullion might have been born on a farm in the Palarm Township near Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
in Faulkner County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The 1880 Federal Census of Population for Palarm Township show the family of a Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
-born farmer named Henry Bullion, aged 42, living with his wife Martha, 40 years old, and four children, including a son Lewis, 4 years of age.
The 1900 Federal Census documents a 23 year old Laura Bullion, born October 1876 in Arkansas, who stated her occupation as "housekeeper" and who was living with her grandparents E. R. & Serena Byler, her aunt Mrs. Mary Allen and her three children at the Byler homestead in the southwest portion of the Commissioner's Precinct Number 4 in Tom Green County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Tom Green County borders Irion County, Bullion's assumed county of birth, in the north and east.
Other material claims that Laura Bullion was "probably" born in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1873 and was raised in Texas.
Outlaw life
Image:Wildbunchlarge.jpg|The Wild Bunch in Fort Worth, Texas (1900). Use cursor to identify persons. |thumb
poly 44 400 123 294 180 277 180 256 162 226 170 213 174 187 208 178 242 202 240 228 231 284 284 316 302 458 315 486 307 710 273 710 262 690 265 525 196 530 205 684 197 709 164 710 173 671 140 523 115 497 124 435 The Sundance Kid
Harry Longabaugh
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh , better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, in the American Old West. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy after Parker was released from prison around 1896...
poly 353 711 364 665 344 493 356 443 316 432 319 381 349 340 355 312 392 301 400 274 422 260 418 232 404 181 416 175 422 153 444 148 466 155 468 171 485 178 476 201 470 255 490 273 531 289 571 401 531 477 495 674 495 706 460 709 463 511 437 510 414 513 398 709 The Tall Texan
Ben Kilpatrick
Ben Kilpatrick was an American outlaw during the closing days of the American Old West. He was a member of the Wild Bunch gang led by Butch Cassidy and Elzy Lay. He was arrested for robbery and served about 10 years of his 15 year sentence...
poly 593 700 607 670 583 493 604 473 650 464 638 430 577 403 574 387 616 319 633 324 644 315 649 289 673 267 660 231 659 200 667 201 677 176 696 174 724 184 724 192 724 211 737 211 737 217 727 221 732 236 723 270 781 291 831 383 847 427 847 440 830 457 806 449 782 398 796 502 778 558 738 687 743 710 707 711 701 660 723 527 704 519 644 536 644 680 625 706 Butch Cassidy
poly 215 410 241 164 293 138 293 111 281 108 270 78 278 72 276 50 300 33 316 32 331 52 345 52 344 70 346 104 339 134 386 154 410 228 414 233 406 421 News Carver
William Carver (Wild Bunch)
William "News" Carver was an American outlaw and a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch during the closing years of the American Old West. His nickname "News" was given to him because he enjoyed seeing his name in newspaper stories of his gang's exploits...
poly 432 400 477 258 490 225 501 165 549 141 549 125 530 84 541 54 552 47 570 38 601 49 615 75 608 116 594 131 603 142 648 160 690 403 Kid Curry
Harvey Logan
Harvey Alexander Logan , also known as Kid Curry, was an American outlaw and gunman who rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's infamous Wild Bunch gang. Despite being less well known than his counterparts, he has since been referred to as "the wildest of the Wild Bunch"...
rect 4 2 896 710 Use button for full picture or use cursor to hyperlink
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch
Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch was one of the loosely organized outlaw gangs operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall in Wyoming during the Old West era in the United States. It was popularized by the 1969 movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and took its name from the original Wild Bunch...
desc none
When Bullion first became involved with Carver, he was riding with the Tom Ketchum
Tom Ketchum
Thomas Everard Ketchum , known as Black Jack, was a cowboy who later turned to a life of crime. He was hanged in 1901 for attempted train robbery.-First train robberies and murders:...
