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Railroad Bill - Lonnie Donegan

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maolchalium
March 31, 2007

The death of Railroad Bill - Private detectives, rail detectives, lawmen, and citizens were after Bill, or at least the $1250 reward on his head. A posse was taking a break in the store of Tidmore and Eard in Atmore when a lone, black man with a slight limp walked through to the counter. Nobody paid him much attention except the storekeeper who recognized him as Railroad Bill. After Bill's last visit, the storekeeper placed a double barrel shotgun within reach so that he might win that reward. He was so afraid of Bill that he didn't go for the gun. Bill sat himself on a barrel and proceeded to snack on crackers and cheese, the posse continuing their conversations just across the room.

Leonard McGowin had recognized Bill going into the store. Again, Bill's reputation, the legend that he could only be killed by a silver bullet, his known ability with a gun, caused McGowin to hesitate. McGowin went around to a side door and fired his rifle from outside, issuing a fatal wound. On the way down, Bill went for his gun, but was hit again by a shotgun blast from the storekeeper. It took the startled posse a moment to figure out what was going on and then they opened fire on the corpse.

Railroad Bill's body was strapped to a board. His guns were placed on his person and he was placed on public display. In every "colored waiting room", in every major depot, from Atmore and Brewton to Montgomery, citizens were given the chance to pay 25 or 50 cents to view the remains or have their pictures taken with the notorious outlaw. The photo here of Leonard McGowin standing over the body, was widely sold for 50 cents by a company in Brewton. The body was buried in an unmarked grave in Pensacola.

The only genuine picture of McCoy is the final one of his body strapped to a board. All the others are of various other African American bad men and notable characters of those days.
I couldn't find a picture of 'a .38 barrel on a .45 frame' so made do with various 45's and 44's. Bill's gun sounds quite feasible. The smaller .38 calibre and the heavy .45 frame would give you much reduced recoil and the with the long barrel you should have pretty accurate firearm.

More on -

http://www.northwestfloridacomm.com/W...

Category: Music

Tags:

trad jazz revival old wild west pistol buntline six gun revolver african american railway welsh robbery pembrokeshire

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bulbheadmyass (1 month ago) Show Hide

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Love this version of this song.

ccrdk (2 months ago) Show Hide

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Times are gone... colorful history, manipulated presence

skuzboll (2 months ago) Show Hide

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Nice video...thanks for the history lesson too

msdaizyjane (6 months ago) Show Hide

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thanx for the background; ive known the song for years, but not the story. peace.

OSWAL008007 (7 months ago) Show Hide

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HOLA

xgi36 (7 months ago) Show Hide

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The gun is a 38/44 38cal. built on a larger 44 frame, as you say this gives a steady rest to fire. Great song thanks for preserving this music.

mashpotatobrains (7 months ago) Show Hide

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Thanks for going to the extent you have.I enjoyed reading the footnote!

saullouis (8 months ago) Show Hide

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I wouldnt be suprised if Ramblin Jack learned this from Lonnie. Jack spent some time in the UK in the early 60s and he 1st recorded RR Bill around that time. Thanks to Lonnie and to Jack.

evelynm29 (1 year ago) Show Hide

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I have a version of this song on a CD with Lonnie Donegan and Van Morrison.

pnomis (1 year ago) Show Hide

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I don't know who wrote it but Lonnie definitely got it from Leadbelly. The opening guitar riff is classic Leadbelly.

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Railroad Bill - Lonnie Donegan

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