Sam Bass

"Sam Bass" by Eugene Cunningham is a story about the life and times of the famous outlaw Sam Bass in the old West. Starting as a regular cowboy, Bass's story traces his rise to infamy as a notorious train robber and a central figure in the Wild West. Cunningham explores the conditions in Texas that led to his outlaw behavior, focusing on his relationships and the crimes that made him a legend. As Bass becomes drawn towards both fortune and recognition, he leads a gang, successfully dodging the law for a period of time before his story takes a darker turn. Through a sequence of betrayals and constant pursuit, Bass's life ends during an intense standoff with law enforcement in Round Rock. With his death following a shootout with the Rangers, the account paints a dark picture defined by friendship, betrayal, and the unforgiving realities of a life lived outside the law, forever cementing Sam Bass as a symbol of defiance and the romantic ideal of the American cowboy, that has become entrenched deep within American folklore.