Return of Doc Bell

Tom Bell (1825-1856), born Thomas J. Hodges, had been a surgeon during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). He turned to prospecting after the war, but was unsuccessful, and he turned to crime. He gave authorities the name Tom Bell when he was arrested in 1855; he was also known as the "Outlaw Doc." He spent several months robbing travelers and merchants, and then decided to carry out the first stagecoach robbery in California. On 12 Aug 1856, he and his gang tried to rob a stagecoach carrying as much as $100,000 in gold. During a shootout, a passenger was killed, and the local citizens were outraged. Sheriff's posses and vigilantes searched for him and his gang; he was captured, tried, and hanged on 4 Oct 1856.