Chilluminati Podcast - Episode 239 - The Legend of Belle Star - Part 1

Episode Date: February 25, 2024

The boys go back to the Wild West as they learn about the famous gun slingin', horse wranglin' bad*** known as Belle Starr. MERCH - http://www.theyetee.com/collections/chilluminati Special thanks to ...our sponsors this episode - All you lovely people at HTTP://PATREON.COM/CHILLUMINATIPOD Factor - http://www.factor.com/chill50 PROMOCODE: chill50 Babbel - http://www.babbel.com/chill Jesse Cox - http://www.youtube.com/jessecox Alex Faciane - http://www.youtube.com/user/superbeardbros Editor - DeanCutty http://www.twitter.com/deancutty Art Commissioned by - http://www.mollyheadycarroll.com Theme - Matt Proft

Transcript
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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello everybody and welcome back to the Chiluminati podcast episode 230 240 6 because I think minisode was 35 so wrong no 35 I don't know somewhere on there anyway I'm one of your hosts Mike Martin joined by great start thank you so much by joined by the chat GPT and Google's Bard of LA whoa Jesse and Alex our boys our jobs are in check pretty We the AI leap has taken that with the video and shit I mean, it's only a matter of time. I don't know. I don't know I don't have you seen the internet lately that it's been posted that The AI has gone nuts chat GPT lost his mind lost his mind
Starting point is 00:01:00 So yeah, apparently chat GPT was responding in a mix of English and Spanish mind. So yeah, apparently chat GBT was responding in a mix of English and Spanish nonsensical phrases repeating it is and it is over and over and over. I tried to instigate it last night and I couldn't get it. I couldn't get it too. It was speaking in like whimsical, like colorful, like, like, Spanglish. Like, like, like it was like almost like emotes. It felt the like, the like, Joie de Vieve. Like it was like waxing poetic almost. Like it was, it was fucking scary. Like I know that it's just a language modeler and that it's just going wild.
Starting point is 00:01:34 And like, of course a language modeler going wild is going to be like extravagant talking, right? Yeah. But like, man, has, I've never seen something that felt more like a cyberpunk 2077 Sidequest unfolding in my life. And by the way, I'm Google Bard because if there anyone in this party is the Bard It's me. Yeah, I'm the GPT stands for Gangster parading
Starting point is 00:01:57 About town. Oh shit, and he's chatting. So, you know, he's social. He's got lots of friends Yep, he's got a whole lot of friends. So many friends. Most of my friends, not people you wanna be friends with, but they get their work done, they get their job done. Ask Jesse, he's a social butterfly about town. Ask his neighbors, he's that homeless guy they all know about on the street, walking up and down.
Starting point is 00:02:22 That's fact. Speaking in broken Spanglish and talking about the Jabberwock as he's walking up the Boulevard. This is this is actually no joke. This weekend, I went to our favorite sausage place Worcester, Kersh. Hey, I love that. Like fellow from Germany because he wanted to go there specifically for that. Here's the thing. When we were done, it's pouring down right outside.
Starting point is 00:02:43 We walk outside and we're staying there waiting for his Uber. And this dude, random guy, walking the rain stops, turns to us in the rain and is like, Hey man, is this the place with the rattlesnake and rabbit sausage? And I was like, yeah. And then we had a 45 minute conversation. Oh my God, in the rain. You think we had a 45 minute conversation. Oh my God. In the rain, you think he was AI generated?
Starting point is 00:03:08 We were under an awning. He stood in the rain. He was high out of his mind. Sounds like an AI generated. It's not fully understanding what you're supposed to do when you get well. You're on the RP server with the AI like beta mods plugged in. Yeah. And he kept talking to us and he was like, you know what's crazy? In some places people eat crickets. And we think that's weird. But here we processed
Starting point is 00:03:29 meat. I think that's weird. And I was like, he's kind of onto something like that. He's kind of like the same as Anthony Bourdain in at least one way. And that's one way. Yeah. Yeah. And he's outside. The AI thing also last last bit AI news before we move on to the actual shit and obviously what Alex has to tell us about before we move on to that is on top of Sora dropping which was open AI's video thing Bard quietly sort of barred Google rather quietly released their new AI to a limited number of users called Google's Gemini I don't know how many people it's invited. It's also a large language model.
Starting point is 00:04:07 I got access to it in the premium version, the advanced version. And the difference between this and Bard, or at least any large language models, is that after a certain amount of time or a certain amount of information you input, the AI has an inability to maintain context of the conversation. So if you're like, type out a way huge thing, it loses it. Okay, sure.
Starting point is 00:04:29 This, the new one doesn't. It is able to maintain it. They tested it by feeding it the entire manual for the Apollo 11 mission and then asking it questions and kind of quizzing it and it did it past. Fine. It like maintained all that information. It also is the first one of the first AIs to understand nuanced instructions able to reason
Starting point is 00:04:49 through problems logically and provide its own insightful responses. So it's actually like, well, reasoning a little bit, according to Google. This is great news for everyone who leaves comments about this show and other shows that's like, you guys keep talking about stuff that isn't the topic. And you keep going on. You have jokes. All I want to know is about those murders. Well, pretty soon, only murders, GPT podcasts will tell you all that information. You want to have fun. You won't have to listen to a bunch of real guys like us. You won't have to do that. Listen to a digital prostitute historian who can do anything that you want. It's so phenomenal. So you got that to look forward to as a alternative to this
Starting point is 00:05:28 Speaking of digital prostitutes head on over to patreon.com slash shlomari pod the website where you can hire us To make podcasts for you for money. That's right. I know it sounds salacious But if you listen to us out here barking at you from this digital street corner, you can rest assured that we are clean. We are strong and we are ready to give you some of the best paranormal podcasts that you have ever seen in your life. So head on over to patreon.com slash ChimnalliPod. Put your money in our wallets to keep us going. Thank you so much, Alex. Yeah, you are. You know what?
Starting point is 00:06:05 You are so welcome today, boys. We're just going to get into the topic now. We're returning to a time we haven't been to in a while. The eighteen hundreds old West. Oh, we last time we were there, I think it was Kentucky Cannibal. I think I'll have to double check, but it's been a while since we've been. You mean the cannibal not from Kentucky? Not from Kentucky, cannibal who like in cartoonish ways evaded law.
Starting point is 00:06:27 Today though, we're speaking about somebody who's actually made their way into pop culture in a surprising way, especially with the story that's attached to them. Today we're talking about the bandit queen known as Bell Star. I don't know if you know anything about Bell Star. I knew very little going into this about Bell Star Do you each each of you any of you know about Bell Star at all Bell Star? Yeah Bell Star the bandit Queen I? I know this I've heard the phrase Bell Star the bandit Queen before yep Okay, I would be remiss if I if I said that I knew anything else about okay cool well
Starting point is 00:07:04 This is gonna be a two-parter and the the today We're gonna be talking exclusively really about the legend who she is in in pop culture and in a lot of history books From the past anyway, and a lot of what crimes she supposedly committed who she ran with and then next week We're gonna go through the actual life of Bell Star, where a surprising amount of that might actually hold up in other bits, not necessarily as much. For our main sources for this series, I used two books, specifically one called Bell Star, The Bandit Queen by Burton Rasko. And then I also read Bell Star and Her Times, The Literature, The Facts, and The Legends
Starting point is 00:07:43 by Glenn Shirley. That book is phenomenal. If you're only going to read one book about Bell Star, read that one. It is when we talk, we'll be talking about that book more in the next episode, but it's probably one of my favorite just factual, factually written true crime books in general, even though it's Old West focused. So take a look at those. I highly recommend both of the books regardless.
