Portrait of Black Bart

Black Bart (b. Charles E. Boles, dates of birth and death unknown), stagecoach robber active from 1875-83 who eluded California lawmen for those eight years. he robbed twenty-seven stages with a gun he later said was never loaded while wearing a flour-sack mask, and was known to sometimes leave a hand-scrawled whimsical poem at the scene. He was also polite, tipped his hat to the ladies and never stole their jewelry. In 1883, he was captured in San Francisco and then served four years in San Quentin. He disappeared in 1888 following his release.