July 21, 1878

This date, July 21,1878, was Sam Bass's 27th birthday and also the date of his death. He was considered an honest man and worked for Sheriff Eagan in Denton, TX. He had a weakness for gambling and it was that weakness that lead to his lawless ways.He started with scamming people by fixing horseraces. From there, he went onto sell a herd of cattle and kept the money without ever paying for them.He was into robbing stage coaches and trains before his luck ran out. He eluded being killed while he was surrounded several times and that is what made Sam Bass a folk hero.