Baxter’s Curve

About a month before the Titanic met its icy end in the North Atlantic, a pair of confused, would-be robbers planned the last train robbery in the state of Texas. About 10 miles east of Sanderson, on an isolated stretch of railroad, lies Baxter’s Curve. The unassuming bend in the tracks holds the distinction of being the spot where Ole (sounds like Holy) Hobek and “The Tall Texan” Bill Kilpatrick met their end. On March 13, 1912, these two men put themselves at the center of what may possibly be the most morbidly hilarious caper in Texas history.

For context, “The Tall Texan” did 10 years of a 15-year sentence in federal prison following “The Great Train Robbery” of the Wild Bunch (yes, the one with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Ole had done exactly nothing of notoriety prior to running into Bill Kilpatrick. They met as they were both finishing their time, as cellmates, in Leavenworth, Kansas. Ole was big and mean and dumb. Bill thought he was the perfect partner to take on one last train job. 

What happened that night is the thing of legend, if someone wrote it into a movie it wouldn't seem realistic, it’s too laughably absurd. It involves an ice pick, a hammer and oysters.

 Ole and Kilpatrick boarded the train just after midnight. As they left Dryden the two headed toward the front of the train. The plan was to stop at Baxter’s Curve where they’d tied up horses for their escape. That’s where they robbed the passengers and headed toward the engine and the mail car. They drew down on the conductor and Ole led the express messenger, a Mr. David A. Trousdale, and 2 other crew men back to disconnect the passenger cars. Kilpatrick got down to get the horses for the getaway. 

Mr. Trousdale was considerably smarter that the felons in question, and as Ole led him back they passed some crates of frozen Gulf oysters that were on their way to Santa Fe. The crew happened to leave a hammer and ice pick on the top of crate closest to them as they made their way back. As they passed them, Mr. Trousdale grabbed the hammer and swung it as hard as he could. He killed Ole Hobek with one smooth blow. He stabbed him in the heart with the pick to be sure. He and the other two crew members took Ole’s guns and waited.

An hour or so later, depending on who you ask, Kilpatrick finally slinked back towards the mail car. Some say he was whispering, others say he yelled “Ole?” The only answer he hear came from the guns that killed him. The citizens of Dryden gladly posed for pictures with the two the following day that made newspapers nationwide.