Beschreibung:

John Reno, of Indiana, with imprint of A.W. Wood, St. Louis. A copy image, showing Reno as he appeared as a private in Co. A of the 13th Indiana. He holds a mug of beer, and to his left can be seen a portion of another individual. This image undoubtedly an enlargement of another image taken during Reno's Civil War service. Identified on verso at top in pencil as "John Reno Safe Blower" and in ink at bottom as "Jack Reno Safe Blower in Jeff City for 25 years 1868." John Reno, along with his four brothers, grew up in the Indiana town of Rockford, and began his life of crime during the Civil War, making a living by bounty jumping, counterfeiting, and small scale robbery throughout the state. Reno's claim to fame, however, came not from petty thievery, but from a train robbery, committed on October 6, 1866 near Seymour, Indiana. Reno, along with two other accomplices, hid aboard and eastbound Ohio and Mississippi RR train, and raided the express car of more than $12,000. This was the first recorded train robbery in United States history. He was indicted, posted bond, and fled Indiana in the same for Missouri, where he was ultimately caught for "blowing a safe" containing $22,000 at the Davies County Treasury. In 1868 he was convicted, and sentenced to 50 years hard labor at the Jefferson City Penitenntiary. He was released after 20 years, and returned to his hometown in 1888. Almost immediately he was convicted of counterfeiting and spent three years in an Indiana prison. He died in Rockford, Indiana in 1895. From an extensive album of cdv mug shots assembled in the 1860s and 70s that surfaced in the late 1980s in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This image, along with Lots 424-427 in this auction were retained by the finder. The majority of the album was sold at auction by the late Brian Riba in his November 9,1991 American History Auction. An exceptionally rare, and important outlaw image. Includes Riba's catalog entry as well as two pages of images from that publication. Condition:EXC though a hint light.