James B. Hume and the Wells Fargo Detectives

If you read much Christian historical fiction, you may have come across stories with characters who work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. The Pinkertons are a hugely popular element in fiction set in 1800s America—and why wouldn’t they be? The agency formed by Scotsman Allan Pinkerton employed men, women, and minorities as detectives while protecting people, (among them U.S. presidents and other dignitaries) and solving crimes. This agency is an interesting and exciting part of our country’s history, for sure.

That said, the Pinkertons were not the only detectives out there. Far less well-known in fictional stories today is the Wells Fargo detective. If you’ve read much about travel in the Old West—or banking—you’ll know that name. In fact, I’ve written about Wells Fargo in the past. Private citizens, small businesses, and major industries all trusted Wells Fargo with their valuables. For example, between 1858 and 1861, Wells Fargo shipped 15 tons of gold from the Sonora, Califonia office alone. But where there are valuables, there are evil people bent on stealing them, and there were times that those evil men were successful. So how did Wells Fargo protect against thefts—or recover stolen property they’d been entrusted with?

They employed their own detectives, of course. These were men hired as private detectives, not

James B. Hume, Wells Fargo Special Agent

official law enforcement or peace officers. However, the very first and most famous of the Wells Fargo detectives, one Mr. James B. Hume, was afforded many of the perks for law enforcement of that time. Hume was a peace officer with more than a decade of experience in the field when he was hired by Wells Fargo in 1871, and it’s safe to assume many of the others who followed him were, as well.

So what could a Wells Fargo detective do while in pursuit of a robber? First, they could move far more freely than a local police officer or sheriff, who was confined to a specific town or county. Hume and others moved easily across borders into neighboring communities, even crossing into other territories or states while in pursuit of their quarry. With that ability to move around, they were more like today’s FBI than a localized law enforcement officer.

In addition to this extra mobility, the Wells Fargo agents were graciously afforded arrest powers, as long as they kept those arrests limited to only those men and women related to robberies of Wells Fargo shipments. However, just because they could arrest those they pursued didn’t mean they always did. In fact, Wells Fargo detectives worked very closely with the local police and sheriffs, inviting them along when they would go to investigate crime scenes or interrogate witnesses. They were often deputized by the local agency, and when possible, they let the local authorities handle the official arrests, just to keep things on the up-and-up.

When a customer entrusted their valuables to Wells Fargo for shipment, a waybill was written, detailing the contents. Those waybills were sent along with the shipment. If, in the course of transit, that shipment was robbed—and the bandit left the waybills behind (which they often did, since they didn’t realize they were there or understand what they were), the reporting detectives could then copy the waybills to know exactly what they were seeking to recover. The detective nearest the scene of the crime would report to W. F., & Co. about the theft, then enlist local law enforcement’s help, interview any witnesses, and begin pursuit.

James Hume's mugbook

But Hume and his compatriots in the agency were not out only to get convictions at all costs. They were just as dogged in proving falsely accused men innocent when they felt the wrong man had been apprehended. To aid in that goal, they used cutting-edge techniques. For instance, Jim Hume kept a “mugbook”—a leather-bound journal that included hand-drawn or photographic pictures of suspected robbers, where he detailed copious notes on aliases and other information for each of the people included. And, Hume was said to have removed the bullet from a dead horse, which he compared with a bullet from a different case, employing crude ballistics techniques to compare the markings and link the two back to the same perpetrator.

In his thirty-one year term as a Wells Fargo Special Agent, Hume investigated hundreds of cases, and in the process, used some of the techniques we use in police forensics work today—then in their infancy. Unlike a local sheriff who had to give equal attention to all the daily business brought before him, Hume or other Wells Fargo detectives could devote all of their focus to one case at a time, pursuing it until it was solved. In one such case, his most well-known, Hume pursued Black Bart for eight years before his capture. Bart was a gentlemanly robber who absconded with the strongbox contents of at least twenty-five Wells Fargo stagecoaches between 1875 and 1883, totaling about $18,000 (or $1-2 million in today’s dollars). This thief remained one step ahead of Hume until, in his last stage robbery, he was shot in the hand and, in his subsequent flight from the scene, dropped a bloody handkerchief that contained a launderer’s identification mark. Enlisting the help of a fellow detective, Hume and his friend went door-to-door to nearly one hundred laundries in San Francisco until they found the one who claimed that mark. The particular series of letters and numbers, F.X.O.7, was linked to the account of one C. E. Boles. Armed with that information, Hume and his fellow detective rounded up Boles, interrogated him, elicited a confession, and were able to garner a conviction. Black Bart served four years of his six-year sentence in San Quentin, and was released early for good behavior.

