On a cold December evening in 1902, two good-looking young men robbed a Union, Missouri Bank and escaped with an estimated $15,000 worth of loot. When Pinkerton detective Charles Schumacher tracked them down, the young thieves brutally murdered him and became two of the most hunted and most celebrated criminals of the time. Follow along as I tell the story of their crimes and their capture to Joe, a retired DEA special agent. Listen carefully, because as always, it’s tough to know if what I say is FACT OR FICTION.
“William Rudolph Guilty of Murder.” The Crawford Mirror. March 31, 1904.
“Bank Robber Tells His Own Story.” The St. Louis Republic, March 15, 1903
“Like Missouri Bandit Days.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 29, 1902.
“Rudolph and Lewis, Union Bank Robbers, Taken by Pinkertons at Hartford, Conn.” The St. Louis Republic, March 2, 1903.
“Rudolph Found in Kansas Penitentiary; Serving Term for Robbery at Louisburg.” The St. Louis Republic, February 14, 1904.
“Escape and Pursuit of the Union Bank Robbers.” The St. Louis Republic, 1 February 1903, p. 25.
Rudolph and Lewis are shown shackled as they travel from Connecticut to Missouri.
“How the Union Bank Robbers Who Killed Detective Schumacher Are Being Brought Back to Missouri.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10 March, 1903, p. 1.
“300 Dollar Reward for Capture of Rudolph.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 7, 1903.
Citations
“$300 Reward for Capture of Rudolph.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7 July, 1903, p. 9.
Alexander, R., 2020. 10 Exciting Adventures Of The Pinkertons. [online] Toptenz.net. Available at: <https://www.toptenz.net/10-exciting-adventures-of-the-pinkertons.php> [Accessed 22 July 2020].
“Bank Robber Bill Rudolph Tells His Own Life Story.” The St. Louis Republic, 15 March, 1903, p. 1.
Chan, Amy. “Even the Mother of the Missouri Kid Admitted He Was ‘Always a Bad Boy’.” HistoryNet, HistoryNet, 11 Aug. 2017, www.historynet.com/even-mother-missouri-kid-admitted-always-bad-boy.htm.
“Collins Executed: Rudolph Hangs May 13.” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 27 March, 1904, p. 9.
“Collins Makes Last Confession.” The St. Louis Republic, 26 March, 1904, p. 1.
“Commuted His Sentence.” Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chieftain, 25 February 1904, p. 1.
Desmond, William. “The Camera Never Lies.” Volume I Companion Page for Vintage True Crime Stories – HistoricalCrimeDetective.com, Historical True Crime Detective Jason Lucky Morrow, www.historicalcrimedetective.com/vtcs/volume1/.
“Desperado George Collins Gets a Brief Respite from the Rope.” The Tacoma Times, 11 March, 1904, p. 4.
“Detective’s Slayer Swings to Eternity.” The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 March, 1905, p. 3.
“Dockery Gives a 15-Day Reprieve.” Vicksburg Evening Post, 11 March, 1904, p. 1.
“Like Missouri Bandit Days.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 December, 1902, p. 1.
“Murderer and Bank Robber.” The Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), 11 March, 1904, p. 6.
“One Woman, Curious, Stands at Scaffold as Rudolph Hangs.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8 May, 1905, p. 1.
“Rudolph Found in Kansas Penitentiary Serving Term for Robbery at Louisburg.” The St. Louis Republic, 14 February, 1904, p. 1.
“Rudolph and Lewis, Union Bank Robbers, Taken by Pinkertons at Hartford, Conn.” The St. Louis Republic, 2 March, 1903, p. 1.
“Two Bank Burglars.” Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut), 2 March, 1903, p. 1.
“William Rudolph Guilty of Murder.” Crawford Mirror (Steelville, Missouri), 31 March, 1904, p. 6.
“William Rudolph Guilty of Murder.” Ironton County Register, 31 March, 1904, p. 1.
Wood, Larry. “It’s All in the Past: ‘The Missouri Kid’.” The Rolla Daily News – Rolla, MO, The Rolla Daily News – Rolla, MO, 6 Feb. 2016, www.therolladailynews.com/article/20160205/NEWS/160209301.