Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/illustratedlives01dacu — 'i - (< ■ f* .***'««• '' !Lo S Y tf ^ ■■/.^■^ C OrCT^iy & -ft*"- j i off**-*." I^w, r ■ uU-T'&ne-*-- : -. S a ~ lC / u^c hd ' r 1 / > / • ' ■»■ / /. 'I’o^.U'^sr * w? '.^ "7 ", 7 7;IL dteM. cM -*-x / > . . > . .4. 1 .• / - , i / 7 ,- 7 _tj; 4 ui a a ,, , , / f / / '■'/ /■ ■'-<' i- i . . / r; f'l • / J C Cv <&• J * < //. 4 - S f'l j / -- ' .' i ■ -, f\*l~L-'-' i w /■- '. . . ' / r ■ . L . : ‘ . -7. * ft. ’ ’- •• ' / 4 ;'-• J /•-•• 'X G^J (x yf i 7 ./^,;-L 4 • / r 'Gi / C L f \4 > i ILLUSTRATED LIVES AND ADVENTURES OF YOUNGER BROTHERS, * THE NOTED WESTERN OUTLAWS. BY Hon. J. A. DACUS, Ph. D., Author of “Idlewild,” “The Great Strikes,” “Battling- with the Demon,’’ “Guide to Success,” &c., formerly of the Editorial Staff of the “St. Louis Republican,” and Member of the Missouri Legislature. “Strange murmurs fill my tingling ears, Bristles my hair, my sinews quake, At this dread tale of reckless deeds.” Illustrated -with Portraits from Life and Numerous Engravings , Made Expressly for this Book. NEW EDITION. Enlarged and Improved, with History Complete to 1881. ST . LOUIS : N. D. THOMPSON & CO., Publishers, Nos. 520, 522 and 524 Pine Street. 1881. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by N. D. THOMPSON & CO., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. WESTERN ELECTROTYPE FOUNDRY, ST. LOU'S. JESSE JAMES AT LONG BRANCH. FROM A LATE PHOTOGRAPH. (Copyrighted.) i 4q,l«-qgl PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE TO THE NEW ELECTROTYPE EDITION. : o : The extraordinary demand for this history having worn out the original set of stereotype plates, within the first year of its issue, the publishers, at heavy outlay, have had the entire work reset and newly electrotyped. Ad- vantage has been taken of this opportunity to revise and bring the history down to date, and also to enlarge and greatly improve the work, as befits its character as the standard authority on this important and popular his- toric subject. Numerous carefully engraved portraits and views have been added, taken from life and actual photographs, which an intelligent public will at ' once recognize as vastly more valuable and instructive than the common cheap and flashy colored cuts can possibly be made. Authentic and carefully written biographies of the fa- mous Younger Brothers have also been added, forming the second part of the present volume. While by no means surprised, the publishers have been greatly gratified by the extraordinary manifestations of approval with which this work has been received, due, beyond doubt, to its accuracy and truthfulness, and the easy, picturesque style in which it is written. These characteristics will be looked for in vain in any of the feeble yet pretentious imitations which the wonderful success of our canvassers has called into life. The publishers are confident that, in its present shape, Mr. Dacus’ fascinating volume will prove more attractive and salable than ever. St. Louis, iSSi. PREFACE lo : The object of this volume is to present the history of Frank and Jesse James in a connected and authentic fprm. Few per- sons are aware of the immense labor and.difficuities attending such a task, and which are made the secret excuse for those highly imaginative (and even fabricated) accounts with which the public have been repeatedly imposed upon. Convinced, through his experience as an editorial writer for the St. Louis press, of the wide-spread and. intense interest attaching to this subject, the author began collecting data three years ago, and has, since then, amassed, collated and weighed a mass of mate- rial which it is hardly an exaggeration to call enormous. Original sources of information have been the author’s princi- pal and most trusted guide. Visits of length to the home and neighborhood of Mrs. Samuel, the. mother of Frank and Jesse James, in Clay county, Missouri, have been especially fruitful in this respect, enabling him to establish many otherwise doubtful points, to clear up seeming mysteries, and settle numerous con- troversies of more or less moment. The information gathered during these visits, the author regards as by far the most valuable which he obtained. It is interwoven into almost every chapter of this book. It is a strange commentary upon the boasted power of the law that the raids and reprisals of Frank and Jesse James have gone on for twenty years, upon a scale of startling magnitude and boldness. They have been hunted, at different times, by thou- sands of armed men, stimulated by desperate energy and the promise of large rewards. These rewards aggregate no less than $75,000. They were offered in vain. The outlaws are still at large. The remarkable career of Frank and Jesse James has been the outgrowth of circumstances which constitute, when taken to- gether, the most important chapter in American history. Of that history it is, in fact, a significant part; and it is, besides, a striking illustration of one phase of American life. Recognizing the propriety of the demand that it be put on record with accu- racy, fullness and candor, the author has conscientiously en- deavored to present the facts as they actually occurred. Con- clusions are inevitable and necessary, but it seems the wiser course to leave them for the reader to draw for himself. St. Louis, 1S80. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, TA.OB. Frank and Jesse James. ..... Frontispiece. •Jesse JJames at Long Branch, - 1 Frank James, at the Age of Sixteen, 11 Jesse James, at the Age of Fourteen, - - - - - 11 Frank James, at the Close of the War, .... 12 Jesse James, at the Close of the War, - .... 12 Mrs. Zerelda Samuel, ....... 1® Br. Reuben Samuel, ....... 17 Mrs. Susan L. Parmei’, ...... 23 The Boys with their New Shot Guns, ..... 28 The Moonlight Conference, - - - - • - 36 Alter Lawrence, -------- 42 Frank James Spares a Life, ...... 50 A Narrow Escape, - ----- 58 'The Home of Farmer Banes, ..... -58 The Headquarters on the Blackwater, - - - 61 Jesse James’ Escape from Pin Indians, - - - - 68 Killing of Citizen Harkness, ------ 67 Quantr ell’s Last Fight, ...... 72 Death of Oil Shepherd, ------ 97 Fight in a Gamblers’ Den, - - - - - - 108 Nearing Gadshill, -------- 170 Whicker Meets his Fate, ...... 189 Night Attack on the Samuels Residence, - - - 197 Death of Farmer Askew, ....... 214 Pursuit by U. S. Soldiers After the Muncie Robbery, - - 219 A Narrow Escape — After the Huntington Robbery, - - 224 Home and Girlhood of Annie Ralston, .... 243 Place of last Conference before Northfield .... 272 Clell Miller, (Corpse, before embalming) .... 278 Charlie Pitts, “ “ “ .... 278 Bill Chadwel), “ “ “ - 278 Frank James’ Escape from Seven Pursuers, • - - 287 Fight with Mexicans at Monelova, ..... 314 An Alarmed Cattle Boy, - - - . - . -319 After the “Greasers,” - - - - - - - 323 The Home of Frank James, in Texas, ..... 349 Burning the Tate House, at Santa Fe, .... 376 Geo. W. Shepherd, -------- 380 Allen Parmer, ........ 392 Henry W. Younger, • ...... 404 Mrs. H. W. Younger, - - - - - - 405 Cole Younger, ........ 406 Bob Younger, - .... . 406 Jim Younger, ........ 407 Schoolboy Days and Country Home of the Younger Brothers, 411 The Outlaws Safe in their Backwoods Retreat, enjoying themselves, 429 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. — The James Family. — The Rev. Robert James — His marriage — Removal to Missouri — His death in California, .... CHAPTER II.— Frank and Jesse. — Their childhood and youth — They desire fire-arms — Youthful Nim- rods — Pistol practice, .... CHAPTER III. — In the Guerrilla Camp. — Frank joins Quantrell — Outrage on Dr. Samuels and Jesse — Mrs. Samuels and daughter, Susie James, arrested — Jesse as a courier for the Guerrillas, CHAPTER IV. — Bloody War. — The hatreds of the bor- der people — The Partisan Rangers — Frankjames asa scout — Fight at Plattsburg, CHAPTER V. — At the Sack of Lawrence, Kansas. — The black flag unfurled — The Guerrillas mass their forces — The march to Lawrence — Capture of the town — Frank and Jesse participate, ... CHAPTER VI. — A Gory Record. — The cruel strife of the border — Death in the thickets — Quantrell and his followers, ..... CHAPTER VII. — Adventures in Separate Fields. — Frank J amesfollows Quantrell into Kentucky — Fierce partisan contests — Death of Quantrell — Jesse follows George Shepherd to Texas — The last fight of' the war — Jesse wounded, .... CHAPTER VIII. -The Brandenburg Tragedy.— Frank James followed by four men — They attempt to arrest him — Terrible fight — Frank wounded in the left hip — Concealed by friends, ... CHAPTER IX. — The Liberty Bank Affair. — A great robbery — St. Valentine’s day, and the prize drawn by bold marauders-The James Boys accused of the crime, CHAPTER X. — Jesse’s Sortie against the Militia- men. — Attacked at night — The family council of war — Jesse desires to look out on the cold moonlight scene — Throws the door open and fires upon the mili- tiamen — Three corpses on the crisp snow, CHAPTER XI. — In the Hands of Friends. — Jesse goes to Kentucky — Among his relatives and Friends — Placed under the care of Dr. Paul F. Eve — A good time ------- 13-20 21-29 30-33 34-39 40-44 45-63 64-73 74-78 79-81 S2-85 86-89 6 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. — The Russellville Bank Robbery. — A large haul — The fames Boys connected with the robbery — They ride away on George Shepherd’s horses — Shepherd arrested and imprisoned— Death of Oil Shepherd — Persistent pursuit of the robbers — The Jameses escape, ..... 90-98 CHAPTER XIII.— On the Pacific Slope. — JesseJames sails for California — At Paso Robel — Frank goes West— On the Laponsu ranch — Adventures in Neva- da — A dark Seance — The Boys return to the East, 99-110 CHAPTER X T V — Were They Driven to Outlawry? — The peculiar circumstancessurroundingthe Jameses — -Social and political ostracism — -The vigilance com- mittees — Not allowed to remain at peace in their own home — They go forth as enemies of society, m-115 CHAPTER XV. — The Gallatin Bank Tragedy. — Strange men in Gallatin — They call upon the Cash- ier — Captain john W. Sheets shot by Jesse James — Pursuit of the man-slayers — The escape of the rob- bers, ...... 116-120 CHAPTER XVI. — Attempts to Arrest the Boys. — The People aroused— Detectives on the trail of the Boys — Thair neighbors arrayed against them — Cap- tain Thomason expresses himself — He is interviewed by Mrs. Samuels — Failure of all efforts to arrest them, ...... 121-123 CHAPTER XVII.— Outrage at Columbia, Kentucky. — The citizens of Adair county, Kentucky, startled — - Bold daylight robbery of the bank at Columbia — Murder of the cashier, Mr. Martin — Chasing the rob- bers — The marauders escape, ... 124-129 CHAPTER XVIII. — Out of Exile. — Domestic and social relations of the Boys — Their visits to the cities — The theaters and concert stage— Life in hotels — How the Jameses pla}' the part of gentlemen, 130-138 CHAPTER XIX. — The Corydon Raid. — The robbers pay a visit to Iowa — Their sudden appearance at Corydon — They secure a large sum of money and ride away — Hot pursuit by Iowa officers — Jesse as a rustic, ...... 139-141 CHAPTER XX — The Cash Box of the Fair. — Frank and Jesse at Kansas City— The gate money seized and carried away — The pool cashier interviewed by Frank. ...... 142-146 CAPTER XXI. — Ste. Genevieve. — The cashier of the bank at Ste. Genevieve surprised— Narrow escape of young Rozier — The bank plundered by the raiders — Escape of the robbers, .... 147-153 CONTENTS. 7 CHAPTER XXII. — A Railway Train Robbed in Iowa. — A night vigil — On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- cific railway line — A locomotive ditched and a fire- man killed — A successful raid, - - - 154-159 CHAPTER XXIII. — The Gaines’ Place Stage Rob- bery. — How the invalids en route to Hot Springs were plundered on the Malvern road — Scenesand in- cidents of the robbery — Grim jokes at the expense of the passengers, ------- 160-167 CHAPTERXXIV. — Gadshill. — A startling sensation. — The robbers at the lonely wayside station — The pas- sengers made prisoners and robbed, ... 168-174 CHAPTER XXV. — After Gadshill. — Pursuit of the robbers — Trailed through southern Missouri to St. Clair county— Diversions in Bentonville, Arkansas — The campaign leads to a tragedy, - 175-181 CHAPTER XXVI.— Whicher’s Ride to Death.— The brave detective caught in a trap— Jim Latche’s ob- servations in Liberty — The use he made of his knowl- edge — The last night ride — Whicher shot, - 182-191 CHAPTER XXVII. — A Night Raid of Detectives. — Attempt to avenge Whicher’s death — Preparing a trap to catch Frank and Jesse at the Samuels place — Fire-balls and bomb-shells — A terrible scene — Death of a boy and wounding of Mrs. Samuels, - I92-199 CHAPTER XXVIII. — Proposed Amnesty.— Movement in the Legislature — Gen. Jbnes’ amnesty bill— Jesse quietly awaits the turn of events — Failure of the bill to pass in the Legislature — Taking vengeance, 200-204 CHAPTERXXIX. — San Antonio-Austin Stage Plun- dered. — Bandits on the prairies — Strange horsemen at eventide — The stage halted — The passengers plun- dered, ...... 205-210 CHAPTER XXX — Farmer Askew’s Fate. — The house of Askew — The farmer incurs the hatred of thejames Boys — Vengeance threatened — Assassinated while standing on his porch — Jesse and Frank believed to be the guilty parties, .... 211-216 CHAPTER XXXI. — Gold Dust — The Muncie Busi- ness. — Lying in wait — The evening train bound from the miningregions-Golden galore — The train stopped by masked men, and the express car plundered, 217-220 CHAPTER XXXII. — Huntington, West Virginia. Bank Robbery. — A band of robbers in the streets — The people alarmed— Demand upon Mr. Oney — The robbers make off with the bank’s funds — Capture of Jack Kean, and death of McDaniels — The handiwork of the Jameses shown, ' - - - - 221-326 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXIII. — Jesse’s Wooing and Wedding. — Courting under difficulties — A fair cousin — She ad- mires the outlaw — The courtship continues, and Jesse takes his cousin as his bride, - 227-233 CHAPTER XXXIV. — A Dream of Love. — Frank James cherishes tender sentiments and goes a-wooing — A fair girl, beautiful and accomplished — Frank’s suit encouraged, .... - 234-238 CHAPTER XXXV. — Fair Annie Ralston, the Out- law’s Bride. — How Annie Ralston carried off the honors of her class at college — A belle in society — Her admiration for Frankjames — She quietly collects Uereffects, and leaves her home to share her fate with Frank, ...... 239-245 CHAPTER XXXVI. — A Seventeen Thousand Dollar Haul. — The train robbery at Otterville — The Young- ers and the Jameses — Frankjames the planner — How the train was halted — Capture of Hobbs Kerry — He gives away the gang — The escape, - - 246-257 CHAPTER XXXVII. — In Minnesota.— The bandits seek a new field — Frankjames and the Younger Brothers — Bill Chadwell, Miller and Pitts — The long ride, 258-266 CHAPTER XXXVIII. — The Attack at Northfield — Haywood’s Death. — -The raid on the bank — The cashier shot — Bill Chadwell killed in the street — The citizens come to the rescue — Fusilades in the town — The bandits forced to go out in quick time — A hot pursuit — Capture of the Youngers, - - 267-280 CHAPTER XXXIX. — Escape of Frank and Jesse James. — The terrible retreat — Worn out, and yet no chance for rest — A remarkable escape — They disap- pear from the very midst of those who are hunting them — How they went away, ... 281-288 CHAPTER XL. — A Visit to Carmen. — Frank and Jesse go into Mexico — They rest at Carmen, in Chihuahua — The silver conducta — They join the Mexican party — Capture of the treasure bags of the Mexicans, 289-297 CHAPTER XLI. — TheRobbers and their Friends. — The various classes of people who exhibit friendship for the Jameses— Some are bad men, who gather about them because they are brave — Social peculi- arities, ...... 298-305 CHAPTER XLII. — Excursions into Mexico. — Wild adventures beyond the border — Chasing Mexican cattle thieves — A serious time at Monclova — Frank and Jesse escape, .... 306-315 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XLIII. — Death to Border Brigands. — Frank and Jesse pay their respects to Palacio’s band — The raiders of the border punished by the American outlaws — A pleasant meeting with troops, - 316-339 CHAPTER XLIV. — The Union Pacific Express Rob- bery.— The Big Springs venture — The persons who engaged in it— Large amount of gold coin taken — Pursuit of the robbers — Death of Collins at Buffalo, Kansas — Jim Berry trailed to Missouri — Shot by the sheriff of Audrain county, ... 330-341 CHAPTER XLV. — A Visit to the Home of Frank James. — A Georgian’s experience with the great out- laws — The home life of Frank, - - 342-352 CHAPTER XLVI. — Epistles of Jesse James. — H ow Jesse takes his own partwithapen — Some terse speci- mens of Jesse’s style, .... 353-360 CHAPTER XLVII. — Glendale. — T he last great train robbery — A night ride to a lonely wayside station — How the robbery was effected, - - 361-369 CHAPTER XL VIII. — Hunting Clues. — M arshal Lig- gett — His efforts to hunt down the robbers — Jesse James once more to the front, ... 370-372 CHAPTER XLIX. George W. Shepherd. — T he childhood and youth of Shepherd — His adventures in Utah— Enters the Confederate service — Joins Quan- trell’s band — Gets into trouble with the gang at the time of Russellville — Becomes inimical to the Jameses — Engages with Marshal Liggett — Join6 the band — The Short Greek fight, ... 373-383 CHAPTER L. — Pursuit of the Glendale Robbers. — Shepherd goes south with the gang — He plans an am- buscade — Failure of his plan — The robbers suspicious of Shepherd — The fight in the forest, - - 384-390 CHAPTER LI. — Allen Parmer. — B ecomes a member of Quantrell’s band — Takes part in the sack of Law- rence — With Quantrell in Kentucky — Marries Jesse James’ sister — Accused of complicity with the Glen- dale robbers, ..... 391-395 CHAPTER LII.— Jesse James still a Free Rover. — The sequel to the fight with Shepherd — Jesse and his wife visit relatives and friends in Kentucky — An un- successful attempt to capture the outlaw, - 396-399 10 CONTENTS. THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. CHAPTER I. — The Younger Family. — The political career of Henry VV. Younger — Murder of Mr. Younger by Jayhawkers — Brutal treatment of the daughters — Social rivalries — Cole Younger driven from home by the militiamen, ..... 403-415 CHAPTER II. — With Quantrell.- — A highly interest- ing letter from Cole Younger — He denounces the “black oath” as a fraud — His first fight — Burning of Major Tate’s house — Cole’s plan for getting out of a bad scrape. ..... 416-423 CHAPTER III. — The Guerrillas Disband. — The Younger Brothers return to the family homestead — Cruel treatment of the Youngers by the Vigilance Committees — Serious termination of a bar-room frolic — John Younger loses his life with Pinkerton’s detectives, ..... 424-432 CHAPTER IV. — Northfield and Stillwater. — The Youngers abandon their trip to Texas, and join in the fatal raid on Northfield — Jesse James’ proposition to end Jim Younger’s suffering — Capture, trial and sentence of the Youngers — Col. Gaston visits the bandits at Stillwater, .... 433-442 JESSE JAMES, at the Age of Fourteen. (From a Photograph.) II u Frank James. Jesse James. Engraved from Photographs taken about the close of the war. LIVES AND ADVENTURES OF FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. CHAPTER I. THE JAMES FAMILY. — The Rev. Robert James — His marriage — Removal to Missouri — His death in California. “He was a godly man, Gentle and loving. He sought to save From mortal shame and eternal death, Forms laid in the silence of the grave.” The Rev. Robert James, the father of Frank and Jesse, was a native of Kentucky. His parents were quiet, respectable people, belonging to the middle class of society. Their desire was to raise up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Being themselves persons of intelligence and culture, far above the average of their neighbors in those days, the parents of Rev. Robert James re- solved to give him as good an education as the facil- ities accessible to them would permit. Accordingly, Robert was early placed in a neighboring school, and made such progress as to gladden the hearts of his parents, and call forth auguries of future dis- tinction from the friends and neighbors of the family. Robert James was a moral, studious youth, much 2 14 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. given to reflection on subjects of a religious charac- ter. Before he had attained his eighteenth year, he had made an open profession of faith in the Chris- tian religion, and united himself with a Baptist church, of which his parents were members. After passing through the various grades of an academic course, young James entered as a student of George- town College, Kentucky. Resolving to follow the profession of a minister, he commenced the study of Theology, was licensed to preach, and began his ministry in his twentieth year. Even then he was regarded as a youth of decided culture and more than ordinary ability. While yet a young man, Rev. Mr. James decided to remove to the then new State of Missouri. He settled on a farm in Clay county, and commenced in earnest the .onerous duties of a pioneer preacher. His labors were not unrewarded. He soon had the satisfaction of garnering the harvest of his sowing. A congregation was gathered and a church organ- ized in Clay county, called New Hope, which is still in existence. For some years the Rev. Mr. James ministered to the people who had been gathered by his exertions, with great acceptance. Nor were his labors confined to the spiritual welfare of the people of New Hope. He visited many distant churches, and preached with great acceptance in many places. Old citizens of Clay county still entertain pleasant recollections of the earnest, God-fearing pastor, who went about only to do good, by cheering the THE JAMES FAMILY. 15 despondent, consoling the sorrowful, assisting the needy, upholding the weak, confirming the hesitat- ing, and pointing the way of salvation to the peni- tent. Everywhere, in that region of country; he was held in the very highest esteem. So the years of his early manhood passed away while he was ens'awed in the commendable effort to better the condition, by purifying the moral nature of his friends and neighbors. In 1850, following in the footsteps of hundreds of others, Rev. Robert James bade adieu to his family, friends and neighbors, and set out for “the golden land” of California, on a prospecting tour. We do not know what motives actuated him in making this move, nor is it pertinent to this relation. He went away, and was destined to return no more. Not long after his arrival in California, whither he had been preceded by a brother, Rev. Mr. James was stricken by a mortal disease which terminated his life in a short time. Far away from home, where the tall sequois rear their lofty branches above the plain, on a gentle slope which catches the last beams of the setting sun, the} 7 laid the minister to rest, in a soil unhallowed by the dust of kinsmen, in a grave unbedewed by the tears of loved ones left behind. When yet a young man, Rev. Mr. James was uni- ted in marriage to Miss Zerelda Cole, a native of Scott county, Kentucky. Mrs. James is a lady of great determination of mind, and a masculine force of character. Those who knew the couple in the MflLLoiO^ (Formerly Mrs. James,) Mother of Frank and Jesse James. From a Photograph, taken Expressly for this Work. 16 (Copyrighted.) Dr. REUBEN SAMUEL. Step-father of Frank and Jesse James. From a Photograph, taken Expressly for this Work. (Copyrighted.) 17 18 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. old days seem to think that the minister and his wife were unlike in tastes and temperament. He was gentle and amiable, while his Avife Avas strong in pas- sion, and of bitter, unrelenting temper when pro- voked — traits of character prominently developed in her sons, Frank and Jesse. With his domestic life, however, Ave have nothing to do, except in so far as the home influences thrown around his children gave direction to their character, and tinged their mental disposition. Whatever home-cares he might have had, the public has little cause to inquire now. He Avent doAvn to death with a stainless name long years before his sons entered upon a career of crime, and made their names a terror to those avIio care to obey the dictates of justice, love and mercy. Mrs. Zerelda James was left a Avidow, having the responsible charge of a family of four small children. She Av;ts not left unprovided for, as Mr. James Avas a prudent, careful man of business, and had already established a comfortable home. With that courage and determination Avhich is so prominently manifested in her character, Mrs. James commenced the bat- tle of life as the head of the family. With all the favoring circumstances, the task assumed by her Avas not a Tight one. But she Avas equal to the perform- ance of any required service. The years went by, and Frank and Jesse and their sisters were advancing toward manhood and woman- hood. The mother AA r as not neglectful of their men- tal training, and the children Avere very regular in THE JAIMES FAMILY. 19 their attendance at a neighboring district school. So passed away six years of Mrs. Zerelda James’ widowhood, and life became lonely ; the children were growing up, and her cares and responsibilities seemed to increase as they advanced in age and stature. Though not of a romantic disposition, the widow James was yet young enough in years and comely enough in person to attract to her side more than one substantial citizen on matrimony intent Among the number of those who sought to pro- duce a favorable impression on the widow’s suscept- ible heart, was Dr. Reuben Samuels, Avho, like her- self was a native of Kentucky. To him she was not indifferent. She listened to his plea, and in 1857 they were united in marriage, near Kearney, Clay county, Missouri. Dr. Samuels at once undertook to perform the duty of a parent toward he* children. Thus the career of the noted outlaws, the James Boys, was commenced, under auspices fully as favor- able as fell to the fortune of any of the boys*of their own age, in their country home. And so the years rolled on, and the boys were approaching the estate of manhood ; while fate was shaping them to perform a part in those troublous times , of which they dreamed not in the days of boyhood. One of the sisters of Frank and Jesse died just as she was approaching the estate of womanhood. She is represented as having been a beautiful and ami- able child, who was called away from the world while life was still beautiful and all the promises of the 20 FRANK AND .TElSSE JAMES. future bright. Miss Susan James was arrested with her mother in the early part of the war and confined in the jail at St. Joseph for several months. Afterward she went to Nebraska and remained there for more than a year. She married a gentleman named Parmer, several years ago, and with her husband, resided for a time in Sherman Texas. From that place she removed to Henriette, and was living there at the date of our last information. Mrs. Samuels had an eight year old son killed in January, 1875, when the detectives attacked the Samuels’ house. A daughter, a half sister of Frank and Jesse, remains unmarried, and resides with Dr. and Mrs. Samuels. CHAPTER II. FRANK AND JESSE. — Their childhood and youth — They desire fire-arms — Youthful Nimrods — Pistol practice. “There will be storms In causeless, strange abuse, and the strong breath Of busy mouths will blow upon our course. ■’ Or prophecy, many have a doubt. And yet there are prophecies from simple lips, and warnings from babes and sucklings, which if we could but inter- pret aright, might assist us to change the whole cur- rents of life in a fellow being. Deeper than fear or doubting men are thrown into the great vortex of the world’s thought and actions. What fortune or fate shall come to them, no one can tell. Every billow in that maelstrom seeks its own wild independence ; and the shores of that tumul- tuous deep — which we call human society — are strewn along with the dull wrecks of what were once glorious schemes — the bright day dreams — once borne buoyantly upon the topmost waves. These, and myriads of other schemes and hopes, are at last • remanded to lie under the dark waters of the Sea of Fate, hidden so completely that no thought of man shall ever again recall them to memory. It is perhaps best so. It would be equivalent to the expulsion of all the joys of life to have opened before us the book of the future, wherein is recorded 21 i 22 FRANK AND .JESSE JAMES. the deeds which must be performed, and the sorrows which shall fall, dark and impenetrable — extinguish- ing every scintillation of joyous hope. It was best for Robert James, the minister, that he was called home before the shadows fell, before the prophet’s voice gave warning of the things which should come to pass. It was well he was spared the revelation, so that when the summons came, in peace he drew around him the drapery of his couch, and while the brilliant sun of an undimmed faith shone full upon him, he laid aside the load of life, and went into the presence of the Deity, satisfied with a career which had more of love toward man- kind than displeasure at the conduct of the world. When their father was laid away in a far-off grave, Frank was but a “wee boy,” and Jesse still an infant. From him they had received few lessons to guide them through the thorny ways of life. Their widowed mother became their counsellor and teacher. From her they had inherited their most pronounced traits of character — strong-willed, cour- ageous, self-assertive, and unrelenting toward those who had given cause of offense. Those who knew them during the days of their childhood and youth, differ widely in opinion con- cerning the character of the promise they gave of their future course in life. Some say they were “ nice, well behaved boys,” others that “ they were about like other boys,” and yet another class say that they were “ bad boys, very bad boys from the Mrs. SUSAN L. PARMER. (Formerly Susie James.) From a Photograph, taken Expressly for this Work. (Copyrighted,.) *3 24 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. beginning. ’ ’ There is no doubt that they were some- times “a little wild,” as their best friends admit. We have accounts of some of their childish actions which indicate that even in early life they manifested a decided inclination to be malicious, not to say heartless and cruel . The step-father of the bo} ? s seems to be a man of amiable disposition, and his government over the children was far from being after the order of the traditional step-father. The consequence was Frank and Jesse advanced to the years of maturity with- out any of those healthful, restraining influences which moralists assure us are essential to the proper development of the higher qualities of manhood. Be that as it may, we have been assured by persons of the highest respectability, who were acquainted with them long before the commencement of the war between the States, that “they, were their own masters” at a very early age, save only when their strong-willed mother asserted her prerogative to dominate over them, which, by the way, she seldom did. Among the boys of the neighborhood they were not without friends. But among them, they were leaders. Aside from a willingness on the part of other boys to accept such leadership, the Jameses were exceedingly disagreeable, and generally at- tempted to enforce a due recognition of their superiority. Such were the great outlaws as boys. It is related of them, that when Frank was thir- teen, and Jesse eleven years of age respectively, FRANK AND JESSE. 25 they met a boy with whom at some previous time they had engaged in a childish wrangle. The lad who had incurred their ill-will was thirteen years old, well developed, and possessed of courage and deter- mination. But he was not able to engage success- fully in a contest with the brothers. It was in the spring time. The streams were full and deep. The boys met in a large forest. The Jameses attacked their neighbor, and succeeded in administering to him a severe beating. Not content Avith this, they procured thongs of tough bark, bound their victim securely and threw him into a deep pool in a neigh- boring stream. Several times was this ducking pro- cess repeated, to the great terror of the boy, and the infinite satisfaction of his tormentors. After satiat- ing their vengeance in this Avay, until thoroughly wearied, the young tyrants drew him out and tied him securely to a tree in the midst of the gloomy forest. It Avas in the morning when they left him there, and he was not released until nearly dusk, Avhen a neighbor, who was out in pursuit of squirrels, heard his cries and Avent to his assistance. The boy had suffered so much, that he Avas thrown into a fever, from which he did not recover in many weeks. These boys were the predecessors of the guerrillas and the outlaAvs. It was an early ambition of Frank and Jesse to have and use fire-arms. Dr. Samuels presented each of them with a small double-barrel shot-gun, and the accompanying accoutrements of the sportsman. The \ The Boys with their New Shot Guns. 26 FRANK AND JESSE. 27 day the gift was received was a proud and happy one to the boys. They soon learned to use them, and in a brief time they were expert shots, and many feathered songsters ceased to sing forever before their unerring aim. Rabbits, squirrels, and other small game were their prey. But shot-guns lost their novelty after awhile, and they yearned for pistols. They had read or heard of the skill of the adventurers away out on the bor- ders, and they dreamed of rivaling them some day. At last by dint of self-denial and persistent saving, Frank and Jesse were made glad by an opportunity which was offered to procure pistols, on the occasion of a visit to St. Joseph, which they were permitted to make in company with Dr. and Mrs. Samuels. We may safely conclude that the pistols were not of the pattern which the outlaws of the present day most esteem. But they had pistols, and the neigh- bors in the vicinity of the Samuels’ residence very speedily became painfully aware of the fact, by the perpetual reports of their weapons while they were out “at practice,” which was nearly every hour of daylight. This constant practice gave them profi- ciency in the use of such weapons, and long before they had arrived at manhood’s estate they were mas- ters of the art of pistol shooting. They became noted throughout the neighborhood for their skill. So accurate had become their aim that they would measure a distance of fifteen paces from a tree standing in an open space, and commence Girdling a Tree. FRANK AND JESSE. 