Belle Starr - Bandit Queen?
Myra Maybelle Shirley was born on February 5, 1848 to John Shirley and Eliza Pennington in Jasper County, Missouri. The Shirley family prospered and moved to Carthage where John was a respected member of society. Belle attended Carthage Female Academy where she learned academics and social graces. She had four brothers who taught her to ride horses and handle guns.
Carthage was struck hard by the Civil War. Confederate and Union armies were passing through the county endlessly. Outlaw bands, including Frank and Jesse James, Cole Younger, "Bloody Bill" Anderson and William Quantrill, would ride through town stirring up trouble and defending the South. Southerners admired Quantrill and the rest for their support of the Confederacy. Some townsfolk would even provide food and lodging for these bandits, including the Shirleys. Belle's brother, Bud, joined the outlaws as a scout, and Belle also assisted by passing on information she gleaned from her social engagements.
In June, 1864, Bud was killed by the Federal army and John Shirley's wealth was all but gone. He loaded his family into the wagon and headed south to Scyene, Texas which was a known refuge for outlaws. Here, too, the outlaws were welcomed by the Shirley family to stay on their property. It was here that Belle met, fell in love with, and married Jim Reed in 1866. He was riding with the Youngers at the time. Numerous train robberies and bank hold-ups were attributed to the Younger and James brothers.
Cole Younger is reputed to be the father of Belle's daughter, Rosie Belle, nicknamed Pearl, however, there are no historical facts to support this. Innuendo and gossip are more likely to have started this notion.
During the late 1860's, Belle lived in Missouri with her daughter at her mother-in-law's home. Jim Reed, meanwhile, took up with Tom Starr, an infamous Cherokee who avenged his father's murder by slaughtering more than 20 people. He and Reed began selling whiskey and rustling cattle in Indian Territory. When Reed killed a man to avenge his brother's death, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He took Belle and Pearl and moved to California to escape.
While in California, Belle gave birth to their son, James Edwin, in 1871. Hollywood portrays Ed as being older than Pearl. This is not true. Reed couldn't stay out of trouble in California, either. He was accused of passing counterfeit money. Knowing the law would find out about his open murder warrant, Reed fled back to Texas. Belle and the children followed in the stagecoach about a week later.
Between 1871 and 1873, Reed was involved in livestock rustling and murder. He fled to Indian Territory to stay with Tom Starr. He took Belle with him and left the children with Belle's parents. While in Choctaw Nation, Reed and two of his outlaw buddies robbed the Grayson family of about $30,000. He raced back to Texas with Belle, where she left him to go live with her parents. She had had enough of the crimes and always running from the law. And, she had learned Jim had been seeing another woman.
Reed and his gang continued robbing stagecoaches and rustling cattle. They would escape to Indian Territory when the law got too close. Reed was shot and killed in August of 1874 in Texas by a former aquaintance, John Morris. His death left Belle penniless, for she had not seen any of the spoils of Reed's escapades. Two years later, Belle's father passed away. Belle decided to move back to Missouri to live with her mother-in-law.
Between 1876 and 1880, not much is known of Belle's life. Gossip abounded that Belle was involved in bank robberies, arson and horse-thievery while dressed as a man. None of the activities are documented in court records or newspapers.
On June, 5, 1880, Belle married Sam Starr, son of Tom Starr, in Indian Territory. They settled on the land owned by Tom Starr named Youngers' Bend - Tom Starr admired the Younger brothers. Here again, many outlaws would come seeking refuge. Belle just wanted to live in peace.
Belle and Sam were charged with horse stealing in July 1882. However, they claimed they had received permission to pen some of their horses on a neighbor's ranch. The neighbor noticed that some of the horses belonged not to the Starr's, but to other of his neighbors. After serving 9 months in jail, Belle and Sam returned to Youngers' Bend.
Sam began to spend more and more time away from home. He and two others were charged with robbing a store and holding up a U.S. Post Office. Several farms had also been robbed in early 1886. Two witnesses identified one of the robbers' as a woman dressed as a man, claiming it was Belle Starr. None of the witnesses could positively identify her during the trial in June, so she was found not guilty and released.
In December, 1886, Belle and Sam attended a Christmas dance at a friends house. Sam was involved in a shoot-out with his cousin, U.S. Deputy Indian Marshall Franklin West. Both men died of their gunshot wounds. Belle's claim to Youngers' Bend was in the hands of the Cherokee authorities. They stated that she no longer had a right to the land with Sam dead. Belle soon married Sam's adopted brother, Billy July, and was allowed to keep the property.
Belle was heading home to Youngers' Bend from San Bois after staying with friends in February 1889. She was shot twice, once in the back and once in the face, knocking her from her horse. Speculation as to who shot Belle led to a man named Edgar Watson. He and his wife had previously asked Belle if they could rent some land from her. When she realized he was wanted for murder in Florida, she demanded they leave her property. No one was ever convicted of killing Belle Starr.
Belle is buried near Lake Eufala, just a couple of miles from her Youngers' Bend home. Ironically, the Starr family cemetary is now all that is left on the property that was Youngers' Bend. Tom Starr, Sam Starr and many other Starr's are buried there, except for Belle.
Her tombstone has an engraving of a horse along with the following:
Shed not for her the bitter tear, Nor give the heart to vain regret. 'Tis but the casket that lies here, The gem that filled it sparkles yet.
Belle's grave was vandalized and her six-shooters stolen. Now, a fence surrounds the gravesite, allowing Belle the peace she always longed for.
Ref: Richard D. Arnott - American.History.about.com
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