Belle Starr
Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (Feb. 5, 1848-Feb. 3, 1889) better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who rode with such bandits as the James-Younger Gang.
Born on a farm near Carthage, Missouri, most of her family members called her May. Her father, John Shirley was considered to be the “black sheep” of a well-to-do Virginia family.
Belle’s mother, Elizabeth “Eliza” Hatfield Shirley, was John Shirley’s third wife and distant relative to the Hatfield’s of the famous family feud. In the 1860s Belle’s father sold the family farm and moved to Carthage. In Carthage, Belle’s father bought a livery stable and blacksmith shop.
The family had Confederate sympathies, and so when the Union soldiers attacked Carthage in 1864, the Shirley family moved to Scyene, Texas. It was in Texas that the Shirleys became associated with a number of Missouri-born criminals, including Jesse James and the Younger brothers.
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Belle’s brother, John “Bud” Shirley, was called Captain Shirley by local Confederate sympathizers. He did not ride with Quantrill’s Raiders, but did ride with a group who were called partisans by Union sympathizers.
“Bud” was killed by Union troops while visiting a Confederate associate.
At the conclusion of the Civil War, the family moved back to Scyene and May “Belle” married Jim Reed in 1866. Two years later she had her first child.
Belle always dressed in a way that would attract attention. For example, she wore a black velvet riding outfit and a plumed hat. She carried two pistols, while carrying the cartridge belts across her hips.
Belle associated with known criminals and was wanted for murder in Arkansas. To escape the authorities, the Reed family moved to California, where Belle had her second child, James (Eddie) on 1871.
After a period of time, Belle and her husband moved back to Texas, where Belle became involved with several criminal gangs. Belle’s husband, Jim Reed, was killed in August of 1874 while attempting to rob a stagecoach.
In 1880, Belle married a Cherokee man named Sam Starr and settled with the Starr family in the Indian Territory. While married to Starr, Belle learned ways of organizing, planning and fencing for the rustlers, horse thieves and bootleggers, as well as harboring them from the law.
In 1883, Belle and Sam were arrested and charged with stealing a horse and being found guilty, served jail time in Detroit, Michigan. After serving their time in prison, they returned to Texas.
In 1886, she eluded conviction on another theft charge. However, her husband Sam was killed in a gunfight while attempting a robbery.
For the next two plus years of her life, gossips and scandals linked her to a series of outlaw men. In order to keep her residence on Indian land, she married a relative of Sam Starr, with the name Jim July Starr, who was 15 years younger than Belle.
On February 3, 1889, at the age of 41, Belle was killed while riding home after visiting a friend. The murder of Belle was never solved.