29 walking around it, firing glancing shots as they walked, and so continuing until they had completely girdled the tree. Later in life they acquired such skill that they would ride at a full gallop around a circle, with a tree in its centre, at a distance of sev- enty-fire paces, firing as they rode,, and entirely gir- dle the tree with revolver bullets, never losing a sin- gle shot. Thus Frank and Jesse had become mas- ters of an art which rendered them dangerous foes O when the days of turmoil came. So the years passed away, and the lads had al- ready grown to be tall and shapely, when the tocsin of civil war rang throughout the land. They were not then old enough to enter at once upon the du- nes incumbent upon soldiers. But they were grow- ing apace, and the days of strife and bloodshed were not destined to pass away ere they grew strong enough to ride with the strongest, and bold enough to face danger with the most daring. We may well suppose that all their dreams at that momentous period were of war, bloodshed, and all the concomitant horrors of warfare. The shadow of Destiny had fallen athwart their pathway when the first gun was fired — the pandemonium of passion, still dormant in their breasts, was ready to be kin- dled in all its baleful fury. n CHAPTER III. IN THE GUERRILLA CAMP— Frank joins Quan- trell — Outrage on Dr. Samuels and Jesse — Mrs. Samuels and daughter, Susie James, arrested — Jesse as a courier for the Guerrillas. “Woe, ah, hitter woe 1 The suffering mother and the moaning baoe, The aged feeling in their veins the blood Chilling forever.” At last the war-cloud, which had been hovering for months over our fair land, burst with a fury that was appalling. Cheeks were blanched and hearts were made tremulous in agony. Missouri was des- tined to realize a season of despair, such as has fallen upon few people in modern times. It was neighbor against neighbor, kinsman against kinsman, brother against brother, and vengeful hate burning up all that was merciful and good iu human nature. The night of woe had descended. The appearance of the renowned Guerrilla chief- tain, Quantrell, on the border ; the stories which were circulated concerning his achievements ; the feverish state of the public mind, and the circum- stances in which the people of this State were in- volved, all contributed to exert a large influence over the minds of the youths and young men just coming upon the stage of life in the Western coun- ties. - Cole Younger, who had not then been re^ garded as “ a wild lad,” equally with Frank James, 30 IN THE GUERRILLA CAMP. 31 who had been so regarded, was attracted to the standard of the daring Guerrilla. In the vortex of passion which whirled through the land, all principles, love, justice, mercy and hope were swallowed up. Men were transformed by the baleful influence. Previous to the departure of Frank James for Quantrell’s camp, there is no evidence that Dr. or Mrs. Samuels had been mistreated or in any way in- sulted by the Federal militia. The Samuels family were intensely attached to the Southern cause, and the very appearance of soldiers in the blue uniform of the United States was not a little galling to the sectional pride and native passion of Mrs. Samuels, who did not hesitate at any time to abuse the cause which they represented. In this pleasant pastime she was always emphatic and unamiable in expres- sion. It was early in 1862 that Frank James bid adieu to all peaceful pursuits, and rode away in the dim twilight hour to seek the camp of the Guerrilla Chief- tain. He had made a start toward becoming an outlaw. It was in the spring-time. Frank was away with Quantrell’s reckless band, and Jesse, who had attained the age of sixteen years, was ploughing in a field on the Samuels estate, near Kearney, when on a bright day a band of F ederal militia approached the homestead. They first encountered Dr. Sam- uels, and him they laid violent hands upon, bore him away to a convenient tree, adjusted a rope about his neck and hanged him to a projecting branch until 32 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. life was almost extinct, and so they left him for oth- ers to relieve. Not content with this exhibition of prowess, the valiant warriors proceeded to the field where Jesse followed his plough, and laid hold upon him, and placed a rope around liis neck and told him his hour had come, and while they tormented him in this manner, some of them pricked his body with their bayonet-points or their sabres. The reason as- signed by the militiamen for this exhibition of vio- lence, was that Jesse James was accustomed to vide fast and far when the shades of night fell upon the earth, to convey intelligence to the Guerrilla Chief- tain of the movements of the militia. When they had chastised him, and warned him that if he rode any more to carry the news they would kill him, they let him go his way. But Jesse James was not to be intimidated. He rode again and again to the hidden camp. His bad passions were aroused. The boy had become a sav- age. That same week the militia made a descent upon the farm-house of Dr. Samuels, and finding Mrs. Sam- uels and her daughter, Miss Susie Janies, at home, they were placed under arrest and conveyed to the jail at St. Joseph, at that time a place reeking in filth, where they were detained for a number of weeks, all the while subjected to the coarse jests and cruel jeers of the unfeeling guards. This last act on the part of the Federal militia determined the fu- ture course of Jesse James. While his mother and sister languished in jail, Jesse mounted a horse, fleet IN THE GUERRILLA CAMP. 33 of foot, and rode away, nor did he stop until he drew rein in Quantrell’s camp. At this time he was described as not yet sixteen years of age, with a smooth, handsome face, with deep blue eyes, and a complexion as soft, as delicate and as fair as a school girl’s. But even then the bright blue eyes were never at rest, and about the mouth Avere the lines of strong determination, and a certain expression of counte- nance that indicated cool courage . He , perhaps , had the susceptibility of being merciful, but his mercy Avas a mere whim — a passing fancy and not a quality. Frank and Jesse had both entered upon their ca- reer — a course in life destined to blight all that was noble, or susceptible of becoming noble and grand in character. The old life, with all its promise, and all its dreams and hopes, was past. Henceforth a new life, fraught with danger and sufferings, and crimes which should make their very names a terror, was to animate them. The hard lines were drawn, and the men aa t 1io might have served Avell the inter- ests of a peaceful society, had more favorable cir- cumstances surrounded them, cast loose all the re- straints of civilized life, and in a day, as it A\ r ere, re- turned to that condition of savage existence from Avhich the race had been raised by ages of struggle. They were not long in proving to their comrades that they Avere worthy to be numbered among their desperate "ranks. Their efficiency as daring and dangerous partisans was soon made manifest. CHAPTER IV. BLOODY WAR.— The hatreds of the border people — The Partisan Rangers — Frank James as a scout — Fight at Plattsburg. “ The presence of soldiers is a wicked thing, Bounded in time and circumscribed in space.” The presence of armed men wearing the blue uni- form of the Federal army in the counties of Platte, Clinton and Clay, Missouri, was commiugled gall and worm-wood to the souls of that portion of the population which was devoted to the Southern cause. These constituted probably more than two- thirds of the inhabitants. The passions of the peo- ple on both sides were at a white heat. Neighbor was contending with neighbor, and friends were ready to strike down the friends who opposed, and old associates divided by politics, had become the bitterest of foes. Anarchy prevailed. Society was rent into fragments and the law of hate was trium- phant. Frank and Jesse James were with QuantrelPs band, and were selected to go upon an expedition with a scout under Captain Scott, to the north side of the Missouri river. The town of Richfield was garrisoned by a company of some thirty men under command of a Captain Sessions, of the Federal State militia. Scott’s command consisted of only 34 BLOODY AVAR. 35 twelve. Yet with this feeble force he determined to attack Richfield. Frank James was one of the men appointed to lead the attacking party. A desperate fight ensued. Captain Sessions and Lieut. Graffen- stien, of the Federal garrison, were killed at the first fire. The Guerrillas gained a complete triumph. Ten of the militiamen were killed, while Scott did not lose a man. The survivors of the fray surren- dered to the partisan, Captain Scott, and he paroled them. After the morning fight, Scott moved about twenty miles that day to the house of one Pat McGinnis, in Clay county. It was made the duty of Frank James to scout through the country that night, and he rode away from the camp of the partisan in the black night — rode straightway to the home of his mother. That lady was at home. She had been collecting information for the use of the Guerrillas, and was pleased to see her son. To him she opened her budget of intelligence. The movement of Scott on Richfield had startled the Federal militia. The small bands were rapidly concentrating, and were strengthening their position every day. Plattsburg, the county seat of Clinton, had been stripped of its garrison, winch had. been sent out to hunt for the bold raiders, and was at that very time defenseless. Such was the character of the information gathered by Mrs. Samuels, and imparted to her son, who, in company with a comrade, Mr. Fletcher Taylor, rode Ob FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. hastily back to Scott's camp to report the character of the information which he had gained. On receiving the information, Scott resolved to make an attempt upon Plattsburg. During the sue- The Moonlight Conference. ceeding day it was ascertained that Captain Rodgers had left Plattsburg to make an effort to discover and capture Scott, taking with him most of the garrison. In the first watch of the second night after the affair BLOODY WAK. 37 at Richfield, Scott’s little band silently deserted their camp and rode rapidly toward Plattsburg. Two o’clock in the morning found them within four miles of that place, on Smith’s fork of Grand river. Here they halted and slept until daylight. They were in a deep forest, and quite secure from observa- tion. Until three o’clock in the evening they re- mained quiet , feeding their horses and resting. Then the scouts brought intelligence concerning the situa- tionatthe town, and the Guerrillas, mounting, set out to capture it. There were a few men left as a guard at the Court-house, under the command of a Lieu- tenant. The officer had been out of town when the Guerrillas charged into the public square. Before he could rejoin his men he was cut off by Frank James, to whom he was compelled to yield himself a pris- oner. James at once conducted his captive into the presence of Captain Scott. The militia in the Court-house, though taken by surprise, were not dis- posed to yield without a struggle. At the time the Lieutenant was brought before Scott, they were pouring a severe fire among the Guerrillas, and the issue was in doubt. Pointing to his prisoner, Frank said, “Captain, shoot that man, unless he delivers up the Court-house.” “ That I will !” responded Scott , with a terrible oath as he drew his pistol . The officer besought his men to yield, which under the circumstances they consented to do. Two hundred muskets were captured and destroy- ed, and $12,000 in “ Union Defence Warrants,” of 38 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the State of Missouri were seized and appropriated. The spoils of victory were divided among' the hand. Frank’s share was $1,000. It was his first taste of gain through violent appropriation — an initiative les- son, so to speak. He lias become a proficient since that time. The raiders, whose camps were usually to be found in forests , far away from the generally travel- ed highways, concluded to sup like civilized men that night, hence they ordered supper at the hotel, and had for their guest the late Federal commander of the post. Frank James is a silent man, having little to say, and that little is brought out in sharp, short sen- tences. He is not so tall as Jesse, nor so robust in form. He never laughs, and was never known to jest with his comrades. In the early days of the war he was beardless, and the outlines of his features were visible to all. His face is long, with a broad, square forehead, and a strong under jaw and heavy chin. His eyes are dark gray and are restless, and always have a wicked expression about them. In later years Frank James wears a full beard, and on that account is not so readily recognizable by those who knew him in the old days. Jesse James, as a youth, had a round jovial face, and rather a pleasant expression of countenance. Fie was then the reverse of taciturn ; had a merry laugh, and was “ a fellow of infinite jest ” among his comrades. In all his subsequent career he has been the Aaron to Frank. Jesse always does the talking BLOODY WAR. 39 jet, when they have occasion to communicate with strangers. In later years Jesse, too, has become re- served, not so taciturn as his brother, but still more silent than the average of men. Neither one of the brothers is given to boisterous merriment now-a- days, since life’s shadows have fallen so darkly around them. CHAPTER V. AT THE SACK OF LAWRENCE.— The black flag unfurled — The Guerrillas mass their forces — The march to Lawrence — Capture of the town — Frank and Jesse participate. “Wherefore this tangle of perplexities, The trouble or the joys? the weary maze Of narrow fears and hopes, that may not cease, A chill falls on us from the skyey ways, Black with the night-tide where is none to hear The ancient cry, the wherefore of our days.” The years come and go, and they give birth to bright and tender dreams, as well as to passions dark as Azrael’s wing, and fierce as flames of Tophet. Yes, the years give joy and peace to some, and hope buds, tts in the spring days the lilacs bloom. Yet time digs deep graves in which to bury our fondest hopes, and obliterates in indistinguishable night every earthly joy. It is better so. If we could draw aside the screen which hides from our ken the things of the future, who of us would enjoy the prospect ? There was a time, perhaps, when Frank and Jesse James would shudder at the thought that they should become not only soldier-slayers of men, but robbers and murderers as well. And yet they were drifting down a rapid tide toward the great black gulf of evil. A few months calls the leaves from their buds, and dresses the forest in green — a few months more and the leaves and flowers wither before the 40 , AT THE SACK OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS . 41 North wind’s breath and the beautiful flowers and the gay leaves become loathsome in decay. And so too, we imagine, are the changes of mind and the transformation of character. The James boys were in a school where the gentle law of mercy was never imparted ; in a school where the instruct- ors were incarnations of bitterness and hate, and every pupil devoted to the lessons they gave out. So the months rolled away, and it Was not long be- fore they could listen unmoved to the last sigh of the dying victim, and send a foe before the aim of their unerring bullets, to challenge the sentinels on the farther shore of the river of death without a thought or tremor of remorse. They were fit now to take part in the most sanguinary warfare ever waged in this country — the Guerrilla warfare along the border of Missouri. It was, therefore, without any twinges of con- science that they heard the proposition of the re- vengeful Quantrell, to capture and sack the city of Lawrence and massacre its male inhabitants. They were in the transforming stage, the full grown des- peradoes were just coming along the steps of time from the closet of the future. It was a night in August — the 16th — 1863, when the commander of the fiercest band of Guerrillas that ever marauded in the State of Missouri, gave the order, “Saddle up, men!” in his camp on the Blackwater, and unfurling that ominous black ban- ner with the single relief of the word “Quantrell” 42 After Lawrence. AT THE SACK OF LA WHENCE, KANSAS. 43 in white, the bush warriors rode west toward the Kansas border, intent upon a mission which could neither succeed nor suffer repulse without bringing sorrow to many hearts. On the way three peace- able citizens beyond the Aubrey, were pressed into service as guides to the bloody band. They forced these to lead them until they had reached a part of the country where their knowledge extended no further, and when they came to a grove of timber on the margin of a stream, the three poor, inoffens- ive men were remorselessly shot, Frank James being one of the executioners. They had set out to kill all Kansas men. On the morning of the 21st, it was as clear and bright a summer morning as ever gladdened the earth. Quantrell’s band was in full view of the il •- fated city. There was a charge, women's faces blanched, and shrieks rent the air. Volley after volley broke the stillness of the morning. The people saw the sombre black flag, and knew that the Guerril- las were upon them. On they came, a resistless tide. Men sank down without a groan. The very streets ran red in human blood. Women and child- ren, coming befoi e the fatal revolver bullets which streamed along the street, met their fate as they fled for the shelter of homes that were destined for the flames to feed upon. ' In this pandemonium of war- fiends, Frank and Jesse James were conspicuous act- ors, Here, there, everywhere, when opportunity offered, men either armed or unarmed and defenseless 44 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. were made victims of their skill as pistol shooters, and they felt no more regret than if they had been act- ing the part of honorable soldiers and chevaliers. The torch was applied, and the terrors of billowy flames were added to the horrors of the scene. How many houses they burned, and how many lives they destroyed that day, they themselves do not know ; of the first there were several, of the second there were many. They returned with Quantrell to Missouri. They had learned well. The lads who are claimed by their friends to have been gentle as cooing doves in the home nest had been singularly transformed into merciless eagles, or vindictive kites, rather. They had proved that human rights and human lives had little to call for their regard, and so the first stage of a notorious career had been attained by these brothers ere yet they had reached their majority. CHAPTER VI. A GORY RECORD. — The cruel strife of the border — Death in the thickets — Quantrell and his fol- lowers. “Oh, the dread of by-’gone days! — A fearful tale they tell, When rung the woodland echoes round To warlike shout and yell, When fiercely met the hostile bands, And deadly grew the strife, And wildly, with the clash of arms, , Went up the shriek for life. The cruel strife of the border can never be forgot- ten. Those were tragic days, the very remembrance of which comes like a dream of sorrow and desola- tion of soul. It is well that such terrible times have passed away, for to those who were exposed to the fury of that tidal- wave of passion, which swept over the fair border-land, physical existence must have been a wheel of pain. But the mighty procession of the ages, sweeping by, will soon obliterate the traces of the storm’s ravages, and only the dim legends of horrible deeds will remain. In that dreadful ebullition of human hatreds, Frank and Jesse James played no lagard’s part. As boys, they accepted service under Quantrell, and became renowned for caution and daring even in the days of their youth. Members of a partisan organ- ization, famed even in the early days of the strife 45 4 46 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. for daring deeds and extraordinary activity ; a band, every man of which was a desperado of great cun- ning and prowess, these two callow youths, taken from a country farm, speedily rose to the eminence of leading spirits among the most daring of men. Both sides in the border counties of Missouri and Kansas prosecuted war with a vindictive fury unpar- alleled in modern history. The scene of the opera- tions of the Guerrillas was at first confined to the limits of Clay, Platte, Jackson, Bates, Henry, John- son, and Lafayette counties, in Missouri, and along the Kansas border. These men rode far and fast in the night time, and fought their foes at early dawn. Living in out-of- the-way neighborhoods were their friends. When pressed hard they disbanded and scattered, and ren- dered all pursuit futile. Frank and Jesse James early discovered those traits of character which have rendered them famous as the greatest outlaws and free-booters of modern times. They became scouts and spies for Quantrel] at the beginning of their career, and showed them- selves possessors of remarkable capacity for such service. They were cool and brave, fertile in resour- ces, and marvelous in cunning. After Lawrence came the disbandment, and with the disbandment came that strange training in indi- vidual development and personal reliance which have made the Boys objects of fear to the people of many regions, and enabled them to plunder at will, A GORY RECORD. 47 baffle pursuit, and defy the civil authorities of great States for two and a half decades. They had hiding places with friends in Clay, Platte, Jackson, Johnson, Cass, and Lafayette coun- ties, and when the Guerrilla band to which they be- longed scattered in order to evade pursuers, the Boys retired to the dwellings of their friends and rested in peace till the time of reorganizing, when an enemy was to be punished. Perhaps no two individuals ever lived on this con- tinent who have taken so many lives, as the James Boys. Emerging from the seclusion which they could always find in the Hudspeth neighborhood, in the eastern part of Jackson county, in July, 1863, with Captain George Todd, a redoubtable Guerrilla chief- tain, with whose command Frank and Jesse often fought, they struck the road leading from Pleasant Hill to Blue Springs. Major Ransom, a Federal officer with a cavalry force was traveling that road at the time. A collision took place. The fighting was savage. The volleys of revolver bullets tired by the Guerrillas proved awfully destructive to their op- ponents. Jesse and Frank James have been credit ed with a tremendous destruction of life — Jesse killing seven and Frank eight men in the Federal ranks during that encounter. One night Frank James and five or six of his com- rades were detailed to capture and kill the militia- men who were accustomed to frequent a bagnio, four miles east of Wellington, in Lafayette county. 48 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Frank James preceded the little band, and, creeping up under the window, he saw the company inside. There were eleven men in dalliance with the women. James returned to his comrades, reported the result of his observations, and the Guerrillas rode to the house. A peremptory summons brought the militia- men to the yard. The Guerrillas poured a volley of bullets among them. The ten men fell, pierced by the deadly missiles. But where was the eleventh man ? There had been that number in the house when James saw the company, and the man could not have left the place. A search was instituted. The man could not be found. But there Avas one woman more in the party than had been seen before. A candle Avas procured and a search instituted among them. They all appeared to be women. Frank James discovered the man. ITe was a youth, fair skinned and blue eyed, with long broAvn hair. His features Avere handsome, and in the garments of a Avonum he appeared not unlike a fresh country girl. Of course he expected to die there. His ten companions presented the spectacle of a ghastly Avreck of humanity in the yard as they lay there cold in death. But he plead for his life. He was so young to die. “ Here, Frank, take him,” said the leader. “You discovered him ; he is yours to deal Avith.” ' It was a sentence of death, they said. The boy thought so, and hope vanished. “ Come,” said F rank, ‘ ‘ come along and be shot. ’ ’ The poor youth trembled in every nerve. He could scarcely walk. A GORY RECORD. 49 His supposed executioner had to assist him down the steps and out through the yard. They passed the ghastly heap of corpses, lying there in the dim starlight. They went away, into the darkness under the sombre trees, down the road. Poor boy, he thought of his mother. Under the wide-spreading branches of an ancient oak they halted. “Here! we are far enough,” said Frank James. The poor youth almost fell to the earth from excess of emo- tion. To die, and so young, and in such a way, too ! “Oh, spare me for the sake of my mother ! ” he wailed. “You are free to go ! I give you your life. You ai’e outside of the pickets, outside of danger. Go, and be quick about it ! ” And at that moment Frank James fired a pistol shot upward through the branches of the oak, and the fair haired boy soldier disappeared in the darkness — spared for the sake of his mother by the youthful desperado. Frank James returned to his comrades. They had heard the shot and naturally concluded that it meant one more life ended. F rank assumed a grave expression . ‘ ‘ Quick work,” remarked a comrade. “Yes,” returned the Guerrilla, “babies and boys are not hard to kill.” He never spoke of that better deed he performed out there, with only the stars and God as witnesses. And the border strife went on. Frank and Jesse rode with Quantrell, sometimes with Todd and Poole, then again they fought at unexpected times by the side of John Jarrette, and Bill Anderson, and Arch Clements. One week they would be charging 50 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Blunt’s Body Guard in Southeastern Kansas ; the next they would ambush a moving column of Fed- eral militia in Lafayette, or Jackson county, Missouri. Frank James Spares a Life. It was fighting- — cruel, savage fighting, all the while. In the Bottom lands along the Blue, or among the Shi hills, when hotly pursued, they would find hiding A GORV RECORD. 51 places, from whence they emerged only to deal out destruction and death. Down to Texas, marching with the close of autumn, like migratory birds, they returned to their old haunts with the bright spring days. Deceiving and cutting to pieces Lieut. Nash’s small command in the road west of Warrensburg, on a Monday, we hear of their successfully ambushing a column of Union militia on the banks of the Little Blue on the succeeding Wednesday, and a few days afterwards we hear of Frank and Jesse playing “the trumps” of revolver bullets among a squad of rol- licking soldier gamesters at Camden ; then again they are heard of with Todd, riding down the road from Independence toward Harrisonville, where, seven miles from the former place, they encounter Captain Wagner, of the Second Colorado Cavalry, and engage in a terrible hand-to-hand conflict in which Jesse James takes the life of the Captain, and with his deadly aim sends seven of Wagner’s men to the bourne of the dead. On the same occasion Frank, riding furiously among the Federal cavalry- men, deals death to eight of them. So the spring and summer of 1864 was passing with these men engaged in deeds of blood. It was in the last days of July of 1864, that Arch Clements and Jesse James were riding along a coun- try road one evening, when they discovered four militiamen in an orchard gathering apples. Two of the men were in one tree and two in another. With- out ceremony the Guerrillas shot them as they would 52 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. have shot squirrels from a forest tree, aud jested of the deed as they might have jested over the fall of wild beasts. It Avas about this time that Frank James had a thrilling adventure. He had been ordered out on a scout to ascertain the movements of the Federals in Jackson and Cass counties. It Avas a period of deep anxiety to the Guerrilla leaders, as it appeared that special efforts were being made by the Federal mili- tia, and sevei’al companies of the Second Colorado Cavalry, to capture all the irregular Confederates found in the State of Missouri. Frank had reached the Independence and Harrisonville road at a point about midway between the tAvo towns. As he passed through the country he ascertained that a force of infantry and cavalry Avere at a house some miles away from the road. How many there Avere in this detachment he could not learn. But he resolved to investigate. Taking a neighborhood path, not much traveled, he road toward the Federal encampment. On the roadside was a lonely cabin, now uninhab- ited, as he believed. He examined the indications, and rode on. At the cabin the road made a short turn. When Frank turned around the corner of the old cabin, two militiamen presented their muskets and commanded him to halt. In an instant the ready pistol Avas snatched from its place by the Guerrilla, and even before the militiaman could fire, the bullet from Frank’s pistol had penetrated his brain, and he fell in the agonies of death to the earth. At the A. Narrow Escape. 53 54 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. very instant of tiring, Frank put spurs to his horse and galloped away, turning and firing at the remain- ing guard as he did so, and wounding him unto death just as he Avas in the act of firing at the daring rider. The bullet from the militiaman’s gun whistled within an inch of Frank James’ ear as it sped on its harm- less mission. The picket post where the firing took place Avas within a few hundred yards of a camp where a hundred militiamen, and half that number of cavalrymen, Avho rode good horses, were taking their dinners. Frank, surmising that the two soldiers with whom he" had the combat were on guard duty close to camp, and that an alarm and pursuit would folloAv, rode with all speed toAvard the Guerrilla camp. He Avas pursued, as he expected, but he easily eluded the Coloradoans. In August — it was the 12th day of that month, 1864, that Jesse and Frank participated with their comrades, Todd, Anderson and others, in a des- perate conflict in Ray county, Missouri. Again the deadly revolvers, in the hands of the boys, accom- plished fatal results. Between the tAvo, seven fellow- beings were sent to the silent realms of death. Tavo days aftenvard they Avere at the Flat Rock Ford, on Grand river, and a desperate struggle with some Federal militia and volunteers ensued. During that fight Jesse was struck by a musket ball which tore through his breast, cut into and through his left lung, and caused him to fall. His comrades carried him aAvay. At length he was transported to the A GORY RECORD. 55 house of Captain John A. M. Rudd. The wound was a dangerous one, and all expected it would prove fatal. Jesse believed so himself, and took from his finger a ring which he charged his friends to carry to his sister, Miss Susie James* and give her also his dying message, which was, “I have no regret. I’ve done what I thought was right. I die contented.” This event occurred August 16th, 1864.' By the 7th of September he had so far recovered as to be able to ride and fight again. On the 12th of September Jesse and Frank rode away with Lieutenant George Shepherd, from the Guerrilla rendezvous at Judge Gray’s, near Bone Hill, Jackson county, for a raid into Clay county. At this time he visited his mother. On the 16th of September Jesse James killed three militiamen in an encounter near Keytesville, Chariton county, Mis- souri. He was now so far recovered as to perform the services of a scout. On the 17th he rode twenty-nine miles in the night time, through a country swarming with militia, to advise Todd concerning the movements of the Federal forces. On the 20th of September, 1864, occurred the battle of Fayette, Missouri. The whole of Quan- trell’s band was concentrated for the purpose of making this attack. All the chieftains were present, Quantrell and Anderson, Poole and Clements. Dur- ing the assault on the stockade, Lee McMurtry was desperately wounded close up to the enemy’s 56 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. position. Jesse and McMurtry were comrades, and he would not allow his friend to fall into the hands of the Federals if he could help it. He rushed up to where the wounded man lay, and though exposed to a terrible fire, he carried away his wounded friend without receiving - any injury. The Guerrillas were driven from Fayette. At this time the various bands seemed to accept the leadership of Bill Anderson, who was then gath- ering forces for the Central i a expedition. Quantrell separated from him, and returned to a secure place of repose in Howard county. Todd and Poole and the James boys, Pringle, the scalper, the two Hills and Clements, indeed, all of the most desperate of the Guerrilla gang followed the black banner of the most savage Guerrilla that ever trod the soil of Missouri. The 27th of September, 1864, must ever be a mem- orable day in the annals of the civil war in Mis- souri . On that day, with a flag as black as the raven’ s wing, and ominous of the coming night of death, Bill Anderson rode to Centralia, a village in the northeastern part of Boone county, Mo., on the line of the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railroad. He was not long idle. A train of cars drew up to the depot. There were soldiers and citizens on that train. Very few of the former, however, were armed. Only a few guns, at any rate were fired. The train and its passengers were completely at the mercy of the Guerrillas. The Federal soldiers and citizen A GORY RECORD. 57 passengers were formed in a line. Then a separation of citizens and soldiers took place. Twenty-eight soldiers and four citizens who wore blue blouses were selected, marched out and shot with an atro- cious haste that would make even the cruel Kurds shudder. In this bloody tragedy, Frank and Jesse James were prominent actors. Scarcely had this butchery been consummated, when Major Johnson, in command of about 100 Iowa cavalrymen, came upon the scene. The force of the Guerrillas under command of Todd numbered more than two hundred men, and as both were deter- mined, a desperate fight ensued. But the impetuous charge of the Guerrillas, led by George Todd, broke the lines of the Iowans, and a panic ensued among them. Major Johnson made gallant effort to rally his men. It was in vain. The furious riders dashed amono- O them and shot them down like so many panic- stricken sheep. Jesse James, mounted on a superb horse, rode directly at Major Johnson. The issue was not doubtful. The deadly aim of the Guerrilla soon laid him stark and still on the prairie. It was all over with him, and also for the men he com- manded that morning. Appeals for mercy were of no avail. The vanquished Federalswere massacred. Frank James was equally active Avith his brother. He is credited with having taken the lives of eight men that day. It was a day of horror, and the partisan rangers reveled in the carnage. The Home of Farmer Banes. 58 A GORT RECORD. 59 After Centralia came hard knocks. In one of the fights immediately succeeding the Centralia holo- caust, Dick Kinney, a noted Guerrilla, received his death wound. He was Frank James’ comrade, and he fell heir to the pistol which Kinney had worn. On the handle of this weapon were fifty notches, each notch signifying one. He had killed fifty men. Frank James probably has the pistol yet. In a corner of Clay county lived an old man named Banes. He was a staunch Union man, and blessed the Guerrillas with the same kind of blessing that Balak desired Balaam to bestow upon Israel. Banes was particularly severe in his condemnation of Jesse and Frank James. One night the boys went to Banes’ house under the guise of Colorado troopers. The old man received them gladly, and at once un- bosomed himself freely in regard to the Guerrillas. In the course of his remarks lie animadverted on Mrs. Samuels, the mother of the boys, in bitter terms. He denounced her as being “the mother of two. devils, Jesse and Frank James.” The boys se- cured his confidence, and then a promise of immedi- ate assistance in hunting up the desperadoes. Banes got his gun and pistols and saddled his horse, mounted and rode out to his death, for when the trio had gone about half a mile away from the house, the pretended soldiers announced themselves as the James boys, and gave him no space for repentance. Two pistol shots rang out on the still night, a heavy 60 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. body fell to the earth, and then the living men rode away, leaving a cold form of mortality out under the stars. With difficulty the Guerrillas made their way to their haunts on the Blackwater. Fighting was going on constantly. The shadow ,of death was gathering over many a bold rider of the Guei’rilla band. Mor- ing out from their camp on the Blackwater, one day, the Guerrillas fell into an ambuscade, and several received wounds. Among those thus wounded was Jesse James, who had his horse killed and received a shot through the leg. Todd was sent out to skirmish with the advance guard of the Federal army then following the retir- ing army of General Price. At every creek there was a battle, and at every encounter there was blood- shed. In one of these fights, when the leaves were all falling on the brown earth, George Todd was killed. In the night time his followers came to pay the last tribute of respect to his remains. There were not many who gathered there in the gloom of the midnight to gaze for the last time on the face of the courageous Guerrilla, but among them were Jesse and Frank James, and they pointed their pistols toward the cloud-veiled, teary sky, and swore to avenge his death. But the old band was broken up. Late in October, 1864, Jesse and Frank parted, the former with Shep- herd went to Texas, the latter with Quantrell to Kentucky. The Headquarters on the Blackwater. fi2 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. It proved to be the final dissolution of Quantrell’s once formidable force of partisans. George Todd, the Paladine of the command, the leader who was persistent and daring, slept quietly after the fierce turmoil of life’s battlefield had ended. John Poole, another hard rider, desperate fighter and dauntless leader, mouldered in a gory grave. John Jarratte and Cole Younger had sometime before separated from the band, and were operating in the far South where the magnolias grow and the moss-bearded live-oaks stand sentinels in the fever-haunted swamps. Fernando Scott was dead. Bill Anderson had fallen in a terrible combat while endeavoring to effect a crossing of the Missouri river in Howard county. As he had lived for some years, grimly fighting, so in the last extremity when the odds were all against him and unseen messengers of death burdened the air with their low-hummed dirges, his life went out- while he still fought in the very shades of despair. Kinney tvas dead, and many more had surrendered life in the hot simoon of battle. And what a band it had been, which was now broken ! Its deeds must ever remain a part of the history of Missouri, and the chapter wherein the record is made will always be read with a shudder, and in years to come men will remember the mourn- ful story of devastation and death with feelings of painful regret that human beings could so revel in the miseries and misfortunes of whole communities. A GORY RECORD. 63 To those who can calmly sit and look down the yista of the dead years and recall without prejudice the history of men who- were authors of deeds so notable — actions which, performed under other cir- cumstances, would have made heroes of deathless fame, there must come a feeling of regret that such men should have been the victims of a baleful des- tiny. CHAPTER VII. ADVENTURES IN SEPARATE FIELDS.— Frank James follows Quantrell into Kentucky — Fierce partisan contests — Death of Quantrell — Jesse follows George Shepherd to Texas — The last fight of the war — Jesse wounded. The days of Guerrilla warfare were drawing to a close. The retreat of Price and Shelby from Mis- souri left the Federals free to operate against the Guerrillas. The old bands were decimated. Death had been busy in Jheir ranks ; and for the remnants of a once formidable organization, no Confederate army could extend over them sheltering arms. The drama was about completed ; the curtain was soon to drop. Jesse James went tvith Lieutenant George Shep- herd to Texas in the autumn of 1864. During the long march through the Indian Territory, they met with many stirring adventures. On the 22d day of November; Shepherd’s band encountered the band of Union militia, commanded by Captain Emmett Goss,Avhich had acquired an unenviable name on ac- count of the excesses which they had committed. Goss was coming up from a marauding trip into Ar- kansas, and had reached Cabin Creek, in the Chero- kee Nation. Goss was “ a fighting man,” and a fierce conflict ensued. Jesse James singled out the commander and rode full at him, firing his pistol and 64 ADVENTURES IN SEPARATE FIELDS. 