Birmingham’s Biggest Crooks: Rube Burrow
In August, we’re celebrating Birmingham’s Biggest Crooks, whether they be liars, thieves, extortionists, swindlers or thugs. Running daily until Birmingham mayor Larry Langford’s Aug. 31 federal trial. Thanks to Bhamwiki for helping with this project.
Rube Burrow
Positions held: Alabama native who became a farmer, train robber and outlaw
Wanted for: robbery and murder. One 1887 train robbery netted Burrow’s gang between $12,000 and $30,000 (or in 2009 dollars, from $284,000 to $710,000). He shot and killed a Lamar County postmaster.
Date of conviction: never convicted. Possibly gunned down or captured by Linden store owner J.D. “Dixie” Carter, after Burrow hid out in the Alabama wilderness for two years during one of the nation’s largest manhunts.
Criminally fun fact: Burrow’s body was displayed in Birmingham (and other cities) before being buried in his home county of Lamar in 1890. Namesake of the former Rube Burrow’s Food and Spirits in Five Points South.
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Additional reading:
- Bhamwiki: Rube Burrow
- Crime Watch
- Meet more of Birmingham’s Biggest Crooks | RSS feed
Also see:
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 12:08 am
I recently read a ‘haunted Alabama’ book that mentioned him. Apparently, it was thought he could turn into an animal to escape. So the story went…
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 1:44 pm
Eww… I still don’t get what’s up with displaying the dead body.
Thursday, August 6, 2009, 9:42 pm
Interesting, wonder what kind of animal? Hedgehog? Cheetah?
Seeing the body? Probably because they didn’t have cable yet …
Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 10:29 am
[...] far there have been some infamous private-life criminals profiled – like trainrobber Rube Burrow – but most of the attention appears to be going toward recent political corruption and crimes by [...]