Starting point is 00:08:06 But yeah, if you've never heard of Bellstar, the so-called bandit queen of the Wild West, let me tell you her story is kind of a mix of facts and legend. She was born named Mira May Bell Shirley on February 5th of 1848. Why does this sound like a like 80s anime about the Old West? Like, I don't know. Like something about it has like a like a magical about the Old West like I don't know like something about it has like a Like a magical girl vibe to me. I don't know why Bell star the bandit Queen Yeah, I could absolutely see an anime being made about that You know, I don't know like a magic pistol she swore
Starting point is 00:08:42 She spins with like pop out umbrella and as that pulls away, she's in her new outfit spinning a pistol. I love it. And it still got the sailor boom, but it's like. You know, you get what I'm saying. You get it. Yeah, yeah. I hope you inspired somebody out there. So Bell Star was actually born Mira May Bell Shirley on February 5th of 1848 in Carthage, Missouri. And she's one of the few people we actually have a little bit of information on as to who her parents were in this era, what they did, and what her life growing up might have been like. Her parents, John Shirley and Elizabeth Eliza
Starting point is 00:09:16 Pennington, were prominent figures in their community, enjoying a comfortable lifestyle and actively participating in social and economic affairs all through town. John Shirley was actually like an entrepreneurial man. He engaged in a bunch of different business ventures including farming, blacksmithing, real estate, reflecting his diverse interests and ambitious nature as just an individual. Bell was the child of his third wife. He had two wives prior. Each wife gave him one to two kids and he remarried to Elizabeth who would be his last wife and Belle was a product of that marriage. His activities extended beyond accumulating wealth though. They were also driven by a desire to create a legacy and provide stability for his family.
Starting point is 00:09:58 John's entrepreneurial endeavors were not solely motivated just by financial gain, but also he was well known within the community of just being a very community driven individual. He liked to help out where he could. The community liked him because he was so community driven. Yeah, really. Whether that was selfish reasons or not, we don't, I don't have no idea. And then there's Eliza Pennington, Belle's mother, who was known for her hospitality and unwavering dedication to her family as well. She ensured that Belle
Starting point is 00:10:25 and her siblings received a quality education in emphasizing not only academic knowledge, but also the social graces expected of upper echelons of society to give you an idea of where these people are in the wild west. They are well off. They're doing very well for themselves. The focus on education was somewhat progressive for the time, obviously, particularly in the emphasis on educating daughters as well as sons, indicating that a family that valued intellectual and cultural development and Eliza's influence on Belle's upbringing instilled
Starting point is 00:10:55 in her a strong sense of self-worth and a desire for personal fulfillment beyond traditional domestic roles. So, you're telling me we got like a gentle lady bandit. Yes, but it's interesting too, because this part of her life, I think fully informed why she rubbed up against the law so much because she was raised in an environment as close to equal as men as she could be for that time.
Starting point is 00:11:20 And education, she was very close with her brother. She loved to ride horseback. This is going to be a fucking fire story, isn't it? This is about to be. We'll see what it's going to be good. I promise it's like Netflix's Eleanor Holmes. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I'm hoping for.
Starting point is 00:11:36 Netflix's Eleanor Holmes. I'm pretty sure it names Anola. Anola, Anola T. Holmes. I don't know. I don't know. I clearly didn't watch it, but I know the vibe. The Witcher and 11 team ups. Belle also apparently like gotten fights occasionally stood up for herself. So when she got to adulthood and there was a certain expectation of her as a woman
Starting point is 00:11:57 of the time, she fucking didn't like it. So she very much kind of struck out on her own a lot. And the people she ran with, which is true, she ran with a lot of these criminals will really inform, I think, a sense of independence that was brewing within her, just because of the way she was raised, at least at the very beginning. This sounds so cool so far. We are... Dude, the Wild West is great. There's like so many fucking cool stories. We are in a comic book adventure tale. How many years of whip practice did she have?
Starting point is 00:12:21 Oh, about, I think, 12 years of active whip practice. Yeah, and how many years of whip practice did she have? Oh, about, I think, 12 years of active whip practice. Yeah, and how many years of star shooting? That's because they were stark Southern Confederacy supporters. Oh. How many puzzles did she have to solve that her family created instead of expressing love verbally, they did it through puzzle solving? They, uh, the puzzle was wrestling with her brother, I guess. Right, right, right.
Starting point is 00:12:47 There's no love to be had. What? So was her brother killed in a way that he then left clues for her to follow based on the trainings that he gave her as a child? So dark, the compliment. Right, yes, I think so. It would lead to her becoming what who we referencing here. Did Tom Hanks in any way help in a role that would lead her on it in multi lingual multinational worldwide historical. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:13:16 Adventure. A Da Vinci code. Got you. Da Vinci. What? Da Vinci. The Da Vinci code. Uh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:13:24 So, you know, Eliza was actually like a rather involved mother and an education was kind of like rare But Belle grew up rather well off I guess in that written that regard This is the coolest character that we've ever talked about on the show so far and then you know not too long after about 15 years after or so her birth the Civil War began and the Civil War itself had a profound impact on the Shirley family as a whole, as it obviously did on countless other families across Missouri and the wider South. Missouri's position as a border state made it a very tumultuous place, with loyalty split
Starting point is 00:14:00 and guerrilla warfare very common. The Shirley's were staunch supporters of the Confederacy, a stance that placed them at odds with their Unionist neighbors and forces. This period was marked by significant upheaval for the family, including the loss of their property and a forced relocation to Sine, Texas after the war. Because they were just huge supporters of the Confederacy. But beyond that, we don't have a huge amount of details as to like what they did and how they were involved in the war other than we knew they were forced to move. This move could prove to be a turning point for young Bell. Texas in the post-war years was a
Starting point is 00:14:36 place of reinvention and opportunity, but also of lawlessness and desperation. The Shirley family, having lost much of their pre-war status and wealth found themselves in a community where former Confederate soldiers, outlaws, and adventurers all mingled in one place. And it was here that Belle's fascination with the outlaw lifestyle began to take root. She's just surrounded by these people. Influenced not only by the people she was meeting but the stories they were telling, which I imagine many of them were wholeheartedly embellished. But for a young kid, this is like, it's magical in a way, like the stories of these heroes that fight against the law that took everything from them. In the years that followed, Bellstar would become a very legendary figure in the annals
Starting point is 00:15:19 of the Wild West. Her legend involvement in robberies, stagecoach holdups, horse theft, as well as relationships with notorious outlaws such as Jesse James and the younger brothers, cemented a reputation as the Bandit Queen. But beyond the sensationalized stories and the mystique surrounding her life, Bellstar was a complex and fascinating woman who defied societal norms and lived on her terms, leaving a lasting imprint on the history of the American frontier. And that much is true. She truly was just a very forward-thinking woman for the time.