65 receiving the return fire of the other. The contest was short; the steady aim of the Guerrilla secured him a triumph. Goss fell from his horse with one bullet-hole through his head and another through his heart. On this occasion there was one other to realize the skill of Jesse James with the pistol, if in- deed he realized anything after his ineffectual plea for life. The Rev. U. P. Gardiner, chaplain of the Thirteenth Kansas, rode with Captain Goss’ band up from toward the South. Jesse James pursued him, and came up with him. The chaplain told his pur- suer who he was, and plead for life. The answer he received to this petition was a bullet through the brain. He fell from his horse dead. Two days afterward, Jesse and a companion were riding over the prairie, near the bank of a stream. For some cause the comrade of Jesse left him for a time alone. Not far away was a skirt of heavy tim- ber. On a sudden, a wild shout burst from the wood, and a party of Pin Indians — that is, Chero- kees, who were friendly to the Union, came skurrv- ing across the prairie, directly toward the Guerrilla. His danger was imminent, for the Cherokees were well armed with long range guns, which they knew well how to use. Safety lay in retreat, and Jesse turned to flee. He was on the open prairie, and could not get to the timber. There was a high and steep bank before him, and the Indians were follow- ing close behind. He determined to leap his horse down the precipice. It happened to be where the Jesse James’ Escape from fin Indians. ADVENTURES IN SEPARATE FIELDS. 67 water was deep, and a slight projection and growth of brush broke the fall. The leap was successfully made, and neither horse nor rider was badly injured. Jesse, following down the creek, made his escape, and soon regained Lieutenant Shepherd’s camp. During the winter of 1864-5 Jesse James remained in Texas, leading quite an inactive life. With the Killing of Citizen Harkness. spring, however, that part of the Missouri Guerrillas which went with Shepherd, began to think of Mis- souri again. In April they began the return march. The road was beset with dangers. The Pin Indians in the Cherokee country were extremely hostile, and left no opportunity to strike at them unimproved. 68 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. By the time the May flowers bloomed, Jesse James had reached Benton county, Missouri. In that county lived a Union militiaman named Harkness, who had made himself exceedingly obnoxious to people of Confederate sympathies. This man was captured by the returning Guerrillas, and Jesse James and two comrades held him in a vice-like embrace, while another Guerrilla, Arch. Clements, cut his throat from ear to ear. At Kingsville, Johnson county, Mo., lived an old man named Duncan, who had belonged to the militia, and was very cordially disliked on account of his bad disposition towards the Southern people. Jesse James sought him, found him, and slew him. Dun- can was a man of 55 years of age. The Guerrilla career of Jesse James- drew to a close. In May, 1865, all the Confederate bands in the State were coming into the Federal posts and surrendering. A considerable number of those who had come up from Texas with Arch. Clements de- sired to surrender, but several refused to do so. Among these were Jesse James. But the formality of a surrender of the others led them all to Lexins;- ton, Mo., under a flag of truce. There were eight unsurrendered Guerrillas to bid a last adieu to their old comrades. This little band had proceeded into Johnson county, when suddenly they were met by a band of Federal troops returning from a scouting expedition. These fired upon the Guerrillas, and a sanguinary struggle ensued. Jesse James’ horse ADVENTURES IN SEPARATE FIELDS. 69 was killed ; he was wounded in the leg and retired into the woods pursued by the Federals. He fought with desperation , but received, at last, a shot through the lungs. The wound was a terrible one, but he es- caped, and dragged himself to a hiding place near the banks of a small stream, Here, for two days and nights, alone, consumed by a raging fever, the wounded Guerrilla lay. Finally he crawled to a field where a man was ploughing. This man proved tobea friend, and took James in, cared for him, and finally sent him to his friends. The soldier who shot Jesse James that day was John E. Jones, Company E., Second Wisconsin regiment of cavalry. The Guerrilla and his antagonist afterward became ac- quainted, and were warm personal friends. Jesse James joined his mother in Nebraska, and returned with her to Clay county, Missouri. Quantrell gathered up a small band of his old comrades in the Guerrilla warfare, at Wigginton’s place, five miles west of the town of Waverly, La- fayette county. Among those who obeyed the sum- mons to this rendezvous was Frank James. The Confederate armies had retreated from Missouri. There was no longer a field in that State for the ex- ercise of his peculiar talents. He resolved to go East, to Maryland, and there open up a Guerrilla warfare. It was on the fourth day of December, when Quantrell and Frank James and about thirty 70 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. others of their old followers and comrades leftWig- ginton’s for Kentucky. On the first day of January, 1865, the dreaded Quantrell’s band effected the passage of the Mississippi river at Charlie Morris’ “Pacific Place,” sixteen miles above Memphis. Morris rendered Quantrell valuable service, although at that time he was a frequent visitor to Memphis, and on excellent terms with the F ederal authorities at that place. After leaving the river they marched through Big Creek, Portersville, Covington, Taber- nacle, Brownsville, Bell’s, Gadsden, Humboldt, Mi- lan, McKenzie, and on to Paris. Here they had their first difficulty, and were compelled to mount in hot haste and ride away. From Paris the Guerrillas proceeded to Birmingham, and crossed the Tennes- see river. Their route then lay through Canton, Cadiz, and to Hopkinsville. Near this place they came to a house where there were twelve cavalry- men. Nine of them fled, leaving their horses. The three men who remained fought the whole of Quan- trell’s band for many hours, until preparations were made to burn the house, and, indeed, until the fire was kindled. They then came out and surrendered. Quantrell, of course, appropriated the twelve frost horses which were in the stable. There was one Captain Frank Barnette, who com- manded a company of Kentucky militia stationed at Hartford, Ohio county. Quantrell at that time was playing the role of a Federal captain. As such, he in- duced Barnette to go with him on a hunt for ADVENTURES IN SEPARATE FIELDS. 71 Confederate Guerrillas . Barnette carried with this ex- pedition about thirty of his men. Quantrell resolved to assassinatethem all, and a way was found to do so during the day. Frank James was made the execu- tioner of Captain Barnette, and as he rode by him when they entered a stream of water at a ford, as the sun went down behind the western hills, Frank James tired the fatal shot, and Barnette fell dead from his horse, dyeing the clear wafers of the brook red with his blood. The career of the Guerrillas was drawing to a close in Kentucky as well as in Missouri. Quan- trell, and Mundy, and Marion were constantly hunted by dashing cavalry officers. The disguise thrown off, the Federal officers knew that work must be done in order to stop the Guerril- las, and they were not slow in engaging in the un- dertaking. Major Bridgewater and Captain Terrell were untiring in their pursuit of Mundy, Marion and Quantrell. Frank James visited an uncle, and was not with Quantrell when that chieftain fought his last fight at Wakefield’s house, near the little post village of Smiley, Kentucky. That day Quantrell' s band was nearly annihilated. Subsequently, Henry Porter gathered up the survivors of the once formi- dable Guerrilla band, and surrendered with them at Samuel's depot, Nelson county, Kentucky, on the 25th of July, 1865. Among those who surrendered was Frank James. After the surrender, Frank re- mained in Kentucky because of a deed which he had T* Quantrell’s Last Fight. ADVENTURES IN SEPARATE FIELDS. 73 performed in Missouri about a year before. There lived in the northeast corner of Clay county a man named Alvas Dailey. He had made himself very obnoxious to the James Boys, and Frank resolved to rid the world of his presence. One night he went to Alvas Dailey’s place, and the next morning he was found dead with two bullet holes through his head. Frank James had assassinated him. CHAPTER VIII. THE BRANDENBURG TRAGEDY.— FranK James followed by four men — They attempt to arrest him — Terrible fight — Frank wounded in the left hip — Concealed by friends. Frank James went down to Wakefield’s house, where the noted Guerrilla chieftain, Quantrell, lay wounded unto death. Had the terrible scenes of the hard, cruel Guerrilla warfare through which he had passed, obliterated from the breast of Frank James every tender emotion? It appeared not, when he bent over the white face of the wounded chief with its traces of suffering and anguish. He shed tears like rain. He loved his leader, and did not hesitate to manifest that regard. Knowing that the hand of death was upon him, Quantrell advised his disheartened followers to accept Henry Porter’s leadership and surrender themselves to the Federal authorities. It might have been because their dying commander desired it, that such men as Frank James and his companions so readily consented to lay down the weapons of war. At any rate, the formal submission of the Guerrillas was made. In Missouri, the terrible warfare which had been waged had left scars wide and deep and bloody,- and they were yet recent when the banners of the con- tending armies were furled. At any rate it so ap- peared to Frank James, and lie did not return at 74 THE BRANDENBURG TRAGEDY. 75 once to the State of his nativity. The part he had played had been a conspicuous one, and, on account of Centralia, he was on the list of the proscribed, and when the war ended, so far as actual hostilities were concerned, it had not ended, so far as Frank James was interested, because he was not restored to the peaceful pursuits which he had abandoned when first the war cry arose in the land. He still lingered in Keniucky. The conduct ot Frank James for some time after the surrender indicated a desire on his part to be- come once more a quiet, peaceable citizen. He was extremely circumspect in behavior, and demeaned himself in a most unobtrusive way. Such was the promise of the new life after the years of bitter strife in the late Guerrilla. But he was not proof against the assaults of passion. One day the old flame burst out anew with consuming fury. Frank had started away from the State and stopped at the town of Brandenburg. It was several months after the remnants of the desperate band which Quantrell led into Kentucky had surrendered to the Federal authorities. But the country was still in an unset- tled condition. Bad men who had found occupation in hovering about the verge of battle and plundering the ghastly victims of war ere the last feeble breath had departed from their pale lips, were now idle and had become wandering thugs in the highways of the land. Horse thieves and bestial monsters were to be found prowling about in nearly every community, 76 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. and more especially in the border States. A large number of people, and those, too, who had served in the Confederate, as well as those who had been sol- diers in the Union armies, looked upon the men who had been with Quantrell, and Mundy, Magruder and Marion, Anderson, Farris, Hickman and other noted Guerrillas, with suspicion. Many persons looked upon them as men of evil antecedents — as thieves. Horse stealing was carried on at a lively rate all along the border. Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky were particularly afflicted for many months after the surrender by the presence of these enemies of the farming and stock-raising communities. Just about the time Frank James was passing through from Nelson county to Brandenburg, in Meade county, on the Ohio river, on his way to Mis- souri, a number of horses were stolen in Larue county. A posse went in pursuit of the thieves. They traced them to Brandenburg. There they found Frank James. There were four of them when they came up with James, and he was alone, sitting in the office of a hotel. By some means they in- duced him to come out, and then they told him he might consider himself their prisoner on a charge of horse stealing in Larue county. “I consider no such proposition,” exclaimed Frank James, as he drew a pistol and commenced firing. In less time than it requires to state the fact, two of the posse lay extended in the embrace of death, and a third was down and writhing in agony. But the THE BRANDENBURG TRAGEDY. 77 fourth man fired a shot into Frank’s left hip, and then ran away. It was indeed a tragical scene. The wounded desperado was immediately sur- rounded by an excited throng. The ball had taken effect at the point of his hip, and the wound pro- duced was not only painful but dangerous. Yet the superb nerve of the man sustained him in the midst of an appalling crisis. A perfect storm of excite- ment was raging in the town. Threats loud and ter- rible were made, and Frank James coolly presented his pistols as he stood leaning against a post and ordered the excited crowd to stand back, and they obeyed him. , Somehow it has always happened that the Jameses never wanted for friends wherever they have wan- dered. It was so on this occasion. Though the great majority of the people of Brandenburg thirsted for the blood of the slayer of two men in their midst, yet that grim young man, though wounded and suffering, had friends in that town , and in the midst of the excitement, these came to his assist- ance, and he was borne away to a secure place, where the populace could not tell, and nursed by tender hands prompted by affectionate hearts. At- tended by a scientific surgeon, the ghastly wound which had brought him to the very brink of the abyss of death, began to heal, and in a few weeks the surgeon who had attended the hidden patient _ was able to report that he would surely live and 6 78 FRANK AND .TESSE .TAMES. might ultimately recover entirely from the dreadful wound. When Frank had gained some strength, and it was deemed safe to remove him, in a quiet and se- cret manner he was conveyed in a close vehicle to the house of a staunch friend and relative in Nelson county, where he remained during many months, suffering excruciating pain on account of the hor- rible wound. He did not entirely recover from the effects of the wound for several years. CHAPTER IX. THE LIBERTY BANK AFFAIR.— A great robbery — St. Valentine’s day and the prize drawn by the bold marauders — The James Boys accused of the crime. Certainly no one could say that Jesse James pos- sessed any of the qualities which would make him “ Like one who on a lonely road Doth walk in fear and dread, And having once, turned round, walks on, And turns no more his head, Because he knows a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread. He was constituted of a different element. If he ever felt the sense of dread, no one ever knew it, for certainly none ever saw it exhibited in his conduct. Yet he knew that he was hunted, knew that shrewd, bold men sought to bind him in fetters, to deprive him of liberty, or, failing in that, rob him of life. And yet this knowledge did not alarm him, and the very presence of his foes did not make him afraid, though they numbered “ten strong, brave men.” Perhaps Jesse James never knew what fear meant, having never experienced the sensation. It was in 1866, on St. Valentine’s day, February 14th, that an event occurred at Liberty, Missouri, which created intense excitement in that community, and a profound sensation throughout the West. The event alluded to was the plundering of the 79 80 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Commercial Bank of that city of an amount of money said to have been nearly $70,000. The rob- bery was not effected in the same bold way as char- acterized the raids into Russellville, Gallatin, Co- lumbia, Corydon and other notable incidents in the career of the James bandits. But inasmuch as the bank was depleted of its funds, and that the robbery was unusually bold and audacious, there were many who secretly believed that Jesse James planned the robbery, if he did not lead the robbers, and that the treasures of the bank had been largely diverted to the individual possession of that noted young man. It will be remembered that the Liberty bank rob- bery occurred at a time when the James Boys were regarded only in the light of “desperate fighters — perhaps sometimes cruel in their vengeance,” but otherwise they were believed to be honest and hon- orable men. Hence men were cautious in coupling the name of any member of the James family with an act of highway robbery. But the conviction was strong in the minds of many people, nevertheless, that the funds of the Liberty bank had gone to minister to the wants and satisfy the desires of Jesse James and his friends and confederates. No immediate action was taken against him, but as time passed on, and other acts were committed by Jesse James and his friends, which were not regarded as either right or proper, the belief that they had participated in the robbery, if, indeed, they were not the robbers themselves, THE LIBERTT BANK AFFAIR. 81 became wide- spread in the community. But in jus- tice to Jesse James, it is but right to say that no evi- dence directly implicating him in that affair has ever been secured. Cole Younger, when asked by a visitor to the Stillwater penitentiary concerning the Liberty bank robbery, remarked, “ I have always had my opinion about that affair. If the truth is ever told, many of the crimes charged to me and my brothers will be located where they belong.” Former friends of Jesse James are firm in the belief that he was the instigator of the deed, if not the leader of the bri- gands who sacked the bank. This belief, at any rate, influenced the public mind to no small extent, and led eventually to an effort to arrest Jesse James a year afterward, which attempt ended in a bloody tragedy, as narrated in the next chapter. CHAPTER X. JESSE’S SORTIE AGAINST THE MILITIAMEN. — Attacked at night — The family council of war — Jesse desires to look out on the cold moonlight scene — Throws the door open and fires upon the militiamen — Three corpses on the crisp snow. When the war closed, Jesse James was sorely wounded. It was only by the most persistent and sureful nursing that he could expect to recover. When he was able to travel he was furnished trans- portation from Lexington to go to Nebraska to join his mother, who was then a fugitive from her home. It does not appear that he lingered very long in Ne- braska, since we are assured that before the brown leaves had fallen, Mrs. Samuels had returned to her old home near Kearney, Clay county, Missouri. This point appears to be conceded by all who have written concerning them. Jesse’s wounds healed slowly — so slowly that after the lapse of a year he was but just able to ride on horseback a little. Dur- ing the summer of 1866 Jesse rode around the coun- try, but there was still considerable feeling against him, and he went well armed. Indeed, he always had his pistols “ handy to use.” Nothing appears to have disturbed the quiet of his life until the night of February 18, 1867. It was a cold night. The ground was covered with a thick mantle of snow, and the wind blew 82 .TBSSE’s SORTIE AGAINST THE MILITIAMEN . 83 bitterly cold from the north ; the full moon shone brightly on the glittering garments of mother earth. Jesse James was at his mother’s home near Kear- ney, Clay county, tossing under the infliction of a burning fever. His pistols were loaded and rested beneath his pillow. On that night, five well-armed and well-mounted militiamen rode to the home of the James Boys. Dr. Samuels heard the heavy tread of the armed men on the piazza, and demanded their business. He was told to open the door. He went up to confer with the sick ex-Guerrilla. He asked Jesse what should be done. The sick man begged his step-father to assist him to the window so that he might look out upon the crisp snow out in the moonlight. He looked with a deeper interest at the five horses hitched in front of the house. They all had cavalry saddles on their backs. He knew that they were soldiers, and he well understood the object of their coming. It was a moment when de- cisions must be reached quickly. He had never surrendered, and he never intended to do so. Has- tily dressing himself, lie descended to the floor be- low -with his pistols in his hands. - The militiamen, impatient at the delay of Dr. Samuels in opening the door, had commenced hammering at the shutter with the butts of their muskets, all the while calling to Jesse to come down and surrender himself. They swore they knew he was in the house, and vowed to take him out dead or alive. Jesse crept softly and close to the door, and listened attentively 84 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. until, from the voices he thought he could get an ac- curate aim. He raised a heavy dragoon pistol, placed the muzzle to within three inches of the upper panel of the door, and fired. There was -a stifled cry, and a heavy body dropped with a dull thud to the floor of the piazza. His aim had been deadly. Before the militiamen could recover from their surprise, Jesse James had thrown the door wide open, and, standing on the threshold with a pistol in each hand, he commenced a rapid and deadly fire. Another man fell dead, and two more men had received wounds which were painful and dangerous, and sur- rendered to the outlaw they came to capture. The fifth man, terror-stricken, fled, reached his horse, mounted him, and rode rapidly away in the moon- light. Thus was commenced that long strife which has gone on year after year, and the warfare has made Frank and Jesse James the most renowned outlaws who have ever appeared on the American continent. All the skill and ingenuity of the shrewdest detec- tives have been at various times brought into re- quisition, but failure has attended all their efforts to capture the boys. The scene presented at the Samuels house, after the flight of the only man of the attacking party who remained unhurt, was indeed a sad one. Here, in the cold night wind, extended on the open piazza, with faces ghastly and white in the moonbeams, lay the forms of two human beings, who but an hour jesse's sortie against the militiamen. 85 before, in the prime of life and the full flush of man- hood, had ridden to the retreat of the wounded and sick Guerrilla. They were still in death now. And the next day friends came weary miles to bear them away. ‘•Helpless upon their sable biers, They bore them forth with bitter sighs and tears, With no gay pageantry they moved along, Most silent they, amid a silent throng. And there they left them in that drear abode Alone with its still tenants and their God.” And there were two more men who had come with brave hearts and steady hands to capture the weary, feverish ex-Guerrilla, lying there writhing in agony after the attempt had been made. They had come with the hope of delivering Jesse James over to the law, and thus bind him forever. Now they lay completely helpless, and in the power of the dar- ing outlaw, who had the name of being devoid of the quality of mercy. And yet they were spared by him. When a large company of armed men arrived at the house of Dr. Samuels, the next day, to take Jesse James dead or alive, that redoubtable adven- turer was many miles away. The place that had proved so disastrous to the live militiamen the even- ing before, was quiet enough now, and the militia ranged through the old farm-house without molesta- tion. Jesse was not at home ! CHAPTER XI. IN THE HANDS OF FRIENDS.— Jesse goes to Ken- tucky — Among his relatives and friends — Placed under the care of Dr. Paul F. Eve — A good time. Jesse James, soon after the night attack before re- lated, proceeded to Kentucky, where Frank was stopping with friends. He had not recovered from the effects of the terrible wounds which he had re- ceived in the breast just after the close of the war. Frank was still unable to ride abroad on account of the bullet wound in his hip received on the day of the Brandenburg tragedy. In the early part of the summer of 1867, Jesse arrived at the house of a friend in Nelson county, Kentucky, near the town of Chaplin. Frank was already there. In this neigh- borhood dwelt a large number of people who were either related to them or devoted admirers of the noted Guerrillas. They had been the friends and entertainers of Quantrell, Marion, Sue Mundy, and others of the Guerrillas in the closing days of the war. Soon after his arrival in Chaplin, Jesse, whose con- dition seemed to grow worse instead of better, con- cluded to place himself under the surgical care of Dr. Paul F. Eve, of Nashville, Tenn. He proceeded to Nashville, where he remained for several months, and received much benefit to his health. 86 IN THE HANDS OF FRIENDS. 87 In the beginning of the year 1868 Jesse and Frank were once more re-united at the house of a relative at Chaplin. From all that can lie learned, the life led by the wounded desperadoes while with their Kentucky friends was as pleasant as could lie ex- pected under the circumstances. There was a large community of people in that section who were in- tensely Southern in feeling and mourned the defeat of the cause for which so many noble lives had been sacrificed, with an intense grief. Every one who had fought for that cause was dear to them, and when the Missouri youths came to the homes of the Samuels, and McClaskeys, and Russels, and Thomases, and Sayers, they were sure to receive a warm welcome. In that part of Kentucky there were scattered about many of the adventurous partisans who had followed Sue Mundy, Magruder, Marion and other Guerrilla chiefs in the days of the war. With some of these Frank James had served in the closing days of Quantrell’s career. The Jameses were feted and feasted by the hospi- table Kentuckians, and so tenderly nursed that their wounds had very much improved. Logan county was also the home of many of their friends, and nu- merous relatives of the boys, and between these and those residing in Nelson county, they passed to and fro at 11611, and wherever they might happen to rest, they were honored guests of families who possessed the pecuniary means to enable them to lie hospitable. Fair ladies smiled on them, and gentle hands were 88 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. ready to serve them in the hour of pain . It seems that they should have been happy, or at least contented. But the James boys’ career had been stormy ; they had an active, restless disposition ; they had lost the delicate sensibilities of well organized members of society, and the rough experiences through which they had passed had evidently destroyed, in a meas- ure, whatever of human sympathy had belonged to" their nature. And yet at this time their friends — and they had many — believed them to be honorable and honest, if desperate in conflict. They knew that they had killed many men, but this was excused, because the men killed were enemies, and the killing was done in combats. So it came about that these most noted of outlaws for many years had friends who believed in their integrity, and were ready at all times to en- gage in the defence of their character. The times were favorable. There were many des- perate young men turned adrift by the events of the war ; men ready to engage in any undertaking which promised excitement and gain. Over such, Jesse and Frank James could exercise a large influence, and from among such they drew allies in the commis- sion of crime. The individual members of organizations which had hovered along the borders, and hung on the verge of the great field of warfare, in character one half soldier and the other half bandit, were just the . kind of men from whose ranks recruits for lawless IN THE HANDS OF FRIENDS. 89 enterprises could be enlisted. In Kentucky and Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri, there were many such persons — men who, during the great strife, when mighty hosts clashed against each other, and tre- mendous events were taking place, had occupied an anomalous position which brought upon them the hate of the Federals, and incurred for them the dis- pleasure of the Confederates, were in a position where a step further could not materially alter their relations to society. The men who had fought with regiments, banded in great armies, whether on the side of the Federals or Confederates, did not look with any great consideration on those who had lin- gered along the borders of war, as independent companies of scouts and Guerrillas. There were many men in Kentucky at the time of which we speak who had been in organizations of the character above described — that is, Guerrilla bands, both Federal and Confederate. The regular soldiers of both armies, whose families had suffered m consequence of the partisan warfare, looked with ill-concealed dislike upon the free riders of the bor- der, and this fact, no doubt, had a large influence in driving many of the Guerrillas into downright out- lawry when the war had closed. It was in a com- munity of ex-Guerrillas that Frank and Jesse found themselves in Kentucky, and among such “friends,” no doubt, their first great project of- bank robbing had its inception and complete maturity. CHAPTER XII. THE RUSSELLVILLE BANK ROBBERY.— A large haul — The James Boys connected with the robbery — They ride away on George Shepherd’s horses — Shepherd arrested and imprisoned — Death of Oil Shepherd — Persistent pursuit of the robbers — The Jameses escape. Russellville is a beautiful village — almost grown to a city — in a lovely region of country in Logan county, Kentucky. The people of Russellville are educated and refined. It is the seat of much wealth and boasts its colleges and academies. In general, Russellville is a cpiiet place, and from year in to year out its quietude is not often broken by any startling incident. But things will occur everywhere, some- time, to create a profound sensation. It happened that this quiet, prim old place should have a great and notable sensation. It was a bright morning in March. The blue birds had returned and were singing their matin songs from the budding branches of the trees. Russellville was as staid and sober as usual. There was not a single thing to indicate that the old town was about to be shaken up as it had never been before. The bank doors stood wide open, and the cashier stood at his desk. An old lady hobbled down the street, and a fresh school miss paused to gaze at the early 90 THE RUSSELLVILLE BANK ROBBERY. 91 -spring flowers which adorned a neighbor’s garden ; a kitchen maid was singing a ditty to her absent swain in the back yard ; and a sturdy citizen crossed the street to inquire if a certain bill which he held in his hands was good. Nothing strange in all this ? Of course not. Peo- ple were simply minding their affairs according to their own inclinations. There was a sudden clatter of hoofs that morning, the 20th of March, 1868. Terrible shouts and fearful oaths, and the sharp re- ports of pistols accompanied the sound of the horses’ hoofs. The old lady suddenly dropped her staff and stood as if petrified ; the young miss ran hastily away ; the cashier turned pale, and the sturdy citizen hastily retreated back across the street. A dozen horsemen, armed with two pairs of revolvers each, rode furiously about the streets, and with fearful oaths commanded the people to keep in their houses. Two of the men rode to the bank, dismounted and rushed in. One of them presented a pistol at the head of the cashier, and commanded him, under penalty of instant death, to be still and make no noise. The other took out the contents of the safe, amounting to many thousands of dollars ; they then remounted and rode away. In a few minutes the streets of Rus- sellville were comparatively deserted. The brigands had come in, secured their plunder, and had as sud- denly disappeared ; the citizens scarcely knew what had happened. Surprise prevented immediate pur- suit. The bandits had taken the road toward the 92 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Mississippi. They were traced to that stream and across to the rugged hills of Southeast Missouri, and then the trail divided up, and all marks of their pas- sage were lost. They found friends, did these ban- dits, in West Missouri. Who were the bold raiders? Where did they come from and where did they go when they secured the rich booty from the plundered bank? The good friends of the James boys declared that it was im- possible that they could have participated in that affair. In substantiation of this position they pointed to the fact that Jesse James was at the town of Chaplin, in Nelson county, which is fifty miles or more' from Russellville, and that incompara- ble raider himself wrote a letter for publication in the Nashville (Tennessee) American, in which he tri- umphantly points to the fact that at the very time of the raid on Russellville, he was at the Marshall House, Chaplin, and refers to Mr. Marshall, the proprietor of the hotel, for the truth of the statement, that on a certain day in March, 1868, he was at his house. But unfortunately the date of the robbery, and the day which Jesse asserts he spent at Chaplin, were not the same days. It was no uncommon thing for Jesse James to make more than fifty miles on horseback in six hours, in those days when the roads were good. He rode no inferior animals — the best blooded horses of old Kentucky were bestridden by the daring raider. THE RUSSELLVILLE BANK ROBBERY. 93 Another thing : Jesse James was only seen in Chaplin the day after the robbery, and in the even- ing at that ; even if he had been seen late the same evening after the robbery, it would not have consti- tuted even a presumptive evidence of his innocence, since after the robbery occurred in the morning he could have ridden to Chaplin before nightfall. Just previous to the robbery, Jesse had spent much of his time in Logan county, almost a dozen miles from Russellville, with relatives of whom he had a number residing in that region. As we have before stated Frank had been severely wounded while resisting arrest at Brandenburg ; but he was then so far recov- ered that he had no difficulty in riding on horseback. He had made a number of journeys between his usual stopping place at Mr. Sayer’s house in Kelson county, and the houses of his kin in Logan county. The statement made by Jesse that Frank was at the house of Mr. Thompson, in San Luis Obispo county, California, at the time of the Russell- ville bank robbery, is incorrect. Frank had not then visited California. The friends of the boys, however, were unable to make a clear defense for them, and they have been generally credited not only with being participators., but leaders of the raiders. At the time of the robbery, Geo. W. Shepherd, Oliver Shepherd, and several others of “the old Guerrilla guard , ” as they were called , had their homes or stopping places in Kelson county. Geo. Shepherd 7 94 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. had married the widow of the noted Missouri Guerrilla, Dick Maddox, who was a member of the band which Quantrell led out of that State. This re- doubtable warrior, who had assisted at Lawrence and Centralia, and had participated in many desperate and bloody affrays, met his fate in a terrible conflict with a Cherokee Indian. Maddox and Shepherd had been friends and comrades in the dark days when they rode with Quantrell, and as Mrs. Maddox was left alone in a strange land, and was yet 3^0 ung in years and comely in features, George Shepherd readily agreed to console the widow in her affliction and perform the duty of a faithful comrade to the memory of his friend by espousing his widow. They were married and settled in Chaplin before the raid on the bank. The people of Russellville quickly recovered from their surprise 1 >j r the audacity of the robbers. The officers of the law rallied, and there was mounting in hot haste and an earnest pursuit of the robbers. Oil. Shepherd had suddenly disappeared from Chaplin ; several of the old Guerrillas had also gone away, and Frank and Jesse James, too, had quietly departed from that region of country. The Kentucky blood of the pursuers was up, and they followed the trail of the robbers with tireless energy. They were traced west over hills and through valleys. The Cumberland river was crossed, and through the rugged region between that stream and the Tennessee, they were tracked as foxes might THE RUSSELLVILLE BANK ROBBERY. 95 have been trailed. But the pursuers were always just too late to come up with the gang. Still they followed on, and finally reached the banks of the Mississippi only to learn that the persons they sought had crossed before their arrival, and plungedinto the wilderness regions of Southeast Missouri. Some effort was made to keep on the track of the fugitives through the swamps of Missouri, but the traces be- came fainter and fainter as the pursuers advanced, until among the rugged hills of the Southeast they faded out altogether, and the Kentuckians were forced to give up the chase and reluctantly returned home after a bootless pursuit. George Shepherd had married a wife — moreover, had bought a house at Chaplin — and therefore he did not travel with his comrades to the West. The officers of the law soon found him, and as he was one of the suspected parties, and the bank robbers had taken Shepherd’s horses on which to escape, he was arrested and a thorough search was made for evidence to convict him. He was taken to Russell- ville and placed in jail. The grand jury of Logan county at its next sitting found an indictment against him, and he was in due time arraigned before the Logan county circuit court on a charge of aiding and abetting the robbers. The evidence was deemed conclusive by the jury before which he was tried, and a verdict of guilty was returned and the punishment was fixed at three years in the penitentiary at hard labor. 