FAQ
Was Henry Starr a real person?
Absolutely. He was born in Fort Gibson, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), on December 2, 1873, and died in Harrison, Arkansas, on February 22. 1921.
Was Henry Starr the son of Belle Starr?
No. Newspaper reporters often wrote that Henry was Belle's son, brother, or husband. Belle Starr was born Myra Maybelle Shirley on February 5, 1848. “She came from Missouri and married Sam Starr, a distant cousin of mine,” Henry Starr said. “She was not a bad woman. I knew her well.”
Was Henry Starr really sentenced to hang?
Yep. Twice. On November 4, 1893, Henry Starr was given a death sentence for the murder of Floyd Wilson, a former deputy marshal turned bounty hunter. Starr appealed his sentence to the US Supreme Court and won a retrial. He was found guilty a second time and sentenced to the gallows at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Starr once again appealed to the Supreme Court and once again won a retrial. He was eventually found guilty of manslaughter and served time in the Ohio State Penitentiary. Of "Hanging Judge" Issac Parker, Starr wrote, “He sentenced me twice to the hemp, but I never batted an eye.”
Did President Teddy Roosevelt really pardon Henry Starr?
Yep. After President Roosevelt heard that Starr stopped a deadly prison break, he granted Starr a pardon if the bank robber promised "to be good."
Was Henry Starr greater than Jesse James?
No less an authority than legendary US Deputy Marshal William "Bill" Tilghman, upon hearing Starr had pulled off a double daylight bank robbery in Stroud, Oklahoma on March 27, 1915, said, "Henry Starr did what the Younger boys and the James brothers were never able to do."
Did bank robber Henry Starr really become a movie star?
Yep. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. In 1919, Starr was released from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Simultaneously, the moving picture industry was booming, and film producers swarmed Starr to make a motion picture about his bank-robbing career. In 1920, he played himself in the film A Debtor to the Law. Starr wanted to make a second picture, but had trouble raising the financing. He decided to rob ONE LAST BANK.
Is the author available for presentations and book signings?
Absolutely. Mark would love to speak at your event and sign books. Contact him at info@henrystarrbook.com