Robbery is Bad
Yesterday, Pandiux wrote, "I have a question. Is there any stories in history of a Wells Fargo Stagecoach being robbed?" The answer is yes, there are several. I blogged about one here.
But we at Wells Fargo don't get all excited about robbery in history as many people do 
. The reason is simple: We're a bank, and banks are prime targets for robbers. Robbery is dangerous, terrifying and violent even when people aren't hurt. Wells Fargo is committed to a heritage of enforcement and protection and of throwing the creeps in jail – not the lore of the fearless bandit.
The heck with those guys. They are thugs.
I served on a jury several years ago, hearing a bank robbery case (I told 'em I worked at a bank and they picked me anyway). The main witness was the teller, of course, and she was still unnerved by the experience after several months. Robbery is crime against people I work with. No glamor in terrorizing people. I myself am not interested in spinning yarns about those darn bandits of yore. They're robbers and there's nothing cool about it.
So we don't focus too much on robbery narratives except to support the Company's drive to catch the bad guys. Many Western buffs are really into lawmen and bad men, guns and violence. Knock yourselves out, but you won't keep my interest.
Robbers sometimes kill people. It still happens .
Comments
Hey Charles, this has nothing to do about the blog but the Wells Fargo stagecoach. I'm an artist and I painted a sweet picture that would look wonderful hanging in a Wells Fargo Bank. Who do I contact?
Posted by: Cruserart | September 26, 2007 11:38 AM
I guess i should have phrased my question defferent. There have been many famous bank robbers. (im talking about the old west, not the present day ones). Has there been any that have hijacked wagons? What did wells fargo do back then to protect them? By the way, I too work at a bank and don't find robberies funny. I am just interested in history. Sorry for the misunderstanding!!
Posted by: pandiux | September 26, 2007 11:58 AM
Good story.
I'm one hundred percent with you on the romanticization of bank robbers. Have you come across the T.J. Stiles biography of Jesse James? I've heard an interview with the author which casts a fairly bleak light on the legend of the James Gang, and indeed on a lot of the reporting of their activities at the time, which could charitably be called inaccurate.
Posted by: BobMac | September 27, 2007 07:35 AM
No worries, pandiux. No misunderstanding at all -- remember, you're the good guy!
When you asked the question, I got to thinking about it and decided it would be a good topic to blog about. Once I got going, I couldn't stop and I see now how
STRONG!!!
my opinion is on the subject!
Posted by: Charles Riggs | September 27, 2007 11:16 AM
Thanks for the comment, BobMac.
Part of the James Gang lore is their relation to guerilla fighting in the Civil War and in Kansas. Later, they undertook raids on other people's money.
The romance is that they were fighting encroachment by Yankee interests in a state that was Confederate -- their bad guy-ing made them good guys to folks who hadn't finished the war in their minds.
No judgements here, only History!
Posted by: Charles Riggs | September 28, 2007 10:34 AM
Hi cruserart:
Punch that feedback button at the bottom of the page and send me an email with all the particulars. We'll take it from there!
Posted by: Charles Riggs | September 28, 2007 11:54 AM