Bill Chadwell, outlaw. (This image has been altered, click to see the original image)
William “Bill” Chadwell, aka Bill Stiles, rode with the James-Younger Gang robbing trains and banks.
Chadwell was born in Missouri but raised in Minnesota. At some point, he returned to Missouri and was thought to have ridden with William Quantrill in the Civil War. Sometime later, he hooked up with the James-Younger Gang and participated in the robbery of the Missouri Pacific Railroad in Otterville, Missouri, on July 7, 1876, where gang members made off with some $15,000.
Some believe he persuaded a reluctant Jesse James to rob a bank in Minnesota. On September 7, 1876, Chadwell and seven other gang members attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota. Still, when local citizens fought back, Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller, and Charlie Pitts were killed. The rest escaped, but the Younger Brothers were captured and sent to prison.
After Chadwell’s death, his remains were taken by a young medical student named Henry M. Wheeler, who had been involved in the shoot-out. His skeleton would later be displayed in Wheeler’s office when he went into practice.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated April 2025.
Also See:
The James-Younger Gang – Terror in the Heartland
Jesse James – Folklore Hero or Cold-Blooded Killer?
Modern Bad Men – A 1907 Account
See Sources.