Rare photo of Marion Hedgepeth, the train robber?

[Juha Nakari]

Having owned Horan and Sann's Pictorial History of the Wild West since the 70's the photos in the book are very familiar to me and I have many times gone Google-hunting further pictures of famous outlaws and lawmen.

Today in a jumble sale I came across a Finnish magazine from 1965 and in it a translated story of Pinkerton and Holmes, the mass murderer. Obviously train robber Marion Hedgepeth's paths crossed Pinkerton's and Holmes' and it was quite a suprise to see Hedgepeth staring at me in a photo I've never seen before.

The article was written by one Peter Paul List and I guess the story has been originally published in some American magazine in the 50's or 60's. In the photo Marion is without the derby hat and overcoat, but clearly has the same tie and stick-pin. He looks a bit fuller in the face but has the same ears, chin and eyes. Mugshot I believe.

Here's the well-known photo:

And here's the photo I've never seen before:

Any further info on Peter Paul List and the photo would be greatly appreciated - are these two pictures part of the same set and are there any other known pictures of Hedgepeth? Thank you.

[Gay Mathis]

Here is another one printed in The Sunday Repository Newspaper--Canton, OH-June 14, 1914..Not the best print from the paper, but notice the tie pin..

[anthony martin]

  Let's see-I believe he was killed in 1910 or so?All of these photos look to be no later than early-mid 1890's judging from his style of clothing.That Teck tie still has a huge knot and that widely spaced wing collar was already getting passe in the 90's.

   Thanks to you both for the additional photos.That full grin certainly animates him.

[Gay Mathis]

Thanks Anthony..He does look animated grinning..His 1909 Cook Co, IL Death Cert..

[Juha Nakari]

Thank you! What a grin! He has a funny and an honest face. Much appreciated. Are there any books written on him?

[anthony martin]

 Juha,

    Yes,he does look rather engaging and wholesome smiling but imagine that big grin under the famous derby accompanied by an open valise in one hand and a large caliber revolver in the other while he says "Hand over the money!"

[Juha Nakari]

What I haven't really thought before but these 3 pictures in this thread show me is that had I known only of the picture I posted on top I would have missed a lot of characteristics of Hedgepeth.

[Margaret-Anne Moore]

There is a resemblance, but I thought that in the photo without the hat the lower part of the face appeared shorter.  I had seen the photo with the hat before and thought he did not look like a dangerous criminal but, then, neither did Ted Bundy!  Marion may have had at least some connection with America's greatest serial killer--Herman Mudgett, Harry Holmes--and may have actually been responsible for his eventual exposure and capture.

[anthony martin]

  Margaret,

     Holmes has been a special interest of mine for years now and we discussed him a bit on here some time back.Hedgepeth and Holmes shared a cell together and it was some of his self admitted indiscretions that he revealed to Hedgepeth that really helped to finally put an end to Holmes' horrid career.There's a fairly recent work named The Devil In The White City which really puts the Holmes story in an interesting context to late 19th century culture and reveals more information about his criminally murderous activities.Another work entitled The Torture Doctor is much earlier and also excellent.

[Margaret-Anne Moore]

Are we absolutely certain that the picture with the grin in actually a picture of Marion.  The tie and stick pin look like they may be the same ones that are shown in the other photos, but other men may have also worn the same tie and stick pin.  If it is not certain that that is Marion, the man with the grin may well be an honest businessman who had similar tastes to those of a notorious criminal.

[Margaret-Anne Moore]

Another notorious criminal who came in for a lot of the tomfollery associated with Bundy and Rudolph, was a man who called himself Gerald Chapman.  He was not good looking at all, but was known as the Gentleman Bandit and the Count of Gramercy Park.  He was not pursued by guiilible, flighty women, but he was considered to have so much class that men vied for the opportunity to be photographed with him.  These were prominent, adult men of some standing.  He had a veneer of class, but when his partner was killed, the veneer disappeared.

[Juha Nakari]

If you look at the eyebrow in the top and bottom pictures you'll see a cut...same man for sure.

[Margaret-Anne Moore]

IT OCCURRED TO ME TODAY, THAT HOLME'S ACTIVITIES CAME ABOUT ONLY A FEW YEARS AFTER WHAT ARE CALLED THE JACK THE RIPPER MURDERS IN LONDON.  AT LEAST ONE CRIMINAL WHO WAS SUSPECTED OF BEING THE INFAMOUS RIPPER SPENT SOME TIME IN THE UNITED STATES.  I AM SURPRISED THAT HOLMES HAS NEVER BEEN NAMED AS A SUSPECT IN THE RIPPER MURDERS.  A SERIAL KILLER WHO WAS ACTIVE IN HUNGARY BEFORE WORLD WAR I AND WHO WAS SUPPOSSEDLY KILLED IN THE CONFLICT IS NOW KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED AND IT IS WIDELY SUSPECTED THAT HE FLED TO THE UNITED STATES. SERIAL KILLERS HAVE EXISTED FOR CENTURIES BUT WERE NOT EASILY IDENTIFIED AS SUCH.