Up next in 10
Numerous outlaws throughout history came back around from their rabble-rousing and trouble-causing days to serve as lawmen, government leaders, and agents of criminal-catching agencies. From the Middle Ages to the Wild West to the Information Age, historical and geographical boundaries need not apply when it comes to outlawry. Some outlaws – mostly men but not always – are famous, but others are obscure historical figures.
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
We tend to think of outlaws as folk heroes
0:03
like Jesse James, Billy the Kid, or Bonnie and Clyde. But the true stories of these figures are more complicated
0:10
including how some of them hung up their spurs and wound up working on the right side of the law
0:14
or sometimes both sides at once. Today, we're taking a look at some infamous outlaws
0:19
who wound up working for the man. OK, time to swap that black hat for a white one
0:30
Born Doroteo Arango in 1878, the man who would become Pancho Villa ran into trouble at the age of 16 when he shot a man who allegedly assaulted his sister
0:42
Afterward, Arango fled to the mountains as a fugitive. He was forced to join the Mexican army, but escaped shortly after that
0:49
He journeyed to Chihuahua, where he became a cattle rustler and changed his name to Francisco Villa
0:56
Villa lived as a bandit until he joined Francisco Madero's rebellion against the dictatorial
1:01
Mexican president Porfirio Diaz. Villa fiercely battled on behalf of Mexico's citizenry
1:08
He printed currency, distributed land, and recruited for the new army, eventually leading
1:13
several campaigns in the uprising. He was a champion of guerrilla warfare and ultimately drew the attention of the United
1:19
States military after a battle that slew more than 30 Americans. Villa was appointed governor of Chihuahua in 1913, but continued his rebellious efforts
1:30
Eventually, Madero took power, but was subsequently deposed in a separate rebellion
1:35
Being the president was a pretty temporary gig at the time. After his buddy got the boot, Villa became an outlaw once again
1:41
He spent his time between the United States and Mexico, formed his own patrol called División
1:47
del Norte and was eventually pardoned by Mexico's new leader, Adolfo de la Huerta, in 1920
1:53
Pancho Villa's time on the right side of the law didn't last, however
1:57
as he was taken out by assassins only three years later. Born in India in 1963 to a poor family, Poulin Devi was sold into marriage when she was just a
2:13
young child, only to be returned by her abusive husband after one year. As a teenager, Devi started
2:19
running with a band of dacoits, or bandits. The gang's leader abused her until another member
2:25
Vikram Mala, took him out and made Devi his gang wife. It was a match that worked. Together
2:31
the couple and their gang went on a spree of murder, abduction, and robbery that tore through
2:36
India in the late 1970s. Another member of the gang whacked Vikram in 1980, leaving Devi to be
2:42
brutalized for several weeks before she escaped and formed a new group. Devi and her new gang got revenge by offing 22 men from the village where she had been
2:51
imprisoned She became known as a legendary bandit queen for her exploits because that a story that gets around She stayed on the run for two years until she was finally forced to surrender to authorities After serving 11 years in prison all the charges against Devi were withdrawn That a lucky break
3:09
She became a Buddhist and embraced a more peaceful path, emerging as a prominent figure
3:13
in Indian politics. Devi even managed to get elected to parliament, twice. But her redemption
3:19
arc was short-lived as she was gunned down during her second term in 2001 by men seeking
3:25
revenge for her dark deeds. Turns out you can't bury two dozen people and then just walk away
3:36
Motorcycle gangs like the Hells Angels, the Outlaws, and the Banditos were a major force
3:41
in America during the 1970s. They were kind of like the mob if the mob rode Harleys and wore
3:47
pounds of leather. They were so much like the mob, in fact, that the FBI ranked motorcycle gangs
3:52
among the most serious organized crime groups in the U.S. Wayne Big Chuck Bradshaw was a big player
3:58
in an outlaw motorcycle club known as the Pagans. Eh, the Pagans. I wonder if they were really into
4:04
astrology. Following a deadly bar fight in which he slashed and pummeled five members of a rival
4:09
gang, Bradshaw lost his taste for the lifestyle. Deciding to put fighting behind him, he went to
4:15
work as a police informant in 1977 and eventually became an undercover narcotics officer. Initially
4:21
his rough riding past earned him many mistrustful glances from his new colleagues. Undeterred
4:27
he managed to make several busts and did his job well. When asked about the transition many years
4:32
later, Bradshaw said, when I was in the pagan motorcycle club, I'm robbing drug dealers. So
4:38
doing this under the auspices of the law, this is very easy. I have the best skill set of anybody
4:44
that went undercover. Hey, he has a point. Bradshaw spent 20 years working on the right side of the law
4:50
then retired to teach self-defense classes and wrote a book about his life called Jersey Tough
4:54
My Wild Ride from Outlaw Biker to Undercover Cop. I wonder who reads the audiobook
5:05
Before everyone's credit card information was being stolen from Target every few weeks
5:10
Kevin Mitnick was already a hacking legend. Mitnick received international attention in 1995
5:16
when he successfully hacked the Pacific Bell Telephone Company's computer system, which is apparently hard to do
5:23
Mitnick began his career as a grifter at age 12, when he acquired a ticket punch for the Los Angeles bus system
5:29
and began using it on old transfer slips to get free rides
5:33
Four years later, he gained access to the Digital Equipment Corporation's computer system
5:37
and copied all of their software. That's a bit more sophisticated than buying your own ticket punch
