Which outlaw was known as the “Gentleman Bandit” of the American West?

Black Bart was the American West outlaw known as the “Gentleman Bandit.”

Born Charles Earl Boles, Black Bart robbed stagecoaches operated by Wells Fargo in California and Oregon during the 1870s and 1880s. He usually worked alone, wore a flour sack or similar disguise, and did not use violence during his known robberies.

Boles became famous partly because he left humorous poems at some crime scenes. His cultivated appearance and refusal to harm passengers contributed to the “Gentleman Bandit” nickname, although he was still a serious criminal who targeted valuable stagecoach shipments.

Detectives eventually linked him to a handkerchief left during a robbery. He was arrested in 1883 and served time at San Quentin. Black Bart is sometimes confused with masked train robbers or with female outlaws such as Belle Starr.