96 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. The other members of the baud escaped to West- ern Missouri. Oil Shepherd, a cousin of George Shepherd, was found in Jackson county by the per- sistent Kentuckians. They desired to arrest him. A requisition was procured from the Governor of Ken- tucky, and the executive order of the Chief Magis- trate of Missouri, for the arrest of the fugitive. But Oil Shepherd was an old Guerrilla, and he flatly re- fused to be taken back to Kentucky as a prisoner. The civil officers were deterred from executing the warrant of arrest. In those days there were vigilance committees in Missouri. To one of these the situa- tion of affairs was reported. It was at once deter- mined by the vigilantes that Oil Shepherd must either submit to arrest or be killed. The company of vigi- lantes found him at his home near Lea’s Summit. Would he surrender? they demanded of him. “Never! death first,” he shouted back to them. Then the bloody work began. But what could one man do against twenty-five? There could be but one result. The one man must die at last, however bold and skillful. So it resulted in this case. Oil Shepherd had been an old Guerrilla under Quantrell, and had learned how to shoot and how to despise fear. He resisted, and not until he had received seven bullet wounds did he succumb. In fact, he died fighting. The other members of the gang implicated in the Russellville robbery escaped. The Jameses soon after went to the Pacific Coast, and remained there 98 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. for quite a while. They were on a tour in search of health. The hard life which they had led and the des- perate woulids which they had received had sadly impaired their superb physical systems, and they needed rest and time to recuperate wasted energies and allow their wounds to heal. Meanwhile, George Shepherd, shut out from the world, toiled on at his unrequited tasks in the peni- tentiary at Frankfort. He who had been the free rover and wild Guerrilla, the dauntless rider and re- lentless foe, in the garb of a convict did service to the State, and answered not again when ordered to his daily rounds of labor. And he alone of the sur- vivors of that band of freebooters who rode so fear- lessly and madly into Russellville that morning, bent on mischief and crime, was made to feel the heavy rod of retributive justice. Oil Shepherd had per- ished. Nemesis had overtaken some of the old Guerrillas. CHAPTER XIII. ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE.— Jesse James sails for California — At Paso Robel — Frank goes West — On the Laponsu ranch — Adventures in Nevada — A dark seance — The Boys return to the East. Immediately after the Russellville robbery, Jesse James appeared once more in his old haunts in Mis- souri. But his physical system had been greatly taxed by the tremendous strain to which it had been subjected. Twice already had he received bullet wounds through the lungs which would have killed any man less extraordinarily endowed with vitality. Scars of twenty wounds were on his person , and yet the man Avho had gone out from home as a boy ; entered into close affiliation with a band of the most daring and desperate men ever organized in Amer- ica ; sustained his part with them, and even sur- passed them all in the daring feats they accomplished ere yet the “manly beard had shaded his face,” after having passed through more exciting scenes than any living man, and participated in more terri- ble encounters than most men, yet survived, and though his terrible wounds had weakened his frame, yet his wonderful courage and tremendous reserve of vital forces were such as to insure his final restor- ation to complete health. He had traveled on horseback from the little town of Chaplin, on the eastern verge of Nelson county, 99 100 FKANIC AND JESSE JAMES. in Central Kentucky, to the western border of Mis- souri, in the space of a few days subsequent to the 20tli of March, 1869. Jesse James was seen in Clay county, Missouri, in the first days of April of that year, and was seen at Chaplin on the 18th of March. That he was at Russellville the evidence seems to be clear ; and that he led a most exciting retreat from that place, through the hill country of Kentucky, until ho reached the banks of the Mississippi, is one of the facts of his history. It was his genius which enabled his confederates to escape from a determined pursuit of resolute men. Once on the west bank of the Mississippi, to use a Westernism, “he was on his own stamping ground.” He knew every “trail” across the swamps of Southeastern Missouri, and every pathway in the tangled brakes over the rugged hills of the southern counties of that State, Avere as familiar to him as the woodlands about the old farm in Clay county. He knew more — that there were scattered through the country from Chaplin to Kear- ney, a route of more than five hundred miles in length, men Aviththe reputation of respectable mem- bers of society, who always had a warm Avelcome for him and his daring men. Who, then, could pursue and capture him? There is no room for wonder that Jesse James escaped the irate Kentuckians, Avho fol- loAved his trail from Russellville to the banks of the Mississippi, and finally lost it among the rugged hills and vast forests west of the river. OX THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 101 Jesse’s extraordinary journeys under such circum- stances did not tend to the restoration of his physi- cal system , which had been greatly shattered by the terrible wounds which he had received at the close of the war, in an encounter with a company of Fed- eral soldiers in Lafayette county. In those days the friends of the Jameses were nu- merous in the State of Missouri ; for at that time scarcely any one believed that they had developed into brigands. Anion li those who advised with Jesse James at that time was his physician and friend, Dr. Joseph Wood, of Kansas City. It was the opinion of this physician that the condition of his patient imperatively demanded a change of scene, and a more genial climate to insure his restoration. In accordance with this advice, the patient set about his preparations for a voyage by sea, and a sojourn on the Pacific slope. Toward the close of May, 1869, Jesse James left the home of his mother near Kearney, Missouri, for Few York. Here he spent only a few days. On the 8th of June he embarked on the steamship San- tiago de Cuba, bound for Aspinwall, crossed the Isthmus to Panama, and there again took a steamer for San Francisco. The spoils of Russellville allowed him means to gratify every desire in the “ City of the Golden Gate,” and he remained there for some time Meanwhile Frank James, who was not deemed able to make the long ride, in the flight before the 102 FKANK AND JESSE JAMES. officers at Russellville, was secluded fora time in the house of a respectable citizen of Nelson county, Kentucky. But it was not deemed best that Frank should linger long in that part of the country. A friend provided a close carriage, and a few weeks after the Russellville robbery Frank James was very quietly driven northward one evening, passing by Bloomfield, through Fairfield, by Smithville, and on through Mount Washington to Louisville. Here he remained a few days, and then took the cars for St. Louis. Arrived in that city, Frank put up at the Southern Hotel, registering as “ F. C. Markland, Kentucky.” The name was one he had used before when he did not desire that his real name and char- acter should be known. Here he met two or three of his old comrades, and he spent several days very pleasantly with them. Meanwhile he communicated with his mother and apprised her of his intention to go West across the Rocky Mountains. Mrs. Sam- uels met her son at the house of a relative in Kansas City, where he remained for two days, and then bid- ding farewell to those Avho had always been true to him, he took passage for California, where he arrived some weeks before the arrival of Jesse. Frank did not remain long in San Francisco, but proceeded very soon to San Luis Obispo county, and paid a visit to his uncle, Mr. D. W. James, who was at that time proprietor of the Paso Robel Hot Sulphur Springs, a much frequented resort of invalids in that county. The friends of the Boys, and Jesse James ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 103 himself, in a published letter, claim that Frank went by sea to California, and that he sailed from New York on one of the vessels belonging to the Pacific Mail Steamship Line. But this story was doubtless set afloat to mislead the public concerning the movements of the Boys. The above account we have from a gentleman who was at that time a friend of the Jameses, and who traveled with Frank from Kansas City to San Francisco. He knew the des- perado well, and had daily conversations with him on the journey. After spending some time at the Springs, Frank James proceeded to the ranche of Mr. J. D. Thomp- son, with whom he had a previous acquaintance, gained while that gentleman was visiting in the States. The noted ex-Guerrilla remained at the La- ponsu ranche for many months, and until after the arrival of Jesse. The two brothers met at Paso Kobel. Here they remained for several months. In the autumn they went out to the mining districts of Nevada. It appears, from information in the possession of the writer, that the Boys behaved themselves with much circumspection while they were the guests of their uncle. Their evil propensities Avere suppressed, and no one who came in contact with the quiet, sedate Frank, and the genial, companionable Jesse, during those days, AA T ould have suspected that these brothers were the most daring; and dangerous men who had ever yet defied the powers of the State, 104 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. and disregarded the demands of society. Some quiet weeks had been passed. The weak lungs of Jesse had healed, and the lame hip of Frank was well again. The climate had wrought a wonderful O change in their physical systems. Jesse had grown robust, and possessed all the powers of physical en- durance which have been since tested and proved in- comparable. The quiet life at Paso Robel began to be irksome to the men whose lives had been passed amid the rudest shocks and the wildest storms of excitement and passion. They would go out among the miners and have a little fun while prospecting there. In Nevada, society was in its rudest stages of develop- ment. The country was filled with adventurers from every country under the sun. In the camps of the miners and prospectors were desperadoes from all regions, and a visitor to these places who wanted to fight only had to say so, and there was no delay in getting accommodated. It was then flush times in the Bonanza State. Frank and Jesse went up to the mountains to take a look at the country. They formed some acquaint- ances among the adventurers, and they found sev- eral old acquaintances from Missouri and Kentucky. The rude life of the mining camps was more conge- nial to the disposition of the men who had rode with Quantrell than the refined society found about a fashionable resort for invalids ; and the restless raid- ers liked well to linger in the tents of the miners ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE. • 105 among the lofty summits of the Sierras. For a while they- passed their time very pleasantly in such associations. They prospected some, and played sportsmen in the intervals of time so spent. But their pleasant days in the Sierras were doomed to draw to an abrupt close. There was a new camp formed at a place called Battle Mountain. It will be remembered that we are writing of a period when the rich mineral discoveries of Nevada had drawn a miscellaneous population from the four quarters of the globe. Camps and towns sprang up like Jonah’s gourd — in a night, and disappeared with the noon- day sun of the morrow. Battle Mountain was “a rattling place ; ” the people who had pitched their tents there had come in search of gold. Many of them were old pioneers, accustomed to hard knocks and sudden surprises. Others were “hard visaged men,” who knew how to dee before the avengers of blood — a knowledge gained during years of practi- cal experience. They were qitick with the knife, and “ lightning shots.” They were inured to scenes of danger, and were not liable to suffer from sudden surprises. Frank and Jesse James, accompanied by two old Missouri acquaintances, concluded to pay a visit to Battle Mountain, “ to shake up the encamp- ment,” as they said. They found spirits there who were congenial and some who were uncongenial. At last they brought up at a shanty where women, whisky and cards united their attractions to allure the old pioneers and chance visitors. The Jameses do 106 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. not drink, but they claim to be “handy with the pasteboard.” Here they engaged in a game of cards with two notorious roughs and blacklegs ; and their companions also found a pair of gamesters, ready and anxious to join them in a “ bout of poker.” For a time the game proceeded without anything occurring to disturb the amicable relations of the players. At last one of the old Missouri friends of the Jameses detected his opponent cheating in the game. lie charged him with it, and the other de- nied the charge and demanded a retraction. Of course nothing of that sort could happen. The gambler retorted by drawing a knife, and the other snatched a pistol from his belt. Jesse Janies, who was sitting at a table a little distance away, saw the danger of his friend, and in an instant, just as the gambler was in the act of striking the Missourian, he threw his pistol out and shot the blackleg through the heart. As he turned, the man who had been sitting opposite to him, engaged in play, had a pistol leveled at his breast. Jesse brought his pistol around with a swing, and another gambler fell without a groan to the earth — dead ! — shot through the brain. By this time the utmost confusion prevailed. Lights were overturned, and the place was shrouded in utter darkness in an instant of time. There was a crowd of twenty or thirty men in the shanty when the firing commenced. Everyman was armed, and all had their weapons in hand. Jesse cried out : OX THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 107 “ Stand aside ! be ready ! ” The other three men of the party understood what he meant. It was for them to get out, and they rushed for the door. A pistol would flash and a heavy body would fall with a thud to the ground. When the door had been gained by his companions, Jesse, who had covered their exit, sprang forward to escape from that pan- demonium of darkness, suffering and death. Pistols were popping and knives were clashing in a horrid din. The maimed, writhing in agony, mingled their groans and curses in the awful uproar. By the flashing of pistols, Jesse saw that Frank and his two friends had made their exit, and were firing into the crowd as opportunity offered, taking care to not shoot toward him. He determined to leave the shanty, but two burly roughs, with huge knives, stood in the way. A pistol ball quieted one of them, and almost before the flash of his pistol had faded away, and before the other could think of using his knife, Jesse sprang upon him and dealt him a fearful blow on the head with the butt of his pistol. The gambler sank with a groan to the earth, and with a spring, Jesse joined his friends on the out- side. By this time a light had been placed on a barrel behind the slab which served for a counter. Three men were seen weltering in their own blood — dead. Four others were lying writhing in pain, and all were gory from the blood which flowed from ghastly wounds. Fight in a Gamblers’ Den. OX THE PACIFIC SLOPE. 109 The crowd saw all this at a glance. The dead and the wounded in the shanty did not include any oi the strangers. The crowd yelled for vengeance on the authors of the bloody tragedy. There was a shout that awakened the mountain echoes for miles around, as the infuriated pioneers and gamblers surged out of the shanty. Meanwhile the Jameses and their friends had re- tired a short distance from the place to ascertain the extent of the injuries they had received in the melee. It was a cloudless night and the stars shone brightly. The leaders of the mob soon discovered the four Missourians, and ran, yelling, toward them. “Back, you d — d miscreants ! Stand back, I say !” cried Jesse James. But they rushed forward at the top of their speed. “Boys, we are in for it,” said Jesse quietly. “All right, be ready.” Then he shouted : “Come on, d — n you! Just come ahead and be killed!” He had no more than ceased speaking when they had approached near enough to open fire. “Wait, boys! Steady! Every shot must tell! Now!” And as the sound of the last word died away, there was the report of four pistols, almost simultaneously discharged, and four men fell badly wounded ; once more the four deadly pistols were discharged, and two more of the howling mob sank down in their tracks. The others paused. But they gave the Missourians a parting salute as the latter moved rapidly away. That salute seriously wounded 8 110 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. one of the friends of the Jameses, and carried away a portion of Jesse’s hat brim. But they escaped, aided by the night, and hastily returned to Winne- munca. Here they learned that intelligence of the terrible dark seance at Battle Mountain had preceded them, and that it was not a safe place. Aided by friends, they remained in seclusion a few days, wait- ing an opportunity to get away. During these days of retirement they made up their minds to return to the States east of the mountains, and when they met a favorable opportunity they embraced it, and in another week after their departure they were secure among friends near their old haunts in Missouri, ready to plan still more startling campaigns than any which they had yet undertaken. CHAPTER XIV. WERE THEY DRIVEN TO OUTLAWRY?— The peculiar circumstances surrounding the Jameses — Social and political ostracism — The vigilance com- mittees — Not allowed to remain in peace in their own home — They go forth as enemies of society. “Those misnamed men Whom damned custom had brazed so That they were proof and bulwark against sense.” Were Frank and Jesse James driven to outlawry? A strang question, no doubt, many readers will think, in the light of the history of their lives. And yet it is a pertinent question, when we consider the tendency of the human mind and conscience to de- teriorate under the pressure of circumstances. En- vironments have much to do in moulding character. Perhaps there is not as wide a space between the natural characteristics of mind and heart in boys of eight as is generally supposed. But philosophizing aside. Are there not mitigating circumstances in the case of the James boys? We do not undertake to defend them — their course is indefensible ; we cannot apologize for them ; for outlawry cannot be palliated. But let justice be done even to these renowned out- laws. Though sinners, have they not been sinned against? Though slayers of men, have they had no provocation? Let facts speak. When the banner, beloved by the Southern people, whether wisely or unwisely it matters not, was folded 111 112 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. away forever at Appomattox, that event brought peace and repose to hundreds, nay, thousands, of grim, worn soldiers who had bravely striven to up- hold the ensign they loved so well. The war ended for them, never to be commenced again. But all along the bloody borderland there existed a distinctly different condition of affairs. The war- fare was that of community against community, of neighbor against neighbor, and* of relative against relative. Cole Younger, the Guerrilla, engaged in mortal combat with Charles Younger, the Union militia officer ; it was kindred blood that strove. In such a warfare the common ties of humanity are sev- ered, and fury and hate come in where love and friendship have expired. Such was the situation in Missouri. The dissolution of the Confederate Gov- ernment did not restore peace in such communities. The quarrel was no longer political, and for principle, but personal, and for vengeance. For others there might be peace, but for contestants in such a strife there was no peace, If Jesse James took vengeance on Bond, it must be remembered that in the dreadful days of the bit- ter border war, Bond had gone with his band of mi- litia to the Samuels place, taken Dr. Samuels, Jesse’s step-father,. out, and hanged him by the neck until they supposed he was dead, and left him there while they went to find Jesse, who was plowing in the ^ field. lie was but a lad then. But they took him, tied him like a felon, and castigated him like a slave WERE THEY DRIVEN TO OUTLAWRY? 113 with a plow line, until faint from loss of blood and crazed from the agony of the infliction, he fell in a swoon — a mere quivering mass of flesh and blood, Jesse James was like other youthful human beings. Could he then forget such treatment? Was it not natural that he should seek vengeance? And the hour came ; the tormenter fell into his hands ; the strong passion overcame the young man and he slew his enemy. And so r too, with Banes and others who fell victims to his relentless purpose. They met a fate at the hands of the boys which, perhaps, better men than the Jameses would have connived at under similar circumstances. Thus, during the long, dark struggle, old scores were paid, but at the same time new causes of offense were given. The regularly organized armies of the late con- tending sections had been disbanded, and peace os- tensibly reigned in the land. But old wounds had not healed along the border. There were malignant stars in the zenith of the Guerrillas. Hope animated them for a space. They sought their childhood’s homes. Doubtless they loved the scenes familiar to them in the old days, before they had learned to be slayers of men, as well as others of the race do that anchor-spot of memory. But the bright gleam of hope faded ; the clouds of anguish overspread their sky. The lurid lightning of the old bitterness flashed athwart their heavens, and the ex-Guerrillas were pursued and hunted, like felons, beyond the pale of hope or pardon. 114 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. The resources of the James family had been im- paired, absorbed, wasted, in the crucial time of strife. But they were not permitted to make a peaceful ef- fort to build up and restore wasted fortunes. Har- rassed ou every hand, these boys, who were naturally of a strong temperament, and perhaps of revengeful natures, were }mt mere boys who had learned to be self-reliant; impatient of restraint, bold in action, and acquainted with the art of slaughter, turned upon their hunters and revealed the desperate character of the game they pursued. They were not left in peace after the light of peace blessed the land and made glad other hearts ; and they would have been more than human not to have undertaken their own protection under such circumstances. If others at- tempted to murder them, they did not hesitate to slay. So their lives have become lurid with slaughter. It must be remembered that we are not attempting to justify such a line of conduct ; but there are many things in connection with human affairs that cannot be defended. We look at things as they are, and not as they ought to be. Doubtless, it will be admitted on all hands that the James boys ought not to have led such a wild career of outlawry ; that they ought not to have entered upon such a course of action ; and finally, it will be urged that it would have been far better for them, and everything and everybody connected with them, to have quietly yielded to the inevitable, and voluntarily exiled themselves forever from the scenes of childhood and WERE THEY DRIVEN TO OUTLAWRY? 115 all the dear associations of their tenderer and more hopeful youth. Certainly, it would have been best for them. But such a course would have been con- trary to the world’s experience of human nature. So when vigilance committees were hanging their comrades who had been with them by the camp tires in the deep forests, and in many a bloody foray ; and when armed men, fours and sixes, hunted for them ; when repose was banished from their home, and the phantom shadow of death peered out at them from every forest thicket, and from the sombre shades of the silent night, these boys rose up in rebellion against that society which refused to own them, and that or- der which organized the cohorts of vengeance. Jesse ~W. and Frank James, the terrible Guerrillas of the war-time, were henceforth to “ become enemies of every man,” or at least outlaws from society, and free companions of the highways. It might have been different with them. But the long, lingering fires of hate burned after the lurid days of slaughter, and they were not the persons to refuse the gauntlet when thrown at their feet. Never too good by na- ture, circumstances have made them desperate, and hence, after concluding their bloody Guerrilla record, we proceed with their history as outlaws and high- waymen of the most remarkable character of any known in the annals of history. CHAPTER XV. THE GALLATIN BANK TRAGEDY.— Strange men in Gallatin— They call upon the cashier — Cap- tain John W. Sheets shot by Jesse James— Pursuit of the man-slayers — The escape of the robbers. The sudden appearance among the people of a peaceful community of a band of armed men, who whoop like savages, lire off pistols, swear fearful oaths, and issue sharp commands, is calculated to produce a feeling of terror, and, for a time at least, to paralyze the energies of men. By pursuing this kind of tactics, the band of robbers which com- menced at Russellville, Kentucky, in 1868, and con- cluded their last exploit at Glendale, in the fall of 1879, have uniformly, with one single exception, been able to accomplish their work and make good their escape. The 16th day of December, 1869, will not be soon forgotten by the citizens of tire flourishing little city of Gallatin, Daviess county, Missouri, because of an incident which created a thrill of excitement that extended all over the land. Daylight bank robber- ies were not events of frequent occurrence until these later times. The affair at Russellville had taken place many months before, and it was thought altogether unlikely that such another audacious rob- bery would be soon attempted. 116 THE HAJ.r.vriN BANK TRAGEDY. 117 After the Russellville affair, it was known Jesse and Frank James had made a journey to California, and it was not until late in the fall that they returned. It was supposed that only the Youngers and Jameses were capable of doing such deeds, and it was not known that the Bovs were at home by any consider- able number of people. Such conclusions as these proved to be fallacious. On the day named — a gray, cold December day — the people of Gallatin were suddenly startled by the presence, in the streets of the place, of a band of armed men, who rode furiously, shouted loudly, and swore fiercely at the people, commanding them, in sharp, decisive tones, to get inside their houses and stay within their own domicils. While a part of the band remained out in the streets, two of the robbers rushed into the bank. The cashier, Captain John W. Sheets, was behind the counter. He was in- stantly covered by a pistol, and imperiously com- manded to be still. The other robber proceeded to secure the contents of the safe, placed the bank’s assets in a sack , and walking to the cashier, he placed the muzzle of a pistol almost against his temple, and fired, the bullet crashing through the brain, and the unfortunate gentleman fell dead at the foot of his slayer. The robbers regained their horses, mounted, and the whole gang rode rapidly away. The citizens of Gallatin had seen them come and go. They did not remain long. The whole affair was the work of a few moments. They soon realized 118 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. what had been done, and then there was mount- ing in hot haste, and almost as quickly as the rob- bers had come and gone, a well-armed posse was riding after them in hot pursuit. Captain John W. Sheets, the murdered cashier of the Gallatin bank, served as a captain in the Mis- souri militia, and had often met parties of Guerrillas in combat during the war. He was much esteemed, and his wanton assassination created a profound sen- sation, and a strong desire to capture his slayers was manifested throughout the community. The whole country was aroused. Daviess county had sent marry men to the ranks of the militia, and somehow the impression rapidly went abroad that the robbery had been committed by the James Boys and their old associates among the Guerrillas. It stimulated them to greater exertions in the pursuit. The rob- bers obtained the start, and the men who had ridden with Quantrell never made a reconnoissance on indif- ferent steeds. Besides, no dashing cavaliers knew better how to ride than they. It was an exciting chase. The people of Gallatin had been taken by surprise. The startling suddenness of the appear- ance of the robbers ; their 'matter-of-fact attention to the business in hand, and the terrible tragedy which concluded the drama, were all calculated to create surprise, not to say astonishment. The robbers were trailed directly toward Clay county. The Gallatin posse, after a hot chase, came up with the fleeing bandits. The latter turned upon THE GALLATIN BANK TRAGEDY. 119 their pursuers in so determined away that they were compelled to call a halt, and retreat to meet rein- forcements. This gave the robbers time. They continued to retire toward the Clay county line. It was not difficult to trace them into that county. But after they had once penetrated well into the territory of Clay, all traces faded out. No one had seen such a band of men or any other gang like them, and all efforts to discover their retreat proved abortive. They disappeared — like the picture thrown out by the magic lantern when the slide is withdrawn suddenly and broken — at once and for- ever. Hearing that they were accused of the robbery, the James boys, who were then at home, mounted their horses and rode to Kearney to hie their protest against the accusation. Their manner convinced the citizens — that it might be dangerous to insist upon the allegation that they were the Gallatin robbers. It was given out, in extenuation of the shooting of Captain Sheets, that the person who did it believed him to be Lieut. Cox, who, it is said, claimed to have killed Bill Anderson, when that noted Guerrilla was attempting to force the passage of the Missouri river in the face of a superior force of Federal troops. The murder of the cashier has yet to be avenged. Not a dollar of the money has been recovered up to this time. CHAPTER XYI. ATTEMPTS TO ARREST THE BOYS.— The people aroused — Detectives on the trail of the boys — Their neighbors arrayed against them — Captain Thomason expi-esses himself— He is interviewed by Mrs. Samuels — Failure of all efforts to arrest them. “The past, we may never forget, The present, swift its moments fly, The future, we must trust it yet, And trusting will not sigh.” After Gallatin, the situation of the boys became perilous, for although their denials and the affidavits which they were able to procure, served to convince their friends that they were not at Gallatin ; still the conviction had grown and deepened that they were concerned in the robbery, and that they had aided and abetted those who committed the crime, even if they were not present in person. Immediately after the perpetration ofthe outrage, Jesse W. James wrote a letter on behalf of himself and his brother Frank, offering to surrender to the officers of the law and submit to a trial, on condition that the Governor should guarantee them against the chances of mob violence and lynch law in Daviess county. After examining all the papers in the case, and the facts submitted to him, Governor McClurg declared that he did not believe the boys had anything to do with the robbery, and was fully convinced that they 120 ATTEMPTS TO ARREST THE BOYS. 121 could not have been personally concerned in it. This had the effect of quieting the suspicions of many persons, but there were others who still cherished the opinion that they were the instigators of the robbery, and had aided the perpetrators in concealing them- selves, and had doubtless shared with them the booty which they had secured. In subsequent years this opinion grew into a conviction , and now many believe that it was Frank James’ pistol which proved fatal to Captain Sheets. Be this as it may, the people of Daviess county were aroused, and many of the citizens of Clay county also, indeed all Northwest Missouri was excited. This led to a systematic and persistent attempt to arrest Frank and Jesse James, the generally recog- nized leaders of the lawless elements of the State. Anions: those who firmly believed in the y the flame produced by the dis- charge. All this was the transaction of a moment of time. “Will you give up the safe-key, d — n you?” shouted one of the robbers, with a cocked pistol presented at Martin’s head. “ I will not,” was the answer. “Then, d — n you, will you open the safe? Come, I’ve no time to wait. If you don’t, I will blow your brains out. Come, will you? ” “I will not. I will d — ” The words were cut short. The sentence was never completed. There was a loud report, an OUTRAGE AT COLUMBIA, KENTUCKY. 127 involuntary moan from lips that would never speak again, and the lifeless form of It. A. C. Martin, the brave cashier, fell heavily to the floor. The other three gentlemen were guarded by one of the robbers, who kept his pistol cocked and pointed at them, and in view of their dead friend, jested with them about the facility with which he could dispatch all * three of them. They had witnessed a demonstration of his skill, and they trembled for their lives. Having disposed of the cashier, the two robbers who were in the bank commenced gathering up all the money and other valuables which were outside the safe. They tried to open the safe, but the com- bination was with the dead cashier, and the robbers were baffled. It was soon known that five men, splendidly mounted, had entered Columbia, at an hour when very few people were abroad. They were armed with heavy dragoon pistols, but as they were divided, two coming in on one road and three on another, the citizens did not take the alarm until they heard the Ariim at the bank. Two men held the horses of O the three who went into the bank, and with pistols fired at every one who appeared on the street ; and by their savage yells and fearful oaths they alarmed the people to such an extent that the place soon ap- peared as if it had been deserted. Gathering everything they could carry away that had the semblance of money, placing it in a sack, and, one of them throwing it across his horse, the three 128 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. robbers who had gone inside the building came out, re- mounted their horses, and with a shout which sent a thrill of terror to the hearts of the citizens of Colum- bia, they galloped away unmolested. The suddenness of the raid ; the terrible character of the men revealed by the murder of so highly es- teemed a citizen as Mr. Martin ; the facility with which they shot a vane off a chimney, and their dec- larations that they would murder every man in the place, which declarations were accompanied by the most terrible oaths, all had a tendency to demoralize the men of Columbia. Surprise and consternation prevented immediate action. But when the cause of their fears no longer remained, they rallied, and then commenced a pursuit which continued until in the mountains of Tennessee,, in Fentress county, one of the robbers, who went by the name of Saunders, was wounded and finally captured. This man was often seen, by their friends, with Frank and Jesse James. This is conclusive of the fact that the Columbia rob- bery was committed by the same gang, who for some years are known to have aided the James Boys and Younger Brothers in many of their depredations. It has been asserted by some persons, in a position to obtain reliable information, that Frank James was the leader in this raid, and that Bill Longley, the noted Texas desperado, formed one of the party. At any rate, none of the robbers were ever caught, except the Texan, who went by the name of OUTRAGE AT COLUMBIA, KENTUCKY. 129 Saunders, and he was so fatally wounded that death closed his existence soon after. Martin, the murdered cashier, was a gentleman held in high regard by the people of Adair county, and was a member of the Kentucky Legislature at the time of his tragic death. The failure to catch the robbers on this occasion had the effect of creat- ing in the public mind the belief that an organized band of bank breakers existed, and sometimes the names of the Jameses and Youngers were mentioned as leaders of the band. CHAPTER XVIII. OUT OF EXILE. — Domestic and social relations of the Boys — Their visits to the cities — The theaters and concert stage — Life in hotels — How the Jameses play the part of gentlemen. As Frank and Jesse James, the celebrated out- laws, live separate and apart from the rest of man- kind, they have no confidence in men, and will not receive the confidence of others. Frank is a self- possessed, silent man, who cares little for the society of his fellows. Jesse, on the contrary, under some circumstances, might have become a rollicking, good-humored citizen, given to “merry jests and healthy laughter.” Both have schooled themselves to wariness and a caution which keeps guard over their words at all times. They are temperate to the extent of total abstinence from every thing which could intoxicate. In brief, the James Boys are brave as men ever become ; they are daring, but not reck- less ; they are intrepid to a degree perhaps unex- celled in any who have ever lived on this globe ; no combination of circumstances or conditions can place them in a position to be surprised. In the midst of imminent personal danger they are cool and col- lected as if they were sitting at a table with a party of friends. They have made human nature a study, and have noted its every manifestation. They expect no mercy from a society which has long ago pro- scribed them, and they have little emotional regard 130 OUT OF EXILE. 