("Black Jack Ketchum") gang, and Bullion wanted to join him. However, he would not allow it at first, and they only saw one another between robberies. While in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and on the run from lawmen, Carver became involved with the Wild Bunch gang, led by Butch Cassidy
Butch Cassidy
Robert LeRoy Parker , better known as Butch Cassidy, was a notorious American train robber, bank robber, and leader of the Wild Bunch Gang in the American Old West...
and Elzy Lay
Elzy Lay
William Ellsworth "Elzy" Lay was an outlaw of the Old West best known as being a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, gang, operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming...
.
Aliases and disguises
Members of the Wild Bunch nicknamed Laura Bullion "Della Rose", a name she came by after meeting Kid Curry's girlfriend Della MooreDella Moore
Della Moore , also known as Annie Rogers or Maude Williams, was a prostitute during the closing years of the Old West, best known as being the girlfriend of outlaw Harvey Logan , who rode with the Wild Bunch gang....
. Often Bullion was also referred to as the "Rose of the Wild Bunch". When Laura Bullion and her boyfriend Ben Kilpatrick fled east to evade the law after a train robbery
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
in 1901, the couple travelled under the names "Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Arnold".
In an arrest report following the train robbery, dated November 6, 1901, Bullion's name is filed as "Della Rose" and her aliases are stated to be "Clara Hays" and "Laura Casey & [Laura] Bullion". The arrest report lists her profession as prostitute. According to a New York Times article, she was "masquerading as Mrs. Nellie Rose" [emphasis added] at the time of her arrest.Woman Train Robber Held; Special to The New York Times; New York, NY; Nov. 8, 1901; page 2 The same article also mentions the suspicion that Laura Bullion, "disguised as a boy", might have taken part in a train robbery in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. The paper cites Chief of Detectives Desmond: "I would'nt [sic!] think helping to hold up a train was too much for her. She is cool, shows absolutely no fear, and in male attire would readily pass for a boy. She has a masculine face, and that would give her assurance in her disguise." Instead of "Clara Hays", Bullion also used "Clare Hayes" or "Clara Hayes" as a version of her alias. Other assumed names she used at that time were "Desert Rose", "Wild Bunch Rose" and "Clara Casey".
When Bullion turned up in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 1918, she used the names "Freda Lincoln", "Freda Bullion Lincoln" and "Mrs. Maurice Lincoln", claiming to be a war widow and that her late husband had been Maurice Lincoln. She also made herself ten years younger claiming to be born in 1887. On her grave marker at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, Bullion's name is inscribed as "Freda Bullion Lincoln" and "Laura Bullion", her birth name. The epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
, "The Thorny Rose" refers to her nickname in the Wild Bunch.
Relationships
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. As the gang robbed trains, Bullion supported them by selling stolen goods, and making connections that could give the gang steady supplies and horses.
By 1901, Bullion was again involved romantically with Carver, as well as occasional involvement with other members of the gang. When Carver was killed by lawmen, on April 1, 1901, Bullion became involved romantically with Kilpatrick again, and the two fled to Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Della Moore and Kid Curry met up with them there, and the four stayed together for a number of months, until October, when Della Moore was arrested for passing money linked to one of the gangs robberies.
Arrest
On November 6, 1901, Bullion was arrested on federal charges for "forgery of signatures to banknotes" at the Laclede Hotel in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. She had $8,500 worth of robbed banknotes in her possession, stolen in the Great Northern train robbery
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
.
On December 12, 1901, Kilpatrick was arrested. Curry escaped capture on December 13, 1901, killing two Knoxville policemen in the process. Bullion and Kilpatrick were both convicted of robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, with Bullion being sentenced to five years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, and Kilpatrick receiving a twenty year sentence. She spent three and a half years before being released in 1905. Kilpatrick was not released from prison until 1911.
After the outlaw life
Kilpatrick stayed in contact with Bullion through letters. By the time of his release from prison in 1911, she had become involved with at least four other men, but they never reconnected nor did they ever see one another again. Kilpatrick was killed robbing a train on March 13, 1912. By that time, all the members of the Wild Bunch gang were either in prison, dead, or had served a prison sentence and moved on to other things in their lives.Memphis years
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, where she spent the remainder of her life working as a householder
Householder
A householder is a person who is the head of a household; see House.Householder is also a family name:*Alston Scott Householder, American mathematicianMathematical topics named after A.S...
and seamstress, later as a drapery
Drapery
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles . It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothing, formerly conducted by drapers.In art history, drapery refers to any cloth or...
maker, dress maker and interior designer.