James B. Hume never retired from Wells Fargo. He continued to work cases, often going out on the trail in pursuit of robbers until an illness in 1897 caused him to slow down some. After that point, he continued to oversee cases closer to home in California until his death in 1904.

It’s your turn: Were you aware that Wells, Fargo, & Co. employed their own detectives? If so, did you realize they had the types of authority detailed above?

If you’ve never read a story with a Wells Fargo detective, I invite you to read my July 1 release, Courting Calamity, which includes my story, Lady and the Tramps, and features Wells Fargo Special Agent as the hero.

COURTING CALAMITY 

Heroes Needed for Four Damsels in Distress

Despite determination to be strong and independent, four women of bygone days are in need of a hero. On the journey to California, the deed to Mattie’s hopes and dreams is stolen. Elizabeth has been saddled with too many responsibilities at the family mercantile. Unexpectedly married, Sofia is ill-prepared for a husband and the society she is thrust into. When her sister is accosted, Aileen will do almost anything to support her. Accepting help isn’t easy when these women don’t want to show weakness, but it is more appealing when it comes with a handsome face.

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list several times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Women Writing the West, and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

Black Bart - The Gentleman Outlaw

With Nancy J. Farrier

Wells Fargo Stage

The Wells Fargo stagecoach skidded to a stop in front of the armed man, clad in a long, soiled duster. His face and head were covered with an old flour sack with two holes cut for him to see through. His double-barreled shotgun, held at a jaunty angle, suggested he would put it to use in an instant if the driver didn’t stop.

“Please, throw down the box.” The bandit called out to the driver, then glancing around at the rocks, he raised his voice to be heard by everyone. “If he dares shoot, give him a volley, boys.” The stagecoach driver’s heart thumped as he noted at least six guns pointed at him from the surrounding rocks.

The driver grabbed the strongbox from underneath his seat and tossed it down to the outlaw. He called back to his passengers to stay calm and not panic. One of the women became so distraught she threw her purse out to the outlaw. The hooded bandit crossed to the bag, picked it up and handed it back in to the woman. He said, “Madam, I do not wish your money.” Thus, the robber earned the name, Black Bart, the gentleman outlaw.

Charles Boles, (Black Bart, aka Charles Bolton) resided in San Francisco in the 1870’s. He was an older gentleman in his 50’s with white hair, a nice grandfatherly type. He preferred fancier clothes, walked about with a cane, and enjoyed strolling about his neighborhood. No one who knew him would have guessed he also had lived a life as a bandit. Not this refined gentleman.

Black Bart was different than many outlaws. He worked alone and didn’t rob every stage he heard about. He invested his money in small businesses, and only robbed Wells Fargo stages when he needed more funds. He loved stay in nice hotels and eat at fine restaurants.

Bart treated women with great respect, as he did all the victims on the stages he robbed. On more than one occasion he refused to take the valuables and money from a flustered lady passenger. He always tried to assure them he meant no harm to them, but only wanted what Wells Fargo had to offer.

Charles Boles knew of a popular dime store novel featuring a feared outlaw dressed in black. When he took the name of Black Bart, he capitalized on a known fear, even though

he never dressed in black and didn’t resemble the description of the dime store novel’s outlaw. The one thing all the stage drivers remembered about Bart was his clear, blue eyes, shining out from the holes in the flour sack. They couldn’t forget the color of those eyes.

Black Bart began to write poems, which he left at the site of his robberies. He signed them P o 8, which stumped the lawmen who were trying to catch him. He always disappeared without a trace. Even the poems gave no clue as to who Bart might be or where to find him.

