Dick Liddel.
James Andrew “Dick” Liddel was an outlaw from Missouri who joined the James Gang in 1879. He was one of the last surviving members.
James was born to Milton and Elizabeth Liddil in Jackson County, Missouri, on September 15, 1852.
In the mid-1870s, he did a stint in prison in Mt. Vernon County, Missouri, for stealing horses. After his release, he joined the James Gang and participated in the Glendale, Missouri train robbery in October 1879 that netted the bandits as much as $40,000. In July 1881, he was with the gang when they robbed the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in Gallatin, Missouri. Two months later, on September 7, 1881, the bandits hit Glendale again, taking some $3,000 off the train.
In December 1881, Liddel argued with Wood Hite over the attention of the attractive widow Martha Bolton, the sister of Robert and Charlie Ford. When the disagreement escalated, Robert Ford sided with Liddel and shot Hite in the head, killing him.
Liddel turned himself in for the killing, and Bob Ford was arrested. To save himself, Liddel spilled the beans about everything he knew about the James Gang’s robberies. Ford also made a deal to bring down Jesse James, which he did on April 3, 1882.
That summer, Liddil was taken to Alabama, where he stood trial for the Muscle Shoals robbery. He was found guilty but pardoned as part of a deal that he would testify against Frank James. However, despite Liddil’s testimony, Frank James was acquitted in August 1883, reportedly because the jury didn’t find Liddil to be a credible witness.
Afterward, Liddil went to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he co-owned the Bank Saloon with Bob Ford. Dick returned to Missouri in the 1890s and became a regular on the Midwest racehorse circuit. He worked as a horse trainer, owned several fine thoroughbreds, and became known as one of the best horsemen in the West.
Liddil died of a heart attack on July 13, 1901, while attending the Queen City Races in Covington, Kentucky.
Train Robbery.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated March 2025.
Also See:
Jesse James – Folklore Hero or Cold-Blooded Killer?
See Sources.