Howdy Rube. I'm showing my ignorance, but I did not know there was a real old west character named Rube Burrows. A friend gave me some magazines he was done with, and in the Spring 2013 issue of Guns of the Old West, someone wrote a letter telling them about Rube and suggesting they do an article on him (did they later? I don't know), and included a pic of Rube in his coffin with a Remington, a Colt, and a Marlin. I said, Hey, I've heard of that guy!
Oh yeah. I bet those are good. I don't see to many things on him. My great grandmother bought land from Rube in 1889 that my family still owns today. The land I grew up on. So, as a kid, Rube Burrow was my own personal Jesse James or Billy The Kid.
My grandmother took me to his grave not far from our land as a kid and that is what started my love of History and the Wild West era.
He actually robbed more trains than the James boys and even one by himself. His story has it all. Train Robberies, Gun Fights, Cowboy and in the end he was killed in a gun fight.
Growing up looking at that photo of him in his Coffin I would wonder where the guns were. Later in life I tracked down the rifle and got to see it in person. Its a 1888 Marlin in 38-40 with a 26" barrel.
the two hand guns are in personal collections.
A few years back in my hometown there was a Rube Burrow gathering where I got to meet his grandson who was 90 something at the time. He had all of the old family Tintypes of Rube and his Brother along with other family. It was so strange to see tintypes that I looked at in books for so many years come in in and old shoe box. I found out that I am related to him by marriage and also related to the postmaster that he killed there in our hometown.
I collect anything Rube Burrow related so now I will be on the look out for those magazines. I used to write them and ask them to run articles on Rube. Does it say who the sender is on that letter in the magazine?
Here are a couple photos
1- Rube In His Coffin At Birmingham Train Station
2- Courthouse That He Died In Front Of At Linden Alabama
3- His Beloved Marlin 1888 That Is In His Coffin Photo
4- Me At Rube's Grave