Roy gardner was the last great American train robber. He stole more than $350000 during his career. He was born in January 5 1884, in Trenton, Missouri. He traveled to Mexico in 1905. He began his crime life in Mexico as a gunrunner during the Mexican revolution. He used to trade guns to Venustiano Carranza and his army. He was then captured by the Victoriano Huerta's forces and was imprisoned in Mexico. He escaped with other American prisoners back to the Unites States. In san Francisco he lost all of his money gambling and decided to rob a jewelry store. He was arrested and put in the San Quentin State Prision, But was released after saving a guard's life. He got a job as welder in Maryland Island Navy Yard and got married. He later had a daughter and made his own welding company. On a business trip he gambled and lost all his money again, and ended up robbing a mail truck. He was sentenced to 25 years in MC Neil Island, but said that he would never serve his punishment. He proceeded to rob many trains, and aqcuired the nickname "The King of Escape Artists", but was later identified in a Hotel, and was caught and sentenced to another 25 years in prision. After 6 weeks at the MC Neil Island Penitentiary, There was a prison baseball game. Gardner hit the baseball to distract the guards, ran to a hole and escaped to the prison barn. There he got healthy from cow milk and then made his way to Oregon, where he became the #1 most wanted gangster. He was captured in one of his train robberies and was sent to the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. When he threatened that prison could not hold him he was transferred to a tough prison, Atlanta Federal Prison, and shot a guard in an escape attempt. He was sent to solitary confinement. He was then put in a mental hospital, but threatened that he would commit suicide. After this he was sent to Alcatraz in 1934. While he was on Alcatraz his wife divorced him. He was later released from Alcatraz in June 17 1938. He then wrote and published his autobiography, Hellcatraz. He died on January tenth, 1940 at the age of 56 when he commited suicide.
Everybody was amazed at his escape from MC Neil Island.
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