Starting point is 00:15:52 It is absolutely crazy to me that the Wild West, because it's so nuts, leads so easily to glorifying glamorizing criminals. Like Jesse James and like all these different bandits and in this case Bells, like clearly criminals but it's like damn, they were cool as hell. Thank you to the sponsor of today's episode, Factor. Factor's delicious, ready to eat meals make eating better every day easy. Wherever tomorrow takes you, be ready with pre-prepared, chef-crafted and dietitian-approved
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Starting point is 00:17:53 to. And basically the author says, there are essentials to a formula that are fairly consistent that breed this kind of idolization that you literally are bringing up Jesse. And he goes, the essentials embrace fundamental psychological facts. One, civilized man, no matter how circumspect, law abiding, conventional, and tamed he may be, has a subconscious desire for revolt against law, against restraint, against civilizing forces of life. Two, thus even when he deplores,
Starting point is 00:18:20 he always has a measure of admiration for the outlaw. The man who is definitively, definitely at odds with the restraints of civilization and immical to them. Three, if the outlaw hero is depicted as having been a naturally good and very superior man who is forced into outlawry through an event that outraged his sense of justice, particularly if the outrage was perpetrated by representative or representatives of the forces of law and order, the civilized man is able to make the outlaw hero his viker in the writing of injustice by spectacular revenge. For every civilized man is at times or feels himself to be the victim of an injustice which
Starting point is 00:18:59 he cannot write or a force against which he cannot take revenge. So his outlaw hero performs for him, cleansing his emotions of hate by vicariously killing in a brilliant, courageous, and superior manner the representatives of the persons or forces the civilized man hates. And finally, the outlaw hero must die, preferably through treachery or against terrific odds and never in a fair and open fight. For there must be a retribution for the outlawry, not only to satisfy the moral conscience of the civilized man, but also because the vicar or the scapegoat
Starting point is 00:19:31 who bears the weight of one's sins must die so that civilized man may live. Yeah, Lord Mustang, never be tamed. That's a really great summary of exactly the vibe. It's why all the best western movies, the main character does not make it out in the end. Yeah, I'll tell you right now that whole story that you just described already played in my head about this character. Right, exactly. And this was written in the late 1800s by a man by the name of Richard K. Fox that he, when he was talking about why people buying these 25 cent paperbacks and these dime novels about these outlaw heroes that people like were clamoring for constantly. It literally is also the plot of
Starting point is 00:20:15 straight up if you're playing a Grand Theft Auto or you're playing Cyberpunk or playing Red Dead. You get literally the plots are like, look, you either live the coolest life in burnout or you die boring and it's like Okay, I understand how they can translate to someone and they take this on themselves In fact Bell star if you look up Bell star trying to find an image of her Half of them are from all the media created about her normal Bell star looks like a normal ass woman from the West Yep, but all the media, she's this glamorous, beautiful bell who's like going to take out dudes with the guns and stuff.
Starting point is 00:20:52 And it's yet ultra glamorized because the idea is like, damn. It's the same thing with Billy the Kid. Like Billy the Kid's legend is much bigger than the reality of his history. One day we'll talk about Billy the Kid for sure. But same thing, like there's just like all the media representations of Billy the Kid are not the dorky like dude who maybe killed three people. It's the Lord of the Rings that's true. It's like we just can't we just I'm not like like we're like I'm never gonna get tired of hearing stories about this exact character. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:21:18 Yeah, it's just great because yeah because it's a part of you that just kind of resonates with it. Sure. So they moved to Texas getting back to the story, they were forced to move to Texas and despite the challenges of their new life, they remained committed to the education and upbringing of their children. Bell, described as an intelligent and quick-witted from a young age, received an education that was unusual for women over time, studying subjects like classical literature, piano, and what else but the social graces.
Starting point is 00:21:45 Like Bryn Mawr had to act in per-public behavior. Like a lady. Like a lady. Exactly. This education did not just serve to refine her character, it also instilled in her a sense of independence and a desire for a life less ordinary. And her exposure to the harsh realities of the frontier, combined with the romanticized tales of outlaws and rebels that she grew up around hearing, began to shape her worldview.
Starting point is 00:22:08 Belle admired the resilience and freedom these figures seemed to represent, a stark contrast to the structured, constrained roles available to women at the time in her society. This admiration, coupled with her own spirited nature, set the stage for the life of adventure notoriety that she would later pursue. The dynamic within the Shirley family also really played a crucial role in her development. She was close with her brother John, who would later become involved in criminal activities himself, and this relationship may have further normalized the idea of living outside of the law for Belle. Additionally, the early loss of her elder brother, Bud, killed during the Civil War,
Starting point is 00:22:42 left a lasting impact on Belle, reinforcing her disdain for the federal government and sympathy for the rebel cause. She really like, it's all just like, she's at the perfect age for her brain to just be molded into like this criminal. And I always remember like the Wild West, people were shooting everybody else for like the smallest fucking reasons. People were just getting shot in the street. You'd get hanged. Like there was just death was everywhere in the wild west.
Starting point is 00:23:09 Thank God that we're past that now. Yeah, no, thank God we don't do that anymore, honestly. So young Belle with her sharp wit, riding skills, undeniable charm, quickly adapted her surroundings. She became acquainted very early in her life with notable figures of the time. Like I said earlier, Jesse James and the younger brothers, like she knew them from like, Teen Hood on who were often welcomed by the Shirley family.
Starting point is 00:23:32 These interactions undoubtedly influenced Bell as well, who was growing increasingly fascinated without law lifestyle. In the Wild West, Bell Star was the infamous lady outlaw had a love life as well that was as tangled as a barbed wire fence they put around their farm. You like that Thank you Did you just is that just some poetic license? Yes, I'm so little poetic licensing spicing it up
Starting point is 00:23:54 Yeah, I live in Texas now, you know, I gotta I gotta bring the southern into the to the language It was more scrangly than a barbed wire fence and after after a thunder Thunder tussle hoot a thunder hoot every time it rains out here There are not an insignificant amount of people ago. God's beating his wife Oh weird, huh? Yeah, you know, I always say that at California in Texas are like cousins But you know what there's a lot of differences between cousins a lot Second or third cousins. I love you guys out there. I do but You gotta talk that's just a Christian in me. I love you, but I'm worried I
Starting point is 00:24:32 Love y'all but I'm I'm worried. I'm so worried. I'm worry. Oh God Every husband that she got hitched to became a part of her legend as the bandit queen So we're gonna go on. Every husband. Yep, she had multiple. Don't worry, we're gonna go through all of them. So let's go on a ride and uncover some of the crazy stories
Starting point is 00:24:51 about how she met and married each of her husbands, a mix of love, loyalty, backstabbing, all played out against the backdrop of people dying constantly in the Wild West. Belle's first time getting married was with a man by the name of Jim Reed. Now, if you don't know who Jim Reed is, Jim Reed in history is not only known for his deeds, but also as the first husband of Bell Star. In fact, that might be the thing he's most famous for, in my opinion. Their paths crossed in the aftermath of the Civil
Starting point is 00:25:19 War and by deeds, I mean, small time crimes like stealing stagecoach robberies, stealing cattle, that kind of thing. He's not really known beyond his time being married to Belle and then the end of their marriage. So, yeah, it's not too much to know about this particular individual. This marriage was also super important because it set the scene for the rest of this girl's life. They first met in the early 1860s when Belle, she's in the early 1860s, she is like 13, 14,
Starting point is 00:25:48 right around that era because she was born in 1848. So 1850 would be 10 years old. You're looking at 13, 14 year old in the early 1860s. And Belle, whose real name still at the time was Mira Maybell Shirley, was a teenager. Jim was a bit older and was a super charming guy who apparently like apparently a super charming guy who lived in the same part of Missouri as Bell did when she lived out there. And he's how old? A little older. They don't give I didn't get an exact age for him. I can't even give you an exact year that they met. But it's the 1850s sometime. Early 1860s. They say he was a bit older. My guess is he's probably like 18. No way. No, you think older than that? Yeah, my thing is there are no teenagers yet. Like no childhood doesn't exist. That's what I'm saying
Starting point is 00:26:34 She's 14 but in the 1950s is when they were like, I'm not a kid and I'm not an adult This is a whole new world. Yeah. Yeah According to this website, It says they got married in 1866 And he was another childhood acquaintance and I don't know if that means they were both children together or if She just knew an older man as a kid. I'm not sure what that their families were close like this the families of I guess maybe he was around her age then I think he was a little, yeah, just kind of around her age. Both families were also from the South and had similar feelings about the Civil War, so they stayed close even after they moved to Texas.
