Belle Starr has come down through time as
one of the great anti-heroines of the Old West. She is the Bandit Queen, the female Robin
Hood, who was quick with her fists and even quicker with her Colt 45. The reality was quite different. The Belle of history was a battler who made
some bad choices in men, ended up twice widowed with two children and made the most of the
cards she was dealt – only to meet the most violent of ends. In today’s Biographics, we go beyond the
legend to reveal the real Belle Starr. Formative Years
Myra Maybelle Shirley, the future Belle Starr, was born on February 5th, 1848 in Jasper County,
Southwest Missouri. With that fact established, drilling down
on the rest of her life becomes far less certain. Much of what is accepted is the stuff of dime
novel fiction. Sorting out the fact from fiction is a major
challenge. We do know that her father, John Shirley was
onto his third wife when Myra came along. That third wife was named Eliza Pennington
Hatfield, a member of the Hatfield family who famously feuded with the McCoy’s. The couple had three other children, all boys,
with Myra being the second oldest. John Shirley was a wheat, corn and hog farmer. When Myra was six years of age, he sold the
farm for a tidy profit and relocated the family to Carthage, Missouri. He invested in real estate, managing to take
possession of an entire city block that housed a livery stable, blacksmith shop, tavern and
hotel. John Shirley was a slave owner who was ardently
pro-slavery. In the explosive years before the Civil War,
tensions were high between pro and anti-slavery forces in Missouri. When his oldest son, Bud, joined an infamous
gang of Confederate sympathizers known as Quantrill’s Raiders, John was extremely
proud. Meanwhile, Myra, who insisted that she be
called Belle, was growing into a fine young lady. Her parents were among the most prominent
in Carthage and she was able to enjoy a life of semi-privilege. She attended the Carthage Female Academy,
doing well in her studies, where she studied languages, mathematics and grammar. She was also a talented piano player who would
entertain guests in the lobby of the family owned hotel. When he was home from his raiding expeditions,
Belle’s older brother Bud taught her to shoot. She became an excellent shot, developing a
reputation as a markswoman that would later fuel her reputation as the bandit queen. Belle was 13 when the Civil War erupted. Carthage found itself as a central point of
hostilities, with no fewer than 13 battles being waged in the surrounding area during
the four years of the conflict. With the war right on their doorstep, every
person in Carthage was forced to choose sides. Pro and anti-Confederacy factions developed
with tensions escalating by the day. It has been reported that the teenaged Belle
acted as a spy for the Confederacy and even that she joined Quantrill’s Raiders. Both suggestions are unlikely. However, any news that she may have gotten
about Union troop movements she would have no doubt passed on to Bud. In June, 1864, Bud was shot and killed by
Union soldiers in Sarcoxie, Missouri when they surrounded the house he was owned by
a Confederate sympathizer. Desperate to prevent further tragedy, the
family packed up and moved to Texas. They had gotten out of Carthage just in time. Three months later it was burned to the ground
by Confederate rebels, determined to drive Union soldiers from the town. Belle drove one of the family’s wagons as
they wound their way down from Missouri to a small town ten miles south-east of Dallas
called Scyene. Things didn’t go nearly as well for the
Shirley’s in Texas as it had in Missouri. John had hoped to reinvest in a hotel but
those plans didn’t work out and he was forced to return to farming. Conflict arose with the locals who accused
John of taking more than his share of water from the communal well. Belle was enrolled at the local one-room schoolhouse. Her attendance, however, was erratic. This was probably because she was bored with
the material, having already covered it at the girl’s school in Carthage. Marriage
While back in Carthage, Belle had come across a boy by the name of John Reed. Reed, who was two years older than Belle,
joined Quantrill’s Raiders when he was 17. He was tall and stocky and his ability with
his fists and with a gun earned him the respect of the older members of the gang. Belle admired him from afar but her family
moved away before a relationship could develop. Belle was ecstatic to learn, sometime around
1865, that the Reed’s had also relocated to Texas. They quickly became a couple and, on November
1, 1866 they were married. Belle was eighteen at the time. Jim and Belle moved in with the Shirley family,
where Jim helped out on the family farm. Jim didn’t take to farm work and tried his
hand as a salesman. He worked for a saddle maker in Dallas, selling
saddles and bridles for a time. By the end of 1867, however, Jim’s family
had moved back to Missouri. He and Belle decided to join them. The Reed’s set themselves up on a farm in
