The “Lone Bandit” as he was known in Escambia County, Alabama, Pensacola and Milton, Florida had robbed and killed for years throughout the area. But the beginning of the end for Reuben "Rube" Houston Burrow occurred when a L&N train pulled out of Flomaton on the night of September 1, 1890 with a mixed load of freight and passengers. As the train built up steam a man climbed aboard, working his way slowly toward the engineer and fireman. He pulled a pistol and forced them to stop the train and uncouple the express car onto a sidetrack. He then told them to continue with their journey if they knew what was good for them. The lone bandit looted the car of $15,000 then jumped off the rail car and waded up Big Escambia Creek to evade the bloodhounds and posse he knew would soon be tracking him. But rather than continuing their journey as he was told the engineer backed his train into Flomaton and reported the robbery to the authorities. The bandit was identified as the infamous and murderous Rube Burrows that had plagued the Atmore and southern Alabama area for years. In the meantime, as soon as Burrows exited the creek he lit out for his home territory in Lamar County, Alabama. But as he crossed the Alabama River, he was seen by a local planter who recognized him and began tracking him into Marengo County.
While on the run, Rube Burrow stopped and took refuge in an abandoned cabin where he built a fire and went to sleep. The next morning, he was approached by a black man by the name of Jesse Hildreth who immediately recognized him as the outlaw the posse was looking for. Jesse tagged along with the great outlaw to keep track of him until he could betray him. During a rainstorm the pair stopped at a farmer’s house to eat where another black conspirator Frank Marshal joined the pair and together they planned Rube’s capture. When two white men by the names of McDuffie and David Carter came along the two conspirators stopped them and came up with a plan to incapacitate Rube and turn him over to the law. When Rube wasn’t looking, they jumped him and tied him up and brought him into the town of Linden. He was jailed in a storage room since no one could find the keys to the town’s jail cell. But since he was bound and shackled no one felt that the daring outlaw could possibly escape. Late that night, after the crowd of spectators had all gone home to bed, Rube was left guarded only by McDuffie, Jesse, and Marshal. Carter had gone across the street to a store with Rube’s rifle and money still in his possession.
About four the next morning of October 9, 1890, Rube woke up and said he was hungry, but McDuffie told him he would have to wait until the normal breakfast hour to get something to eat. Rube then explained that he had some gingersnaps and candy in the sack and if he could send someone to get it he would share some of his grub. McDuffie said all right and when the sack arrived he never took the precaution to look in it. He just handed it over to Rube who immediately removed a loaded pistol and went looking for Carter to get his rifle and money back. He found him in the store directly across the street from the storage room. He entered the store and demanded his possessions from Carter. Coolly, Carter pulled a .32 Smith & Wesson pistol from his hip pocket and confronted Burrow. Rube immediately opened fire and the ball pierced Carter’s left shoulder just above the collarbone. Even with the painful wound, Carter stood and courageously advanced on the outlaw, firing as he came. Rube began backing up until he was about thirty paces away from Carter having fired five of his six rounds from his revolver. As Carter fired his fourth shot Rube turned and ran about ten paces then leaped into the air and fell flat upon the ground. Carter’s fourth shot had entered Rube Burrow’s abdomen, cut his portal artery and killed him.
Outlaw Rube Burrow
Rube Burrow Wanted Poster
Elizabeth City, NC headline 10-14-1890
Outlaw Rube Burrow in Death