Description

pp. 240, b/w illustrations, “Even a scholarly British cultural historian like Spargo can fall prey to the romance of the American train robber. Captivated by a photograph of the handsome Oliver Curtis Perry (1865?30), she vividly relates his dramatic life in a popular but prodigiously researched biography. In 1892, Perry robbed the American Express Special of a fortune in jewelry and cash as it sped out of Syracuse, N.Y. Identified by a former colleague, he was pursued by Pinkerton detectives while his exploits were sensationalized in tabloid stories that celebrated his daring. Five months later, trying to rob the same train, he was caught after an exciting chase that included Perry? hijacking of another train. Severely emotionally damaged by virtual abandonment in childhood, Perry could still be charming and worked the media to his advantage. His supporters included Amelia Haswell, who ran a Christian mission. Spargo vividly describes the trial that resulted in a 49-year jail sentence, as well as Perry? desperate attempts at escape, which led to his incarceration in facilities for the criminally insane. During this period, Perry deliberately blinded himself and went on a hunger strike to protest the conditions of his imprisonment. While entertainingly bringing her subject to life, Spargo also reveals the terrible conditions that existed in New York State prisons and asylums during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”