Bates County. Jim worked the land with his brothers. Then, in September, 1868, Belle gave birth
to a daughter, Rosie Lee. From the start Belle took to calling the baby
‘her little pearl’. Soon everyone was calling the baby Pearl. The first opportunity that John and Eliza
Shirley had to see their grand-daughter was when Belle returned to Texas to attend the
funeral of her younger brother Ed. The events surrounding the murder are cloudy,
but it appears that he was involved in horse theft. Following the funeral and reunion with her
parents, Belle returned to the Reed farm in Missouri. Her relationship with Jim was strained, as
he spent less and less time on the farm and more at the horse racing track. It was while at the races that Jim ran into
a man named Tom Starr. Starr was a half Cherokee outlaw who made
a living by selling whiskey in Indian territory, a practice which happened to be a Federal
crime. Starr ran the enterprise with his sons and
they were soon joined by Jim Reed. Jim’s foray into the outlaw world escalated
dramatically when his brother, Scott, was murdered. Jim vowed revenge and hunted down the killer,
dispatching both him and his brother. Belle now found herself with a husband who
was being hunted by, not just the law, but also the friends of the men he had killed. Jim knew he had to get out of Missouri, so
he relocated his young family to Los Angeles. We don’t know what he did there to support
the family, but suspicions are strong that it was through such nefarious means as stage
coach robbery and gambling. On February 22nd, 1871, Belle gave birth to
a second child – a boy who was named James Edwin, nicknamed Eddie. Only a month later, Jim was accused of involvement
in a counterfeit money scam and was forced again to relocate his family. When the L.A. authorities began looking into
his case, they discovered that he was also wanted for murder. Jim skipped town and made his way on horseback
to Texas. Belle and the two children took the stagecoach. In March, 1871, Belle turned up at the family
farm in Texas with two kids and a wanted husband. Belle’s father helped them to set up on
a small farm near Coon Creek in Bosque County. But Jim Reed had already proven that he was
no farmer. Soon the farm was attracting a regular assortment
of vagabonds, who would sit around with Jim and plan out their various crimes. Jim became involved in rustling livestock. When he learned that a local man by the name
of Dick Cravey had $4,000 in cash stashed at his house, Jim and his brother, Sol, couldn’t
resist the temptation. However, the robbery was botched and they
ended up murdering Cravey. A few months later the brothers were accused
of murdering another man. This man, whose last name was Wheeler, had
apparently reported to the authorities what he knew about the Reed mob’s illegal activities. He was found with his tongue cut out. This latest outrage resulted in both Jim and
Sol having a $500 reward placed on their capture, dead or alive. It was time to move once again. Leaving the children with Belle’s parents,
the couple headed into Choctaw Indian territory, where the authorities would be unable to follow. Jim was unable to stay out of trouble. On November 19, 1873, along with two accomplices,
he rode to the farm of a wealthy retired judge who lived near the South Canadian River. The judge and his wife were hung from a tree
and forced to divulge the location of cash in the house. The bandits got away with the huge sum of
$30,000. By now the strain on the marriage was too
much. Belle was fed up with the life of crime that
her husband had forced her into. She packed up and took the children back to
the family farm in Scyene. Reed headed for San Antonio, where he took
up with a woman named Rosa McCommas. He continued his outlaw ways but fate caught
up with him when a former associate shot him in the back on August 6th, 1874. Belle Starr
Belle was now a widow with two young children to care for. She stayed on the family with her parents. In 1876, John Shirley died. This forced Eliza to sell the farm and relocate
to Dallas. Belle and the children went with her. Allegedly, Belle was briefly married for three
weeks to Charles Younger, uncle of Cole Younger in 1878, but this is not substantiated by
any evidence. On June 5, 1880 Belle married Sam Starr the
son of her husband’s former associate Tom Starr and settled in the Indian territory. There, she learned ways of organizing, planning
and fencing for the rustlers, horse thieves and bootleggers, as well as harboring them
from the law. At twenty-three, the half-Cherokee Sam was
nine years younger than his new bride. They moved onto Cherokee Nation territory
and settled into a homestead some 760 miles southwest of Fort Smith. They cleared three acres of land and planted
corn. There were plenty of fish in the nearby river
and game was also plentiful. It seemed like the ideal existence and it
could have been if Belle’s past hadn’t gotten in the way. Former associates of Jim Reed began to learn
that Belle had a hideout in Indian territory, safe from the reach of the law. So many outlaws began turning up that Belle
