Work Text:
“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we dive into just what, or who, was responsible for the end of the infamous Outlaw gang of the late 1800s, known as the Van Der Linde Gang.”
Shane’s head picked up. “Wait, this week is cowboys?”
“This week is indeed cowboys, and we got all the cliches, heists, rats, the whole shebang.”
“I already love this episode.”
“In the late 1800s, post Civil War, the outlaw gang known as The Van Der Linde gang, would be responsible for numerous bank robberies, ferry heists, casino robberies, trains were stopped and stolen from, and numerous other establishments.”
This just sounds like nothing was safe from them.
In a way, yeah, the number of believed robberies that they can be attributed too, are like in the hundreds.
Holy shit, what?
Well, they were in formation for like twenty years, like the early 1870s was when it’s believed they first started, and when we get to how they ended, it was 1899.
Good for them.
“The gang’s leader DUTCH VAN DER LINDE would start association with right hand man, HOSEA MATTHEWS and the gang’s main muscle, ARTHUR MORGAN. Over the years, numerous members would come and go, but most surviving members would state that the gang had the feeling of a family! If that wasn’t wholesome enough, it’s also rumored that after some robberies, they’d give money to the poor!”
I’m already sad, because this gang sounds like the coolest thing ever, and the fact that the mystery we are after is how it ends, is a little depressing.
(Wheeze) Yeah, honestly when doing the research, I was in the same boat. I was like what’s the point, aw man.
(Wheeze)
“To speed things along, we’ll get to early 1899. Where the gang would attempt to raid a ferry just outside of the town BLACKWATER, however Pinkertons were waiting for them, and sprung a trap which saw three gang members die, alongside numerous police officers and Pinkertons, and an innocent woman on the ferry. The event would later become known as THE BLACKWATER MASSACRE .”
Uh-oh, is this the like first event that’ll make me change my mind on these guys?
Uhhh, I hope not because you seemed excited, but yeah- they were murderers you know.
Well, I can’t condone that so, maybe my excitement is now slightly less.
“Famous gunslinger, and inspiration for many Hollywood Cowboy depictions, LANDON RICKETTS happened to be in the area, and did his best to help the law. He had this to say on the day:
“It was one of the worst shootouts I’ve ever seen or been apart of, and I was down in Mexico during their 1911 revolution.”
Oh boy, when basically real life Clint Eastwood-
(Wheeze)
-Says that this is the worst thing he has seen, that isn’t good.
The worst part...it’s not even the only massacre they’d be attributed to THAT YEAR!
WELL THAT JUST SUCKS, RYAN!
“To speed things along on how that year went, numerous gang members were killed, including SEAN MAGUIRE in the town of Rhodes, which led to his girlfriend KAREN JONES to leave the gang to an unknown fate due to her alcoholism following his death.”
THIS ISN’T FUN AT ALL, RYAN!
(Wheeze)
“The town of SAINT DENIS would have their own massacre after another ambushed bank robbery by the Pinkertons, in which HOSEA MATTHEWS and LENNY SUMMERS were both killed. After which, ARTHUR MORGAN would be diagnosed with TUBERCULOSIS .”
Again, I knew we were getting to how it ends, but this really escalated quickly for this group.
Yeah, you could say that shit hit the fan real quick, and that’s what started the wheels in motion.
“After Saint Denis, the Pinkertons would attribute multiple attacks on the US ARMY by the Van Der Linde gang, including THE EXPLOSION OF A BRIDGE .”
(Wheeze) How’d they blow up a bridge!
Well, nobody is actually sure if they actually did, because it could’ve been the law just throwing shit on top of them to paint them as boogeymen.
I could see that.
“As the year rolled on, the deaths of Oilman LEVITICUS CORNWALL and crime lord ANTONE BRONTE were attributed to Van Der Linde himself.”
Ok so, I may be jumping the gun here, but do some of the theories talk about how the actual fuck they went from Robin Hood to blowing up bridges and murdering famous people?
Ehh, kind of? One of the theories definitely covers why all of that might’ve happened.
“Once again, to speed things along, we’ll get to the last day any of the members of the gang was seen together, in which a US ARMY PAYROLL train would be robbed from and Pinkerton Agent responsible for finding them, ANDREW MILTON would be SHOT IN THE HEAD by Arthur Morgan.”
My god, Ryan, where does it all end?!
(Wheeze) Well, you’ll see soon, very, very soon for some of them.
“Milton’s right hand man, agent EDGAR ROSS would assume command and lead an all out assault on the gang’s camp, in which SUSAN GRIMSHAW and MORGAN HIMSELF were killed in the ensuing fight. The rest of the gang members escaped into the mountains, but as stated before, this was the final stand of the gang together.”
“Many online speculate, and the widely accepted theory that somebody in the gang...was a RAT! Many state that the continuous ability of the Pinkertons to know their next move, had to be the work of a rat. So with that being said, let’s get into the theories on who the rat could’ve been or what else could’ve brought the end of the gang.”
Theory #1:
“That ARTHUR MORGAN was the rat.”
“Most of the rat theories, and theories in general, are based on speculation as little evidence is known, and the Pinkertons had a policy to never document any known informants.”
Great, thanks for helping us out guys.
(Wheeze)
“Many believed that Morgan’s diagnosis of Tuberculosis made him begin to regret the life he chose, and perhaps wanted to make amends before his inevitable death.”
Ehhh, I mean I can see why people would believe that, but would twenty years really be changed just cause you’re about to die?
Probably not, and I admit the idea of the Pinkertons also killing their own rat—is weird?
Well, could be to cover their tracks I suppose, but yeah not buying it, and also they believed he killed the agent, unless maybe he changed his mind because who would actually betray a man they knew for twenty years just because they got sick.
