Bill Miner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Miner
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Bill Miner in 1906 photographed by Mary Spencer
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| Born |
George Anderson
1847 |
| Died | September 2, 1913 (aged 65–66) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | W. A. Morgan, George W. Edwards, Ezra Allen Miner, Grey Fox, Gentleman Robber, Gentleman Bandit |
| Occupation | stagecoach robber, train robber |
| Known for | reputed to have been the originator of the phrase "Hands up!" |
Ezra Allen Miner (around 1847 – September 2, 1913), better known as Bill Miner, was an American bandit. He was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He spent time in prison for robbing stagecoaches.
Bill Miner was known for being very polite during his robberies. Because of this, people called him the Grey Fox, the Gentleman Robber, or the Gentleman Bandit. He is also famous for supposedly creating the phrase "Hands up!" Legend says that Bill Miner told his partners to shoot their guns if they were in danger of being caught, but always to avoid hurting anyone.
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The Life of Bill Miner
Bill Miner was born Ezra Allen Miner in Michigan in 1846. He didn't like his first name and preferred to be called William Allen Miner. He was first arrested in California in 1866. After being released, he was caught again two more times in California. He was let out of prison in 1880.
He then teamed up with another person, Bill Leroy, to rob a stagecoach. Leroy was caught, but Miner got away. Miner was later caught for another robbery and was released from San Quentin in 1901.
Adventures in Canada
After his third time in prison, Miner moved to British Columbia, Canada. There, he used the name George Edwards. People believe he carried out British Columbia's first-ever train robbery on September 10, 1904. This happened near Silverdale, not far from Vancouver.
It's often said that Miner was the robber, but he and his partners were never fully proven to be involved in the Silverdale robbery. Some also say this was the first train robbery in Canada, but an earlier one happened in Port Credit, Ontario, 30 years before.
The Botched Robbery
Miner was eventually caught after a train robbery that didn't go as planned. This happened near Kamloops at a place called Monte Creek. They chose the wrong train car and only managed to steal $15. They also took a bottle of kidney pills that Miner found on a shelf.
Miner and his two partners, Tom "Shorty" Dunn and Louis Colquhoun, were found near Douglas Lake, British Columbia. A group of police surrounded them while they were eating lunch in the woods. Miner pretended to be George Edwards and said they were gold prospectors.
The police officer in charge suspected they were the train robbers and arrested them. Tom Dunn tried to shoot at the police and was wounded in the leg. He quickly gave up. Louis Colquhoun had his weapon taken away. Bill Miner never even pulled out his gun.
Capture and Escape
Miner's arrest and trial in Kamloops became a big news story. The most important evidence against him was the bottle of kidney pills he had taken during the Monte Creek robbery. After he was found guilty, he, Dunn, and Colquhoun were sent to prison in New Westminster.
By this time, Bill Miner was very famous. People lined the train tracks to see him, and many were happy that someone had caused trouble for the unpopular CPR railway company.
While in the B.C. Penitentiary, Miner escaped in 1907. He was never caught again in Canada. He moved back to the United States. He became involved in robberies again in the South, near Gainesville, in 1909. He spent more time in prison there and escaped twice.
Bill Miner died in a prison farm in Milledgeville, Georgia. He got sick from drinking bad water during his last escape attempt.
Bill Miner's Legacy
Bill Miner's time in British Columbia made him very famous there. The restaurant chain, The Keg Steakhouse & Bar, has named drinks and their "Billy Miner Pie" after him. Their restaurants also used to display many photos of Miner.
A large painting showing Miner's robbery near Monte Creek is on the outside wall of Cactus Jacks Saloon & Dance Hall in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Maple Ridge, British Columbia has the Billy Miner Pub. It is located in the old Bank of Montreal building from the early 1900s, near the Fraser River.
Some people think Miner left a hidden treasure in the forests south of Silverdale after his first robbery. Local historians believe he used this money to help him escape. Others think there might still be hidden treasure there today.
A song called "The Ballad of Bill Miner" was written by Phillip Mills and recorded by the band "The Blackout Cowboys."
Bill Miner was also the subject of a 1982 Canadian film called The Grey Fox. In the movie, the famous actor Richard Farnsworth played Bill Miner.
Miner is buried in Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville, Georgia. It was found that his original headstone was in the wrong place, had his name spelled incorrectly, and showed the wrong year of his death. A new headstone was placed in the correct spot with the right information. The old one was left where it was.
Mount Miner near Princeton was renamed in Bill Miner's honor in 1952. Miner had lived on a ranch near this mountain while planning the robbery at Monte Creek.
Tin Whistle Brewing Co., a small brewery from Penticton, British Columbia, created a Red Ale beer called "Hands Up!" to remember Miner.
His main biography is a book called The Grey Fox: The True Story of Bill Miner, Last of the Old Time Bandits. It was written by Mark Dugan and John Boessenecker.
In 2014, thieves stole Miner's watch from the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. The watch and several others were later found by the police, and the thieves were arrested.
