Ben Kuhl

Ben E. Kuhl
Mugshot of Ben Kuhl, 1917
Born1884
Michigan
Died1945 (aged 60–61)
Northern California
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)stage coach robber, mail robber, horse thief, baker, drifter
Known forRobbery of a mail stage wagon
Height6 ft (183 cm)
Criminal statusCommuted
SpouseMinnier
Children1 son
MotiveFinancial
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal chargerobbery, murder
PenaltyDeath
Partner(s)Ed Beck, Billy McGraw
Details
VictimsFred M. Searcy
DateDecember 5, 1916
6:30 PM
CountryUnited States
State(s)Northern California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon
Location(s)Jarbidge
Target(s)mail stage wagon
Killed1
Weapons.44 caliber

Ben E. Kuhl (1884 – paroled 1945, date of death unknown, possibly 1945) was, in 1916, the last known stage coach robber in the United States. Kuhl took part in the robbery of a mail stage wagon in Jarbidge, Nevada, US; the driver, Fred M. Searcy, was killed. The incident became a myth: "Staging a Robbery Without a Coach".[1][2] While most of the evidence against him was circumstantial, a bloody palm print on an envelope led to Kuhl's conviction. Kuhl's trial, which began in September 1917, was noted to be the first time palm prints were used as evidence in a U.S. courtroom.[1][3] State v. Kuhl also set the precedent that palm prints were as valid as fingerprints in criminal cases for identifying individuals.[4]

  1. ^ a b Rocha, Guy (November 2003). "Staging a Robbery Without a Coach". Nevada State Library and Archives. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  2. ^ Wines, Claudia; Northeastern Nevada Museum (5 November 2008). Elko County. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 107–. ISBN 978-0-7385-5886-8. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Stage Lines". clan.lib.nv.us. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  4. ^ Newton, David E. (2008). DNA Evidence and Forensic Science. Infobase Publishing. pp. 64–. ISBN 978-1-4381-0019-7. Retrieved 25 May 2012.