Roy Gardner Research Paper

Roy Gardner’s Life

There are many well known mobsters from the past including, Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Roy Gardner. The last Great American Train Robber was the infamous, Roy Gardner. He robbed U.S mail trucks, trains, and escaped prison multiple times. Roy was on the “Most Wanted” list of mobsters in the year of 1921.

On January 5, 1884, Gardner was born in Trenton, Missouri. He was raised in Colorado Springs. In his early years he learned to blacksmith and mine in the Southwest. Later on, Roy joined the U.S. army to avoid the life of a criminal. Ironically in 1906 he left the army and began his unlawful career in crime. Gardner ended up in Mexico and started selling guns illegally. Unfortunately, he was caught by Victoriano Huerta's army and sentenced to death. Roy managed to escape by attacking the guards and became a prize fighter in the

He went to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary and then was transferred to Atlanta Federal Prison in 1926. While he was there, Roy tried to escape by holding guards hostage. Sadly, that failed and he was placed in solitary confinement for 20 months. As a result, Gardner was placed in a mental hospital in Washington D.C. In 1929 the warden labeled Roy “the most dangerous inmate in the history of Atlanta Prison.”

He was transferred to Leavenworth Annex Prison in 1930. Then, in 1934 Gardner was transported to Alcatraz in 1934. While at Alcatraz his wife had divorced him and he was released on June 17, 1938 because his appeal of forgiveness was approved. This notorious criminal was found dead in a hotel bathroom on January 10, 1940. Roy committed suicide by using poison. He was only 56 years old. In his lifetime, Gardner had stolen more than $350,000 in cash and securities. “The Smiling Bandit,” “The Mail Train Bandit,” and “The King of Escape Artists” were some of the nicknames this mobster was