Well—
Oh of course you would, that’s why I’d never invite you into my gang.
(Wheeze) Oh yeah? Got big plans to go commit crimes?
Wouldn’t you like to know, you rat.
Hahahahaha.
Theory #2:
“That another long time gang member, JOHN MARSTON was the rat.”
“John Marston would be married to fellow gang member ABIGAIL ROBERTS and the two would even have and RAISE a kid named JACK in the gang.”
(Wheeze) Now, I’m sure everything was as normal as they could make it but the idea of some fucking kid running around robbing banks—
(Wheeze)
—Hat that’s like ten times too big for him, barely able to see over the counter [high pitched] GIVE ME THE FUCKING MONEY!
“The idea behind this theory is that John and Abigail needed a clean break from the outlaw life so they could live peacefully with Jack, so to do so, they threw the gang under the bus. If that wasn’t bad enough, many people from the time including Landon Ricketts again, would state that years later nearing the death of Van Der Linde, Marston would be hunting for him.”
Woah, now that’s a plot twist. Who’s officially listed as Dutch’s killer?
The Pinkerton report doesn’t really help, it just says he was shot and fell off a cliff during the raid on his encampment.
Yeah, so this one doesn’t really make sense, because if the Pinkertons allowed the Marstons to walk away, why years later would he want to kill him?
Huh! That’s a very good point, that doesn’t make any sense—unless he maybe saw his insanity and wanted to end it himself?
Maybe? But again, would you want to go hunt down your now insane friend instead of just chilling at home with your family?
Me, personally? Not at all, so good points, you may have just poked some major holes in this one.
Theory #3:
“Hired gun, MICAH BELL, was the rat.”
“Bell would be known as a well famous serial killer and rapist during the era, and would eventually even lead his own gang, which would bring about destruction and chaos along with them.”
He’s the rat.
(Wheeze) That quick, huh?
I mean, a serial killer and rapist, who else would it be? He sounds like the biggest sack of shit there was.
Well, they were all technically serial killers with how many people they killed over the years—
Well, he’s still a rapist, and you know what I say to those “Eat shit and die.”
(Wheeze) Well, allow me to continue.
“Bell would only be a known associate with the gang barely six months prior to the Blackwater Massacre, and surviving gang members SADIE ADLER and CHARLES SMITH would both state in eventual biographies, that Bell was indeed the rat.”
Case closed, see everyone next week!
(Wheeze) Well, let me present a counter argument to what seems pretty clear and cut evidence. Sadie herself is one of the theories, and the other thing is that both of them were close with both Morgan and Marston, so maybe they were lying to cover for them.
I mean, maybe. But again, to pin it on what sounds like an asshole, I’d believe them, and I’d still say he was the rat.
Well, you're entitled to your opinion.
Alright, let me ask you this, whatever happened to Bell?
That’s another rabbit hole, but we probably won’t cover on an entire episode. But many people believe either Marston, Adler or even Van Der Linde killed him.
Huh. So maybe the idea that Marston was hunting down the insane gang members isn’t that far fetched!
Maybe not!
Theory #4:
“As I just stated, SADIE ADLER is speculated to be responsible for the gang’s fracture, due to the fact of her famed status as a bounty hunter well up to her retirement.”
“The theory posits that she was a bounty hunter before her association with the gang, and her plan was to fracture the gang from within, to make capture easier once they’ve broken apart.”
Ok, now that would be badass as hell. Especially for a woman bounty hunter back then? I hope this is the case.
“In her own biography, written by famed gunslinger genre author THEODORE LEVIN , Adler would state in her own words that she was rescued when left for dead in the Grizzlies Mountains, shortly after the Blackwater Massacre, where she was eventually accepted as one of their own.”
This sounds...pretty realistic. Like as much as I want a woman to be the one responsible for this, that doesn’t make any sense. Because wouldn’t she put in the book “Here was my plan and how I outsmarted the Van Der Linde gang.”
That was actually my next point, many state that as well, like why would she keep the facade up in the book, and also due to the fact that she never actually caught any of them.
(Wheeze) Ok, so debunked! Or she just really sucked at catching these dudes in particular.
Theory #5:
“The final theory we present today is that there was NO RAT .”
“This theory posits that after the Blackwater massacre, gang leader, Dutch Van Der Linde simply had a MENTAL BREAKDOWN .”
Huh! This one actually makes a lot of sense, if you’re going out shooting oilmen and blowing bridges up, you’re probably not in a good state of mind.
Exactly!
“Many believe that the massive failure of a robbery that ended up with three gang members deaths, the death of Matthews and the diagnosis of Morgan pushed Van Der Linde into a spiral of insanity, in which he never recovered.”
I gotta tell ya, Ryan, this one is my favorite one so far.
Really?
I mean, it’s probably the most grounded one! Because if I had a fuck up like Blackwater, then you were killed and say like Sara got sick...I’d probably also start blowing up bridges and hunting oilmen.
Hahahaha. Well, that’s very sweet of you.
“The idea that Van Der Linde was unable to cope with dying gang members all around him, the stress of being on the run, finally contributed to an eventual snap, which is why they’d seemingly go off the rails.”
Yeah, this one is making even more sense the more I think of it. Because, you have those two massive shootouts, multiple deaths, including your best friend in Matthews and then your other best friend Morgan gets tuberculosis, Pinkertons up your ass, personal grudges against bridges—
(Wheeze)
“What led the final nail in the coffin of the group of outlaws in 1899 known as the Van Der Linde gang to officially disband? Was it a rat in the system or was it simply the result of the chaos they brought along with them? For now the case remains... UNSOLVED .”