Channeling My Inner Sam Bass: I Discovered My Ancestor Was a Famous Outlaw

When I was a kid, my mom bought a mock-up of an old-style “WANTED” poster from the Old West. The outlaw on it was Sam Bass, a train- and stagecoach-robber who died on his 27th birthday during a bank-robbery attempt in Round Rock, Texas.

Mom said she bought the poster only because the face reminded her of her brother — my Uncle Ronnie — but she later learned (probably from her mother) that we might actually be related to Sam Bass. The connection, however, was vague. My great-grandfather, Noah, mentioned it now and then but was discouraged from saying much, so we never learned the details.

The “Wanted” poster Tony’s mom purchased

Early research and false trails

My Uncle Don started looking into the family tree years ago and tried to trace Sam Bass, but — as far as I know — never found the link.

A few years back I took up the search myself. I followed several wrong leads; one theory placed the connection on my grandmother’s line, but that proved false.

Eventually, I found that my great-great-grandmother — Noah’s mother — was born Eliza Ann Bass. I was very excited; it felt like the missing puzzle piece.

Hitting the wall

All my sources showed Eliza’s family rooted in Missouri, while Sam Bass’s relatives seemed to come from Indiana. Some shared names hinted at a link but offered nothing solid.
Because Sam never had children, I assumed any relationship must come through a sibling or cousin. After years of dead ends I doubted there was any connection at all and did only occasional searches on MyHeritage.

Then I stumbled upon a U.S. Census record on MyHeritage that reignited my hope: someone in my line—probably Eliza—was listed as born in Indiana but living in Missouri. Bingo!

Tony’s great-great-grandmother Eliza in the 1910 U.S. Census on MyHeritage

This was basically the record that cracked the case.  Before I found this record, I only saw records showing Missouri for Eliza’s family, while I knew that the Outlaw Sam Bass’s family were from Indiana.  After I found this record, I dug further and found the definitive connections to Sam Bass. Digging deeper, I finally confirmed that Eliza Ann Bass and Sam Bass shared a great-grandfather, Moses Bass. More records quickly cemented the link.

Here is a diagram showing my connection to the Outlaw Sam Bass:

Relationship Diagram on MyHeritage showing Tony’s connection to Sam Bass

Walking in Sam’s footsteps

I moved to Texas in 2013. While driving on I-35 near Round Rock I saw the exit for Sam Bass Boulevard. I took it, of course, and soon found Sam’s grave in Round Rock Cemetery.

The grave of Sam Bass

A couple of years later I was recruited to join an Old West gunfighter show. Our troupe hauls a pop-up ghost town around Texas and stages comedy shoot-outs.

Tony as “Rambler” with the Ole West Gunfighters

Two of my castmates appear annually in the Round Rock “Sam Bass Shootout” reenactment, and there’s a chance I’ll join them.

Tony (4th from the left) with his troupe. “Snake-Eye” (second from left) and “Whiskey” (5th from left) usually perform in the annual “Sam Bass Shootout” in Round Rock, Texas, where Sam Bass was shot

Uncle Ronnie’s legacy

Remember Uncle Ronnie — the one who looked like Sam Bass? He also performed gunfighter shows years ago at Calico Ghost Town in California.

Ronnie passed away in 1996, but my aunt gave me some of his gear, including his flat-brimmed black hat. I wear it on stage as “Rambler,” my gunfighter persona. My dad also passed down Ronnie’s replica 1858 Remington .44 black-powder revolver — the same model Clint Eastwood brandishes in Pale Rider — and it’s now my sidearm in our shows.

Full circle

I grew up in Orange County, California, and worked as a computer programmer — hardly the résumé for an Old West gunslinger. Yet here I am, trading shots with “the sheriff” under Texas sun, channeling my inner Sam Bass and keeping a legendary family story alive.

Many thanks to Tony for sharing this amazing story with us! If you’ve also made an incredible discovery using MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it. Send it to us via this form or email as at stories@myheritage.com.