The Story of John Smalley, Michigan’s Most Notorious Train Robber

When you think about a train robbery, you probably think of it happening in a Western movie.

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But you don't have to head out west for a famous train robbery.

This West Michigan town had one happen by the infamous John Smalley and his cohorts.

The Story of John Smalley, Michigan's Most Notorious Train Robber

On August 25, 1895, Michigan's most infamous train robber, John Smalley, orchestrated a daring heist near the small town of Fennville.

Smalley, who had boasted of stealing over $1 million from trains, assembled a gang of six men to target a Chicago & West Michigan Railway express train traveling from Chicago to Grand Rapids.

The plan unfolded as the train passed four minutes behind schedule.

Engineer George Zibbell noticed someone waving a lantern near the tracks and applied the brakes, bringing the train to a halt before it collided with a pile of timber obstructing the tracks.

James Brown and an accomplice named Taylor stormed the locomotive, ensuring the train remained stopped.

They fired several shots at the crew while holding them at gunpoint, with Brown serving as a lookout.

Another member, Fred Geiser, approached from the rear, blocking any escape attempts by the train crew seeking help.

He shot a crew member who, adhering to protocol, had been sent down the tracks to warn oncoming traffic of the halted train.

Meanwhile, John Smalley and his brother, Oscar, raced to the baggage car.

Conductor Elmer Rice emerged to investigate and witnessed two warning shots whiz past him.

Smalley utilized explosives to breach a locked door while Oscar kept the crew at bay.

The robbery was not as lucrative as anticipated, with the haul containing only some cash among business papers deemed worthless.

In total, the gang got away with about $15,000 which would be roughly $540,000 today.