and Saw were forced to convert a nearby cave into a sort of robber’s roost with three
log cabins being erected. Up until now, Belle had managed to keep herself
from actual involvement in illegally activity. That changed in 1882 when she and Sam asked
a neighbor if they could put some horses in his pen prior to their selling them. The neighbor agreed but, on inspection, pointed
out that at least two of the horses belonged to other local farmers. Sam and Belle ignored the claims and went
ahead and sold the horses. When the original owners of the stolen horses
found out, they pressed charges. Sam and Belle were handed an indictment to
appear before the court on the charge of larceny. Sam’s father, Tom, put up bail for the couple. Both Belle and Sam were found guilty. Sam was given a year’s prison time in Detroit,
Michigan while Belle was sentenced to two concurrent six-month spells at the same facility. With their mother and step-father in jail,
the children were farmed out to family and friends. Sam and Belle were both model prisoners, earning
themselves an early release after nine months. They settled back into life on the farm and
things were pretty quiet for a few months. Then, in December, 1884 a former associate
of Jim Reed by the name of Jim Middleton turned up, looking for a place of refuge from the
law. Middleton was wanted for murder and the law
was hot on his trail. Middleton hung around the area for several
months. Then, one day, Belle and Sam’s ranch was
raided by law enforcement officers from Lamar County. The officers had received permission from
the Cherokee nation leaders to conduct the raid. Middleton was not in residence at the time,
but the raid scared him enough to make him want to make a run for it. But with the law so close on his trail, he
couldn’t figure out a way to get out the area without being detected. Belle came to his rescue, suggesting that
she drive a wagon with the children in tow, to visit relatives in Arkansas. Middleton would hide in the wagon covers and
make his getaway when they were clear of prying eyes. The plan was working well and, after some
time, Middleton was ready to light out on his own. However, seventeen-year-old Pearl refused
to let him take her horse. This led to fourteen-year old Eddie heading
off to the nearest farm in an attempt to buy a horse. He came back with a broken down, half-blind
mare. It was hardly the ideal getaway transport
but it was all that Middleton had and he set out on his own, with Belle’s Colt 45 as
his only protection. Five days later the horse was found in some
scrub on a riverbank, not far from Fort Smith. Then, on May 11th, Middleton’s body was
found a couple of hundred yards downstream. The authorities soon traced the gun that was
in his holster back to Belle. They also discovered that the horse, though
legitimately purchased by Eddie, had previously been stolen. The end result was that Belle was once again
up on charges of larceny. Belle was found not guilty this time around. However, she returned home only to discover
that her husband, Sam, had been wounded in a shootout with Indian police. Sam had by now become ensconced in his own
life of crime. Fearful of the rough justice that Indian police
were likely to dish out, Belle convinced him to hand himself in to Federal authorities. Sam was indicted for trial in February, 1887
and then released on bail. On December 17th, Sam, Belle and the children
attended a party at a neighbor’s house. Everything was laughter and merriment until
Frank West, the local law officer turned up. He and Sam got into an argument that soon
devolved into a gun battle. Within minutes both men were dead. Family Problems
Belle Starr was now widowed for the second time. Sam’s death made possession of the ranch
on Cherokee land a problem. They had not bought the land, it being in
their possession due to Sam’s Indian blood. Now that he was dead, however, Belle’s right
of possession was disputed. With pressure mounting on her to get out of
Cherokee territory she decided there was another solution. She married Sam’s brother, Bill July, alias
Jim Starr. She was once again married to a Cherokee and
so, had possession rights to the land. Now 39, Belle was fifteen years older than
her third husband. The marriage of convenience was not pleasing
to Pearl, aged nineteen, or Eddie, aged seventeen. Both of them constantly argued with Jim, which
was a source of ongoing frustration for Belle. Around this time, Pearl fell in love with
a young man who, in the course of time, approached Belle to ask her consent to marry her daughter. Belle flatly refused, giving the reason that
she had long told Pearl that she could only marry a man who had at least $25,000 worth
of property. She later tried to trick the young man by
sending him a letter with Pear’s forged signature on it, stating that she had married
someone else. The young couple soon figured out the ruse
and continued to see one another behind Belle’s back. Before long, Pearl became pregnant. Belle was not happy, giving her daughter two
