Wanted Man: The Forgotten Story of an American Outlaw

by TamsinSpargo (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2005

  $10.34

  Late one September night in 1891 a man boarded the American Express train as it sped through New York State. Wearing a red hood with slots for him to see through, his eyes flashed. 'It's money I'm after,' he shouted, pointing two guns at the guard. Grabbing a fortune in cash, he then apparently dropped through the floor and vanished without a trace. His name was Oliver Curtis Perry and he became the country's most wanted man. While detectives searched in vain, the public couldn't get enough of the charismatic young robber. Women adored him and boys worshipped him. Five months later, he robbed the same train again, and only after an extraordinary chase was he caught. But if the authorities believed they had beaten this celebrity criminal they were mistaken. Perry's prison life proved as remarkable as his robberies as he turned escape-artist, protester, hunger striker and finally poet in his determination to win his freedom. In this unusual portrait of the Wild West gone east, Tamsin Spargo brings an irresistible and romantic anti-hero to life.

• Used

  Paperback
  2004

  $4.24

  One September night in 1892 the wild west went east. A masked man boarded the American Express Special train as it sped through New York State and single-handedly stole a fortune. His name was Oliver Curtis Perry and he instantly became the country's most wanted man. While detectives searched in vain, the public and press couldn't get enough of the handsome, charismatic young robber whose physical daring was matched by stories of a troubled childhood and romantic life. Women adored him, boys hero-worshipped him: America was falling in love. Five months later he defied belief by robbing the same train again. This time, after one of the most extraordinary chases in history, he was caught and sentenced to forty-nine years of hard labour. If the authorities believed they had beaten this celebrity criminal they were badly mistaken. Perry's prison life proved as remarkable as his robberies as he turned escape-artist, protestor, hunger striker, and finally poet in his determination to win his freedom. In Wanted Man, Tamsin Spargo brings this complex character to life once more as she tells his story from adventure to tragedy. Thought-provoking, moving, and always riveting, this is an extraordinary portrait of a forgotten man.