Outlaw Women

America's Most Notorious Daughters, Wives, and Mothers

This collection of short, action-filled stories of the Old West’s most egregiously badly behaved female outlaws is a great addition to Western author Robert Barr Smith’s books on the American frontier. Pulling together stories of ladies caught in the acts of mayhem, distraction, murder, and highway robbery, it includes famous names like Belle Starr and lesser known characters, and contains archival illustrations and photographs.

Some famous females earned their criminal status through less-than-ladylike pursuits, making a living by capitalizing on the other sex's weaknesses of drinking, gambling, and enjoying the company of women. More than a few, like Cecilia and Edna "The Rabbit" Murray, weren't above robbing a bank or two to stay afloat for a while. Others, however, were much more sinister in their aims, earning a living by making sure others kept dying. Visitors to the homes of Kate Bender and Belle Gunness--dozens, no less--went missing over the years, only to be dug up months or years later, when suspicions were finally aroused.