Starting point is 00:27:13 And that's when he met this guy, that's when she met this guy named Jim Reid and his irresistible charm and he had a rep for being a daring outlaw at the time. The whole bad boy thing really caught Belle's eye and they started dating near instantly and sneaking around and meeting up in secret while the country was all torn up by the Civil War. So, you know, typical teenager. We are in the Star Wars of America is what we're in right now. I love that. I love that description. This is a great. This is, I can't believe, this is like the notebook plus Les Mis, plus enemy at the gates. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
Starting point is 00:27:50 Yeah? Like Jesse said, the two of them did get married right after the war ended in 1866. And it was like a giant party apparently to celebrate their love and also a big screw you to all the chaos that had been going around them. Like it was a really celebratory time for the two of them because shit was just bad at that point. It was a small wedding with just family and close friends who had survived the war.
Starting point is 00:28:11 And they were all kind of really excited for the future full of peace and prosperity. They were going to try and live like a normal life. We knew she knew that Jim Reid was kind of an outlaw. But after getting married, the plan was to live the straight and narrow. And Belle and Jim's marriage was kind of an outlaw, but after getting married, the plan was to live the straight and narrow. Bellingham's marriage was kind of a mix. They tried to settle down and live that normal life, but Jim couldn't resist the call of the outlaw life. He was like a magnet for trouble, and it wasn't long before they were both caught up in a world of crime in the wild west and danger. The couple initially tried to leave that normal life by moving to Missouri, where they had hoped to distance themselves from the violence and chaos that had defined
Starting point is 00:28:48 their early relationship, and Belle, ever the devoted wife, supported Jim's effort to maintain a legitimate livelihood. However, the economic hardships of the post-Civil War South and Jim's own wrestlesness made it difficult for them to stay on the Strait and narrow for very long. It wasn't long before Jim Reid succumbed to the temptations of his former life, the allure of easy money and the thrill of living outside the law proves too strong for him to ignore, and as Jim became more involved in criminal activities including cattle wrestling and bank robberies, Belle found herself drawn into the world along with him.
Starting point is 00:29:18 Well let's see, we like hooting, hollering, we like hollering, we like riding, and we love heisting and wrestling. Hollering we like Hollering we like riding and we love Hasten and Rastlin Yeah, Bell started getting pulled in and her involvement at the stage was primarily as more of an accomplice Providing support and cover for Jim's escapades not directly involved with the actual robberies at the time The Reed's life together became one of constant movement and evasion. As Jim's notoriety slowly grew, so too did the attention of law enforcement. Bell and Jim, along with their growing family, found themselves moving frequently seeking refuge in the lawless regions of Indian territory in Texas where they had family and could rely on the protection of fellow outlaws.
Starting point is 00:29:59 Throughout their marriage, Bell's role evolved significantly. Initially viewed as merely the wife of an outlaw, soon she garnered her own reputation for toughness and cunning. Belle's intelligence and social skills made her an invaluable asset to Jim's criminal endeavors. She was rumored to be involved in planning heists, scouting locations, and even negotiating with other outlaws for protection and assistance during the time that their planned crime was happened. She was like the brain, the man in the chair, she was taking care of everything while Jim was like, I shoot a gun and then went and robbed somebody. Jim, but Jim's life in their marriage lasted less than 10 years. Jim Reid died in 1874, marking another turning point in Bell's life.
Starting point is 00:30:43 He was killed in Paris, Texas by a deputy sheriff ending their tumultuous marriage and Thrusting Bell into a new role as a window a widow with young children Though this loss propelled Bell into a more active role in the outlaw community as she sought to navigate the challenges of life without her husband and she went husbandless husbandless for a for six years. Jim's death, while personal tragedy, served more to harden Belle in the long run, making her more determined to carve out her own place in the world of outlaws and renegades. Jim's death not only marked the end of Belle's first marriage, but also set the stage for
Starting point is 00:31:19 her transformation into becoming the bandit queen. The experiences and challenges she faced as Jim's wife laid the foundation for her subsequent marriages and her eventual legend. Did she drink from the goblet of thievery at the temple of larceny? Yeah, it's through love, loss, and a life lived on the edge of the law. Bellstar merged the figure of enduring fascination. Look at that alliteration. Look at what's going on. Look at him. He's just, he's just styling. No, the more and more I write, I'm building skills.
Starting point is 00:31:48 I've been doing this for six years now. It's like, you know, you get a little better as time goes on. Yeah. Hey, um, yeah. Following his death in 1874, now a widow at a crossroads of her life. It wasn't long before she encountered the, uh, a partner in crime for a while who would eventually become her second husband, another criminal by the name of Sam star I don't know if Sam star rings a bell for anybody
Starting point is 00:32:11 But he was a note from the notorious family star stepped into the limelight not just for his own criminal endeavors But also being Bell stars most famous consort their union was one of shared ambition and mutual respect With Sam bringing Bell into the fold of the Indian Territories Outlaw Society. He was a well-known criminal that ran with Jesse James, essentially. But before they got married, they met in 1878, there it is, and they immediately started working together on a crime that would become legend. The name was just simply called the Dallas Bank Heist of 1878. It was, and we're going to paint a picture of how this all went down. According to those who quote-unquote were eyewitnesses, stories passed down from grandfather to father
Starting point is 00:33:01 to son and so on. And according to the story, it was a sweltering day in late August of 1878 when Bell Star, cloaked in the guise of respectability, rode into Dallas. Her plan was audacious to rob one of the city's most secure banks. The bank, flushed with the wealth of the booming cattle trade, was an irresistible target for outlaws, but Bell knew that brute force alone would not guarantee success. It required a blend of subtlety, intelligence, and boldness, qualities she possessed in abundance. Dressed as a genteel lady of means, Bell strolled into the bank under the pretense of opening a substantial account. Her charm and poise distracted the
Starting point is 00:33:41 bank staff, drawing their attention away from the more sinister aspects of her visit. This is a PS2 action game from Japan. We are about to unleash our gun skills. While she was distracting people, her accomplices, a motley crew of outlaws that she had handpicked for this venture, loitered nearby, blending in the townsfolk and awaiting for her signal. With the precision of a seasoned conductor, Bell executed her plan. At the moment of maximum distraction, she subtly signaled her gang. What followed was a masterclass in criminal choreography. The outlaws sprang into action, securing the bank within moments. Their movement so well coordinated that the
Starting point is 00:34:25 bank's patrons and guards were overwhelmed before they could mount any resistance. Bell, maintaining a role as the distraught lady, was the perfect cover for the operation. Her accomplices emptied the vaults with efficiency, lined their pockets with the fruits of their daring endeavor, and as quickly as they had taken the bank, they vanished, leaving behind a scene of confusion and astonishment. The escape was as meticulously planned as the heist itself. Belle, with her gang, had arranged for several getaway routes, anticipating the law's response.
