Belle Starr Famous Woman of the West

Belle Starr was born February 5, 1848 to John and Elizabeth Shirley of Carthage, Missouri. The family was popular and well off. Owners of a hotel, livery, and blacksmith. Besides Belle's studies at the academy she played piano and became an expert rider and shooter under the guidance of her older brothers Ed and Preston. Young ladies of her day rode side saddle and so did Belle.

With the advent of the Civil War the family and the state of Missouri was met with turmoil. John Shirley sided with the Confederates. He did own a few slaves. Ed would join the notorious Quantrill band and was killed due to his unlawful activities after the war. This event hit everyone hard in the family. As the war ended and Union troops left Carthage rebels burned to the ground what was left of the town.

Bell was sixteen when John Shirley sold what he could and the family relocated to an area about 9 miles from Dallas, Texas. Some accounts have Belle leaving home with Cole Younger, 22, at the age of seventeen to ride and experience the excitement of living with a band of men. This is where the story first gets sketchy. Many say the first born of Belle Starr was Cole's but records and Cole himself attest to different facts. Belle spent a few months with the band and returned home. She was married on November 1, 1866 to Jim Reed son of family friends in Carthage, Missouri. This event is documented with a marriage license. Their daughter Pearl was born in September, 1868.

The new couple took residence with the Reed family and settled down for farming and raising the baby. Jim Reed turned to wondering and joined the company of Tom Starr a Cherokee Indian with a violent way of life and considered a renegade by the Cherokee Nation. When Belle was 21, the family moved to California to avoid a warrant for Jim's arrest. After a brief stay in California the Reed's returned to Texas. John Shirley set them up with a small ranch.

Belle had a son, Ed, and Pearl to take care of now. Belle spent seven years with James Reed. These years were filled with Jim's life as an outlaw, robber and horse thief. The children were with Bell's parents and Belle at times accompanied Jim on forays contributing to lawlessness.

This life may have had some attraction for Belle but Jim also was having an affair and so that was the end in Belle's estimation. After Jim Reed was murdered in 1874 because of a warrant she did not even appear to be grieved and she denied it was Jim Reed. Some say just so the killer would not get the reward offered, but this is most likely part of the myth of Belle Starr.

During the time after her separation and widowhood many accounts boost Belle as a thief of livestock, a bank robber and setting up housekeeping with a few male hangers on. In truth there is no record of her actions till 1880.

She married Sam Starr the son of Jim Reed's renegade leader Tom Starr. Sam was nine years her junior and they settled on Cherokee land in Arkansas at a spot called Younger's Bend.

Belle had a piano brought in, bought a horse for herself , Ed and Pearl joined her and she invited her not so lawful friends to come by anytime.

The pair was charged with selling horses that did not belong to them in 1882 and both were sentenced to prison terms. Belle served 9 months of a 12 month sentence in a Detroit prison by Judge Isaac C. Parker, "the hanging judge". Belle Starr was no stranger to Judge Parker. After Sam and Belle were released about the same time they returned to their place on Cherokee land.

Now Belle was known as "The Bandit Queen". The couple were in and out of legal and criminal charges until Sam was mortally wounded in shots exchanged at an evening party. See the short story about this shootout at "The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc."

Belle was not about to leave from the place she called home on Indian Nation land at Younger's Bend. Ed and Pearl her now grown children were living there. It was arranged that she marry through the Indian Nation 24 year old Jim July, the adopted Creek son of Tom Starr, enabling the family to stay. Jim July took up residence there.

Now in her late thirties Belle was having problems with the kids. Pearl became pregnant and gave birth to a girl she named Flossie. Ed her son was convict of larceny and imprisoned. When he was released he harbored strong resentment towards his mother because she had left him there till she eventually got a pardon for him. Belle took to whipping her son to try to keep him in line. July was seeing another woman which Belle may have suspected and their relationship was marked by intense quarrels. She also had difficulties with a renter named Edgar Watson.

The day before Belle died she rode by horseback with July, who had to face larceny charges, halfway to Fort Smith. They spent the night at friends and Belle returned to Younger's Bend. Just a few 100 yards from Edgar Watson's place near her home Bell was shotgunned in the back and fell from the horse. The shooter walked toward her and fired again into her face and shoulder. Neighbors and Pearl hearing shots discovered her just as she died of her wounds.

Edgar Watson was charged and acquitted and the murder remains unsolved. I think Watson did it after reading this account by Richard D. Arnott for HistoryNet.com. Read this short page for the circumstances surrounding Belle Starr's death.

Belle Starr, Biography The Bandit Queen or the Jesse James by Richard K. Fox, 1889Giclee Print
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