5:42
but you gotta learn to walk before you can run. After serving a year in jail, he was at it again
5:49
Mitnick executed his legend-making hack on Pacific Bell voicemail computers while he was still on supervised release from prison which is pretty bold A warrant was issued for his arrest and he went on the run for the next few years It was sort of like the movie War Games except the stakes were slightly lower than nuclear war
6:07
Using a mix of cloned cellular phones to mask his location, he evaded the FBI until 1995
6:14
He was tried and convicted of cloning hundreds of cell phones, possessing restricted devices
6:19
accessing a federal computer, and intercepting wire and electronic communications. He was basically every scam email rolled into a single human being
6:29
Following a five-year sentence, Mitnick went on to write books about computer security and hacking
6:33
founded a consulting firm, and continues to work as a consultant for the government
6:37
An unlikely Texas outlaw, Ben Thompson was born in England in 1842
6:48
and moved to the Lone Star State with his family at the age of seven
6:52
As a kid, Thompson was a violent little guy. Sort of like the weird kid who bites people in every classroom has one
6:59
He fought, shot, and got into trouble with other boys throughout his teen years
7:03
When the Civil War broke out, he joined the losing side. As a Confederate soldier, he became a whiskey smuggler and a renowned gambler
7:11
which makes sense, as those are related industries. He was discharged from service in 1863, and just as his guidance counselor predicted
7:20
it didn't take him long to get arrested. Thompson was jailed after getting into a shootout on the streets of Austin in 1865
7:27
While in jail, he bribed his jailers, escaped, and fled to Mexico
7:31
Afterward, he spent time in both Texas and Mexico until he was elected marshal in 1881
7:36
His time as a lawman would be short, however, as he was rubbed out by his enemies in an ambush in San Antonio
7:42
only three short years after he was elected to his post. Hailing from the mean streets of Mississippi
7:54
A. John Spradley was born with a chip on his shoulder. As a teenager in the 1870s, he got into a gunfight with two sons of a local farmer
8:03
Spradley was a quick draw with revolvers and easily dispatched them both
8:07
This act made him an outlaw, and he went on the run to Texas to avoid arrest or retaliation
8:13
Quick tip, if you're wanted for murder, don't go to Texas. Their state bird is the electric chair
8:19
Spradley's reputation for standing up to bullies, well, sure, that's one way of looking at it
8:24
actually helped further his career in Texas. He became a deputy sheriff in Nacogdoches County in 1880
8:30
and took a real shine to the role. After just one year, he was handed the big hat and elected sheriff
8:37
Spradley spent 30 years serving the county from 1881 to 1911. Throughout his time there, he had a long and storied career
8:45
He chased outlaws thwarted bank robbers and had his fair share of good old Texas gunfights In 1912 he was appointed U Marshal of Nacogdoches County at age 58 which he served dutifully He continued to uphold the law until his death in 1940 from natural causes
9:07
Highwayman William Nevison was born in Yorkshire, England, around 1650. He was a thief from an early age, and during his time in England and Holland, he stole
9:17
everything that wasn't nailed down. His father-in-law eventually turned him into the authorities
9:22
which probably made things awkward at the next family dinner. Neveson was a unique bandit
9:28
Known as Swift Nick, he would courteously rob travelers, then charge them a fee to protect them from other highwaymen as they completed their journey
9:37
He was essentially running an old-timey protection racket. He operated on the Great North Road and was always polite to his targets
9:44
which is nice, but probably didn't take much of the sting out of being robbed
9:48
Nevison's activities earned him great notoriety, but he was eventually caught. Following a short stint in prison
9:55
he escaped to Flanders to join the Duke of York's army, the same Duke of York who later became King James II
10:02
He went from a courteous highwayman to a soldier in the king's army in just one prison break
10:07
Not bad, Swift Nick. Nevison returned to England and resumed his life of crime
10:11
until he was finally hanged in 1685. Politeness only goes so far
10:17
During the 12th and 13th centuries, Eustace the monk worked for both sides of the law
10:28
and on both sides of the English Channel. And he did it all while being named Eustace
10:33
That's a difficult name for an outlaw. Born in northern France around 1170, he trained as a knight and a seaman
10:39
before entering a monastery at age 20. Eustace abandoned monastic life to join the Count of Boulogne
10:46
and King Philip II in their ongoing efforts to reclaim lands taken by England
10:51
After returning to the household of the Count, things didn't go well for him
10:55
He was accused of mismanagement of funds, which is a nice way of saying he was wetting his holy beak in the royal coffers
11:03
He fled into the forests as an outlaw and soon turned to piracy. Offering his services to King John in 1205, Eustace patrolled the English Channel
11:11
harassing French merchants until he was sent as an emissary to France in 1209
11:17
King Philip II of France did not care much for the former monk, but that didn't stop him from becoming a bit of a double agent
11:24
When the baronial revolt erupted against King John in 1214, Eustace provided weapons to the rebels
11:31
So King John revoked his English estates. He probably should have seen that coming
11:36
but when there's money to be made, Eustace just couldn't help himself. He continued to work as a mercenary
11:41
and personally delivered the future French king, Louis VIII, to England in 1216
11:47
One year later, he was captured by the English and swiftly beheaded
11:51
They were not taking any more chances with that guy