The Notorious Reno Gang of Indiana

OLD WEST LEGENDS

Reno Gang & the 1st Big Train Robbery

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During the years after the Civil War, much of the nation suffered a period of unemployment and lawlessness, spawning a number of notorious desperadoes and outlaw gangs. It was during this time that the Reno Gang from Indiana began to terrorize the Midwest.

One of the first outlaw brotherhoods in the United States, the Reno Gang was primarily made up of four brothers -- Frank, John, Simeon and William Reno who all came from the small rural community of Rockford two miles north of Seymour, Indiana.

A mock train robbery, courtesy Shadows of the Past.

The Reno family, comprised of five sons and one daughter, was headed up by J. Wilkison and Julia Ann Reno who owned a 1,200 acre farm. Frank was the first son born in 1837, followed by John in 1838, Simeon ("Sim") in 1843, Clinton in 1847, William in 1848, and Laura, in 1851. Strictly religious, the children were required to study the bible for hours on Sundays, attend school, and work on the farm. Perhaps resenting their stringent religious upbringing, all but Clinton, who was called “Honest Clint,” rebelled and found trouble at an early age. Even the daughter, Laura, was known to have been as wild as her four brothers who would later form the Reno Gang.

The older boys began to play crooked card games along the farm road when they were still very young, bilking travelers as they passed by. The trouble increased with a number of small burglaries and a rash of horse thefts. But by 1851, the bunch had become out-right criminals when several retailers’ businesses were set ablaze and the Renos were suspected of arson.

When the Civil War began, Frank and John became “bounty jumpers.” At this time, federal recruiting officers paid a cash bounty to any man who signed up for military service, so the Renos joined, pocketed the cash and deserted. Later, they would turn up in another area and go through the whole process again. Later, when the draft began, they would make money from prosperous draftees who wanted to avoid the war. After taking the money from the man to be drafted, they would then appear as demanded, only to desert days later.

In 1864, the pair returned to Rockford, followed by a number of other “bounty jumpers” and lawless types the pair had met during their travels. Forming a gang, Frank, John, Sim, and William, along with the other miscreants, headquartered in the burned out buildings of Rockford.

Late in 1864, Frank, along with two other gang members by the names of Grant Wilson and Dixon robbed the post office and Gilbert's Store in nearby Jonesville, Indiana. Before long, they were captured by U.S. Marshals, but were able to post bond and released with a trial date pending.

The next year, two more post offices were robbed in Dudleytown and Seymour, as well as several retail burglaries.

Historic Seymour, Indiana postcard.

In the meantime, Grant Wilson, who had been involved in the Jonesville robbery turned state’s evidence, agreeing to testify against Frank Reno. However, before the trial was scheduled, Wilson was murdered and without his testimony, Frank was acquitted.

Next, the Reno Gang made their headquarters in a Seymour Hotel called the Radar House, where unfortunate travelers who stayed there often left penniless. From here, they also orchestrated a number of robberies across the Midwest, as well as operating a counterfeit ring.

Various members of the gang were arrested a number of times, but they were always released. The brothers bragged that they had “political clout,” but the real story was that they were bribing or terrorizing officials into silence.

By July 27, 1865, things had become so bad in the Seymour area that the Seymour Times issued a warning stating: "be wary of thieves and assassins that infest the place." A week later, on August 3, the paper ran an editorial which condemned the lawlessness and called for vigilantes to restore order, stating: "Nothing but Lynch law will save the reputation of this place and its citizens."

Despite the feelings of area citizens, the crime spree continued. In early 1866, a Radar House guest’s beheaded body was found floating in the White River and the Courtland post office was robbed on January 11^th. More murders occurred in February and July, 1866 and the ruthless gang of cut-throats continued to rob travelers who passed through Jackson County as well as branching out to neighboring communities, where they raided numerous merchants and county treasuries.

By this time, they were so well organized that no law official dared to arrest them and witnesses kept silent, in fear of their lives.

Soon, the gang conceived of a new idea -- to rob a train, opening the door to a “new” form of outlawry for years to come. On the night of October 6, 1866, John and Simeon Reno, along with a man named Frank Sparks, boarded the east-bound Ohio & Mississippi train at the Seymour depot. Once on board, the three masked men made their way to the express car, held a gun on the messenger and stole some $12,000. Afterwards, they pulled the bell rope to signal the engineer to stop the train and jumped off into the darkness when the train slowed. The first recorded peace time train robbery had occurred in just a matter of minutes.

On September 28, 1867 a “copycat” holdup occurred at Seymour when another train was robbed. Authorities at first immediately suspected the Reno brothers, but later it was found that the train was robbed by Walker Hammond and Michael Colleran. Pulled off in the same manner as the Reno hold-up the previous year, the pair heisted about $8,000. Though Hammond and Colleran were “associates” of the Renos, John Reno tracked them down, beat them up, and turned then in, without the money, of course.

Continued Next Page

"Jackson County contains more cutthroats

to the square inch than Botany Bay."

- Indiana newspaper account

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