Starting point is 00:34:54 With Belle leading the charge, they split up, rendezvousing at a pre-arranged hideout far from the reach of the Dallas Lawman. Their escape was aided by the network of sympathizers and safe houses that Belle had cultivated over her now over decade of beast basically being a criminal and her past of growing up around criminals. Let me ask you a question. It was a testament to her influence in her foresight. What do you think the odds are that somewhere in one of those there was a coffin full of guns?
Starting point is 00:35:21 Like we cut to a scene where she digs it up. Yeah. You're just describing the scene in Westworld where they rob the I don't know if it's the bank, but it's or it's the the like casino. Yeah, like the main you think they were inspired by the story of the very much like like the dude who the like suave guy that may falls in love with that guy 100% I feel like it's the exact same plotline. I love that they may have I mean she's you know she will talk about pop the pop culture at the end here. The Dallas Bank heist story would become the stuff of legend a story told in retold in
Starting point is 00:35:59 saloons and around campfires across the West. Bell star already a figure of considerable renown, ascended to mythic status. She was not just the bandit queen, she was a master strategist, a woman who could outwit and outmaneuver the best of them. The authorities were left grappling with shadows, and despite their efforts, no one could conclusively link Bellstar to the heist. Witnesses could not see beyond her guise of respectability, and her accomplices remained fiercely loyal and their silence brought with the promise of wealth in the threat of retribution. Did she have a steam-powered talking robot horse that was her dad's spirit inside it? I love it. I absolutely love it.
Starting point is 00:36:40 And did that horse come with a journal that guided you to the treasure hidden in the tombs in the mountain of the ancient pharaohs from Egypt that were in the old west? Yeah. Question. I love it. We are, we are building, we are world building here. Yeah. We're creating a depth and lore to this history.
Starting point is 00:36:58 Oh, spoilers though. It wasn't pharaohs. It was the last remaining Atlanteans. There you go. Done. Done. Thank you to today's sponsor, Babbel. You know what the best way to learn a language is?
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Starting point is 00:38:14 and delivered with conversation-based teaching so you're ready to practice what you've learned in the real world. If this sounds all good to you, well, here's a special limited-time deal for our listeners. Right now, get 50% off of a one time payment for a lifetime Babble subscription, but only for our listeners at babble.com slash chill. That's right, get 50% off at babble.com slash chill spelled B-A-B-B-E-L dot com slash chill. Rules and restrictions apply. Thank you again to Babble for sponsoring today's episode. Like I said, at this time, Belle is kind of like reaching her peak, like where she's the most dangerous, where she's doing the most crimes. And it's at this point, she's working really,
Starting point is 00:38:56 really closely with Sam Starr. They get very close during these, these, this point in time in her life. And she's also mostly living with an Indian territory now known as Oklahoma in a swamp that is kind of like a ramshackle village of outlaws that kind of come and go and they're like, you know, loyal to each other and work with each other. And that's where she spends a fuck ton of her time. It was in the aftermath of her first husband's death, Jim Reid, that she crossed paths with Sam Starr initially a member of the notorious star clan AK the gang they were running around notorious star clan. Do they have a song that they do together? No, no Yeah, I just you know, I gave clan I should just said gang today fly around in a hot air balloon together dude. They should
Starting point is 00:39:38 The stars were a family steeped in criminal activities gaining infamy for their involvement in family steeped in criminal activities gaining infamy for their involvement in horse theft, bootlegging, and harboring fugitives. To give you an idea too, just kind of context. In this time, stealing a horse or stealing cattle was one of some of the worst crimes you could commit that wasn't murder because that was people's livelihood. Cattles were money and horses were expensive and it was your way of traveling. So stealing that shit was like stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from somebody or tens of thousands. It was a very, very dangerous thing to do.
Starting point is 00:40:12 It's like stealing their car and their refrigerator or something. Yeah, yeah, exactly. They Sam Starr with his rugged charm and reputation and a skilled outlaw immediately captured Bell's attention. They shared a deep understanding of the challenges and exhilarating of living on the fringes of society, forming an almost instant connection just because they both loved the criminal life. Bell was drawn to Sam's daring spirit and his ability to navigate the treacherous landscapes of the lawless territories, and their mutual attraction was undeniable. People saw it. They could tell
Starting point is 00:40:44 that they really just clicked with each other. The lovers wasted no time in tying the knot in 1880. Their wedding ceremony served as both a declaration of their love and an alliance between two individuals deeply entrenched in the outlaw lifestyle. That to me, when you said, kind of like Game of Thrones when we're talking about Deadpool earlier, that to me is like very Game of Thrones, getting married to unify loyalty of two outlaws who are very good at what they do. 100% it's like literally like what a hut marriage would be. Yes, exactly. The event was a significant gathering of figures from the criminal underworld marking the union of two prominent outlaws.
Starting point is 00:41:21 Belle's marriage to Sam brought her officially into the Star Family, intertwining her destiny with theirs. It gave her a new sense of belonging and identity forever linking her to the world of outlaws, and from that moment on Belle's Star became an integral part of the Star Gang and being kind of like all their day to day operations, embracing their criminal lifestyle and forging her own path in the treacherous terrains of the Wild West. Following their marriage, Bell and Sam, notorious outlaws at this point, settled within the Indian territory, choosing an area known as Younger's Bend as their home. They nestled along the scenic Canadian River.
Starting point is 00:41:58 This location proved to be a strategic choice for their criminal activities, and the secluded and rugged landscape provided a natural hideout shielding them from the pursuit of lawmen and rival gangs. Bell and Sam's homestead quickly transformed into a sanctuary for outlaws, becoming a haven for those seeking refuge from the long arm of a law, and the couple's home became a bustling hub of criminal activity, serving as a headquarters for planning daring heists, concealing stolen goods, and dividing the spoils of their illicit ventures. Belle, with her sharp wit and unwavering determination, emerges a formidable figure within the Outlaw community as a whole.
Starting point is 00:42:31 She actively participated in criminal enterprises, leaving an indelible mark within the Wild West criminal past. We're going to talk a little bit about some of the stuff that she did in terms of stagecoach robberies as well, because her involvement in Heist, she also engaged in a bunch of other stuff. And one is land fraud, which we'll talk about after. One story that we know, freshly married to Star in the autumn of 1881, a Missouri stagecoach robbery took place where apparently Bell Star was really involved. Stagecoaches regularly were faring wealth across rugged landscape, making them tempting targets for outlaws at the time.
