Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park in Park County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Crime in Wonderland
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 29, 2015
1. Crime in Wonderland Marker
From poachers to stagecoach robbers, soldiers were kept busy enforcing the law in Yellowstone.
There were five stagecoach robberies in Yellowstone, with the last occurring on 1914. What is often considered the greatest stagecoach robbery of the twentieth century occurred on August 24, 1908, about three miles east of Kepler Cascades, when a single robber held up 17 coaches with 174 passengers. He netted a total of $2,094.20 in cash and jewelry and was never caught.
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$1,000.00 REWARD
For the arrest and conviction of the man who held up and robbed the stages of the Transportation Companies in the Yellowstone Park, near Keppler Cascades, on Aug. 24, 1908, $1000.00 will be paid.
Description of the robber: About 5 ft. 8 in. tall, blue gray eyes, bristly gray whiskers, acted either as a man badly out of breath or a consumptive, weight about 135-150 pounds, understood German. Had on bluish brown overalls, brown shirt, soft felt hat and carried an automatic rifle.
Y.N. P. Trans. Co. M-Y Stage Co. Wylie Camp. Co.
Erected by Yellowstone National Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1914.
Location. 44°
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Guard Duty (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Soldier’s Life (about 400 feet away); A Sense of Community (about 500 feet away); Yellowstone National Park Chapel (about 500 feet away); The Post Exchange (about 600 feet away); Life in the Fort (about 600 feet away); Fort Yellowstone National Historic Landmark (approx. 0.2 miles away); From Soldier to Ranger (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yellowstone National Park.
More about this marker. The background of the marker features a photograph: “Stagecoach robber Ed Trafton sorts his loot from the last holdup on July 29, 1914. Photo taken by stagecoach passengers who had just been robbed.”
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. See all of the markers on the Fort Yellowstone walking tour.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 29, 2015
2. Crime in Wonderland Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 29, 2014
3. Crime in Wonderland Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 393 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on September 10, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 13, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
