Those who knew her claimed that Belle
Starr did not really set out to hurt anyone. An excellent horsewoman and
a sure shot, she rustled cattle, stole money, and fought with a gun. But
it was all, they insisted, in the pursuit of wild pleasure. Her restless,
stubborn nature just seemed to propel her into one escapade after another.
Born Myra Bell Shirley in Carthage, Missouri,
on February 5, 1846, she was raised with her twin brother, Ed, in a well-to-do
environment, and the twins received decent educations. Ed Shirley, who
was much adored by his sister, died in battle before he reached 20, however,
and Myra Bell went on to fame as Belle Starr.
Her life of crime began after her brother`s
death in the Civil War, during which Myra Bell Shirley served as a scout
for the Confederacy, and her hatred of Yankees (Northerners) deepened.
Perhaps that explains why she turned to crime, beginning with her associations
with outlaws Cole Younger (by whom she had an illegitimate daughter, Pearl)
and the James gang, all of whom made names for themselves outside the law.
Beyond this point in her life few facts
are firmly established since Belle's way of life demanded secrecy, and
manv legends arose after her death. But it is known that she married a
horse thief from Missouri, James Reed, in 1866 and that their son, Edward,
was born three years later.
By 1871 the Reed family had moved to California
and then to Texas. Reed, who was on the run for shooting his brother`s
murderer, was himself killed in 1874 ar 1875, and his widow stepped up
her criminal activities. During her years in Texas, Bell Reed was arrested
for horse stealing and other crimes. In 1880 she married Sam Starr, a Cherokee,
and the family moved north to present-day Oklahoma. There, Belle Starr
continued her wayward life. Her ranch became a haven for outlaws, inclading
Jesse James, and she was again convicted of horse theft. After serving
nine months in the federal prison at Detroit, Michigan, Belle left Sam
Starr and eloped with John Middleton, and was subsequently indicted three
more times for horse theft or armed robbery.
On February 2 or 3, 1889, the notorious
Belle Starr was gunned down-it was a shot in the back--by an unknown assailant
over a contract that Starr had allegedly broken. No one will ever know
the true cause, but in any event she went down in American history as one
of the most infamous female desperados of the Old West.
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