Starting point is 00:43:09 And Bellstar, having already established a reputation at this point, set her sights on a particularly lucrative stagecoach, rumored to be carrying a fortune in gold from the mines in the West to St. Louis Banks. Oh, man, this is the like, she was gonna get out, it was her last mirror, it's her last ride. This is the big score. If we can get this one. I'll never have to work another day in my life. It's the big one Understanding the risks involved Bell meticulously planned the heist Selecting a remote pass known for its narrow trails and limited visibility perfect for an ambush Clayton ravine I was like, did you look it up out of the sounds very real? Yeah, she had to get it to 88 miles per hour
Starting point is 00:43:47 Yeah, she was a school teacher you see in order to hijack the yeah the stagecoach She recruited a band of trusted outlaws ensuring each man was skilled in gunfighting and horsemanship Essential for the success of the operation in their subsequent escape Oh, but don't tell me when they went down this the side of the ravine to go get it Oh, but don't tell me when they went down this the side of the ravine to go get it The guy who was on top of the stagecoach pulled back a cloth to reveal a mini gun The horses start like dodging left and right like flashing like But wait the Gatling gun got jammed like oh, no they might have a shame same she's all one bullet left in her six shooter
Starting point is 00:44:25 she throws her lipstick into the fucking chamber of the gun and explodes true to a reputation for theatrics bell decided that they would disguise themselves as a group of weary travelers in need of assistance as the stagecoach approached and i played red dead never trust that shit oh no always a trap yeah as the stagecoach approached the designated spot bell and her gang cloaked in their disguises, signaled their distress. The stagecoach, bound by the unwritten laws of frontier hospitality, halted to off-erade. The moment the stagecoach stopped, the heist unfolded with swift precision.
Starting point is 00:44:57 Belle, revealing herself not as a damsel in distress, but as an orchestrator of the ambush, stepped forward with her drawn weapon and her gang followed suit. The Travelers and Guards, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, were quickly subdued. Bell, with a mix of charm and sternness, assured their compliance, promising no harm would come to them if they cooperated. Then, with the stagecoach under their control, Bell's gang wasted no time in securing their prize. They expertly relieved the stagecoach of its valuable cargo,
Starting point is 00:45:25 transferring the gold to their horses with efficiency honed by experience, and Belle overseeing the operation couldn't help but admire the weight of gold in her hands, a tangible reward for the daring adventure. And as quickly as they had appeared, much like the Dallas Bank heist, Belle and her gang vanished into the wilderness, leaving the Robb Passengers in crew to contemplate the whirlwind encounter. The outlaws split up, as planned, using again pre-established routes to evade any pursuit, and Bell's knowledge of the terrain and her planning ensured that they left little trace for Lawman to follow.
Starting point is 00:45:57 It's like when you think you beat the game, but then you see the opening credits and you're like, oh! The Missouri stagecoach robbery became another legendary episode in Bell Star's outlaw career celebrated in songs and stories that spread across the West. Bell's audacity in leading the charge combined with her strategic acumen solidified her status as the bandit queen, a woman whose name evoked bad both admiration and fear. And life with Sam Star continued, but it was not without its challenges. The couple frequently found themselves in conflict with the law, particularly
Starting point is 00:46:31 with a man, a judge by the name of Isaac Parker, also known as the Hanging Judge, who presided over the U.S. District Court for Western District of Arkansas. Is he called the Hanging Judge because he just turns his chair around and sits on it like one of the kids and it's like Yeah, he's just he's chilling. Is that why not at all for being known to sentence people to death by hanging All right, Belle. Look, I know you kids these days love Robin stagecoachers But like when I was a kid I would rob stuff all the time too. It's fine. Look, it's totally not yee-ha to rob stagecoachers Okay kids Listen up partners Look, it's totally not yee-ha to Rob stagecoach's okay kids Totally not yee-ha
Starting point is 00:47:09 Listen up partners It's not yee-ha to Rob a stagecoach So basically because of where he was and where his district was located their home and activities were under constant surveillance Leading to numerous arrests and confrontations. And in December of 1882, both Bell and Sam were arrested by authorities for horse theft, a charge that carried significant penalties. They were tried in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and both were convicted. Bell received a relatively light sentence, which some attribute to her ability to just charm the court and her assertion that she was simply following her husband's lead. And Sam was not so fortunate and received a harsher sentence,
Starting point is 00:47:46 although both eventually did get to return to their life of crime upon release. Which brings me to the crimes that were not so violent, particularly her land fraud schemes. Dude, so she's not just like abandoned. She's like a fucking full-on like white collar criminal also. She's educated, man. She's like one of the few educated people in this time.
Starting point is 00:48:09 She's like a superhero. She's a time traveler. Again, she is very, when reading about her, even when we talk about her true history next week, she is a woman out of time. I fully agree with you. She much more like belongs a hundred years from where she's at at least.
Starting point is 00:48:24 You think Fifth Ten and left her one of those those are the ominous. Yeah, I bet she Was on the phone with that famous photo where it looks like a woman's on a cell phone. Oh, yeah at the 19 that's who she's talking to She's like, dude, what are you up to? Yeah? Yeah in 1884 the winds of change were sweeping across Indian territory bringing with them the promise of land and wealth for people who were out to colonize the area. The town of Ardmore, a burgeoning hub on the edge of the frontier, became the focal point for settlers eager to stake their claim in this new world. Sensing opportunity amidst the chaos of land disputes and poorly regulated claims, Bell Starr devised a plan that was as ingenious as it was unscrupulous.
Starting point is 00:49:06 Bell adopting the guys of a land agent, because this is the time you can be like, I'm a land agent. What are you going to do? Disagree with me? I'm educated. I sound smart. I'm a land agent. You don't need like, you could make up like a fucking piece of paper that says it. It's not really, it's really easy to pretend to be somebody else. And this time it's like, literally just like, I swear! Literally it's all it took. Yeah. So yeah, adopting the guys of a land agent, she infiltrated the burgeoning community of Ardmore and with forged documents and a silver tongue, she presented herself as a gateway to prosperity, offering settlers and speculators inside knowledge on the
Starting point is 00:49:41 most fertile plots of land and secure claims. Her charm and apparent legitimacy won over the trust of many who saw in her a beacon of hope in the tumultuous landscape of the frontier. With a network of accomplices including crooked lawyers and foragers, Bell set her plan into motion. She began selling parcels of land, and I mean selling with air quotes, parcels of land that she neither owned nor had the right to sell, capitalizing on the confusion and lax regulations of the time.
Starting point is 00:50:11 Her victims, blinded by the prospect of wealth and security, readily handed over their savings for a piece of the American dream. They were like, let's go. Bell Scheme was elaborate, involving multiple layers of deception. She created fake land titles and deeds meticulously crafted to withstand cursory examination. Payments were collected upfront, with Bell promising that the official paperwork would follow once the bureaucratic formalities were sorted.