131 to waste on that social organization which spurns them. Brothers in outlawry, separated from the balance of mankind by an impassable gulf which they have created themselves, they have learned to hate the representatives of law and order, and their defiance is not to be despised. Superadded to physical courage unequalled, they possess cunning and craft never surpassed. With mental gifts which, properly directed, might have made them renowned as leaders of men in the better walks, of life, they are no trifling foes to the vindica- tors of lawful authority. These brothers, when under their true names, never even associate together. They do not travel the same road in company, and never travel the same way on the same day. Though never together they are never far apart. If one needs assistance the other is sure to be near at hand to render it. If one should fall, it is safe to assume that his fall would be terribly avenged by the other. They ride at will over the vast plains of Texas, nearly always alone, unless danger threatens, and neither savage abori- gines or wild borderers can make them afraid. They are veritable roving kings of the plains. In the haunts of civilization they are no less men to be dreaded and avoided. The quick pistol and the un- erring aim cannot be despised. Dead men tell no tales, and the man who would betray will not return to reveal their councils. Whicher sought them and Whicher died. Askew would surrender them, and 132 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. lie, too, perished on his own threshold. They seem to possess the occult power of reading other men’s very thoughts. Such are the characteristics of the James Boys. Bold, shrewd, cool, deliberate men, whom no danger can appall ; no sudden supprise can disconcert. They are always ready, and can act in- stantaneously whatever may be the emergency. But it must not be supposed that these men, though outlaws, are exiles from the haunts of men. As Jameses they are seldom seen, by even the most in- timate of the associates of other days. But they are not always the terrible outlaws to the seeming of men. Nor are they condemned to a lonely life away beyond the borders of civilization among wild herds and roaming savages. They have traveled" much, and have carefully studied ; they know the ways of the world, and avail themselves of that knowledge to enjoy some of the privileges and pleasures of civili- zation. Many times when they were hunted in the out-of-the-way regions of the country, they have been enjoying life as respectable gentlemen among the citizens of our Metropolitan centers. While Pinkerton’s men have sought them among the forests of Clay county, Missouri, they have calmly reposed in the Grand Pacific hotel of Chicago ; while Mc- Donough’s “staff” hunted the outlaws in Western Missouri, they were listening to the soul-stirring strains of Kellogg and Carey in St. Louis. It must be known that for years they have led a double existence. They have many names, and are OUT OF EXILE. 133 capable of assuming any character. The same cir- cumspection in speech and action which enables them to successfully plunder a bank or overhaul an express train is carried with them into social life, and enables them to make friends and secure immunity from annoyance, and disarms all suspicion. The plundered money of an express train permits them to appear as gentlemen at the Fifth Avenue hotel, New York, and Jesse James as Charles Law- son, of Nottingham, is not regarded as an outlaw in New York society. It must be remembered that the James Boys are not altogether illiterate, nor did they spring from a parentage of uncouth, unlettered rus- tics. They have made voyages by sea, and have been thrown with persons of culture and refinement. Their father was a man of decided culture, and they have many relatives of education and refinement. An uncle of theirs is a somewhat prominent citizen of California, recognized as a gentleman of intelli- gence and good breeding. It is, therefore, not so difficult for them to play the role of gentlemen even in refined society. The Jameses have various names which they as- sume as occasion requires. Another peculiarity of their method is the respectable character of their friends in their own immediate neighborhoods. These are respectable farmers and stock-traders, and mer- chants and what not. Among their neighbors they are kind and hospitable, and in every transaction scrupulously honest. On Sunday they are punctually 134 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. at church service, and are usually liberal con- tributors to all neighborhood charities. No one would for a moment suspect that such persons could pos- sibly be in league with the most desperate outlaws who ever lived. Such good neighbors and upright persons surely can do nothing wrong — so the people think. Among these, Frank and Jesse are not known under their own proper names, and if they were it would make no difference. They are circumspect when with such people, and sometimes can assume the piety of Puritans. It is related of the boys that on several occasions after a great robbery, as known and respectable citi- zens, they have joined in the pursuit of the maraud- ers without exciting the least suspicion that they were concerned in the affair, The following story of Jesse has been repeated among their acquaintances : One day — it was the second after the Corydon bank robbery — he was riding along a not much fre- quented highway, when he saw two men in pursuit. Confident that they had not seen him, he turned his horse’s head toward them and rode up the road to meet them. They were citizens, well mounted and well armed. Jesse wore Grangers’ clothes, and at once assumed a rustic simplicity which comported well with his garb. When he had approached near enough he quietly saluted the robber hunters, and in a simple manner began to converse with them in the following style : OUT OF EXILE. 135 “Well, gentlemen, hev you met anybody up the road riclin’ of a hoss an’ leadin’ ov another one, ’cause you see as how I lives down on the Noder- way, an’ some infernal thief has gone off with my best two bosses. I hearn about two miles furder back at the blacksmith’s shop that er man passed there about a hour an’ a half ago with two hosses, an’ they fits the discripshun of mine to a T. Hev you seen sich ? ” “No. Where are you traveling from? ” “ Why, Lord, I’ve come all the way from the No- derway. The infernal thieves are just usin’ us up that way. I wish I’d come on the infernal son of a seacook whose taken my hosses. I do, you bet, I’d go fur him with these ’ere irons. I would that ! ” And Jesse revealed his “weapons” as he called them. “ Did you see anybody on the road ahead? ” “ Not for some miles. I met four ugly lookin’ cus- tomers this mornin’. They looked like they might ’a been hoss-thieves theirselves. D — n the hoss- thieves ! ’ ’ ‘ ‘ Thieves are plenty now-a-days . They come into towns and break banks in open daylight. How far did you say the four men were ahead ? ’ ’ “Well, I didn’t say, but it must be more’n two hours since I met ’em, an’ they were a ridin’ purty fast, an’ I’ve rid my hoss almost down, as you can see.” 136 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “ What kind of looking men were they?” asked the robber hunters. “ Well, one was a sizable man, with long, red beard, an’ a Hopped black hat on, a ridin’ on a big- chestnut sorrel hoss, an’ one more was a smallish man, with very black hair and beard, and sharp black eyes, an’ he was a ridin’ on a roan hoss, an’ another was an oldish man, with some gray among his beard, an’ he wore a blue huntin’ shirt coat, an’ he was a ridin’ a gray hoss, and the last feller was a little weazle-faced chap, with tallowy complexion, who didn’t ware no beard, an’ he rode on a dark brown hoss.” The two robber hunters then consulted together. “ That’s their discription,” said one. “Precisely,” said the other. “Shall we follow?” asked one. “I would like to,” replied the other. “ But there are four of them,” was the remark in rejoinder. “ Yes that is bad. If Ed, Dick and Will would just hurry up. Those fellows are no doubt very dangerous men,” was the comment of one. “You bet they are,” was the response. All this time Jesse had listened as an interested party. Now he thought he was privileged to make an inquiry. “What’s up, strangers, anyhow?” Jesse asked. “ You blow it ! Don’t you know that the Corydon bank, up in Iowa, was robbed yesterday?” Jesse opened his eyes in well-feigned surprise. “You don’t say so,” he ejaculated. OUT OF EXILE. 137 “ Yes, in broad daylight, and the men you met are the robbers, no doubt. There’s a big reward offered to catch them.” “What’s this country a cornin’ to, anyhow? Hoss thieves down on the Noderway, an’ bank rogues up to Iowa. ’Pears like hard workin’ honest folks can’t get along much more,” “Could you go back with us?’ “I’d like to, but the cussed hoss thieves will get away. Besides, you see, my hoss is mighty nigh played out hisself. Howsumever, I might ride with you as furasl can. D — n all thieves, say I, don’t you?” And Jesse actually turned around with the two pursuers of the robbers, in pursuit of another posse of pursuers which Jesse had been enabled to accu- rately describe by having seen them pass him while lying snug in a dense thicket. “They might catch the robbers, an’ as he’d hev a sheer ov the reward, it would be better’n nothin’ at all fur his stolin bosses. ” For some miles he kept company with the robber catchers, until his horse becoming lame, and Jesse getting near a railway station, rendered further pur- suit of bank robbers distasteful to him, and as his excuse was received as valid, he bid his late travel- ing companions an enthusiastic adieu, boarded a night train, and was in the vicinity of home next morning. Those were' Jesse’s courting days. 138 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. The writer of these pages has been informed by a reputable citizen of St. Louis, that at a time when the detective forces of both St. Louis and Chicago were out in the western part of the State, hunting for the James Boys and Younger Brothers, that he saw and conversed with Jesse James on the corner of Fifth and Chestnut streets, St. Louis, and that on that occasion Jesse attended the opera, Max Stra- kosch’s troupe being then in the city. Of course Jesse James was not the name the people called him by, but he was to all seeming Mr. William Campbell, a most respectable shipper of cattle from Wichita, Kansas. As Mr. Campbell, he had business rela- tions with many of the citizens, who esteemed him as 4 4 a very clever gentlemen . ” At that time , accord- ing to the statement of the gentleman upon whose authority this incident is given, Jesse remained in St. Louis a number of days. His associations, were excellent, and he was a visitor on ’Change, and ven- tured even into the Four Courts building, in com- pany with a well-known citizen, who was, of course, ignorant of his true name and character. It is be- lieved that during this trip he made banking arrange- ments, and that the Boys now carry a heavy bank account in some St. Louis bank. Of course this business is transacted under assumed names. CHAPTER XIX. THE CORYDON RAID. — The robbers pay a visit to Iowa — Their sudden appearance at Corydon — They secure a large sum of money and ride away — Hot pursuit by Iowa officers — Jesse as a rustic. Thus far no arrests had been made of the plunder- ers of the banks at Russellville, Kentucky ; Gallatin, Missouri, and Columbia, Kentucky. Boldly the bri- gands had ridden, and skillfully they had executed their purpose, and, we may almost say, peacefully they rode away when their deeds were done. At first, people knew not what to think of these daring daylight raids. The best detective skill was placed at fault in ferreting out the haunts of the robbers. Russellville and Gallatin are separated by many hundreds of miles. Could the robbers of the former possibly be the raiders into the last-named place? And Gallatin is far removed from Columbia ; was it possible that the murderers and robbers at the first- named place were the same persons who astonished the people, murdered the cashier and plundered the bank at Columbia ? People asked these questions, and no one was found able to answer them. Scarcely had the people ceased to talk, and the excitement incident to the bold raid on Columbia, with its con- comitant horror, died away, ere the country was shaken by the recurrence of a similar daring outrage in another state. 139 140 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES . It was the old story repeated. This time a flour- ishing town in Iowa was selected for the scene of exciting events. In Corydon there was, and there still is, a bank. In that town a considerable amount of business is transacted, and it was a season of the year — June 28th, 1873 — when much of the capital usually employed in mercantile transactions, as it was reasonable to infer, was held in reserve by the bank, and the raiders calculated on a large prize to compen- sate for the risk taken. Certainly the men who went to Corydon were trained in the same school in which the Russellville, Gallatin, Columbia and Rorthfield robbers were at one time pupils. Riding into town in daylight, when the inhabitants were out and abroad pursuing their usual avocations, the thor- oughly armed and well-mounted desperadoes pro- ceeded to the bank. Three of them dismounted, drew their pistols, and entered the office. Taken entirely by surprise, the cashier and two other gen- tlemen who were present, could offer no resistance. In fact, the memory of Gallatin, and the fate of poor Captain Sheets, came back to them with painful dis- tinctness. They were paralyzed before the dark chambers of the huge dragoon pistols, and could not even so much as protest against the proceedings. They yielded to the inevitable. The horsemen who remained in the street ordered all citizens to retire to their houses, and, with fearful imprecations, threatened to blow the heads off those who manifested the slightest hesitation in obeying THE CORYDON RAID. 141 their commands. Meanwhile, the bandits on the in- side were exercising their pleasure with the assets of the bank. The safe was opened, and its contents raked into a sack which the robbers carried along. During the progress of their labors in “ taking in” the valuables of the institution, one of them, who seemed to have been deputied to stand guard over the persons found in the place, amused himself by jesting at their distress, and cheerfully asserting his ability to pick the buttons off their coats with pistol bullets. The robbers remained but a few minutes. The citizens were becoming aware of what was transpiring in their midst, and were recovering from their surprise, and rallying to contest with the rob- bers. With great oaths they bade the people in the bank to remain perfectly quiet until they were gone, forced them to the door while they retired, regained and mounted their horses, and, shouting loudly, they rode rapidly away, and were out of town many min- utes before any one was ready to go in pursuit. They were pursued afterward, but none were cap- tured. 9 CHAPTER XX. THE CASH BOX OF THE FAIR.— Frank and Jesse at Kansas City — The gale money seized and carried away — The pool cashier interviewed by Frank. Fair time ! Kansas City was gay with flags and streamers and banners. It was a holiday season. The streets were thronged and trains from Leaven-, worth and Sedalia, and St. Joseph and Moberly,and Lawrence and Clinton and regions further removed from Kansas City, brought crowds of men, women and children to see the show. It was a lovely Octo- ber day. The temperature was mild, and the sun shone through an atmosphere which tinged his rays with gold. All day the great crowd surged and circled about the grounds and through the textile hall, and the art gallery, and the agricultural exhibition, and among the fat kine and the lazy swine, the sheep and the horses, and the poultry coops. It was a good day, so the “management” thought, one of the very best they had ever had. Shrewd mental arithmeti- cians declared there was not a soul less than twenty thousand visitors present that day, and an incident of some importance has placed it forever out of the power 1 of any one to disprove the statement of the mental arithmetician. The management, too, from that day to this, have been unable to count the gate money. Why not, we now proceed to tell. 142 THE GASH BOX OF THE FAIR. 143 The people visiting the fair were deeply interested in “ the speed and bottom” of sundry “blooded horses ” which were making time around the race track. The sun was getting low in the west. It was the last “ ring ” to be exhibited that day. Of course no one would think of paying their entrance fee and go away without seeing the races. While the great multitude was so engaged, there was a commotion near the entrance gate. The level beams of the declining sun cast gigantic shadows over the ground. A sudden clattering of horses’ hoofs on the beaten road aroused the guardians at the gate. What could it mean ? The noise came nearer. The guardians looked up. A strange sight met their gaze. A band of well mounted, well armed, strange, weird looking men, seven in number, dashed up to the gate. Among some of the spectators it was sup- posed that these singularly brigandish looking men, were simply actors, that they had been employed by the “management” for the entertainment of the visitors to the fair — that it was, in short, an irruption of the “ Cowbellions,” or some. such mystic order of men. Even the treasurers in their “ cuddy boxes ” did not comprehend the character of the movement. But they were not kept in doubt long. Riding directly to the receiver of money, who, like Matthew of saintly memory, was sitting at the receipt of cus- toms, two of them sprang to the ground, drew their pistols, and rushed up to the cashier. With a -Tearful threat they commanded him to remain quiet, 144 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. and designate the money box. What could he do? Instantly the other robber seized the cash box. The men who still remained mounted covered the retreat of the two who did the seizing. They remounted, fired a volley as a warning, and dashed away with the receipts of the day, probably $8,000 or $9,000. There were twenty thousand people, they said, on the ground. And yet in the sight of all these the brigands had done this thing, and were galloping away unmolested. There were hundreds who saw them, and if any old Guerrilla comrade was one of them, and recognized Frank and Jesse James, and Cole and Bob Younger, they said nothing about it. As soon as the “management” of the fair and the police authorities, and sheriffs, and constables, and marshals had time to think and consider the neces- sity for energetic measures in efforts to capture the brigands, there was mounting in hot haste of police officers, marshals and other enforcers of the law, and pursuit was commenced with great vigor. But the pursuers had little better success than those who went after young Lord Lochinvar when he eloped with the bride of Netherby Hall, whom they “never did see.” The pursuers of the robbers of the gate did hear of a man who was riding along a country road in Clay county who looked as if he might have been a robber, but the robbers they never did see. The fact of the matter is, the robbers rode away about five miles over the hills, until they came to a piece of wild forest country, rode into the woqds ; THE CASH BOX OF THE FAIR. 145 came to a sequestered glade ; struck a light ; emptied the cash out of the box ; counted and divided the spoils ; remounted their horses, and favored by the darkness of the night, and their thorough knowledge of the country, they went their way, every man choos- ing his own route. Jesse and Frank James made a visit to the east part of Jackson county to see some friends, and Cole and Bob Younger, passing down to the neigh- borhood of Monegaw Springs, to visit Mr. Theodoric Snuffer and others of their friends and relatives. A great many people did not believe that the James Boys and Younger Brothers had anything to do with this robbery, or had ever had anything to do with any robbery at that time. But there is now no longer a doubt that the Boys enjoyed the good in this life which the receipts at the fair ground gate could pro- cure for them. An incident in connection with the robbery at the fair ground gate is of sufficient interest to bear re- production here. As we have before related, the robbery took place while the attention of the people was deeply engrossed in the horseraces then in prog- ress on the track. That day Mr. Ford, a well- known journalist of Kansas City, was acting treasurer at “the pool stand.” There was a sum of money in the box amounting to between $8,000 and $9,000. Mr. Ford was seated upon the box when a couple of strangers came along. One of them approached the treasurer, and entered into a conversation about as follows : The stranger remarked, 146 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “You must have considerable money in there?” “Well, yes,” responded Mr. Ford. “There is a considerable amount of cash in here.” “Suppose the James Boys should come and de- mand it ; what would you do?” asked the stranger. “Well, they would have to fight for it,” replied Mr. Ford. “They might kill me, butsomebody would have to be killed before they could get this box away, that is certain.” “You would fight for it, eh?” responded the stranger. “That I would,” said Mr. Ford. “If you knew it was the James Boys who made the demand?” asked the stranger. “Certainly I would,” replied Mr. Ford. The stranger gazed sharply at the treasurer of “the pool stand” for an instant, and, turning about, walked away without further remark. Mr. Ford had met Frank James before, on some occasion, and was convinced that the person who addressed him was no other than Frank James. He recognized him beyond a doubt before he had passed out of sight. That evening the robbery was consummated. Other respectable parties saw Frank and Jesse James that day about Kansas City, but for a time they were able to beguile the public into the belief that they were not present on that occasion. But time has furnished sufficient evidence to connect them with that daring enterprise. CHAPTER XXI. STE. GENEVIEVE. — The cashier of the bank at Ste. Genevieve surprised — Narrow escape of young Rozier — The bank plundered by the raiders — Escape of the robbers. Ste. Genevieve ! To many it calls up sweet mem- ories, and in many hearts the name is sacred and holy. The very words sound as if full of gentle- ness, and love, and purity. And yet, in the very midst of the Ste. Genevieve of Missouri, acts of wickedness have been committed which, from their very nature, startled the whole people of the West. Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, is an old, old town. More than a century ago it was a beacon light of civilization, in the midst of the vast wilderness then called the “far West.” And the people of Ste. Genevieve are quiet and .sedate, and still preserve, with the traditions of the venerable past, the grand, courtly ways inherited from their ancestors from the banks of the Rhone and the Saone. When spring- time comes, Ste. Genevieve is redolent with the perfumes of many flowers, and when the sun climbs higher toward the northern parallel, Ste. Genevieve reposes amid gardens of summer roses. Why should brigands dare place their unhallowed feet on the dust in these ancient streets? If they were not brigands, they would have loved to inhale the per- fumed air of the old gardens. But being brigands, 147 148 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. they preferred to handle the gold which the fathers of some generations of men commenced to hoard. And for this cause they came to Ste. Genevieve. Brigands are not a sentimental race of beings. Tuesday morning, May 27th, 1873, was lovely, as such spring days are, when the sun is bright, and the flowers blooming, and the air balmy. Mr. O. D. Harris, cashier of the bank known as the Ste. Gene- vieve Savings Association, being a gentleman of fine sensibilities, thought so as he sniffed the delicious aroma of the perfume-laden air, when he wended his way to the bank, and so he said to his friends who saluted him by the way. Arriving at the bank — it was just about the hour of opening — he was joined by young Mr. Rozier, a son of General Firman A. Rozier, then president of the bank. As Mr. Harris was about to enter the bank office, his attention was momentarily engaged by the appearance of two men who were walking on the street in front of the build- ing, and looking up at it Avith an intense interest. They were just passing it, when suddenly they turned, and came back as though they intended to enter. They approached the steps and commenced to ascend them, preceded by Mr. Harris, who, hav- ing reached the front office, started at once to go behind the counter. He had not progressed half the distance when he was suddenly arrested by a harsh, authoritative command : “ Stop ! Surrender, d — n you I ” STE. GENEVIEVE. 149 Of course Mr. Harris stopped, but could not turn round, because the fellow who had given the com- mand had two pistols, with muzzles against his temple. The other fellow presented a pistol at the head of young Rozier, and called out : “You keep still, you d — d little rat, if you don’t want to die in an instant.” “I? for what?” “Not another word, young chap ! That’s enough ! A blabbing tongue can be stopped d — d easy.” Fearing to remain, and impelled by a sudden and overpowering desire to take his departure, young Rozier sprang down the steps, near the landing of which he was standing, and tied swiftly from the place. As he ran away, the fellow tired at him, the bullet cutting its way through his coat on the shoul- der, and just grazing his person. A neighbor across the way saw the robber with his pistols at the cashier’s head, and stalled to get his gun. Just at that moment the other robber tired at Mr. Rozier, and the wife of the neighbor, seeing the predicament of Mr. Harris, dissuaded her hus- band from attempting to fight them, because she feared resistance would inevitably lead to the shoot- ing of Mr. Harris. Young Rozier, after his escape, gave the alarm to the citizens, who at once began preparations to make an attempt to capture the bold marauders. ■ 150 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Meanwhile Mr. Harris, without arms, was helpless, and could only comply with the demands of the robbers. “ Open that safe ! ” thundered out one of them. “Certainly, sir. I cannot do otherwise,” said Mr. Harris. The safe was opened. By this time the other robber, who had pursued young Rozier, joined his comrade in the bank. A money package, containing upwards of $3,600, was secured. Then the thief took the coin box, contain- ing between three and four hundred dollars, princi- pally in gold. By this time the town was aroused, and men began to move toward the bank. The rob- bers had no time to waste. Turning to Mr. Harris, they emphatically commanded : “ D- — n you, come with us ! ” Mr. Harris obeyed. What else could he do. When they had gone about fifty yards along the street, they turned to the little knot of women and boys collecting about the bank building, and shouted : “ Hurrah for Sam Hilderbrand ! ” and continued to move rapidly away. Two hundred yards from the bank they came to two other men equally well armed, and all having superb horses, who awaited their coming. Here, perceiving that Mr. Harris wore an elegant gold watch, one of the robbers took it from him, and transferred it to his own person. Then all four of the men started to get on their horses. Just at that time one of the horses got loose 8TE. GENEVIEVE. 151 and ran oft'. A German farmer, in a wagon, happened to be passing. Him they compelled, under the most dire threats of immediate extermination, to go after the horse. The German caught the horse and brought him back to where the robbers still held Mr. Harris. Then they all mounted and rode rapidly away, not forgetting to fire a salute at the crowd of citizens who had started in their direction. By this time fully a dozen citizens had armed themselves, and taking horses, were ready for pursuit. They followed the robbers rapidly, and soon came up with them. But it was at once evident that the four men were desperadoes, who would not submit to arrest . They fired at the pursuing posse, and compelled them to fall back. Then the whole population turned out and went in pursuit. But they never came up with them, and soon lost even the trail which they fol- lowed. Some miles from Ste. Genevieve the robbers met a farmer going toward the town. They informed him that he would find something valuable, which belonged to the bank, in the road ahead of him. In accord- ance with their statement, the farmer found the empty coin box and a lot of papers scattered about. The robbers had taken away a number of valuable papers belonging to the sheriff and others, for which they had no use, and these they had considerately thrown away. This was one of the boldest robberies which had ever taken place at that time in the West. The 152 FRANK AND JKSSE JAMES. “ Ste. Genevieve Savings Association ” building "was situated in the most populous part of the town of Ste. Genevieve, with a population of about three thousand souls. The street through which they passed to reach the bank was the most traveled thoroughfare in that part of the country. It hap- pened in broad daylight , when all the people of the village were engaged about their ordinary concerns. Of course a deed like this was calculated to create a sensation. The citizens of Ste. Genevieve pursued the bandits, but lost them, and even all traces of the route which they had taken. What could be done? That was the question. Mr. Harris went up to St. Louis on the 28tli of May to see the police authorities in that city. Gen- eral Ilozicr, at that time a State Senator, and on duty at Jefferson City, as a member of the State Board of Equalization, was advised of the robbery, and Avent doAAm to St. Louis to confer with Mr. Harris and the Chief of Police. Then the hunt was commenced, and prosecuted Avith a great sIioav of Angor for a time. Theories as to who the robbers Avere appeared in the public journals almost every day. Some said it was Sam Hilderbrand — who was not knoAvn to be dead then — and his gang of desper- adoes ; some said that it Avas Cullon Baker's crowd from Arkansas ; others thought it might possibly be the James Boys and Younger Brothers who “put up the job,” but Avere far from satisfied that they “ were the lads who did it.” In those days there STE. GENEVIEVE. 153 were a vast number of very respectable people who, while admitting that Frank and Jesse James, and Cole- man and James Younger, were dangerous men, so far as taking the life of fellow-beings was concerned, would at the same time repel any insinuations that they might possibly raid a bank or flag a train. No, they were too honorable and honest for that sort of business. While the people were discussing these questions, the band, of which the James Boys were the leading spirits, was enjoying life on the spoils of Ste. Genevieve. CHAPTER XXII. A RAILWAY TRAIN ROBBED IN IOWA.— A night vigil — On the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway line — A locomotive ditched and a fireman killed — A successful raid. “ Robin Hood and his merry men,” of Sherwood forest fame, have left a name indelibly written on the pages of history. In the days of our youth we have heard or read about Claude Duval and Jack Shep- herd, and their wonderful exploits in old England ; and we have a faint recollection of one John A. Mur- rell, who obtained great distinction as an outlaw in the Southern section of our own country. The Harps who infested the passes of the mountains of East Tennessee were celebrated robbers in dhcir days. And that shrewd mongrel of the commingled blood of old Castile and a red daughter of the west- ern wilds, Agatone, the terror of the Rio Grande border, made no little noise in his day as a daring brigand. But neither these nor the celebrated Era Diavola were like the brigands we are speaking about. William de la Marck, the outlawed nobleman of the low countries, and known in history as “ The Wild Boar of Ardennes,” plundered by the whole- sale. There was nothing little or mean in his meth- ods. He would scorn to pounce upon a lonely trav- eler and demand his purse. He sacked villages and plundered caravans. In this our Missouri outlaws 154 A RAILWAY TRAIN ROBBED IN IOWA. 155 resemble “The Wild Boar of Ardennes.” They do not wait in gloomy places to catch a single wayfarer ; they do not meet a weary traveler on the highway and ciy out to him, “Your money or your life!” They would despise such petty meanness. After Ste. Genevieve they rested. But their sea- son of repose was not long. A nejv campaign was planned. Hitherto they had depredated on the banks. But the} 7 ' were about to commence another line of business. The whole question was, no doubt, discussed with profound interest in their secret con- clave. Such a thing as plundering a railway train was something new. The public mind had not be- come accustomed to read accounts of the arrest of railway trains and the robbery of the passengers by a band of armed robbers. The Missouri bandits thouoht to create a sensation. O In the earlypart of July, 1873, Frank James, Cole Younger, Robert Moore, a desperado from the In- dian Territory, Jesse James and Jim Younger, held a conference in Jackson county, Missouri, when a scheme was broached to overhaul and rob a railway train. The first suggestion was to rob a train on the Hannibal & St. Joe. railway, or some other road in the state of Missouri. But that was rejected after due deliberation. The plan of going into Iowa was suggested and met with favor. The plans were ma- tured before the gang separated . About the 14th of the month the robbers met at the house of a friend in Clay county and the final arrangements were 156 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. made ; a place of rendezvous was appointed and the gang then separated into couples. As usual, Frank and Jesse James took the same route ; Cole Younger and Bob Moore another, and Jim Younger and' a Texas desperado who went by the name of Com- manche Tony, followed another route. The robbers leisurely pursued their journey, and on the 20th of July they were near the line of the Chicago, Bock Is- land and Pacific railway, about fourteen miles east of the city of Council Bluffs. At the appointed place of rendezvous they all meet after dark, on the night of the twentieth. During that day Jesse James and Cole Younger made a recounoissance, and selected the exact spot to carry out the enterprise in which they were engaged. It was agreed that they would “ throw ” the morning train bound east from Council Bluffs, as it was supposed to carry a large amount of specie en route east from the Pacific slope. The robbers didn’t care much for silver, but they were willing to accept all the gold bricks that might fall into their hands. The place selected was about three miles from the rendezvous, in the edge of a belt of timber, and where the road bed was in an excavation about four feet deep. The train was due at that point about three o’ clock in the morning. With deliberate purpose the robbers took their station in the underbrush near the track. Several cross ties were placed in a position to be immediately utilized when the time came. Three or four rails A RAILWAY TRAIN ROBBED IN IOWA. 157 were loosened from tlie ties, and in silence the ban- dits waited for the approach of the train. In due time the train was descried by the watcher at the upper end of the curve — the road was very straight for a long distance to the west of the place selected. At that point there is a rather sharp curve and an obstruction placed on the track could not be seen by the engineer until he was within sixty yards of it. As soon as the train was seen coming down the long straight track, the robbers suddenly awoke into life and activity. The loosened rails were thrown apart, and half a dozen cross ties were thrown across the tracks just above. The engineer saw the danger when too late. lie reversed his engine, but the momentum was too great. The ponderous locomotive plunged on, struck the obstruction, and careened on the side of the track. The shock was terrific. The engineer was killed and the fireman seriously injured. But the train stood still. The aroused passengers had no time to inquire the cause of the sudden stoppage. They knew full soon. The presence of armed men — strange, weird, desperate — appearing on the plat- forms of the coaches informed them concerning the situation. The train passed into the hands of band- its. The passengers were ordered in a peremptory manner to keep still . The command was accompa- nied by dreadful threats of instant annihilation on the least evidence of disobedience. Surprised and unnerved by the suddenness of the attack, the 10 158 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. passengers obeyed . Then three of the band proceeded through the train and commanded the passengers to surrender up their money and their jewelry. They made a searching examination of each person in the cars. It is understood that several thousand dollars were obtained in this way. The express and mail car were searched and rifled. The spoils of the exami- nation were put into a sack, and the robbers sought their horses, and mounting, speedily galloped away. Scene of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific R. R. Robbery. Of course the intelligence of such an occurrence was telegraphed far and wide. A most determined pursuit of the robbers was at once organized and set on foot. The sheriff of the county in which the robbery was committed summoned a large posse of men and started in pursuit. His theory was that they were Missouri outlaws. He got on the trail of the robbers, and tracked them through western Missouri as far as St. Clair county. Here he lost their trail, A RAILWAY TRAIN ROBBED IN IOWA. 159 and efforts to find the outlaws proved unavailing. The sheriff finally gave up the chase and returned home. It is proper to add that friends of Cole Younger denied that he could possibly have had anything to do with this robbery. They assert that he was at the Monegaw hotel, St. Clair, on Sunday morning, the 20th of July, and therefore could not have been in Iowa the next morning. But there is no doubt that the Youngers — at least Bob and Jim — were present with the Jameses on that occasion. At any rate, the bandits escaped with their booty. CHAPTER XXIII. THE GAINS’ PLACE STAGE ROBBERY.