Charles Earl Bowles (b. 1829; d. after 1888), also known as
Black Bart, was an
English-born
outlaw noted for the
poetic messages he left behind after two of his robberies. Often called Charley by his friends, he was also known as
Charles Bolton,
C.E. Bolton and
Black Bart the Poet. Considered a
gentleman bandit with a reputation for style and sophistication, he was one of the most notorious
stagecoach robbers to operate in and around
Northern California and southern
Oregon during the 1870s and 1880s.