Old Bill Miner: Last of the Famous Western Bandits

by Frank W. Anderson

Overview

Bill Miner, the gentleman bandit, enjoyed more popularity in his day than Jesse James or Billy the Kid. He robbed stagecoaches and trains across California, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, Washington State and British Columbia until just before the First World War, by which time the public actually wanted him to escape the police.

Reporters visited him during his time in jail and dubbed him “Old Bill Miner.” When he died in Georgia, where he had committed the state’s first train robbery, locals chipped in to pay for his funeral. Described by some as North America’s Robin Hood, Bill Miner has been portrayed in folk songs, stage productions and movies. He is also credited with the invention of the phrase “Hands up!”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781926613208
Publisher:	Heritage House
Publication date:	02/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Born in Brandon, Manitoba, in 1919, Frank W. Anderson was orphaned at 18 months and grew up in foster homes, reform schools and jails. At age 16, he was convicted of killing a prison guard and was sentenced to death. This was commuted to life and he spent the next 15 years in a penitentiary. There he completed his high school education and became the first prisoner in Canada to take university courses behind bars. Paroled in 1951, he completed a BA and an MA in social work from the University of Toronto. He then joined the John Howard Society and became a parole officer. He developed a two-year course in human behaviour that was adopted by several colleges, and he was appointed to the National Parole Board in 1974, placed in charge of the region covering Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. He held this position until he retired. In 1998, the University of Ottawa created the Frank W. Anderson Archives of Criminology to serve as a resource centre for students across Canada. He married Edna Marshal in 1955 and they had two children. He moved to Saskatoon after retiring and managed Frontier Books, publishing more than 100 books on Canadian history written by himself and other authors, including Ken Liddell and W.O. Mitchell. He also wrote a book about women who were executed in Canada, A Dance with Death: Canadian Women on the Gallows. Although he was later based in Calgary, Frank wrote, edited and produced numerous titles pertaining to British Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

It's a bit easier to research the background of most any recent and older camera, lens, and flash unit by looking into this very detailed new book. The contents are first broken down into 35mm Cameras and Equipment; Advanced Photo System; Panoramic Cameras; Medium Format Cameras; Large Format Cameras and Equipment; Digital Cameras; Aftermarket Strobes; and Exposure Meters. Then each category is broken down further into specific brand names and products made by that manufacturer. There is a considerable amount of text describing the features of each camera, then there is a chart listing the various camera models, the years produced, and prices for Mint, Excellent, and Used versions.

This large comprehensive book should be of assistance for people wanting to research older equipment they contemplate buying or just to find out what lenses and other accessories are available for the various cameras they presently own. I sure will find it very helpful in answering reader inquiries about older products.
—Shutterbug, October 2000

Robert E. Mayer