Starting point is 00:50:35 And in reality, the documents obviously would never arrive and the land would remain firmly in the hands of its original owners, oblivious to the transactions being conducted in their names. For a time, Bell's stars, Admiral Landfraud, arrived. Her reputation as a reputable land agent growing began growing even as her pockets filled with ill-gotten gains. However, as settlers began to build on these new properties, the disputes started. The true owners of the land, confronted with strangers claiming ownership of their territory sought legal recourse unveiling the depth of Bell's deception. The law, slow to react but relentless in its pursuit, began to close in on Bell and her associates. As the scheme unraveled, many of those swindled were left destitute, the dreams of prosperity dashed against
Starting point is 00:51:20 the harsh realities of frontier life. And Bellstar, ever the elusive figure, managed to slip through the grasp of justice again. Her involvement in the Ardmore land fraud disappearing into the mists of legend as swiftly as it emerged, the scandal left a mark on the town of Ardmore, a cautionary tale of greed and gullibility in a land where opportunity and deceit walk hand in hand.
Starting point is 00:51:41 Like she just like, she saw an opportunity and it was, I would guess it was probably like a year maybe two Before they found out and she just made quick cash She was just like these dumb fucks are never gonna figure this shit out ever literally and by the time they do already have their money Goodbye, so she made a lot of enemies is what you're tub. Oh god Bell had a lot of enemies dude Okay, there's a lot of enemies for Bell of enemies dude. There's a lot of enemies for Belle. The Ardmore land fraud though less celebrated than her more violent exploits underscored Belle Star's ingenuity and her willingness to exploit the vulnerabilities of society on the edge of actual civilization. In the rich
Starting point is 00:52:18 tapestry of her life as the bandit queen, it serves like her willingness to move into the It serves like her willingness to move into the land fraud scheme is like a reminder that she wasn't just this gun-totin horseback ride and criminal robbing people. She was truly, truly intelligent and she leveraged that at every opportunity. But in 1886, her life would take another change. Sam Starr, her husband, would die in a tragic end during a gunfight with a lawman by the name of Frank West What was I know I know I know Dead Rising he was a journalist award. Yeah, it was your rough rider. No wait. That's Jim West never mind Nope, Jim West. Yeah, no Frank West is the journalist from Dead Rising. Right. No, no, of course.
Starting point is 00:53:14 Belle was devastated by her husband's death, but she continued to live at Younger's Bend and maintained her involvement in the outlaw lifestyle afterward. Younger's Bend is the name of the like, like, like TV drama about like about this place, by the way. Oh, is there? Yeah. No, we'll talk about. Yeah, I'm just throwing that out. Like, if this was a TV drama, because Younger's Bend. Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It's a sequel to Dawson's Creek.
Starting point is 00:53:39 I don't want to wait for our loves to be killed by gunfire while he's doing ice. Fantastic, dude. That's fucking amazing. This Sam's death really marked a chapter in Bell's life. And at this point, I would say she's no longer at her peak, but on her decline. Her and Sam's star were like a dynamic duo and really like leveraged, elevated each other in their crime exploits. the loss of him just really really hit bell hard Bell's marriage be past that she would still have one more marriage past that detailed to marry to one of the younger brothers Bruce younger We actually it's at this point. We actually don't know much about her relationship and marriage to this man.
Starting point is 00:54:28 These relationships occurred later in her life after obviously Sam Starr is dead. I'm changing the name of the show to live fast die young. Gure. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. I like that. That's really good. We can definitely move with that. We can start putting together a pitch deck. It gives me too much. That's too much of a spoiler for the final season.
Starting point is 00:54:46 Oh, well, if we even get there, we got to think short term on this. How much can we write? We can't say younger. No one's going to get the joke if they show ends and they're like, what was the younger part? Well, just be coy. It'll be one of those like when in 2028 when they like remake the show on Netflix, it'll be like part of the mystique is fine.
Starting point is 00:55:04 Like when they figured out hey Arnold's parents Right, right, right, right, right. Yeah Back to Bell Bruce Younger would be the first and then she would marry a fourth man after Bruce by a name by the man by the Name of Jim July also known as Bill July fuck off It's all the West dude Jim July Again, I live in the silence for Little Berry shoot, but names were so good back then. Little Berry's shoot is the name of a little teddy bear who is bright orange and he eats too much for his tummy
Starting point is 00:55:32 and he falls asleep under a little tree. And then his cousin stabs him and he bleeds out on his board. He eats malarkey berries. Yeah. He's a little doofy doofy bear. Yeah. The reason we don't know much about her marriages to these people is the documentation for these
Starting point is 00:55:45 marriages is very minimal. And unlike her marriage to Sam Starr and even Jim Reid, there's a lot less legend and song and stories about her time with them. And to be honest, her time was kind of coming to an end very soon. Like many people who lived the outlaw lifestyle, and as Jesse pointed out The the woman made many many many enemies over her time living and associating with these people But about these two people that she married Bruce Younger was purportedly a relative of the infamous younger brothers allies of the James Younger gang and is and it's sometimes mentioned in tales of Bell's life, but concrete evidence of their marriage is scarce sometimes mentioned in Tales of Belle's Life, but concrete evidence of their marriage is scarce. If this relationship existed, it's merely a footnote in her in her storied life
Starting point is 00:56:31 and overshadowed by beer, basically everything. Out to that guy. Damn. Yeah, no shit. Maybe they're just like, are you married? And she was like, yes. Jim July was actually a Cherokee Native American and an outlaw as well. Because a lot of there were like a a number of Native Americans who took on kind of like Jim Julye names and joined gangs and stuff. And he would be Bell's final husband. Their marriage was said to be one of convenience born
Starting point is 00:56:56 out of a mutual need rather than love. Jim, also known as Bill Julye, offered Bell protection and companionship in the twilight years of her life as she continued to navigate the dangers of the outlaw existence and they lived together until Belle's untimely death which happened in 1889. Now the death of Belle Star is actually fascinating because we still don't know who killed her actually. There theories, and we'll talk about that more in next episode. But her death is another reason her legend really, I think, skyrocketed. The death of Belstar, steeped in mystery, marks the grim end for the Bandit Queen. On February 3rd, 1889, just two days shy of her 41st birthday, Belstar met a very violent end that would forever seal her legacy
Starting point is 00:57:47 as an Old West legend. The circumstances surrounding her death still remain enigmatic and a fitting and it's kind of fittingly shadowy conclusion to a saga of a person whose true life and legends are essentially mixed so thoroughly at this point. Bellstar had spent an entire day in a relatively mundane manner, visiting friends and attending to errands near her farm in Eufaula, which is still Indian territory. As evening approached, she mounted her horse for the journey back home, unaware that it would be her very last. The path she chose was a familiar route that she had taken many times before, through the dense untamed woods that surrounded her property. And as Bellstar rode through the desolate landscape, the sun cast long shadows across her path,
Starting point is 00:58:37 and her trusted steed, a sturdy Mustang by the name of Midnight, carried her with the grace and agility that had become synonymous with her legend. She was known throughout the untamed territories of the American West, a figure shattered in both admiration and fear, and in the blink of an eye, tragedy struck. From the depths of the thick underbrush that flanked the trail, a figure lay in wait unbeknownst to Bell, completely concealed by dense foliage. The moment was swift and merciless, a sudden and deadly crack of gunfire shattering the tranquility of the wilderness,
Starting point is 00:59:09 and Bell Star was caught off guard, the bullets finding their mark with lethal precision. The impact sent her tumbling off of her horse, her body crumpling onto the ground. Another gunshot would be heard, and she later, about three hours hours later would be found. She had been shot in the back by shotgun buckshot. And after she had hit the ground, somebody walked over and point
Starting point is 00:59:33 blank shot gunner in her collarbone neck area, just blew that area out. She was in a pool of blood. And when she was found, she was still alive. Oh, you couldn't speak. She wasn't really conscious fully, but she was breathing shallowly and she had clearly dragged herself a few feet before basically giving up. Just for the end of the fucking cowboy song right there. Yeah, exactly.
