Tragedy At Youngers' Bend
Howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas!
We're continuing with the story of Belle Starr who was branded "The Bandit Queen" after her many successful robberies in the Old West. But at this point in my series she has retired from her outlaw ways and is living a peaceful life.
However, in the last post she had a heated exchange and run in with a known murderer and that man, named Watson, knows that Belle knows he is wanted for murder in Florida. Belle's daughter Pearl even overheard her mother threaten to let Florida Sheriffs know where he was.
Watson moved to a neighbor's land who had a number of renters and he and his wife were staying there in a cabin. It was also the neighbor who Belle's son Eddie was staying with after him and Belle had a falling out.
Life is getting better
Belle's life was going fairly smooth at this time though with her staying out of trouble and she had her new Cherokee boy toy July to keep her on the reservation legally.
July needed to travel to Fort Smith to answer his charge of stealing a horse. Belle was not going into town with him but rode with him part way because she needed to stop at a small country store at King Creek to pay a bill.
When she got back to Youngers Bend she stopped at the farm where Eddie was staying, hoping to see him there. When she rode up Watson was sitting on the front porch but immidiately got up and walked toward his cabin when he saw her.
The ambush
Eddie wasn't there so Belle visited for half an hour and then rode down the lane. When she got to the main rode a blast from a shotgun thundered out and she was hit in the back and shoulder, knocking her out of her saddle.
Lying face down she struggled to raise herself up and was shot a second time in the shoulder and the left side of her face. The first hit was a load of buckshot which penetrated her vital organs, the second hit was birdshot.
Her mare ran to the river, swam across and Pearl was staying at the cabin at the time and saw the riderless horse approach, the side saddle aschew. She mounted her horse and went to the ferry at the river, by this time she was told that her mother was lying in the road a little ways up.
When Pearl reached her Belle wasn't quite dead, she was laying across the road on her side with her whip in her hand. She didn't speak. Pearl cradled her head in her lap.
In a few minutes she was gone.
In the next post we'll talk about what happened next.
Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy Texas
Oh, gosh. She was finally getting her life going and this happens. I just hate it.
Ren
howdy today Ren! well I know, it was a bad ending but it's one of the things that make it an interesting story too but I'm not trying to depress people! lol. I feel bad about that but usually the outlaws have stories that don't end well. That's a good lesson there!
So very true. It is still that way today. If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword. I still would not have wanted to live that life.
Ren
ha! No me neither. I mean I like that they had no taxes or regulations but they also didn't have the infrastructure and utilities. I kinda like electricity and luxury! lol. indoor plumbing! can you imagine going to the outhouse in the middle of winter?
Actually I can! We lived in an RV for a while and the bathroom was nnon-existent so we had to run to the loo often! It was not amusing at all! We even had critters in the bathrooms so I think I probably got the full experience.
haha! yikes!! so you've experienced that part enough. Most people have no idea. lol.
yeah, it's no picnic for sure. However, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
for me it couldn't have gotten much worse!
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Howdy esteemapp! Thank you so much for the upvote and for helping so many people!
I knew it would be that awful Watson man who killed her. I'm glad Pearl was there with her at the end.
howdy Melinda! hey the trial hasn't even taken place yet! lol. you sound like people in Texas, they're ready to dispatch of people straight away instead of going through lengthy trials.
So no witnesses? Are you saying he is going to get away with it. But wait! Where is Eddie? He has a reason or two to hate her. How old was Belle?
Howdy again Melinda! well I'm not done with the story so I'll explain everything in a couple more posts but she was only 41! The investigate Eddie because he had threatened to kill her. No witnesses.
I don't want to give anything away! Sorry. I sat dow in the recliner after dinner and now it's 2 hours later! That was a totally unintended nap
haha! oh no! I wonder where you went, I thought maybe you had a long dinner/supper with someone or something or was talking to the kids or something. Are you behind now from where you wanted to be?
Way behind, but I'm beyond worrying about it. It will be what it will be! Have you had a good day?
yes a good day, spent quite a bit of time outside in the sun because it was 73 degrees but it's supposed to get colder so I didn't know but today might have been the last nice day for quite awhile. How cold is it there?
Ahhh! Watson gots his comeupins due.
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haha! howdy sir enginwitty! Well if it was a few years earlier justice would be swift and lethal but times have changed and become "civilized" so we'll see!
Morning janton, a colourful character who did not deserve to be murdered! I look forward to your next posts, I am sure they will be most entertaining.
howdy again angiemitchell! I know, it's amazing that right when she decides to go legit and turns away from crime she gets killed! She was only 41 years old.
Janton, was 41 a little old in those days?
Well that was getting up there a little, most people only lived to about 60 on average.
So janton, Belle was into her senior years, lol.
well not quite but she was about to be. I mean she was still agile and road the horse like crazy so she must have been in good shape but in her older pictures she looks older than 41, she looks like in her 50's. But then I don't think they even used make up in the 1800's unless it was a person on stage or something.
Live by the whip, die by the gun. It would seem she wasn’t meant to live a peaceful life.
howdy back again redheadpei! yes, as soon as she decides to live a quiet, peaceful life with no crime she gets killed! So I guess you're right.
The whip was her bestie!
haha! howdy blacklux! so funny to see what you take away from the stories, it's always the overlooked important things so thank you! lol. Yes she never let go of that whip. That thing came in handy for disciplinary purposes!
Poor dear. Just when things were settling down, and life going well for her.
Poor dear. Just when things
Were settling down, and life
Going well for her.
- quotes-haven
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
Yes sir, quite ironic isn't it? Just when she decides to quit the criminal lifestyle she gets killed! how is your weekend going? how is your brother and sister? who cooks there?
But as @melinda010100 said, at least Pearl, her daughter was with her when she breathe her last breadth.
All going well thank you. My sister cooks, I wash up, my brother appears when the meal is ready. He gobbles up and then disappears.
Have you got something exciting planned?
howdy back sir Vincent! well sir, it depends on whether the church service is wild or not! lol.that could be exciting. But I doubt if it will be. I mean I'm sure it will be very good but this type of church that we're in now isn't a wild one, very low key and casual, a teaching church not a loud, emotional church.
The meal plan sounds good. Does you ever cook to give your sister a break or does she want to do all the cooking?
My sister prefers her cooking to mine. :-)
howdy this fine Sunday sir Vincent! What is your Sundays like there? Are they any different than any other day? Do you guys go to church or watch services online or on tv? And the big question is: Is your sister a good cook? lol.
I am sure Sundays are alike everywhere. It's a day off and people get to do what they want. Christians go to churches, Muslims go to mosques, Hindus and Buddhists go to temples. And for some it's family day.
I am a single, retired, atheist. All the above don't apply.
My sister is a good cook, not great, but good. :-)
Well sir Vincent do the businesses all stay open on Sunday over there? I remember here that the entire town or city would be shut down on Sundays but now you can't judge the day in that respect except traffic is less because office buildings are closed. I'm glad your sister is a good cook! lol. Does she take requests or it's whatever she feels like?
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