By Unknown author - Cover of Black Bart: Boulevardier Bandit (Fresno, CA : Word Dancer Press, 1995), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15900810

Human beings are a funny lot - at best unpredictable and at the worst inscrutable. This is my re-tell of one of my favorite childhood stories as told to me by an uncle.

Charles E. Boles (or Bowles) was a teacher in California's northern mine country. His claim to fame historically is his infamous persona known as Black Bart, the scourge of stagecoach drivers. How did this dapper, educated man turn to such a career?

All rather innocently it seems - he was riding home one evening and heard a stagecoach approaching. Since he knew the driver, he decided to play a practical joke by tying a scarf over his face and holding a stick that was about the size of a pistol. As the stagecoach approached, he hailed it down to a halt. The driver had no weapon and fearing for his life he willingly threw out a strongbox and laid down his whip on the horses. As the stagecoach sped off out of site, a surprised Boles was left with the strongbox full of gold coins and bullion. This, he thought, was a good way to make big money and certainly beat his meager teacher's salary.

Boles moved to San Francisco and took on the persona of being in the mining business. He deposited the money in a bank and proceeded to live high on the hog. He took a few days a week to roam the countryside listening for new of a stagecoach shipment. He upped his accoutrement by adding an unloaded shotgun and a sack which he wore over his head. He also decided to add a cultural touch by leaving behind a bit of poetic verse in every strongbox with the signature, "Black Bart, Po-8."

For eight years, Black Bart robbed a total of 28 stagecoaches. For the most part, folks loved this scalawag and his verses but the Wells Fargo was not amused and he acquired agents who were hot on Bart's trail, particularly one J. B. Hume.

Of course as fate would have it, Bart's luck ran out when he left behind a handkerchief whose laundry mark was easily traceable to a San Francisco laundry and one C.E. Boulton which was Boles bank account name.

Black Bart was caught and spent four years in San Quentin.

The catch is a few weeks after Boles' release the robberies started up again. This time there was no Po-8-try but the Wells Fargo agents recognized the style. According to my uncle's rendition (other accounts may say something different) they ended up contacting Boles and striking a deal with him - if he gave up robbery he would get a life-long pension of $200 a month.

Not bad.

The name Black Bart became associated with a 'dastardly' unacceptable person over time. Someone who robs you of your property and your spirit and walks away whistling a happy tune for the joke they allegedly played on you or how they stuck it to you. 

I know a few - do you?

For Wells Fargo record info and some samples of Bart's Po-8-try:  http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/22491/files/black_barts_poetry.pdf

Legend originally posted by LFN member Glorious Bastard