— How the invalids en route to Hot Springs were plundered on the Malvern road — Scenes and incidents of the robbery — Grim jokes at the expense of the passen- gers. “Their cruel bandits you would climb The rungs of the world! oh, curse sublime With tears and laughters for all time.” They used to say that the James Boys and the •Younger Brothers might kill men who attempted to impose upon them, but they would not rob or steal. Those who rob men of life must be the greatest criminals, and the lesser crimes are included in the greater. The career they had chosen required the service which money alone can render. These men had need for money which their legitimate resources were inadequate to supply. Those who have taken many lives will not hesitate long to take a few dollars when their necessities require it. Such are the laws which govern human actions. Long before many of the very respectable citizens of Clay, Clinton and Jackson counties believed it, the sons of the excellent minister whom they had known were the most unscrupulous and daring high- waymen who had ever followed the roads on this continent. The Jameses early became the most dangerous outlaws of which history gives us any ac- count. They were bold, but cautious ; skilled in the 160 THE GAINS* PLACE STAGE ROBBERY 161 school of cunning ; trained in the art of killing ; shrewd in planning, and swift in the execution of their designs. They seldom attempted a robbery except in out- of-the-t^y places where the presence of robbers was not expected. Nor did they ever attempt rob- beries a second time at the same place. Their plan was to strike unexpected blows. This week they would rob a train at Gadshill, next week at Mun- cie, Kansas ; again, they would arrest a stage mi the Malvern and Hot Springs road, and then again they would flag a train at Big Springs, Wyoming Terri- tory, a thousand miles from the scene of their last exploit. It was a gray, raw day in January, 1874, when the regular stage running from Malvern, on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway, to Hot Springs, pulled out from the little town. Two am- bulances for the accommodation of the afflicted pilgrims bound for that Mecca of relief, accompanied the stage on the road. This cavalcade had reached the romantic vale of the Grulpha, near the old Gains’ mansion. This is a narrow dell, shut in by abrupt hills, clad with a dense forest of pine and tangled underbrush and evergreen vines. At this particular place the valley widens, and there is a beautiful farm and lovely grounds bordering the roadside on the east and north side of the stream. West and south the deep, tan- gled forest crowns the hills, which rise to a great 162 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. height. Here is a favorite halting place for travel- ers along that way. The clear waters of the Gulpha afford refreshing draughts to the wearied teams. We have said it was a gray, raw morning in Janu- ary. The long drive from Malvern over the stony roads inclined the passengers, as well as the horses, to rest. That particular Thursday morning . the drivers had stopped, as usual, directly opposite the Gains residence, which is about two hundred yards from the road, toward the northeast. The spot is about five miles southeast from Hot Springs. A little beyond the stopping place the road crosses the stream at a ford. Beyond the creek the country is very rugged, and covered with forest trees. And in those trees a band of robbers were crouched, waiting the approach of the stage and ambulances. c The un- suspecting pilgrims were soon moving on, inwardly coTigratulatino; themselv.es on the near termination of their fatiguing journey. The stage and ambulances had proceeded well into the wood on the Hot Springs side of the Gul- pha, perhaps half a mile from “the watering place,” when a strong, emphatic voice called out from the borders of the brush: “Stop! Stop, or I’ll blow your head off !” Thus commanded, of course the driver of the stage brought his team to a stand- still. The passengers naturally threw aside the flaps of the vehicles and thrust out their heads to ascertain what the strange proceedings meant. They saw at once. Cocked revolvers yawned before them, THE GAINS’ PLACE STAGE ROBBERY. 163 and stern, harsh voices exclaimed in chorus, “D — n you, tumble out!” “Certainly, under the circum- stances, we will do so with alacrity,” replied one of the passengers, a Mr. Charles Moore. “Raise your hands, you .” Of course every passenger promptly obeyed the order. One passenger, a rheu- matic invalid, alone, was left undisturbed. Then the leader cried out : “Come ! be quick, form a circle here !” The order was obeyed. Then two of the robbers, one of whom was armed with a double-barrel shot- gun and the other with a navy repeater, mounted guard over the prisoners, and made many sinister re- marks, doubtless intended to be jocose, but which kept the prisoners in a tremor of apprehension all the while. Then two of the brigands proceeded to examine the effects and pockets of the passengers. When the affable gentlemen of the road had com- pleted their undertaking, they proceeded in the cool- est manner imaginable to cast up their accounts. They had lost in cash — nothing ; in jewelry — naught ; in conscience — well, it happened they didn’t have any to lose. They had gained from sundry passen- gers as follows : Ex-Gov. Burbank, of Dakotah, cash, - - $850 00 “ “ “ “ diamond pin, - 350 00 “ “ “ “ gold watch, - - 250 00 Passenger from Syracuse, N. Y., ... 160 00 William Taylor, Esq., Lowell, Mass., ... 650 00 John Dietrich, Esq., Little Rock, Ark., - - 200 00 164 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Charles Moore, Esq., “ “ - 70 OO E. A. Peebles, Hot Springs, - 20 OO Three country farmers, - 45 OO Southern Express Company, - - 45° OO Geo. R. Crump, Memphis, Tenn., 45 OO Total, $ 3,090 OO It was a very good morning’s work, and the ban- dits were so well pleased that they were inclined to indulge in a sort of grim facetiousness. One of them unharnessed the best stage horse, saddled him and mounted him, and after trying his gait by riding up and down the road a few times, called out : “ Boys, I reckon he’ll do ! ” Another one of the band Avent to each passenger as he stood in the circle. John Dietrich was the first to pass through the ordeal of cross-examination. “ Where are you from ? ” “ Little Rock,” replied Dietrich. “Ah, ha!” “Yes, have a boot and shoe store there,” re- marked Dietrich. “ You’d better be there attending to it,” was the observation of the chief of the bandits. “ Are there any Southern men here? ” “I am,” replied Mr. Crump and three others. “ Any who served in the army ? ” “ I did,” said Crump. The leader then asked him what regiment he be- longed to,, and Avhat part of the country he had served in. The answers Avere satisfactory, and then THE GAINS’ PLACE STAGE ROBBERS. 165 the robber handed Crump his watch and money, re- marking as he did so : O “Well, you look like an honest fellow. I guess you’re all right. We don’t want to rob Confederate soldiers. But the d — d Yankees have driven us all into outlawry, and we will make them pay for it yet.” Mr. Taylor, of Lowell, Mass., was examined. “Where are you from? ” “ St. Louis.” “Yes, and d — n your soul, you are a reporter for the St. Louis Democrat , the vilest sheet in the land. Go to Hot Springs and send the dirty concern a tel- egram about this affair, and give them my compli- ments, will you? ” Then Governor Burbank felt encouraged to ask a favor of them. “Will you please return me my papers ?” asked the Governor. “ They are valuable to me, but I am sure you can make no use of them.” “We’ll see,” said the leader, sente ntiously, and took the packet and kneeled down to examine them. In a few moments he took up a paper with an offi- cial seal, that excited his ire, and before he paused to examine it sufficiently to enable him to determine its character, he reached the conclusion that the bearer was a detective, a class which he held in the utmost hatred. “ Boys, I believe he is a detective — shoot him, at once!” was the sententious command. In an in- stant Governor Burbank was covered by three ready 166 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. cocked dragoon pistols. The ex-Governor was on the border of time. “Stop !” cried the robber, “I reckon it’s all right. Here, take your papers.” And the ex-Governor felt that a mighty load had suddenly been lifted from him, and that a dark cloud, which but a moment before had enshrouded the world in the deepest gloom of midnight, had drifted away, allowing the bright sun to shine out on the scenes of time. The passenger from Syracuse asked for the return of $5, to enable him to telegraph home for assistance. The chief looked at him rather sternly for a few moments and said : “So, you have no friends nor money. You had better go and die. Your death would be no loss to yourself or the country. You’ll get nothing back, at any rate.” All this while one of the robbers, said to have been James Younger, held a double-barrel shot-gun cocked in his hand, which he pointed ever and anon at Mr. Taylor, the supposed Democrat reporter, making such cheerful remarks as these : “Boys, I’ll bet a hundred dollar bill I can shoot his hat off his head and not touch a hair on it.” And the others would respond with a banter of a very uncomfortable character, while the facetious bandit went on : “Now, wouldn’t that button on his coat make a good mark. I'll bet a dollar I can clip it off and not cut the coat?” With such THE GAINS’ PLACE STAGE ROBBERY. 167 grim jests did he amuse himself and torment the captive. Having thoroughly accomplished their work, the bandits made the drivers hitch up their teams and drive away. The whole transaction was completed in less than ten minutes. The robbers did not linger. In a few minutes they scattered through the brush. Some “struck out,” as they expressed it, for the Nation, another for Texas, and one for Louisiana. Of course, denials of complicity on the part of the Jameses in this affair were at once entered by their friends. But it has since been ascertained that the party who did the deed consisted of Frank and Jesse James, Coleman and James Younger, and Clell Miller, one of the associates of the daring outlaws. CHAPTER XXIV. GADSHILL. — A startling sensation — The robbers at the lonely wayside station — The passengers made prisoners and robbed. During the morning of January 31, at the hour of 9 :30 o’clock, the St. Louis and Texas express train, with a goodly number of passengers, and the mails and valuable express freight, departed from the Plum street depot in St. Louis, bound for Texas, via the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern railroad. Mr. C. A. Alford was the conductor in charge of the train when it departed, and when the event which we ai’e about to describe occurred. Gadshill, a name rich in historical associations, is a lonely wayside station on the road, situated in the northeast corner of Wayne county, Missouri, about seven miles from Piedmont, which is the nearest tel- egraph station. The 31st of January, 1874, was a dreary, winter day. The cold gray clouds veiled the sky, and no ray of sunlight filtered through the wintry pall. The day wore away, wearily enough, with the pas- sengers on Mr. Alford’s train. They had not yet been together a sufficient length of time to assimi- late, and each one was left to his, or her, own device for amusement or entertainment. Slowly the hours passed away. The landscape was cold, dreary and forbidding ; the winds came blowing from the north 168 I GAD SHILL. 169 with a chill in their breath that made the passengers think longingly of “ sweet home.” Iron Mountain, and Pilot Knob, and Shepherd’s Mountain, and the beautiful valley of Arcadia, in their winter dress, wore anything but a pleasing aspect. In fact, it was a comfortless sort of day, which made the passen- gers feel anything but merry. Nightfall w T as approaching. • Already the thick at- mosphere was becoming sombre in hue, and it was evident the curtains of darkness were falling over the earth. Bythis time it was about 5 :30 o’clock in the after- noon. The train w T as approaching the little sta- tion dignified by the name of Gadshill, in honor of the locality where Sir John F al staff so valiantly met the Buckramite host, an event graphically delineated by the historian and poet of all climes and times. As the train drew near, the engineer saw the red flag displayed, and whistled “ down brakes.” Before proceeding to relate what happened to the train and the passengers on it, w r e shall state w T hat had happened at Gadshill before the train came. About half past three o’clock that afternoon, a party of seven men, splendidly mounted and armed to the teeth, rode to the station, secured the agent, then took in a blacksmith, and afterwards all the cit- izens and two or three countrymen, and one lad, who were waiting for the arrival of the train. Among the persons so detained was the son of Dr. Bock, at that time Bepresentative in the Legislature from 170 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Wayne county. The captives were taken to the little station-house and confined there, under the surveillance of one of the armed robbers. Then the bandits set about completing their arrangements for executing the work which they had come to perform. The signal flag was displayed on the track and the lower end of the switch was opened, so that the train would be ditched if it attempted to pass. Then the bandits waited for their prey. Nearing Gadshill. In due time the train came dashing down the road. The engineer saw the flag and gave the sig- nal for stopping. Mr. Alford, the conductor, was ready to step upon the little platform as soon as the train came alongside. The robbers did not show themselves until the cars were at the station. No sooner had the train come to a full halt than Mr. Al- ford stepped off to the platform. He was instantly confronted by the muzzle of a pistol and greeted with the salutation : GADSHILL. 171 “Give me your money and your watch, d — n your soul ! quick ! ’ ’ Mr. Alford had no alternative. He gave up his pocket-book containing fifty dollars in money, and an elegant gold watch. “Get in there !” they commanded, and Mr. Alford obeyed. While this was going on, one of the brigands had covered the engineer with a revolver, and compelled him to leave his cab. Meanwhile, part of the band occupied the platforms at the ends of the passenger coaches, while two of them went through the train with a revolver in one hand and commanded the passengers to give up their money. Of course the defenseless travelers yielded their change to the uttermost farthing into the hands of the robbers. Mr. John H. Morley, chief engineer of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southei’n Railroad, was among the passengers, and was plundered along with the rest of them. The robbers made a clean sweep, taking money, watches and jewelry from all. Among the passengers robbed, were Silas Ferry, C. D. Henry, Geo. G. Dent, Mr. Scott, Sy., Mr. Scott, Jr., Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Meriam, 0. S. Newell and A. Mc- Lain. After having effectually stripped the passen- gers of worldly wealth, the robbers proceeded to the express car, broke open the safe, and secured the contents. The mail bags were next cut open and their contents rifled of everything of value. The whole amount of money secured by the robbers was 172 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. somewhere between eight and ten thousand dollars. After completing their work the bandits went to Mr. Alford and remarked that as he was conductor he needed a watch, and they gave him back his time- keeper. When they had satisfied themselves that there was no more plunder to be gained, they released the con- ductor and engineer, and told them to draw out at once. As the robbers, whose part of the business it was to relieve the passengers of their spare cash, passed through the cars, they asked each one of the gentle- men passengers his name. One of the victims, a Mr. Newell, asked the brigands, “ What do 3 r ou want to know that for? ” “ D — n you, out with your name, and ask questions afterward ! ” was the profane reply. “ Well, my name isNewell, and here ismy money, and now I want to know why you ask me for my name? ” said Mr. Newell with an attempt at pleas- antry, fortified by a sort of grim smile. “ You seem to be a sort of jolly coon, anyhow,” said the robber, “and I’ll gratify you. That old scoundrel , Pinkerton, is on this train, or was to have been on it, and we want to get him, so that we can cut out his heart and roast it.” During the time they were in the cars among the passengers, they mentioned the name of Pinkerton many times and exhibited the most intense hatred of the distinguished detective. It was very fortunate GADSHILL. 173 for Mr. Allan Pinkerton that lie was not a passenger on the train that lumbered up to the dreary station of Gadshill that winter day. This circumstance is confirmatory of the evidence that Jesse and Frank James were leaders in the Gadshill affair. They, for years, have cherished the most' bitter animosity toward the detective, and the very mention of his name was sufficient to render them almost frantic with rage. The citizens were released, and the robber s mounted their horses and rode away in the gathering darkness, over the forest-crowned hills to the west. Some of the features of this bold robbery were ludicrous in the extreme. The trepidation of the passengers made the job a quick one, because they were ready on demand to give up everything to the freebooters. One passenger complained at the hardship, and the following dialogue ensued : “Give me your money, watch and jewelry, you blamed cur ! quick ! ’ ’ “Now, please, I — ” “ Dry up, and shell out ! ” and the robber thrust a pistol against his temple. “ Oh, yes ! Excuse m-m-me, p-p-p-please , d-don’t shoot. Here’s a-all I’ve g-got in t-t-the world.” And the poor fellow, all tremblingly, handed up his wealth. “I’m a good mind to shoot you, anyhow,” re- marked the robber, “for being so white livered.” At this the alarmed traveler crouched down behind a seat. 11 174 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. It was nightfall when the robbers rode away. Gadshill is in the midst of a wilderness country. There are but few settlements among the hills, and it was impossible to organize an effective posse at once for pursuit. At Piedmont, on the arrival of the train, the news was telegraphed to St. Louis and Lit- tle Rock. The citizens of that vicinity were aroused, and before midnight a Avell armed posse of a dozen men were riding over the hills westward in pursuit. But the robbers, who were all mounted on blooded horses, rode swiftly away. Before the dawn of day they were sixty miles from the scene of the crime. They called at the residence of a widow lady named Cook, one mile above Carpentersville, on the Current river, to obtain a breakfast. There were but five of them in the party, and these were each armed with a pair of pistols and a repeating rifle. They contin- ued on, and passed Mr. Payne’s on the Big Piney, in Texas county, and went to the house of the Hon. Mr. Mason, then a member of the State Legislature, and who was at that time absent attending its session, and demanded food and lodeing from Mrs. Mason. They remained there all night, and proceeded west- ward in the morning. The same day that the five men took breakfast with. Mrs. Cook, a dozen pursuers from Gadshill and Piedmont arrived at the same place, having tracked them sixty miles. CHAPTER XXV. AFTER GADSHILL. — Pursuit of the robbers— Trailed through Southern Missouri to St. Clair county — Diversions in Bentonville, Arkansas — The campaign leads to a tragedy. The bold act of brigandage at Gadshill aroused the whole country. The outlaws had become for- midable. Missouri and Arkansas were alike inter- ested, and the citizens of both states were ready to make personal sacrifices to aid in the capture of such daring brigands. But who were the robbers? A question not easy to answer with any assurance of correctness. Some said at once that it was the Jameses and the Youngers and their associates. Geo. W. Shepherd, one of Quantrell’s most daring Guerrillas in Missouri, and one of those who separ- ated from him when he went to Kentucky, was an intimate friend of the Jameses in the old Guerrilla times. After the war Shepherd emigrated to Ken- tucky and married at Chaplin, Nelson county ,jyhere he settled down. After Russellville, circumstances pointed to him as one of the persons implicated in the robbery. He was arrested, carried to Logan county and tried. The proof was of such a charac- ter that he was found guilty of aiding and abetting the robbers, and was sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of three years. At the expiration of his sentence he returned to Chaplin and learned that 175 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. 176 during his incarceration his wife had obtained a di- vorce and married another man . Shepherd had paid $600 on the house and lot which he found his ex-wife and husband occupying. But he left them there and took his departure from Kentucky. At the time of the Gadshill affair he was somewhere in Missouri But there is not a particle of evidence to connect him with the robbery. Bradley Collins was a noted desperado in those days, who figured in Texas and the Indian Territory as one of the worst outlaws in the business. He also rode at times with the Jameses and the Youngers. John Chunk was another daring outlaw who infested Texas and the Indian Territory, and often came into Missouri and co-operated with the brigands of that state. Sid Wallace, afterwards hanged at Clarksville, Arkansas, was another noted outlaw between the years 1866 and 1874. He, too, was a “friend” of the Jameses. Cal Carter, Jim Reed, John Wes. Har- din, Sam Bass, Bill Longley, Tom Taylor and Jim Clark, all notorious in Texas and the Nation, often joined the Missouri outlaws and hunted with them. J * Indeed, it appears that there was a regularly organ- ized band of brigands ramifying through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Arkansas, the In- dian Territory and Texas. This banditti was coml- posed of the most desperate and daring men who had ever placed themselves beyond the pale of the law in this country. * AFTER GADSHILL. 177 Whatever doubts might once have existed con- cerning the personality of the bandits of Glad shill, they have all vanished in the light of subsequent events. Jesse and Frank James, some of the Young- ers and their associates, were undoubtedly the men who rode to Gadshill. The fellows seemed to have had a bit of classical humor in their composition in selecting a place so named as the scene of such an exploit. It seemed to have created a conviction in the minds of those in authority, also, that the Jameses were the leaders. Governor Woodson, of Missouri, offered a reward to the full extent of the law’s provisions. Governor Baxter, of Arkansas, communicated to Governor Woodson his desire to aid in the capture of the outlaws, and also offered a reward. The ex- press company offered a heavy reward for the cap- ture of the bandits, and the United States authorities took an active interest in the movement set on foot to break up the formidable banditti. Stimulated by the prospect of gain, the detectives all over the country became active in the pursuit. The citizens, too, were on the move, and it seemed that the augu- ries all pointed to a speedy annihilation of this for- midable gang which infested the West. Meanwhile, another outrage was committed almost on the line of retreat from Gadshill, which still further agitated the public mind. During the afternoon of the 11th of February, 1874, five men, splendidly mounted and well armed, 178 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. rode into the town of Bentonville, Benton county, Arkansas. Their entrance was quiet. They rode to the store of Craig & Son ; dismounted and entered the store ; made prisoners of the proprietors and clerks at the muzzle of pistols, and proceeded to rifle the cash box. Fortunately for the firm of Craig & Son, they had made a deposit that day and the rob- bers only obtained about one hundred and fifty dol- lars in money. They helped themselves to about one hundred dollars’ worth of goods ; warned the proprietors and clerks not to give the alarm until they had passed out of town ; went out ; mounted their horses and rode away in the most nonchalant manner. In a saloon adjacent, there were more than twenty men who were uninformed as to what was taking place in the store of Messrs. Craig & Son, un- til after the robbers had departed. Pursuit was made, but the bandits escaped. The weeks following the Gadshill outrage were busy ones with the detectives. A carefully planned campaign against the marauders was at once insti- tuted and prosecuted with great vigor. Allan Pin- kerton, the American Vidoc-q, was employed by the express company to hunt the robbers down. The United States Government ordered the Secret Ser- vice force into the field, and the police and constabu- lary forces of Missouri and Arkansas, under orders from the Governors of the respective states, were act- um in concert with the forces of detectives called AFTER GADSHILL. 179 into service by the General Government and the ex- press company. The brigands were successfully tracked through the wilds of southern Missouri, and their trail led into the hill country of St. Clair county, and across Jackson county on beyond the Missouri river. No doubt was left upon the minds of the man- hunters as to the personality of the Gadshill robbers. The James Boys and some of the Youngers were cer- tainly engaged in it. The Youngers, at least John and Jim, had returned to Roscoe, St. Clair county, “flush with cash.”' The detectives were on their tracks. To the force was added Ed. B. Daniels, a courageous young man of Osceola, who was thor- oughly acquainted with the country. The detective force in St. Clair county was under the direction of one of Allan Pinkerton’s picked men, Captain W. J. Allen, whose real name was Lull. With him was a St. Louis “fly cop,” well known, and distinguished for his shrewdness and daring, who for the time had assumed the name of Wright. Daniels was ex- tremely serviceable as a guide. One morning, when near the residence of Theo- doric Snuffer, a short distance from Roscoe, these three men were suddenly surprised by John and James Younger, who rode up behind them in the road. They were at Snuffer’s house, and saw the detectives pass, and started out with the avowed pur- pose of capturing them. Approaching the three 180 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. men in the rear, they raised their double-barrel shot- guns, and with an oath commanded them to hold up their hands and drop their pistols. Taken thus, at a disadvantage, the detectives complied, and dropped their belts of pistols in the road. James Younger dismounted to secure them, while John remained on horseback with a double-barrel gun covering them. For a moment he lowered his gun. That moment Theodoric Snuffer’s Residence. was fatal. Captain Lull drew a concealed Smith & Wesson revolver from his bosom, and tired. The ball took effect in John Y ounger’s neck, severing the left jugular vein. In the very agonies of death, as he fell from his horse to die, John Younger raised a pistol and fired, the ball taking effect in the left arm and side of Captain Lull. Two more shots were fired, probably by James Younger, before Allen, or AFTER GADSHILL. 181 rather Lull, fell. James Younger then commenced firing: at Ed. B. Daniels. That gentleman also had a concealed pistol, returned the fire and inflicted a slight flesh wound on the person of James Younger. But his fate was sealed. A fatal bullet crashed through the left side of the neck, and Daniels fell, and soon afterward expired. This tragedy excited and alarmed the whole country. It was no longer possible for James Younger to remain in the coun- try. He took the pistols which his dead brother, John, had worn, and departed for the house of a friend in Booue county, Arkansas, where he was soon joined by Cole and Bob. Wright, who was riding a short distance in advance of Captain Lull and Ed. Daniels, hearing the sum- mons of the Younger Brothers, turned, and at a glance saw the situation, and, putting spurs to his horse, dashed away. Although he was fired upon and pursued a short distance by James Younger, he managed to escape unharmed, aided as he was by a very fleet horse. The hunters for the Jameses met with no better luck. One of the darkest tragedies which ever dis- graced the state of Missouri followed the efforts of the detectives to capture the shrewdest and most daring outlaws who have yet appeared in this coun- try. There is an air of mystery about this terrible episode which makes it all the more thrilling. The full details of this crime are reserved for another chapter. CHAPTEK XXVI. WHICHER’S RIDE TO DEATH.— The brave de- tective caught in a traj:> — Jim Latche’s observations in Liberty — The use he made of his knowledge — The last night ride — Whicher shot. The James Boys were beleived to have been the projectors and leaders of the Gadshill enterprise. Soon after that event they returned to Clay county. Traces of their trail through Southern Missouri were soon discovered. The description given of two of the five travelers who took breakfast at Mrs. Cook’s on Current river, and lodged at Mr. Mason’s house in Texas county, answered well for Frank and Jesse James. The detectives caught at every clue. The James Boys were at Gadshill beyond a doubt. And so the brigand hunters passed into Clay county. Meanwhile the James Boys and other members of the gang were resting in the vicinity of Kearney, in Clay county at the residence of Dr. Samuels. Among those known to have been there were Jim Cummings and Clell Miller, Jim Anderson, a brother of Bill Anderson, of Centralia notoriety, and Bradley Col- lins, a Texas desperado. The sheriff of Clay county thought Arthur McCoy was probably at that time with the Jameses. On the 9th day of March, Jesse James spent a portion of the day in Kearney. The gang had several horses shod a few days before at a country blacksmith shop in that vicinity. 182 whicher’ s ride to death. 183 Wednesday, March 10, 1874, arrived at Liberty, the county seat of Clay county, Missouri, J. W. Whicher, from what place it mattered not to the cit- izens of Liberty. This man was in the very vigor of a matured manhood. He was just twenty-six }'ears of age, lately married to an estimable and accom- plished young lady, a resident of Iowa City. Whicher was intelligent, shrewd and daring. He was selected by his chief, Allan Pinkerton, who is acknowledged as a consummate judge of human na- ture, as the fittest instrument to execute the most dan- gerous enterprise which he had ever yet undertaken. Immediately on arriving at Liberty, Whicher called at the Commercial Savings Bank to see Mr. Adkins, its president. To him he made known his errand into that section. At the same time he de- posited in the bank some money and papers. Mr. Adkins was not able to give Whicher all the infor- mation which he desired, and sent him to Col. O. P. Moss, ex-sheriff of Clay county, for further infor- mation. When he opened his plans to Moss, that gentle- man advised him not to go. He gave him a. terrible account of the prowess of the desperadoes ; told him of their shrewdness and of their merciless na- ture when excited by the presence of an enemy, and warned him that he need not hope to secure such wary men by stratagem. Col. Moss was earn- est in his efforts to dissuade Whicher from making the rash attempt. 184 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. But it was of no avail. Whicher had received what he regarded as positive evidence that the Jameses were the leaders of the Gadshill bandits, and, further, that they were now at home, near Kear- ney. Stimulated by the hope of “ catching his game,” and securing the large rewards, Whicher, who seems to have been destitute of any sense of fear, made his arrangements to go that very evening to the Jameses’ place of retreat. Disguised in the garb of a farm laborer, with an old carpet bag swung on a stick, Whicher took the evening train for Kear- ney, and there made inquiries for work on a farm . He did not tarry long at the station, but soon started out toward the Samuels place. Poor Whicher ! he little thought that his fate was already determined upon by those whose destiny he was seeking to determine. But so it was. There was a friend of the Jameses in Liberty that day — a fellow named Jim Latche, who had been ex- pelled from Texas on account of his worthless qual- ities as a citizen and dangerous attributes as a crim- inal. Latche had met the James Boys, and had made a raid with them, on one occasion, down in Texas. He had been resting at their retreat for a few days, and was probably on a scout for them that day. At any rate, he was in Liberty when Whicher arrived. He observed his movements, because Whicher was a stranger ; saw him go to the bank and make a deposit ; waited while he conferred with Mr. Adkins, and then tracked him to Col. Moss’ whicher’ s ride to death. 185 office. He came to the conclusion that Whicher was a detective; and when afterward he saw that the detective had changed his clothes, he was con- vinced that he was right. Latche hastened away to give a report of what he had heard and observed. When Whicher arrived at Kearney the Jameses knew of it, and suspected the truth concerning his mission. It wars in the evening. Jim Anderson, Jesse James and Bradley Collins w T ere in waiting on the roadside, about half a mile from the Samuels residence. Soon after Whicher came along. He was carrying a carpet-sack. Jesse James came out of their concealment alone, and met Whicher in the road. “ Good evening, sir,” said Whicher. “ Where in h — 11 are you going? ” responded the other. “ Well, it’s a rude response, but I will not answer as rudely again. I am seeking work. Can you tell me where I can get some work on a farm? ” “No, not much, you don’t want any, either, you d — d thief. Old Pinkerton has already given you a job that will Fast you as long as you live, I reckon.” And Jesse laughed a cold, hard laugh that meant death. Of course Whicher was helpless, for the other had him under cover of a pistol from the mo- ment he came in sight. But Whicher was dauntless and wary, and, without exhibiting the least trepida- tion, he said : 186 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “ Who do you take me to be? What have I to do with Pinkerton or his business? I am a stranger in the country and want something to do. I don’t see why you should keep that pistol pointed at me. I don’t know you, and have never done you any wrong, ’ ’ “ Oh, d — n it, you are the kind of a dog that sneaks up and bites, are you? You will carry in the the James Boys, will you? You are a nice sneaking cur, ain’t you? Want work, do you? What say you, my sneak? Eh? ” The tantalizing manner of Jesse James did not disconcert the detective. He answered these taunts with perfect coolness : “ I don’t understand you, sir. I am no cur, and know nothing of the James Boys. I addressed you politely, and you did not return the same. I said I wanted some employment, and you taunt me for it. I must bid you good evening.” With this, Whicher made a step forward. His progress was arrested by the harsh voice of Jesse James. “ You shall die if you move out of your tracks ! Keep up your hands ! ” Whicher realized by this time that his chance of escape was small, for he knew that Jesse James stood before him, and he had quickly made up his mind that he would sell his life dearly. He was cool, act- ive and expert with the pistol ; his right hand was almost involuntarily seeking to grasp his weapon. WHICKER’ S RIDE TO DEATH. 187 But Jesse James evidently had him at a great dis- advantage. Instantly realizing this, he changed his purpose. “ Well, this is a singular adventure, I declare. Now, why you should make such a mistake concern- ing me is more than I can imagine. You are surely making sport of me. I tell you I know nothing of the persons of whom you speak, and why should you interrupt me ? Let me go on, for I must find a place to stop to-night, anyhow.” Jesse James laughed outright. “What,” said he, “were you doing at Liberty to-day ? Why did you deposit money in the bank? What business did you have with Adkins and Moss? Where are the clothes you, wore ? Plotting to capture the J ames Boys , eh ?’ ’ and Jesse laughed aloud, and Jim Anderson andFox, another confederate of the Boys, came from their concealment, with pistols in hand. Poor Whicher saw this, and for the first time he fully realized the helplessness of his position. “Betrayed,” he thought, almost said. Jesse James said, in a cold, dry tone : “Young man we want to hear no more from you. We know you. Move but a finger and you die now. Boys,” he said, addressing Anderson and Fox, “I don’t think it best to do the job here. It wouldn’t take long, but for certain reasons I don’t think this is the place. Shall we cross the river to-night?” The others answered they would if it was his pleasure. 