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.
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In 1874, Jim Reed was killed in Paris, Texas, by his own gang member for the reward. Belle married Sam Starr, the son of Reed’s old partner. After he was gunned down, Starr took on a series of lovers including Jack Spaniard, Jim French and Blue Duck. In 1889, Belle died a violent death when she was ambushed by an unidentified attacker.
— Scott McCabe
