The Gang's history

 

The Fleagle Gang robbed banks and trains in Kansas, Colorado, Oregon and California of over $1 million in the 10 years they operated. Crimes in other states including Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri have been credited to the Fleagle Gang, but they have not been investigated enough to be certain it was their gang.

 Three gang members, Ralph Fleagle, George Abshire and Howard Royston, were "jerked up" at the Colorado Penitentiary a little over two years after committing the Lamar, Colo., bank robbery. The fourth, Jake Fleagle, was trapped and shot in October 1930 on a train in Branson, Mo., by postal inspectors and detectives from several states. A total of 54 men were arrested and questioned about the Lamar bank robbery, and at the time Ralph Fleagle was arrested five were in jails in Colorado awaiting trial.

 The book details the search, arrests and court procedures as well as the reward cases after the robbers were convicted and killed. At the time of the robbery rewards totaling $44,000 were being offered, but by the time the court began handing out the reward money a bit over $14,000 was available. People from at least five different states received money for their part in solving and bringing the gang members to justice.

Jake's fingerprint telltale clue, but scorned woman was part of key to arrests

It was Jake's index fingerprint, found on the Dighton, Kan. doctor's car, that led to the arrest of his brother Ralph and then the rest of the gang. Jake managed to escape capture until after Ralph and the two other gang members, Abshire and Royston, had been executed in Colorado in 1930. Jake was caught by detectives on a train in October 1930 at Branson, Mo. where he resisted arrest and was shot. He was taken to a hospital in Springfield where he died two days later. Jake was the best shot of the gang, and the death of the doctor and the kidnapped teller were placed at his feet.

It was his girlfriend, Beatrice Gramps, who worked hard to get Jake caught after he embarrassed her by getting her arrested in Stockton, Calif. She shared in the reward money after all the gang members were caught. The Denver Post offered a reward of $1,000 for each bank robber as did the Colorado Banker's Association and Prowers County. Over $14,000 in reward money was paid to people from California, Illinois, Kansas and Colorado who aided in the arrest and conviction of the Fleagle gang members.

 

Cartoonist Al Capp used Jake to create his character Evil Eye Fleegle in the Lil Abner cartoon strip and Broadway show.