Who is Edward Pierce from The Great Train Robbery and what is their importance?

Edward Pierce is the mastermind behind the Great Train Robbery. His past is a mystery. Pierce puts together a team for the robbery, and he arranges all the details. He locates the keys and helps Agar gain access to each one, so he can make copies. Pierce also risks his own life, crawling over the outside of the moving train to unlock the van where the gold is kept, so Agar can throw the gold overboard to Pierce's waiting chauffeur.

In the end, Pierce is arrested because Agar's girlfriend exposes their crime. He is interrogated, put on trial, and soon escapes..... no one ever learns what happened to the gold.