The Wilcox train robbery was an infamous heist pulled off by the Hole-in-the-Wall gang in 1899 at a remote area in Wyoming. According to William Simpson, grandfather of Senator Al Simpson, Tom Skinner put some of the Wilcox loot in his safe. This included burnt bank notes, coins and gold watches that Simpson said he saw for himself.
Tom Skinner’s aptly named Hole-in-the-Wall Saloon was known by everyone in Thermopolis to be as safe as any bank and it was common practice to keep other people’s currency in his safe. Other more questionable items, such as jewelry, went into the safe at his house according to rumors of the day. The town folk also believed that Skinner would then take trips to Denver to fence these items! And that might have included loot from the Wilcox train robbery.
This extra money he made from the outlaws could help explain why a poor cowboy quickly grew rich in Thermopolis and was able to afford the fancy safe and bar on display at the museum today!