Black Bart’s life of crime came to an end after a robbery he committed in November 1883. The sheriff who investigated the robbery examined the ground closely and found a handkerchief which contained a laundry mark. The handkerchief was taken to San Francisco and a search began for the laundry that used this mark. They found the correct laundry and as they were questioning the owner, Charles Boles, the owner of the handkerchief came through the doors.

Boles spent over six years in prison, but the story has it that after he was released, he disappeared. Another robbery occurred and the bandit left a poem. Upon examination it was agreed this poem was a copycat. Rumor has it that Bart was so successful in his efforts against Wells Fargo that the company paid him a yearly stipend to cease from robbing their stagecoaches, and he did.

Have you ever heard about Black Bart, the gentleman bandit? Can you guess why he signed his notes P o 8? Thank you for stopping by.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children and two grandsons. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Karen Ball of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

The History of Wells Fargo

A couple of years ago, a new bank came to our town. Wells Fargo. I say “new,” because it was new to our area, perhaps to our state. But Wells Fargo is hardly a “new” bank. It was first started in 1852, a product of the California Gold Rush. The founders, Henry Wells and William Fargo, started Wells, Fargo, & Co., in order to provide excellent banking services to the people of the West. Their first location was in San Francisco but they quickly developed an excellent reputation, which allowed them to spread to the other towns and mining camps in California and beyond.

Wells Fargo & Co. wasn’t just about the banking services, though. In addition to handling their customers’ money needs in a quick and reliable way, Wells Fargo also got into the express business—transporting anything of value via horse and rider, steamships, railroad, or, the most well known, the stagecoach.

Advertisement for Overland Mail Stagecoach travel.

In 1858, Wells, Fargo & Co. lent their backing to the new Overland Stage Line, which traveled 2,812 miles along the “Butterfield Route.” In 1861, the company took over the operation of the short-lived Pony Express, which lasted only until the start of the Civil War. By 1866, Wells Fargo had expanded to dominate all major Western stage routes from Nebraska to California.

As the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, Wells Fargo’s express business switched to a rail-based one, rather than stagecoaches, allowing it to reach more than just the western states and territories. By 1888, the company’s new motto became “Ocean-to-Ocean” to depict the fact it served customers from the East coast all the way to the West in 25 states. Their services included money orders, traveler’s checks, and money transfers via telegraph. And for the many mining communities, they provided guards to keep the gold, silver and other valuables safe. By the early 1900’s, the bank boasted over 6,000 locations nation-wide.

Original Wells Fargo location,
San Francisco, California

In 1905, Wells, Fargo, & Co. separated their banking and express businesses into two separate entities. The bank was rocked in 1906 when the San Francisco earthquake and fire struck. Thankfully, the bank president sent word that the read: “Building Destroyed, Vault Intact, Credit Unaffected.” From there, Wells Fargo rebuilt and became a powerhouse in the business all across the West.

As World War I began in 1918, Wells Fargo’s locations shrunk drastically—from about 10,000 locations (both bank and express offices) of back to a single branch in San Francisco. This was due to the U.S. Government taking over the nation’s express network as part of the War effort. The company survived—even thrived—the downsizing, and with a series of good choices, continued to be the innovative company it always had been. Wells Fargo threw its support behind the burgeoning auto, aviation, and film industries of the 1910’s and 20’s. The long unused stagecoaches began to make appearances in Western films, thus keeping the Wells Fargo name before the people. Sound management helped the company survive the Great Depression, saw it through World War II, and on into the modern era.

It wasn’t until the 1990’s when Wells Fargo expanded outside of California, and in the 2000’s, once again reached the point of being in service from “Ocean-to-Ocean.”

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won five writing competitions and finaled in two other competitions. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.

PREORDER NOW (Available July 1, 2016):

THE COURAGEOUS BRIDES COLLECTION

Ride into adventures alongside nine determined women of yesteryear whose acts of compassion and bravery attract male attention. Marcy helps displaced Indians. Emmy tends wounds at Fort Snelling. Ronnie stows away on a cattle drive. Daisy disguises herself as a Pony Express rider. Elinor becomes an abolitionist. Mae tames wild horses. Hannah gets help for accident victims. Lucy’s curiosity unnerves criminals. Kate nurses soldiers on the battlefield. Will real dangers douse the sparks of love?