On this day, Aug. 6, 1874, Jim Reed, the first husband of the famous bandit queen Belle Starr, is killed.

Reed ran with Cherokee outlaw Tom Starr, a ruthless killer who wore the ears of his victims around his neck. Reed rustled cattle and ran whiskey, and was accused of murder. Belle embraced the role of a “bandit queen,” dressing in velvet skirts and plumed hats. To escape law enforcement, Reed and Belle retreated to a farm in Texas, but Reed soon became involved with the James-Younger Gang. In April, 1874, he robbed the Austin-San Antonio stagecoach, and a sizable reward was offered for Reed, dead or alive.