On or about June 29 1893 Manuel Herrick, a future United States Representative from Oklahoma, attempted to rob a Santa Fe train near the Black Bear bridge. He claimed he had been ordered to perform the deed by four "heavily armed desperadoes," one of whom was (improbably) Bill Dalton. Two of the others he named were Bill Anderson and Arthur Gage. Has anybody run across these outlaws? Or is it more probable they are figments of Manuel's rather lively imagination?

--meursault

John, on this board under the heading Choctaw Bill is a little info that might help.

Thanks for the information, Mike. Whatever else one might say about Manuel, one has to admit he took the avocation of train robbing very seriously. In addition to the obligatory Winchester, Manuel carried two pistols, two sticks of dynamite, assorted railway track torpedoes and, should these weapons fail him, a long sword he had purchased specifically for the occasion. Question: has anyone ever heard of an outlaw robbing a train at the point of a sword?

--meursault