Famous robbers & gunslingers and RDR2

[Cyper]

I was reading about an outlaw called Elmer McCurdy. A few names and events ringed some bells.

* His mother was called Sadie McCurdy (1862-1900).
* His father was presumed to be someone called Charles Smith (an alias he would also adopt).
* He was an alcoholic
* He joined the U.S army in 1907 and was trained to use nitroglycerin.
* He was later honorably discharged
* He used his nitroglycerin ''skills'' to blow safes but often failed at doing so due to lack of knowledge. One time the charge failed to ignite.
* He was a failed frontiersman. One time he was supposed to rob a train containing 400 000 dollars. But he robbed the wrong train ending up with $46 and some whiskey instead.
* He got sick in tuberculosis after working in the mines.
* While sick, he hid in a barn, and got shot and killed 1911 by three sheriffs; Dick Wallance and Bob and Stinger Fenton.

 

Sadie, Charles Smith, and Fenton are known names in RDR2. But more interesting, Elmer's story reminds me pretty much of Bill which also was an alcoholic, ex-military, trained to use explosives (and bad at it), and a failed frontiersman in general. Elmer also died in the same year as Bill - 1911. Coincidence or not?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Cyper