188 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. All this time Whicher had stood still ; not a mus- cle moved, and not a single wave of pallor had cov- ered his features. He knew what they meant by “the job,” and made up his mind to improve anyin- cident, however slight, to have revenge on his mur- derers. But there were no favorable incidents for him. He had been tried and condemned in a court from which he could not appeal. At what time the sen- tence would be executed he could not tell. “ Boys, relieve him of his burden and weapons,” said Jesse James. Quick as thought, Whicher’ s hand was thrust into the bosom of his coat. It was too late. Fox and Anderson sprang upon him, while Jesse James placed the muzzle of his pistol against his temple. To struggle was useless. He was compelled to yield, for just then Brad Collins and Jim Latche joined the others. The case of the detective was hopeless. In an instant they had disarmed him, he had brought only one Smith & Wesson pistol. Then the desper- adoes felt of his hands, and laughed at his preten- sions as a farm-laborer. Confident in the belief that he had been betrayed by one of the two gentlemen to whom he had ap- plied at Liberty, Whicher made up his mind that he would make no whining petition to the murderers. If he had known the exact state of the case he would not have gone to Kearney, and if he had gone he would have been better prepared to encounter the 12 189 190 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Boys. But fate had ordained it otherwise, and an- other victim to the long, long catalogue of names which Jesse James had written in hlood was the out- come of it all. Darkness had fallen upon the fair scenes of nature while these things were happening. The cool March winds whistled dismally through the yet naked forest trees. The stars came out and looked coldly from the empyrean, but there was purity in their beams, and no blood marks on their twinkling discs. It was meet that the tragedy which was about to take place should be enacted in the hours of gloomy night, and at a time when all without was comfortless and dreary. Whicher was bound securely, and a gag was placed in his mouth that he might call for no aid or deliverance. The desperadoes placed him upon a horse, in the still hours of the night, and rode away. His legs were tied securely under the horse’s belly, and his arms were pinioned with strong ropes. Jesse James, Bradley Collins and Jim Anderson were the executioners. In silence himself, Whicher, dur- ing that long, lonely ride heard the three discussing their bloody deeds with a thrill of horror, for they had told him what his fate was to be. About three o’clock on the morning of the 11th of March, the drowsy ferryman at Blue Mills, on the Missouri river, was roused to wakefulness by the shouts of men on the north side, who signified their desire to cross over. WHICKER’ S RIDE TO DEATH. 191 “Be in a hurry,” cried the belated travelers. “We are after horse thieves and must cross quick if we catch them.” Thus appealed to the ferryman crossed the river to the northeastern shore, where the horse thief hunt- ers awaited him. When they came down to the boat, they said to the ferryman : “ We have caught the thief, and if you want to keep your head on your shoulders you had better put us across the river very quick.” So persuaded, the ferryman obeyed. They were soon on the south side of the river. The ferryman observed that one of the men was bound and gagged. It was poor Whicher on his way to his execution. The A r ery stars shone piteously through a veil of mist, and the winds sighed sadly as the strange group moved off on the Independence road. But neither the helpless condition of their victim, nor the sad aspect of nature in the solemnity of the hours of darkness could evoke a spark of pity in the sered hearts of Whicher’ s executioners. They rode away in the darkness. Just how they executed their purpose only the red-handed outlaws and the merciful God knows. The next morning an early traveler on the road from Independence to Blue Mills, about half way between the places, in a lonely spot, saw a ghastly corpse with a bullet-hole through the forehead and another through the heart. It was all that remained of Whicher. CHAPTER XXVII. A NIGHT RAID OF DETECTIVES— Attempt to avenge Whicher’s death — Preparing a trap to catch Frank and Jesse at the Samuels place — Fire-balls and bomb-shells— A terrible scene — Death of a boy and wounding of Mrs. Samuels. After Whicker’ s melancholy fate, Allan Pinker- ton had motives aside from those of gain for pursu- ing to the death the celebrated border bandits, Frank and Jesse James. In one year three of the most courageous and trusted men in the employ of the distinguished detective had been sent out after the Missouri outlaws, and were carried back cold in death, after conflicts with the desperadoes. Whicher and Lull and Daniels were asleep in gory beds. And } 7 et Frank and Jesse James, and their followers and allies, were free as the winds that blow, to come and go as interest or caprice might dictate to them. While this condition of affairs continued, Pinkerton must have felt that his reputation as a skillful en- trapper of criminals suffered. About the first of the year 1875, the great de- tective commenced a campaign against the renowned brigands which was meant to be finally effective. The most elaborate and careful preparations were made. Nothing was left undone which could in any way contribute to the success of the undertaking. The utmost secrecy was observed in every move- ment. 192 A NIGHT RAID OF DETECTIVES. 193 Several circumstances seemed to favor the de- tectives. Many of the most respectable citizens of Clay county had grown weary of the presence in their midst of persons of the evil reputation of the Jameses, and entered with alacrity and zeal into the scheme inaugurated for the capture of the Boys. Among those of the citizens most prominent in the movement which had for its design the annihilation of the hand of which Jesse James was supposed to be the chief leader, were several of the old neigh- bors and acquaintances of the James and Samuels families. With these citizens, Mr. William Pinkerton, who had gone from Chicago to Kansas City, to direct the movements of the detective forces, opened com- munication . A system of cipher signals was adopted, and communications constantly passed between the different persons engaged in the undertaking. The citizens in the neighborhood of Kearney were watch- ful, and keenly observed every movement in the vicinity of the residence of Dr. Samuels, and daily transmitted the results to their chief, who had estab- lished temporary headquarters at Kansas City. It was known to some of the immediate neighbors of Dr. Samuels that Frank and Jesse James were at home. They had been seen occasionally at the little railway station of Kearney, which is three miles dis- tant from the residence which had been, and was still 'claimed, as the home of the outlaws. Near neighbors, in casually passing, had seen them about 194 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the barnyards. All these things had been faithfully reported to the chief detective at Kansas City. At length the opportune time for striking a deci- sive blow was deemed to have arrived. Dispatches in cipher were sent to Chicago for reinforcements, and specific orders touching their movements after their arrival near the objective point, were given. The Kansas City division of the forces Avas held in readiness to co-operate with the force from the East. The citizens of Clay county, who had so zealously aided the detectives, received final instructions as to the part they were to take in the grand coup, by which their county Avas to be forever relieved of the presence of the dangerous outlaws. Extraordinary precautions had been taken to maintain a profound secrecy as to the movements and purposes of the detectives. No strange men had been seen loitering about Kearney, Everything which could possibly be done to allay suspicion on the part of the outkiws had been done. But the Jameses had' friends everywhere in Western Missouri — keen, shreAvd, vigilant men,Avho noted everything, and AAdiose suspicions Avere aroused by the slightest circumstance. The very quiet which prevailed was ominous of approaching danger. Somehow, too, they had learned of the sending and receiving of cipher messages by a Clay county man, at Liberty. This made them doubly watchful. The extensive preparations Avhich had been made, and the necessity imposed upon them of waiting for A RIGHT RAID OF DETECTIVES. 195 a suitable opportunity to strike, had occupied much time, and it was notmntil the night of the 25th of January, that the detectives made the final attack. Jesse and Frank had been seen near the Samuels place that very evening, and no doubt was enter- tained that they were at home. The detective forces destined for the attack on what was facetiously termed “Castle James,” were divided into small squads, and began to arrive in Clay county on the afternoon of the 24th, from the East. Coming after night, they were met by citizens of Clay county and conducted to places of shelter in the most quiet and secret manner. After nightfall on the evening of the 25th, a special train came up by Kearney, and on it came another detachment from Kansas City. These were met by citizens well acquainted, and conducted to the place of rendezvous. Secretly as these movements had been conducted, the ever-vigilant Jesse had his suspicions aroused by some trivial circumstance, which would have escaped the attention of almost any other man. Convinced that some formidable movement was going on, de- signed to consummate his destruction, Jesse James, his brother, and another member of the band rode away from the Samuels house after nightfall that very evening, and at the hour when the detectives arrived in the vicinity of the place where they ex- pected to capture them, the Jameses were riding in 196 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the cold, and were already well on their way to the house of a friend, miles distant from the scene of operations. The detectives had no intimation that their in- tended victims had taken the alarm and departed from the place. They were assured that the outlaws had been seen in the vicinity of their home at a late hour in the afternoon, and it was believed that they were there still . The night was cold and dark. It was late — per- haps near midnight, when the detective force arrived at the farm-house. There were nine men selected from Pinkerton’s force because of thoir .shrewdness and courage, and several citizens of the vicinity, who like the detectives, were fully armed. The assailing forces took up their stations completely surrounding the house. Some balls of tow thoroughly saturated with kerosene oil and turpentine had been prepared, and the detectives carried with them some formidable hand-grenades to be used in the assault. Two of the assailants approached a window at the rear of the house. The slight noise made in opening the shutters and raising the sash aroused a negro woman, an old family servant, who was sleeping in the apart- ment. She at once set up a shout of alarm which speedily brought to the room Mrs. Samuels, her hus- band, and several members of the family, some of them young children. Just thi^n a lighted ball of tow and oil was thrown into the room. The place was instantly A NIGHT RAID OF DETECTIVES. 197 brilliantly illuminated. The inmates of course, hav- ing just been aroused from slumber, were greatly agitated at this unexpected assault . The situation was truly appalling. Another lighted ball was hurled into the room. The younger members of the family cried out piteously as they fled aghast from the lurid quickly recovered her presence of mind, and began to give directions and personally to exert herself in the work of subduing the flames. She was permit- ted only a moment to engage in this employment. There was a sudden crash as a great iron ball struck 198 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the floor, followed in an instant by a terrific explo- sion. Instantly the room was filled by a dense cloud of smoke through which the white flames of the fire- balls gleamed with a lurid red hue as if tinged with blood. There was a wail of agony from within that pandemonium of midnight horrors which might well have called emotion to a heart of stone. The pite- ous moans of childhood in dying throes were mingled with the deeper groans of suffering age, and the shriller cries of terrified youth. The work of the assailants in that particular line of attack was com- plete. And yet the noted outlaws did not appear. It was at once concluded that they were mot present or they would have shown themselves under such circumstances. The attacking force did not wait to ascertain the result of the explosion of their terrible missile. They realized only that the game they sought had escaped them, and they retired from the place without caring to learn anything more about the consequences of their effort. They had failed, and that was all they felt interested in ascertaining. When the smoke had cleared away and the fires which had been kindled about the house were extin- guished, the extent of the execution done by the ■explosion was fully revealed. The spectacle pre- sented was awful beyond any power of our pen to describe. There, lying on the floor, in a pool of blood, poured out from his own young veins, was the mangled form of an eight-year old son of Mrs. Sam- uels,inthe very throes of death ; Mrs. Samuels’ right A NIGHT RAID OF DETECTIVES. 159 arm hung helpless by her side, having been almost completely torn off above the elbow. Dr. Samuels was cut and bruised ; the aged colored woman was wounded in several places ; in fact, eveiy member of the household was more or less injured. Blood was everywhere . Death was in the room ; and pain and grief combined smote upon every soul in that stricken home. Whatever the crimes of the boys of ill-favored reputation, they afforded no justification for this ter- rible assault in which innocent childhood was made the victim for the deeds of others. And the people of the state, without any exceptions, condemned the deed as wholly unjustifiable. The detectives made haste to leave the country, and the citizens who had assisted them returned to their homes and kept coun- sel with themselves. The dead boy was taken away, and in his little grave under the snow they left him lying, the sinless victim of sin, over whose untimely fate many hearts have swelled with emotions too big for utterance. CHAPTER XX VIII. PROPOSED AMNESTY. — Movement in the Legis- lature — Gen. Jones’ amnesty bill — Jesse quietly awaits the turn of events — Failure of the bill to pass in the Legislature — Taking vengeance. There can be no doubt that there was a heavy undercurrent of popular opinion in favor of the James Boys, generated by a conviction that they were the victims of cruel and uncalled-for persecution, brought upon themselves by their adhesion to a cause which was dear to the hearts of many thousands of the citizens of Missouri. Their later deeds were forgot- ten, while their former acts were remembered with admiration. Though the evidence seemed clear, which connected the Jameses and Youngers with in- numerable daring robberies, yet many hundreds of good people refused to credit the reports, and of- fered their sympathy to the men whom they believed to be victims of vile slanders and unwarrantable persecutions. The sympathy openly manifested for the bo} T s came not from the reckless and vicious elements, but from influential persons all over the state. As late as 1875, there were thousands of respectable people in Missouri who had no sympathy with the move- ments set on foot by the legal authorities for the ap- prehension of the desperadoes, simply because they did not believe them to be robbers, and that the 200 PEOPOSED AMNESTY. 201 killing done by them was a justifiable punishment inflicted on ancient enemies who richly deserved their fate. The effect of the raid on the residence of Mrs. Samuels, the mother of Frank and Jesse James, was to create a diversion in favor of the boys. The tragedy of that event -was of so horrible a nature, that public sentiment set hi strongly against any further attempt to capture the boys by force. There was a strong sentiment in many quarters of the state in favor of trying a policy of conciliation toward the desperadoes. The reasons advanced in favor of this policy were numerous, and some of them possessed some weight. It was alleged that the state had al- read}' suffered the loss of considerable sums in pur- suing them ; that it was extremely doubtful whether their capture could ever be effected ; that in conse- quence the good name of the state must be tarnished ; that while the Jameses and Youngers were declared to be, and treated as outlaws, other bad men would commit crimes and shift the responsibility to the outlawed men ; that the course pursued toward the Jameses and Youngers was a species of persecution, and finally it was plead that all this persistent hunt- ing of these men was stimulated by the animosities of enemies, dating from the war time, and inasmuch as the United States Government had granted am- nesty to its enemies for acts committed during the continuance of hostilities, that it was not right the 202 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. state of Missouri should pursue with vi ndictive perse- cution any of its citizens for acts committed during the war, and their friends contended that the out- lawry of these men grew out of their course in the period between 1861 and 1865. These views and opinions in respect to the Jameses and Youngers assumed a formal shape in the early part of March, 1875, by the introduction in the Leg- islature of Missouri by the late General Jeff. Jones, then a member of the House of Representatives from Callaway county, of a bill, or preambles and resolution, offering amnesty for all past offenses to Jesse W. James, Thomas Coleman Younger, Frank James, Robert Younger and James Younger, on the condition that they should return to their homes and quietly submit to such proceedings as might be in- stituted against them for acts alleged to have been committed by them since the war. The preambles and resolution offered by General Jones received the approval of Attorney-General John A. Hockaday, and of many other lawyers of acknowledged ability. General Jones supported the measure with great zeal and earnestness, and no little ability and eloquence. As this measure was one of great importance to the subjects of this volume, we deem it necessary to give the essential parts of the document, as follows : Whereas, By the 4th section of the nth Article of the Con- stitution of Missouri, all persons in the military service of the United States, or who acted under the authority thereof in this PROPOSED AMNESTY. 203 state, are relieved from all civil liability and all criminal punish- ment for all acts done by them since the ist day of January, A. D., 1S61 : and. Whereas, By the 12th section of the said nth Article of said Constitution, provision is made by which, under certain circum- stances, may be seized, transported to, indicted, tried and pun- ished in distant counties, any Confederate under ban of despotic displeasure, thereby contravening the Constitution of the United States and every principle of enlightened humanity; and, Whereas, Such discrimination evinces a want of manly gen- erosity and statesmanship on the part of the party imposing, and of courage and manhood on the part of the party submitting tamely thereto ; and, Whereas, Under the outlawry pronounced against Jesse W. James, Frank James, Coleman Younger, Robert Younger and others, who gallantly periled their lives and their all in defense of their principles, they are of necessity made desperate, driven as they are from the fields of honest industry, from their friends, their families, their homes and their country, they can know no law but the law of self-preservation, nor can have no respect for and feel no allegiance to a government which forces them to the very acts it professes to deprecate, and then offers a bounty for their apprehension, and arms foreign mercenaries with power to capture and kill them; and, Whereas, Believing these men too brave to be mean, too generous to be revengeful, and too gallant and honorable to betray a friend or break a promise; and believing further that most, if not all the offenses with which they are charged have been committed by others, and perhaps by those pretending to hunt them, or by their confederates ; that their names are and have been used to divert suspicion from and thereby relieve the actual perpetrators ; that the return of these men to their homes and friends would have the effect of greatly lessening crime in our state by turning public attention to the real criminals, and that common justice, sound policy and true statesmanship alike demand that amnesty should be extended to all alike of botli parties for all acts done or charged to have been done during the war ; therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein: That the Governor of the State be, and he is hereby requested to issue his proclamation notifying the saidjesse W. James, Frank James, Coleman Younger, Robert Younger and James Younger, and others, that full and complete amnesty and pardon will be granted them for all acts charged or committed by them during 204 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the late civil war, and inviting them peaceably to return to their respective homes in this state and there quietly to remain, sub- mitting themselves to such proceedings as may be instituted against them by the courts for all offences charged to have been committed since said war, promising and guaranteeing to them and each of them full protection and a fair trial therein, and that full protection shall be given them from the time of their en- trance into the state and his notice thereof under said procla- mation and invitation. The above bill was introduced about the first of March, 1875, and was referred to the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, of which its author was a leading member. The bill was fully discussed in committee, and finally, through the influence of its author, a majority of the committee agreed to make a favorable report on the measure to the House of Representatives. Sometime towards the close of the session of the 28th General Assembly, the bill came up for its third reading in the House. General Jones made an earnest speech in advocacy of the measure. A member aroused a strong opposition to the measure from the very side of the house from which General Jones had hoped to obtain assistance in carrying it through. The member simply read a portion of a message transmitted by Governor Silas Woodson to the 27th General Assembly denouncing these same outlaws ; and the Democratic Legislature of Missouri refused to pass the bill. Thus the stigma of outlawry remained upon them, and their hands were turned against every man. CHAPTER XXIX. SAN ANTONIO- AUSTIN STAGE PLUNDERED. — Bandits on the prairies — Strange horsemen at even- tide — The stage halted — The passengers plundered. It had been a lovely day. Nature had put on her richest habiliments of bloom and beauty. The sun shone with a genial warmth, and the air was soft and perfume-laden from the thousands of wild flowers exhaling the rich aroma from the wide prairies. It was an eminently respectable party who traveled from San Antonio on the stage that day. There were in the company the Eight Rev. Bishop Gregg, of the Protestant Episcopal Diocese of Texas, and Mr. Breckenridge, president of the First National Bank of San Antonio ; three ladies, and six other gentlemen, merchants of San Antonio — in all, eleven travelers, well provided with the means to get through the world without fear of famishing. The stage was the regular four-horse, United States mail coach, running in the line between San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The respectable party of eleven travelers had as pleasant a time as the crowded condition of the stage and the monotonous nature of the scenery could be expected to afford them. Of course the bright sunlight made the scenery appear at least cheerful. 13 205 206 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. The stage was howling along the well-beaten highway, drawn by four fresh horses, which had been hitched to it about half an hour before sun- down. They had gone from “ the stand” perhaps as much as four miles, and it was getting quite dusky — daylight fading away in the west. The stage had reached a point about twenty-five miles west from Austin. In the gathering gloom, the driver beheld what appeared to be six rancheros, wearing sombreros, approaching the road just before him. Such inci- dents were not infrequent on that part of the route, and the appearance of the six men did not at first create any feeling of disquiet in the mind of the Jehu. But as the party drew nearer, and he discov- ered that they were mounted on splendid “ American horses,” and not “mustangs,” he thought it very sin- gular, to say the least of it. He was an old stager on the plains, and not inclined to be “panicky,” but he muttered, “I’ll swear, them’s queer fellers, anyhow.” lie did not have time to think very much about them, for in another moment two of the horse- men rode alongside the stage, with revolvers cocked, and commanded, with a great oath, “Haiti” Of course there was no alternative, for two more of the robbers had galloped in front of the foremost span of horses and checked the further progress of the stage team . The other two robbers had taken up a position on both sides of the stage — one at each post, and were pointing pistols at the passengers. SAN ANTONIO-AUSTIN STAGE PLUNDERED. 207 and with horrible oaths telling them to “tumble out ” at once, or die. The astonished passengers — ■ and even the Reverend Bishop — were just then ready to adopt the latter alternative, and very grace- fully descended from the stage. The passengers were formed into a group, which included the driver, and two of the bandits, with drawn revolvers, stood guard over them. The two horsemen in front dismounted and detached the lead-span of horses, and with the other two com- menced their search for booty. The trunks of the passengers were broken open,, and every valuable thing which could be easily car- ried away was appropriated. The United States mail bag's were then cut and the letters torn open. In this part of the stage-load they were quite suc- cessful, securing a large amount of bills in registered packages. One of the mail-bags was appropriated as a receptacle for the plunder. Having gone through the baggage and mail matter, the bandits turned their attention to the passengers. There was an animated dialogue carried on for a time, in the following style : “ Well, gentlemen and ladies, allow us to trouble you for the money and jewelry which you may have about you.” ! ‘ Do you mean to rob us ? ’ ’ asked the Bishop . “Oh, no! Don’t use such ugly language. We just want to relieve you of a burden — that’s all, old sock.” 208 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “You don’t call that robbery?” asked the Bishop. “Come, now, old coon ! ' Dry up, or you’ll not have an opportunity to ask anymore nonsensical questions. Handout your money.” The Bishop reluctantly complied. “ Now that watch of yours ! ” they further com- manded . “What! Will you not alloAV me to keep my watch ? It is a gift and dearly prized. You would not rob aji humble minister of Christ of his time- piece, would you? ” queried the Bishop. “So, ho ! You are a parson then, judging from the cut of your buckskins — or a priest — it makes no difference. Well, Christ didn’t have any watch, and he didn’t ride in stages either. He walked about to do his Father’s will , and wasn’t arrayed in fine clothes, -and didn’t fare sumptuously every day. What use has a preacher for a watch ? Go and travel like the Master. Out with that watch ! No more words — not one, mind you ! We are not Christians, we are Philistines.” The Bishop was constrained to give up his watch — a valuable and much prized one. “ Anything more? Out with it.” The Bishop protested that he had nothing more of value about his person. They, however, made a personal examination before they were satisfied, one of them remarking : “You can’t depend on many of these long-faced canters, anyhow.” SAN ANTONIO-AUSTIN STAGE PLUNDERED. 209 Then the robbers searched Mr. Breckenridge, and from him they obtained a plethoric pocketbook, con- taining one thousand dollars, and an elegant gold watch, and a very valuable diamond pin. So they went from one to another of the passen- gers, until the eight gentlemen of the respectable party of travelers had been politely plundered. Then the turn of the ladies came. “ Hand out your pocketbook,” said the leader to the first lady approached. “Yes, sir, here it is,” implied the frightened lady, handing him her money. The robber took it, opened it, and examined the contents by the light of the stage lantern. Then he came back to the lady, and asked if that was all the money she had. She replied that it was. He then inquired where she was going. She told him to Houston. “Here, madam, take your money. We regret the trouble we have given you.” So they went to the other two ladies, and from one they got a watch, some jewelry and about one hundred dollars in cash. From another they received some valuable jewelry, and a considerable .sum of money. Their work was now completed. During the two hours they held the passengers under guard, they sometimes made jesting remarks, and at other times threatening ones. The least want of alacrity in 210 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. obeying their outers was sure to subject the passen- gers to the direst threats. The robbers took with them the lead-span of horses when they rode away. The whole amount of cash taken from the passen- gers exceeded three thousand dollars, besides several gold watches, and considerable jewelry of value. The amount taken from the mail bags was several hundred dollars. Who were the robbers ? This question was infer- entially answered sometime afterward, when, in a conflict with a Texas official, Jim Reed, a member of the gang, was mortally wounded, and confessed that he was one of the party, and that his associates were men from Missouri, noted as “brave boys.” Who were so noted on the 7th day of April, 1874, at which time the stage robbery took place, but Frank and Jesse James, and the Younger Brothers?" It is now the settled conviction of all who are ac- quainted with the facts, that the James Boys were there and “bossed the job.” CHAPTER XXX. FARMER ASKEW’S FATE.— The house of Askew — The farmer incurs the hatred of the James Boys — Vengeance threatened — Assassinated while stand- ing on his porch — Jesse and Frank believed to be the guilty parties. During the time General Jones’ amnesty measure was pending in the Legislature of Missouri, Jesse and Frank James remained very quiet. They even opened up communication with Governor Charles II. Hardin and Attorney-General John A. Hockaday, through Sheriff Groome, of Clay county. From all the evidence at present available, we are forced to believe that at this time Jesse and Frank James were sincerely anxious that the measure should be adopted, and were in earnest in the desire to conclude a peace with society with which they had been at war for ten long years. For a time their vengeance slumbered. It was known to them that certain neighbors of theirs in Clay county had taken an active interest in the ef- forts which had been put forth to accomplish their arrest, and every one expected that a bloody re- taliation would follow. Their conduct had made for them many enemies in the community of which their father had been an honored member. Some of these were open and outspoken in denunciation of their 211 212 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. course, while others were restrained in expressions of hostility by their knowledge of the desperate and vengeful character of the men. But the Jameses knew when to restrain themselves, and carefully abstained from any act that might lose to them the effect of the slight revulsion in public opinion in their favor caused by the tragic results of the night raid. But they had marked their men — vengeance was only delayed. Possibly, if General Jones’ amnesty measure had succeeded, they would have withheld the hand of destruction, and their intended victims, instead of mouldering in gory graves, might to-day be alive. It is impossible to even conjecture what might have been the effect on the future life of the daring desperado, Jesse Jamesr He might have turned away from the evil way which he had traveled so long, and atoned by an upright life for all the past. But it was not to be. For to them — “The die now cast, their station known, Fond expectation past; The thorns which former days had sown, To crops of late repentance grown, Through which they toil’d at last; While every care’s a driving harm, That helped to bear them down ; Which faded smiles no more could charm, But every tear a winter storm, And every look a frown.’’ They were outlaws still. Hunted as enemies of their kind, they turned viciously to avenge what they, noyloubt, earnestly believed their wrongs. FARMER ASKEW’S FATE. 213 Among those who had expressed in strong terms his disapproval of the conduct of the James Boys, was Mr. Daniel H. Askew, a well-to-do farmer, and somewhat prominent citizen of Clay county, whose farm and residence Avas near the home of the Jameses. The outspoken opinion of Mr. AskeAv had given great offense to the Jameses and their friends, and Avhen the night raid was made in January they at once suspected that Askew had been partly in- strumental in bringing it about. This belief Avas strengthened by some of the scouts in the interest of the Jameses finding a couple of blankets, and evi- dences of the late presence of men among Mr. Askew’s haystacks. To still further confirm them in the belief that Askew assisted the detecth'es in the attack on the Samuels house, a young man knoAvn as Jack Ladd, Avho had been in Askew’s employ as a farmer, departed from the country on the night of the assault. It is but justice to the memory of Mr. Askew, to state in this place that he frequently and earnestly disclaimed having any knowledge whatever of the movements of the detectives in the employ of Mr. Pinkerton. But his denials had no weight with the vengeful Jameses. They and their friends continued to believe that the attacking party Avere sheltered and led by farmer Daniel II. Askew, and they re- solved to execute dire vengeance upon him. On the night of April 12tli, 1875, Mr. AskeAv Avent with a bucket to a spring some distance from his Death of Farmer Askew. FARMER ASKEW’S FATE. 215 residence, and returned to the house with the bucket filled with water. He had set the bucket on a bench and was standing on his back porch, not having yet entered the house after returning from the spring. Just in the rear of the house, and within ten paces of the edge of the porch on which Mr. Askew was standing, there was a heap of firewood reaching per- haps to the height of five or six feet. Behind this wood-heap the assassins found a convenient hiding place. Whoever they may have been, they had rid- den to the rear of a field, hitched their horses, ard walked through the field to their place of conceal- ment. Suddenly the report of a pistol, followed instan- taneously by the report of two shots, rang out on the night air, and Mr. Askew fell on the floor of the porch and immediately expired. Some members of the family, in agre'at state of alarm, rushed out to his assistance, but found him already dead. Three shots, evidently fii’ed by heavy revolvers, had taken effect in the head of the poor farmer, and one had crashed through his brain. The muderers had run back across the field, mounted their horses and departed before the grief- stricken and astonished family could make any movements toward discovering their identity. That night at a late hour some men on horseback rode by the house of Mr. Henry Sears, and sum- moned him to the door. He saw three men in the 216 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. road. One of them called to him and said, “We have killed Dan Askew to-night, and if anyone wants to know who did it, say detectives.” Having thus delivered their terrible message, the men rode away in the dark. And the friends and neighbors gathered to the Askew farm-house to con- sole his bereaved and stricken family, and the coro- ner came next day, “ due inquisition to make into the causes which led to Daniel II. Askew’s death.” But from that day to this no one knows to a certainty who tookthe farmer’s life. The general belief atthe time was, that he had fallen a victim to the vengeance of the James Boys. The years that have elapsed have only served to strengthen that belief and deepen the convictions of those who believed that Askew died at the hands of the vengeful outlaws. Who can tell? Only Him who knoweth all things, and the assassins, if still alive, hold the dreadful secret. CHAPTER XXXI. GOLD DUST— THE MUNCIE BUSINESS.— Lyin in wait — The evening train bound from the minin regions — Golden galore — The train stopped b masked men and the express car plundered. '‘Scores may be found whose errant-time Know not one hour of rest; Their lives one course of faithless crime, Their every deed — unrest.” Muncie is a little wayside station on the Kansas Pacific Railroad, not many miles from Kansas City, in Wyandotte county, Kansas. The situation, sur- roundings and small importance of the place in other respects, were not calculated to give it a wide- spread fame ; and yet Muncie has become a place of historic renown, as the scene of one of the most daring exploits of the most renowned outlaws of modern times. It happened one dreary December evening in the year 1875. On that occasion the programme which had served at Gadshill was carried out at Muncie. A band of armed men, well mounted, and keen and alert, had waited until the east-bound passenger train on the great thoroughfare between the rich mines of the West and the centers of commerce in the East arrived near their chosen lair. The topog- raphy of the region, and other favorable circum- stances, rendered the task one of easy accomplish- ment, though it involved an exhibition of daring which few men care to manifest. 