options – have an abortion or never bring the child into her presence. Pearl chose the latter option, giving birth
to a girl she called Flossie on April 22, 1887. She took the baby to live with her paternal
grandparents. In 1887, Jim was arrested for horse theft. By this time, however, Belle was making an
effort to go straight. She had stopped allowing fugitives to use
her place as a hideout. When it came time for Jim’s trial, she refused
to assist in his defense. Meanwhile, young Eddie Star was having his
own problems. He was shot while trying to steal a horse. Belle feared that he would die. She sent a message to Pearl, telling her that
she had better come back to see her brother for the last time. She added however, that she was not to bring
the baby. Pearl returned to see Eddie, who recovered
from his injury. Belle put pressure on her daughter to give
Flossie up for adoption during the visit. Pearl outrightly refused. But Belle was a stubborn woman. She maneuvered things behind the scenes and
Flossie was taken from Pearl and placed in an orphanage in November, 1888. Eddie was now up on horse theft charges of
his own. Again, Belle refused to participate in the
defense. Eddie’s trial was scheduled for March 1889. He returned to the family homestead and, reportedly,
threatened to kill his mother. He then took off, never to see Belle again. Belle’s problems escalated when a couple,
the Watsons, turned up at the farm looking for sharecropping work. Belle decided to take them up on the offer,
keen to take in some extra money. Belle became quite friendly with Mrs. Watson. On one occasion the woman revealed that her
husband was wanted for murder. This caused warning bells in Belle’s mind. If the Cherokee Tribal Council found out that
she was again harboring fugitives, they would surely kick her off the land. Belle offered to give the Watsons, their sharecropping
fee back to get them to leave. But Edgar Watson refused. It was only when Belle revealed that she knew
that Watson was a wanted man that he left, taking up with his wife in a nearby tenant
cabin. End of the Line On July 2nd, 1889, Belle and her young husband,
Jim, left on horseback to meet Jim’s trial appointment at Fort Smith. Belle’s intention was to accompany him halfway,
pay a debt at a store on King’s Creek and then return home. They stayed the night with friends some twenty
miles from Fort Smith. The next morning, Belle turned for home while
Jim carried on to the fort. Belle stopped off at King’s Creek where
she had lunch at the local store. Further along the trail she stopped at the
home of a man named Jackson Rowe. This was a popular meeting place for locals.She
hoped to see her son Eddie, who had been staying there, but he left before she arrived. Present was Edgar Watson, the sharecropper
who Belle had forced off her land. As he saw Belle arrive, he promptly left. After a short time eating and conversing with
friends, Belle got back on her horse and continued toward home. She never made it. She was blasted from her horse by a shotgun
blast. The killer then approached the dying figure
on the ground and blasted again. Belle’s panicked horse galloped for home. A concerned Pearl set out to find her mother. By the time she got to the murder site, a
young boy had already found the body. Belle was taken to a farmhouse, barely alive. Pearl was just in time to be alongside at
the moment that her mother took her last breath. The question of who killed Belle Starr has
intrigued historians for well over a century. Both of her children have been suspects, Eddie
had threatened his mother at least once after she had disciplined him with a bullwhip, but
the most likely candidate is Edgar Watson. Watson was actually put on trial for the murder. However, the evidence was deemed as circumstantial
and he was acquitted. He eventually returned to Florida, where he
was killed in a shootout with a posse. No other efforts were made to track down the
killer of Belle Starr. There were several other potential suspects
besides Watson, including July himself. Apparently July had been caught with a young
Cherokee girl, and Belle had been making his life hell. Just a few weeks after Belle’s death, July
was mortally wounded by a deputy who was on his trail. The facts of Belle Starr’s life are certainly
not as exciting or outlandish as they fictionalized version that began with the dime novel Belle
Starr: The Bandit Queen or The Female Jesse James in 1889. In summarizing her life for a Fort Smith Elevator
reporter about a year before her death, Belle said, ‘I regard myself as a woman who has
seen much of life.’ The reality was that she was not the female
Jesse James, she wasn’t even a bandit queen. What she was a twice widowed woman with two
children who did what she could to survive, only to be shot down in cold blood. Hers is a story of hardship and tragedy in
the real Old West. Her grave site is near Eufair Lake, Oklahoma. A horse was engraved on her tombstone, along
with these words: Shed not for her the bitter tear,
Nor give the heart to vain regret Tis but the casket that lies here,
The gem that filled it sparkles yet.