Claiming to be the war widow of Maurice Lincoln, she lived in Memphis for 43 years under the assumed names of "Freda Lincoln", "Freda Bullion Lincoln" or "Mrs. Maurice Lincoln". According to her death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
, she gave October 4, 1887, as her birthday, making her about ten years younger than she was.
In 1920, the Memphis City Directory lists her as seamstress for the Jennings Furniture Co., with rooms at 221 Monroe Ave. From 1927 to 1948 she is listed as "householder
Householder
A householder is a person who is the head of a household; see House.Householder is also a family name:*Alston Scott Householder, American mathematicianMathematical topics named after A.S...
" at 1374 Madison Ave. This is the only one of the buildings still in existence in 2007. In the 1930s, Bullion was listed as "drapery maker". Her occupation was upgraded to "interior decorator" in 1940. Her fortunes declined in the late 1940s. In 1950, Bullion moved to 1065 Walker Ave with no profession listed. The following year she moved to 3691 Southern Ave and in 1952 to 733 Decatur St. From 1953 to 1959, Bullion disappears from the telephone book and is not listed in the City Directory.
In 1959, Bullion was listed as living at 278 Cossit Place. She lived there until her death, two years later.
Death
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
at the Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
Hospital at 6:45 p.m. on December 2, 1961. The memorial service was held two days later, at 11:30 a.m. on December 4. She is buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee). Bullion was the last surviving member of the Wild Bunch gang.
Her grave marker reads:
- Freda Bullion Lincoln
- Laura Bullion
- The Thorny Rose
- 1876 - 1961
Bullion's bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
grave marker has a decoration of embossed rose vines along the edges. The decoration and her epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
, "The Thorny Rose", refer to Bullion's nickname in the Wild Bunch. Gang members nicknamed her "Della Rose", a name she came by after meeting Kid Curry's girlfriend Della Moore
Della Moore
Della Moore , also known as Annie Rogers or Maude Williams, was a prostitute during the closing years of the Old West, best known as being the girlfriend of outlaw Harvey Logan , who rode with the Wild Bunch gang....
. Often she was also referred to as "Rose of the Wild Bunch" by her fellow gang members. It is unknown who chose the decoration or the epitaph for her grave marker.
Her cohorts' fate
For a number of years prior to her death, Bullion was one of only three people who had actually known the mysterious Etta PlaceEtta Place
Etta Place was a companion of the American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , both members of the outlaw gang known as the Wild Bunch. Principally the companion of Longabaugh, little is known about her; both her origins and her fate remain mysterious...
, girlfriend to Wild Bunch gang member the Sundance Kid
Harry Longabaugh
Harry Alonzo Longabaugh , better known as the Sundance Kid, was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, in the American Old West. Longabaugh likely met Butch Cassidy after Parker was released from prison around 1896...
. Place simply disappeared in 1909, following the Kid's alleged death in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. At that same time, a woman named Eunice Gray
Eunice Gray
Eunice Gray was a brothel and hotel owner and operator in Fort Worth, Texas from 1909 to 1962. She is best known for the belief that she was in fact Etta Place, the former girlfriend of the famous outlaw Harry Alonzo Longabaugh aka the Sundance Kid, who was allegedly killed in a shootout in South...
began operating a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and it has often been speculated that Gray was in fact Place. Only Bullion, Ann Bassett
Ann Bassett
Ann Bassett , also known as Queen Ann Bassett, was a prominent female rancher of the Old West, and with her sister Josie Bassett, was an associate of outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.-Early life:...
, and Josie Bassett
Josie Bassett
Josie Bassett was a female rancher. She and her sister "Queen" Ann Bassett are known for their love affairs and associations with well-known outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch.-Early life:...
could have confirmed otherwise. Ann Bassett died in 1956. In 1964, Josie Bassett died, the last of any who could shed light on the facts about Etta Place.