Starting point is 00:59:57 That is crazy. There was blood on the saddle. She died. God damn. You don't know that one? blood on the saddle. She died. The God damn. You don't know that one. Blood on the ground. And I know that one. I'm sorry.
Starting point is 01:00:13 But all of blood all around. You don't know that one. I don't. I'm sorry. You guys, you guys, you guys listen to the wrong CDs. Sorry, I always do. Blitz do busy listening to AstroLounge. Oh my god. You know, I can't really fault you for that.
Starting point is 01:00:33 Rip smash mouth, man. The only reason somebody found her is because her horse was uninjured. Instead of running off into the wild, it just went its known path and ran back home as fast as it could. When somebody nearby came to visit Belle's house and she wasn't home, but the horse was, they traced a path back and that's when they found her bleeding on the ground. They were able to remove her from the ground before she died. She died on the ground there and then they buried her somewhere nearby.
Starting point is 01:01:04 They didn't take her home or anything like that. The community at this point was completely gripped by a sense of unease as rumors and speculations began to run rampant. Among the considered suspects were disgruntled outlaws who had crossed paths with Bell during her time as a bandit. Others pointed to her tumultuous love life speculating that a scorned lover may have sought revenge, land disputes and family feuds, further complicated investigations.
Starting point is 01:01:29 And as Bell had a reputation for being both fiercely independent and quick to defend her interests, and when the lawmen went to her family to ask about details of her, they were tight lipped. They refused to speak about much of Bell's life. And as the investigation unfolded, the authorities faced numerous challenges. Witnesses were reluctant to come forward, fearing reprival from Belle's associates or wrath of those who may have been involved in her murder. The lack of physical evidence further hampered their efforts, leaving them to go with little to go on,
Starting point is 01:01:57 but hearsay in circumstantial clues, and the mystery surrounding her death has endured up to today. We genuinely do not know who fucking killed Bell Star. There's plenty of people who claimed it was them, none of like no evidence shows. And this mystery really lingers up to now. But that did not stop Pop Culture from latching onto this and using Bell Star as a character in Pop Culture as far back as the 1870s when they were writing
Starting point is 01:02:26 dime novels about her and her exploits where some of these legends might come from. That is so sick. This character is from Doctor Who. That is my new... But she also had movies. We have Belle Star as a movie from 1941. This film stars Jean Tierney as Bell Star and presents a highly
Starting point is 01:02:46 fictionalized account of her life. It portrays her more as a romantic figure rather than an outlaw emphasizing her relationships with the men in her life. Then there's the Bell Star story from 1968 in Italian made Western that casts Elsa Martellini in the lead role offering a European perspective on the American legend Then there's Bell Star from 1980 a made-for-tv movie with Elizabeth Montgomery playing Bell This film delves into her life and exploits blending historical events with dramatic storytelling And then Bell Star has also been on some TV stuff. There's Stories of the Century from 1954 with an episode simply titled Bellstar. There's The Legend of Jesse James from 1965 to 1966, where she appears in episodes of the series.
Starting point is 01:03:33 Then there's Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, where an episode titled Baby Outlaws features Bellstar in a storyline about her seeking help from Dr. Quinn. And then there's books and dime novels and all kinds of shit written about Bell Star that are just everywhere. So Bell Star persisted, her legend built. And that's where we are left with today.
Starting point is 01:03:53 This this Gene Tierney movie looks really awesome. It is a little weird that Randolph Scott is billed above her as a Sam star, which is strange, but the poster looks fucking hardcore. If you have a chance to look at it, it's right on the media. Looked at the posters, actually. I'm very curious. She looks fucking bad ass. She has like this red outfit on and she's holding the gun.
Starting point is 01:04:16 And she's in front of the cowboy everywhere, basically. She's in front of the cowboy on the poster. She inspired songs. She's appeared in comics and graphic novels, usually portrayed as a gun toting them for femme fatale. And she's though there's not anything that I could find where she was like in a video game. Though I'm sure there's a bunch of stories in video games that are likely like come on. Where is the video game?
Starting point is 01:04:38 What? A Dean's pointing. Oh, we got it. We got it. Oh, shit. Red Dead Redemption 2. Oh, my God. That's right.
Starting point is 01:04:43 I did this mission. Dude, she's Blackbell. She's Blackbell and Red Dead Redemption 2. Oh my god. That's right. I did this mission. Dude. She's black bell She's black bell in Red Dead Redemption 2. Oh, that's fucking sick. She even lives in the swamp. Yes. She does I get that reference now. Holy crap. I like retroactively get the game reference. Yo, that's sick Man literally double-taked life. I did I My mind was blown. What a rollicking tale. How, how delightful.
Starting point is 01:05:10 One, I love when it's a true crime that's just like, not about just annihilating innocent people. Yeah, exactly. I love that. So next episode, we'll be talking about her actual history and how, you know, we kind of found it. But I'll let you know now she did run with Jesse James and Star and Reed. Like all those that's all real. She truly did marry these people, lived with them.
Starting point is 01:05:37 There's a foundation there that is real that I'm excited to talk about. I love this. I have no idea. I don't even, I thought we love this. I have no idea where... I don't even... I thought we were done. I have no idea how there's more content about her. Episode one is the legend. Episode two is the truth. Okay. This is the first person I've wanted to like...
Starting point is 01:05:54 Buy a drink for that we've done that we've studied. You wouldn't buy a drink for the Kentucky Cannibal? I think I've... I don't think I got to buy it. I think it's like I got some blood on me. You know what I mean? Like, I think that's... He's a cheap date. I think it's like I got some blood on me. You know what I mean? Like, I think that's he's a cheap date.
Starting point is 01:06:06 Yeah, that's true. He'll drink from you like Newman from Jurassic Park. What do you want? I got no meat on me. What do you want? Well, that's it for us, everybody. We're going to have to go do a mini soda at patreon.com slash chilluminati website.
Starting point is 01:06:18 Hey, head over to the yeti.com slash chilluminati. Those shirts that are for sale with Mel sick as Friday the chill teeth cat design thing. It's fucking sick There's only like a couple weeks left before it's gone go get it and the coins are sold out still We got to get another run of those happening. That's it. That's it for us. Thank you guys so much for appreciation. We love you Bye. Bye. Bye Anyway Me and my wife were sitting outside indulging on our porch one night enjoying ourselves.
Starting point is 01:06:45 I needed to go to the bathroom so I stepped back inside and after a few moments I hear my wife go, holy shit get out here. So I quickly dash back outside, she's looking up at the sky in the fall. I look up too and there's a perfect line of dozen lights traveling across the sky. වවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවවව� Thanks for watching!

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