217 bX) bo 218 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. In some way the bandits, of which Frank and Jesse James were chiefs, had information that a large amount of silver and gold was in charge of the ex- press messenger on that train. It has been said that this information was transmitted to them by Jackson Bishop, who had been a noted Guerrilla in Quan- trell’s command, and who, subsequent to the cessa- tion of hostilities, had journeyed to the “Far West” and entered into business as a mining operator in Col- orado. Be that as it may, one thing is certain, the knights of the road had information that the express company had treasures in trust that trip, and these they were ready to appropriate. In due time the train approached Muncie. There was no sign of warning, and when the engine came to a standstill at the wayside station, in obedience to a signal, it was immediately taken possession of by seven men. The engineer and fireman were carefully guarded. The passengers were admonished and in- timidated by the presence of armed men on the platforms of the cars, whose formidable pistols seemed to be pointed at each individual passenger, and the harsh commands of those men were obeyed with alacrity by the surprised passengers. But the robbers were generous that evening;. The treasure in the express car was what they sought. Individ- ual possessions were as “the small dust” com- pared to that. The express messenger was immediately con- fronted. Demands were made upon him with which GOLD DUST — TIIE MUNCIE BUSINESS 219 he was compelled to comply. The safe was opened) and then the robbers proceeded to examine the con- tents of that treasure box at their leisure. The gain was worth the daring'. Their reward was thirty thousand dollars in gold dust. The contents of the car were further examined, and a large amount of silver and other valuables were secured. Pursuit by U. S. Soldiers, after the Muncie Robbery. On this occasion the bandits were content with the spoils of the express car, which, it is said, amounted to about fifty-five thousand dollars. The passengers were, therefore, not subjected to the manipulations of the robbers. 220 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. As usual, the news of this fresh outrage by band- its was flashed far and wide. The country was aroused, and in an incredibly short space of time many bands of men were abroad in all directions, hunting the robbers. All their efforts proved vain. The shrewd raiders escaped with their booty. A few days after the great train robbery at Mun- cie, a police officer at Kansas City, in the discharge of his duty, arrested one Bill McDaniels, charged with being drunk on the street. When he Avas brought to the station and searched, articles on his nerson Avere identified as having been taken from the express car at M uncle. Every possible effort was made to induce Bill McDaniels to designate his con- federates in the train robbery. But to every propo- sition he Avas deaf, and finally, in attempting to es- cape he was shot dead, dying without revealing the name of his confederates. The bandits escaped. CHAPTER XXXII. HUNTINGTON, W. VA., BANK ROBBERY.— A band of robbers in the streets — The people alarmed — Demand upon Mr. Oney — The robbers make off with the bank’s funds — Capture of Jack Kean, and death of McDaniels — The handi- work of the Jameses shown. “Where I am injured, there I’ll sue redress, Look to it, every one who bars my access ; I have a heart to feel the injury, A. hand to right myself, and by my honor, That hand shall grasp what gray beard Law denies me.” The James Boys have always claimed that they were driven into outlawry by the very instrumental- ity which organized society has employed to sub- serve the ends of justice and afford protection to the rights and liberties of all — namely, the government. This claim, made by them, has been partly conce- ded by a large class of persons, irrespective of all political affiliations and social relations. So their wild career was commenced, and so it has proceeded through many years. That the Jameses have been accused of crimes which they did not commit, there is scarcely room for doubt. One of the deeds which has been laid to their charge was the robbery committed at Corinth, Alcorn county, Mississippi. This event happened the same day that the train was robbed at Muncie, Kansas. The two places are many hundred miles apart, and of course the Jameses could not have 221 14 222 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. been at both places at the same time. It is possible, indeed probable, that the robbery at Corinth, which stripped the bank at that place of a very large sum of money, was the handiwork of some of the mem- bers of the desperate band of men, of which the Jameses were the acknowledged leaders. The same tactics which had been so successfully employed at Ste. Genevieve, Russellville, Cory don, Gallatin, and other points, characterized the raid on the funds of the bank of Corinth. The spoils obtained were ex- ceedingly valuable, and although energetic pursuit was made, the robbers succeeded in making their escape. Their trail, however, was followed into Mis- souri, and several circumstances indicate that the successful bandits were members of the same organ- ization with the James Boys and Younger Brothers. After this there was a season of quiet. In the spring of 1876 the robbers renewed the campaign for spoils. The incidents of the past year had begun to become memories, and the success which had attended the gang during the past years had given them confidence in their ability to plun- der at will wherever they might select a field for the exhibition of their prowess and skill. The trees had assumed their green habiliments, and the early spring flowers exhaled their choicest perfumes, scenting the balmy breezes as they blew over hills and through valleys. The schemers had planned another raid. This time they selected an objective point remote from the scenes of their former deeds. HUNTINGTON, W. VA., BANK ROBBERY. 223 It was a romantic expedition away into the moun- tain regions of Eastern Kentucky and the state of West Virginia. The spring-birds sang cheery lays as the brigands marched on to their destined halting place . Huntington, West Virginia, is a beautiful town of about 3,000 inhabitants, situated on the Ohio river, in Cabell county, and is on the line of the Chesa- peak & Ohio Railroad. In 1876, the advent of the steam cars had given an impetus to trade, and the old town had taken a new growth. The bold bandits had selected Huntington as the scene of a most sen- sational event. The tactics which had served so well on many other occasions were once more adopted. On a bright April day, four men made their appearance at the bank. They had, come through the streets without exciting any suspicion. When they had arrived at the front of the bank, two of them dismounted, drew their pistols, rushed into the bank, where they found Mr. Oney, the cash- ier, and another gentleman. These they at once covered with their pistols, and proceeded to over- p wer the cashier. They then emptied the contents of the safe into a sack, and leaving Oney and his frieud securely bound, they proceeded to remount their horses. While the two robbers were engaged inside, the other two, who had remained in the street, very ef- fectually overawed the citizens who came that way, by displaying their pistols and occasionally firing a A Narrow Escape — After the Huntington Robbery. HUNTINGTON, W. VA., BANK BOBBERY. 225 shot. The whole operation was completed within less than half an hour from the time the robbers made their appearance in Huntington . There were not many persons who knew what had happened until after the marauders had left the place. When the people awakened to a realization of the true na- ture of the morning occurrence, there was at once a storm of excitement raised. Officers of the law and citizens of Huntington, without official relations, vied with each other in the alacrity with which they prepared to pursue the robbers. As soon as the two robbers who had taken the treasure were mounted, the whole party galloped away, intimidating the citizens as they went by firing off their pistols. A vigorous pursuit was at once commenced. The robbers were a long way from their base ; and the road before them was rugged and difficult. For days the pursuit was unabated. Bligh, the well- known detective of Louisville, sent his best men on the road to track the fugitives. The chase became exciting. Diverted from their intended line of re- treat, the marauders sought refuge among the moun- tains of Eastern Kentucky aTid Tennessee The horses of the robbers failed and were abandoned. Finally the pursuers came up with the fugitives. A fight ensued, and one of the robbers was killed be- fore they had left the borders of Kentucky. This person was identified afterwards as Thomason Mc- Daniels, a brother of Bill, who was killed while 226 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. attempting to escape from the officers in Kansas City, after the affair at Muncie. The pursuit was contin- ued. In the hills of Fentress county, Tennessee, the officers came up with the robbers again. This time they succeeded in capturing Jack Kean, an- other desperado, known in Western Missouri and Kentucky. The others escaped, and finally made their way into Missouri. Kean was taken back and lodged in jail at Cabell. The grand jury of Cabell county returned a true bill against him, and in due time he was placed on trial, convicted, and received a long sentence in the penitentiary of West Virginia. The presence of McDaniels and Kean, both well-known desperadoes of Missouri, at once suggested the James Boys as leaders in the Huntington robbery. Detective Blffih at first heralded to the world that Jesse O James was captured when Kean was taken. State- ments subsequently made by the convicted robber left no doubt that certainly Jesse James, and proba- bly Frank, were parties to the robbery of the bank at Huntington. It matters not who were the robbers in name. The deed was undoubtedly committed by members of the organization of which the James Boys were the most noted leaders. The destiny which seems to have led them continued to favor them. The leaders of the Huntington raid escaped, and carried the bulk of the Huntington bank’s funds with them. O CHAPTER XXXIII. JESSE’S WOOING AND WEDDING — Courting un- der difficulties — A fair cousin — She admires the outlaw — The courtship continues, and Jesse takes his cousin as his bride. “ Oh, say not that my heart is cold To aught that once could warm it; That Beauty’s form, so dear of old, No more has power to charm it; Or that the ungenerous world can chill One glow of fond emotion; For those who made it dearer still, And shared my wild devotion.” Jesse, James, the bold raider and dashing outlaw, in love ? Preposterous ! And yet why not ? Those who have studied the ways of human nature with most attention, find nothing singular in the fact that Jesse might prove an ardent lover, or wonderful in the assumption that he might be beloved in turn. Love is the grand passion after all, and few persons have lived who did not at some time in the course of their lives feel the deep chords of their hearts touched and realize the tender spell that enchained them. Why should not Jesse James, the man of splendid physique, the very embodiment of strong passion, yield to the powerful influence which so universally sways the human heart? Rather, we might ask, why should Jesse James not “ fall in love,” as the expression goes? It was perfectly natural that he 227 228 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES, should at some time, somewhere, find some one en- dowed with the capability of awakening in him the tender passion. Was he not human? Were his emotions and constitution so different from the rest of the children of time? What if he was outlawed? Had he not eyes to see and ears to hear? Had all tender feelings found a grave in his heart? It is true that the nature of his employment and the circumstances which surrounded him, rendered his life an isolated one to a certain extent. He was not thrown into the great whirlpool which the world calls society, and this very isolation of his position would very naturally prompt him to' seek the com- panionship of one who could hold a nearer and dearer place in his heart than even his brother. He might yet retrieve some of the disasters of the past, and wipe out some of the stains which blurred his char- acter, if led by the sweet, gentle influence of a true woman. Who can ever know what hopes animated him ; what bright dreams of a better life cheered him, when he thought of her who would not — per- haps could not join in the general execration of his name? It maybe that at such times a vision rose before him, of a quiet home with peace after the strife, where love dwelt, “and where the bitter curses of the past might never come ; it may be that he looked forward to the rest which would come to his tempest-riven breast, when the storm had passed and the serene sun lighted his pathway through a quiet land. And at such times it was but natural that he JESSE S WOOING AND WEDDING* 229 should seek the presence of the beloved one, and plead with her. “ Oh linger yet a moment ! Is it a sin that I have loved thee so, And worshiped thy bright image? If it be, Let grief and suffering atone for that, Long as this heart can know the power of pain, — But let me look on thee and hear thee still.” And what woman ever listened unmoved to such appeals? 44 The brave deserve the fair,” and the history of the race shows that when the heart is en- listed, when the tender bloom of love sheds its per- fume around her, woman is caieless of the world's opinion, and brave in daring its frowns. Jesse had a fair cousin — a handsome young lady, possessed of an amiable disposition, and a mind well stored with knowledge. This destined bride of the distinguished outlaw is the daughter of a sister of the Rev. Robert James, who was married in the days of her youth to a Mr. Mimms. Mss Zee Minims was deprived of a mother’s love and guid- ance at a tune when she was just entering the estate of womanhood. She had a sister older than herself who was united in marriage with Mr. Charles Mc- Bride, a respectable carpenter and builder in Kansas City, about the year 1869. For several years Miss Mimms resided with her relatives in Kansas City, and gained the respect and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. In the days of her childhood she had known her cousin Jesse, and his bright blue eyes and soft, peach-like complexion, and the smile that used to ripple over his countenance, and his 230 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. cheery words, may even then have drawn the little girl towardTier cousin. As time went by, Zee had grown to the condition of womanhood, and Jesse had become celebrated as a daring soldier, and afterwards a reckless outlaw. But somehow Miss Zee could never believe her cousin Jesse to be so bad as he was represented, and when they met — which they fre- quently did — she always had a word of gentle af- fection for her cousin Jesse, who was ever kind in his behavior toward her. Many times Jesse James was seen in Kansas City, when to be there was an exposure to imminent peril. When the wild winds swept across the frozen river, and screamed over the hills, Jesse was accus- tomed to dare the fury of the tempest, brave the chill of the temperature, and seek the cosy fireside which became a shrine, when blessed by the presence of his fair cousin. And when it was summer time and the forest path- ways were gloomy in the shadows of night ; and the stars in the deep azure vault of heaven alone lent their feeble rays to illuminate the dark world, then the outlaw would take his lonely way across the wild prairies, through the deep- tangled forests where the owls hide by day and hoot by night, and the wild tenants of the woodlands make their lair ; by lonely streams, murmuring as their waters go on the way to mingle with the far-wandering tide of the mighty Missouri, to seek the side of her whose smile was always brighter at his coming. jesse’s wooing and wedding. 231 What mattered it to him if the streets of the city were deserted by all, save the guardians of the law, who, in the deep shadowed recesses, waited and watched for him ? His courage owned no limitations under ordinary circumstances. What might it be- come if stimulated by the all-intoxicating influence of love? If the watchers saw him under the gas- light in the streets of the slumbering city, they let him go, and so Jesse’s courting days passed away. The outlaw’s wooing proceeded, and was com- pleted. Who knows what thoughts were his in those days ? Who can ever tell by what processes of rea- soning, or influence of love, Mss Zee Minims recip- rocated the outlaw’s passion? Who knows what earnest councils she held with her own mind and the processes which ended in the triumph of the affec- tions, and a perfect yielding to him, and the devel- opment of a devotion which smiled at contumely and consented to sacrifice all things which had be- fore been pleasing to her, at the shrine of love? His presence became necessary to her happiness, and her smile was sunlight poured into the otherwise dark recesses of the outlaw’s heart. So it came about one pleasant evening in 1874, that Jesse James and Miss Zee Minims repaired to the house of Dr. Denham, a mutual friend, near Kearney, Clay county, Missouri, where they were met by the Rev. William James, of the M. E. Church, South, an uncle of Jesse, who proceeded to unite the lovers in the holy bonds of matrimony. 232 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. The ceremony was performed m the presence of the Doctor’s family and one or two intimate friends. Jesse James had won a wife, and Miss Zee Mimms had consented in her devotion to become an outlaw’s bride. Ostracised by society, proscribed by the law, and hunted by enemies and the officers of justice, Jesse James took his bride, and they journeyed away. Across plains, through valleys, over streams toward “the clime of the sun,” the outlaw and his bride sought a place where they could rest, and in each other’s society, “ Like some vision olden Of far other time, When the age was golden, In the young world’s prime. Of the future dreaming, Weary of the past, For the present scheming, Happy they, at last.” What cared they for the cold world’s scorn ? Jesse had provided a cozy home far away on the borders of civilization, where the names of mountains, vales, and springs, and streams, are softened in the musical language of old Castile. But we have heard that even in that distant land the life of the outlaw’s wife is not isolated, but, on the contrary, under a name which their conduct has made respectable, they have friends, and she her associates, who are ignorant of the history of the outlaw, and hold her in esteem. A little child, born sometime in 1876 has come to bless their union by its childish prattle, and the jesse’s wooing and wedding. 233 daring outlaw has been seen with the innocent little one mounted on his shoulder engaged in racing about his ranche. It may be that there are episodes in the life of Jesse James which are like the green oasis in the sun-beaten desert — bright moments when the demon is temporarily vanquished, and the spirit of goodness illuminates the world about him. The man who can love cannot be wholly the slave of vengeance and hate, and even Jesse James may possess traits of mind and qualities of the heart, whicli point to something higher and better than what is known of him. CHAPTER XXXIV. A DREAM OF LOVE. — Frank James cherishes tender sentiments and goes a-wooing — A fair girl, beauti- ful and accomplished — Frank’s suit encouraged. “Fancies, bright as flowers of Eden, Often to his spirit come, Winging through the mind’s brief sunlight, Glad as swallows flying home, Love is the true heart’s religion 1 Let us not its power deny, But love on as flowers love sunshine, Or the happy birds the sky.” Frank James was an outlaw. The smooth-faced beardless youth who came from the school where he had pondered over the thoughts of Euripides, who had till Greece for a monument, to unite his fortune and venture his fate with Quantrell’s band, had be- come a man, bearded and strong, daring and dan- gerous, to his fellow-men. And the sprightly intel- lect that had enabled him to lead his 'class, and the youthful ardor which had conjured up classic forms among “the sacred relics of Almighty Some,” as his mental vision was turned back through the vista of many depai'ted centuries, were now floundering in the muddy pools, and reveling in plots and schemes, sordid and debasing. He was not old in years, and yet he was ripe in experience. Year after year had chased each other down the steeps of time since Frank James became a soldier of the 234 A DREAM OF LOVE. 235 highways, a participant in the well-planned arnbush- ment, and an executioner in the sudden surprise and fatal catastrophe to the enemy who came into the well-planned ambuscade, and he had witnessed un- moved the agony of victims Avhen shaken by the throes of death. Could this man, whose hands were red with the crimson stains left there by the blood of victims, whose mind was made harsh and hard by years of struggle against organized society ; whose conscience must have become seared by the long contact with the rude, rough elements in human nature ; whose heart must have become callous by reason of the cruel scenes through which he had passed — could such a one have tender dreams of love ? And yet we might ask, why not? The tender affinities of affection which sprang from psychological causes is one of the most beneficent schemes of God’s benev- olence, which traverses all space in its flights, and lives the visible token of man’s divinity on earth and his hope in heaven. The hand that would thwart them would interrupt the course of laws based on eternal verities. The fact is, neither time, space, conditions, nor the recognized canons of social life, can induce or hinder the inception, growth, or maturity of a pas- sion, which is acknowledged to be the most potent of all to which man is subject. Why, then, should Frank James not be smitten? In his wanderings he O had met many fair ones. And beauty had smiled on 236 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. him. But he knew that they were unacquainted with his name and antecedents, and so he refused to be led captive by these, whose love might turn to hate when they knew all . It is said by those who know Frank James, that he is endowed with a very superior mind ; that his education is very good ; that he is able to read the classics, and can converse fluently in both the Ger- man and Spanish languages . With these accomplish- ments, he possesses a handsome person and agreea- ble features. In conversation, he speaks in a soft, low tone of voice, and in private life, among his friends, his manners are pleasing, and well calculated to produce a favorable impression. Frank has been about the world a great deal, and has mingled in re- fined society not a little. It is his custom to visit New York almost every season, and sometimes he goes to Saratoga, Newport and Long Branch. Friends of Frank assume that he is in many respects a superior man to Jesse ; that he has more principle, and that there is far less of the desperado in his composition. He is cool, cautious, shrewd, and more manly than the other, and is not so reckless nor so revengeful in disposition. Frank James was susceptible to the blandishments of the fair sex in the days of his youth. In Ken- tucky, he came near being caught in the silken meshes spread by a beautiful young lady of the “Blue Grass” country, who had come to regard A DREAM OF LOVE. 237 him as a hero, whose adventurous career she longed to share. But fate interposed for her sake, or against him. Frank found it for his interest to take his departure from Kentucky, and it was not convenient for him to return for two whole years. In the interim, an- other gallant was attracted to her side, and eventually won her affections, and the young lady was married. A story is told, by persons who claim to know much of Frank James’ private affairs, about a love affair between that redoubtable outlaw and an heir- ess in New York. She was beautiful and accom- plished, and when she met the handsome and gen- tlemanly outlaw, who was not known in that charac- ter to her, she conceived an admiration for him which was fast ripening into affection. They rode together through the parks, and were soothed by the music of the waves, when the twilight and shad- ows fell, as together they strolled along the lonely shore. But circumstances over which she had no control summoned her away from the side of the Western adventurer, and they never met again. So the years passed away, and Frank James found one being long ago who inspired his heart with ten- derer dreams of love than any which had ever come to him before. For years the fair face, with its shadings of glossy brown hair, and eyes of deepest azure, glancing from beneath their long silken lashes, was imprinted on his mind and shrined in his heart. Frank James had met her many times, and no more 15 238 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. touching story of woman’s devotion has yet been told, than that of the attachment of pretty Annie Ralston for Frank James, the bold border bandit. In time to come, the writers of the romance of the period covered by the career of the James Boys, will recall the name of the fair girl who became the outlaw’s bride, and weave around it the choicest flowers of literature. CHAPTER XXXV. FAIR ANNIE RALSTON, THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE. — How Annie Ralston carried off the hon- ors of her class at college — A belle in society — -Her admiration for Frank James — She quietly collects her effects, and leaves her home to share her fate with Frank. “The loves and hopes of youthful hours, Though buried in oblivion deep, Like hidden threads in woven flowers, Upon life’s web will start from sleep; And one loved face we sometimes find Pictured there with memories rife — A part of that mysterious mind Which forms the endless warp of life.” There are many people about the old town of Independence who cherish pleasant memories of fair Annie Ralston. There are many who knew and loved her long ago, who will not soon forget the beautiful face of the outlaw’s bride. And long after those who knew her in the halcyon days of her inno- cent girlhood shall have passed to the quiet repose beneath the sod in “ the silent cities of the dead,” her story will be repeated. Many a romance has been based on incidents in lives far less dramatic than has fallen to the fortune or the fate of Annie Ralston. The years which have rolled their cycles round to swell the measure of the greedy past, have not been so many that they have swallowed up the memories which cluster around the name of the gentle 239 240 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Annie, and bring sighs to the lips of those who but a few short winters ago conned with her the les- sons of the sages from the dreary pages of text books when they were schoolmates. People are not all ossified — brain, sense and heart, because God’s Commentary on his written Revela- tion was given first — was handed down from a thousand Sinais, and strewed in green and golden shadowy lines through all the ages. It yet lives, and is, from under His own hand, above, around, beneath us ; and by it we may understand that holy mystery — how God is Love, and Love is God-like. And we feel, and know, that never again to us from out the shade of the years, can ministers of grace or glad ideals come, except through such sweet en- chantment. Who, then, will condemn gentle Annie Ralston, the pet of the class, the warm friend, the glad-hearted girl, if she proved at last to be — like all her sisters — human ? What circumstances conspired to induce her to become an outlaw’s bride? If we could answer all the questions which might be asked concerning the emotions of the heart, the freaks of the mind, and other phenomena of human nature, and the structure of society, then might we be able to answer why fair Annie Ralston became the wife of Frank James, the proscribed enemy of society. But we cannot engage in such an undertaking. Her story is brief, but full of interest. Before the period of blighting war, which swept like a destructive tornado over the fairest portions of FAIR ANNIE RALSTON, THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE. 241 Western Missouri, Annie’s father, Mr. Ralston, was a wealthy man, and his home was one of the most pleasant to be found in the vicinity of Independence. He was a gentleman of culture and refinement, and his wealth gave him leisure to cultivate all the social graces. His hospitality was unbounded, and no man was more esteemed than Samuel Ralston. Annie was a ‘ ‘ wee girl ’ ’ when the thunder peal of war burst in all its lurid terrors all around and about her. It was no period of sentimental dreaming, and she was early accustomed to see and hear of blood- shed and devastation. She must necessarily have grown familiar with scenes which, under ordinary circumstances, would have excited her terror, and she had learned to look unmoved on the bloody corpse of the battle’s victim. But no storm can con- tinue forever ; after the convulsion comes quiet ; after the night dawns the day — -so, at last, the war-cloud rolled away. Then commenced the work of collect- ing fragments of wrecked fortunes and rebuilding waste places. But some wrecks were complete, and no fraornents remained. In a laro'e measure this O O was the case with the life-barque in which Mr. Ral- ston sailed down the river of time. Annie grew with the passing years, and stood, as it were, “with reluctant feet on the boundary where childhood and womanhood meet.” The residence of Mr. Ralston was convenient to the Independence Female College, and Annie became a student in that institution. She possessed excellent intellectual 242 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES . gifts, and in her course of study she led her classes. In due time the prescribed course of mental training was completed, and “at commencement,” fair Annie carried away the highest honors of her class. She was now a young lady, accomplished in “ all the learning of the school.” She sang delightfully, and could touch and cause to thrill with deepest har- mony, the chords of the harp and other instruments. She was a favorite in society at once. And Annie Ralston was handsome — almost beau- tiful. Her complexion was fair and soft, her features regular and pleasing, her eyes were large and azure blue, and these soulful orbs looked out from curtains of long silken lashes of deep brown, that lent a charm to their expression, and her long brown tresses well completed this charming picture. And she possessed a symmetry of form and a graceful- ness of carriage which might well attract the admira- tion of those who knew her. But there came a time Avhen a shadow fell athwart her pathway, and eclipsed this star in the social firmament. Annie’s father had been ardent in his attachment to the Southern cause, and all who had contended in behalf of that cause were ever welcome to the hospitality of his home. He had suffered much from the consequences of the war, and perhaps more from the genial convivialities in which he indulged, and which had extended beyond the bounds of propriety. Frank and Jesse James, with their confederates, became frequent visitors FAIR ANNIE RALSTON, THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE. 243 at the Ralston home. People saw them there often, and it was whispered softly at first, but shouted aloud later, that pretty Annie Ralston was an attraction for the outlaws, and received from The Home and Girlhood of Annie Ralston, who became the Wife of Frank James. them, without rebuke, their openly-expressed admira- tion, and then her social star paled, and finally went out. Frank James became to her a hero worthy of her love — nay, her heart’s deep adoration. She 244 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. waited with impatience his coming, and when he was away, and she thought of the hazards which he might make, and the destruction which might over- take him, she grew faint through apprehension. To her, he was assidous and gentle and kind, whatever might be his disposition toward others, and she gave her heart to him long before an opportunity was pre- sented to her to yield to him her hand. One bright day, in 1875, some friends who had known pretty Annie Ralston from the days of her childhood, met her at the Union Depot, Kansas City, with many valises and traveling bags in charge. “Would she go up in town? Could they render her any service? ” were questions which Avere asked. No, at another time she would go up toAvn, there was nothing they could do for her. Soon she was joined by her outhvwed lover. Together they took a train and proceeded to Leavenworth, Kansas, Avhere the vows which they had made to each other were renewed and sealed by legal authority, and fair Annie Ralston became the outlaw’s bride, and with him she journeyed toward the yelloAv Southern sea, where the sunlight is warm and the breezes balmy. It was a sacrifice to thus banish herself from that society in which she Avas so Avell fitted to shine as one of its brightest ornaments ; it was a trial to sur- render up the friends and associates of her girlhood ; to bid adieu to those who Avere near and dear to her ; it Avas heroic to cast herself upon the care of the man she FAIR ANNIE RALSTON, THE OUTLAW’S BRIDE. 245 loved. On the altar of her affection, therefore, she placed all the idols of her youth ; and in her devotion she proceeded to dig a wide, deep grave in which to bury forever the images which she had cherished. And so Annie Ralston became an out- law's bride. CHAPTER XXXVI. A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HAUL.— The train robbery at Otterville — -The Youngers and the Jameses — Frank James the planner — How the train was halted — Capture of Llobbs Kerry— He gives away the gang — The escape. It had been some weeks since the people of the West had enjoyed a sensation growing out of the robbery of a train, or the plundering of a bank. Frank and Jesse James, and Cole, and Jim, and Bob Younger, with their merry companions, had been un- usually quiet for quite'a long season for these restless rovers and adroit plunderers. The gang was in- creasing in numbers, and was now really formidable. Others as daring had joined themselves to the noted outlaws — the Jameses and the Youngers. Cal Car- ter from Texas, and Clell Miller, and Bill Chadwell, Charles Pitts, and Sam Bass, and Bill Longley, and the Hardins and the Moores of the Indian Territory and Texas divisions of the clan were frequently with Frank and Jesse James and the Younger Brothers. In the gang, but apparently merely as a subaltern, whose principal employment was to hold the horses of the chief robbers when business required them to dismount, was a young fellow who went by the name of Hobbs Kerry. Before Otterville, the protestations and denials of the Jameses and the Youngers were accepted by many good citizens, and there were numbers of very 246 A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAE HAUL. 247 honorable persons who believed sincerely that these men were sadly slandered. The express robbery at Rocky Cut, near Otterville, served to remove the scales from the eyes of numbers of these good peo- ple, and Frank and Jesse James, and the three Youngers were revealed before the public as most dangerous highwaymen. The principals in the Otterville affair were Frank James, his brother Jesse, Cole Younger, and his brother Bob, Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, Bill Chad- well and Hobbs Kerry. These men concerted the project in Southwest Missouri, in the lead mining districts. Frequent interviews took place between Frank and Jesse James, and Cole and Bob Younger in regard to the feasibility of the undertaking. The Jameses were the original suggestors of the enter- prise, and from what information we have been able to gather, the Youngers did not at first entertain the suggestion favorably ; indeed, it was sometime before it was finally agreed that the attempt should be made. Then the bandits discussed the route to be taken, and the place to be selected for the scene of this notable robbery, on the iron-highway. All these were settled in due time, and everything was ready to carry out their well-matured plan. Jesse James was the leader, the others merely acting in concert with him, and taking their places in accordance with his suggestions. The expedition left the scene of their plotting about the first day of July, 1876. 248 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Before leaving, the band separated into two par- ties, Jesse and Frank James, Bill Chadwell and Bob Younger, composed one, and Cole Younger, Charlie Pitts, Clell Miller and Hobbs Kerry, made up the other. The journey through the country was made leisurely enough. The two parties traveled by dif- ferent routes, and had no difficulty in securing lodg- ing places. Sometimes they traveled in the night to make the distance to the house of a friend in good time the next day. On Sunday, July 3rd, there were four of the band- its at Duval’s .house. Tuesday a part of the band were in California, and after lingering about the place for a part of the day, they mounted their horses and rode to a house four miles north of the town, where four others of the robbers were stopping. A heavy rain came on that night, and so the robbers stayed nearly all of the day on the 5th, and remained dur- ing the night. There is no evidence that the people where they stayed had any knowledge of the char- acter of the persons whom they received under their roof. However, Jesse James and Cole Younger were acquainted with the gentleman, but not under their names. On the morning of the 6th, the raiders mounted their horses and rode west in pairs. The James Boys traveled together, Clell Miller and Hobbs Kerry rode by each other, Charlie Pitts and Coleman Younger formed a pair, and Bill Chadwell and Bob Younger A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HAUL. 249 followed another route in company. These all traveled different roads. The place of meeting previously agreed upon was a spot about two miles east from the bridge, across the Lamine river, and the time appointed w T as at 3 o’clock Friday evening, July 8th. There were des- ignated stopping places on all the roads. The Jameses under assumed names were acquainted per- sonally with a number of very respectable people along the route traveled by them, and therefore had no difficulty in obtaining comfortable quarters and receiving a hospitable welcome. And so of the others of that band — “ on mischief bent ” — they all had good quarters on Thursday night, and as only two traveled together on a road, no suspicion was aroused on account of their presence. The robbers came by pairs to the rendezvous. They had all assembled by 4 o’clock in the evening. Some of them went without their dinners that day. Here the whole band remained until sundown on the evening of the 8th. The place selected was at a deep cut known as Rocky Cut, about four miles east of Otterville, in Pettis county, Missouri, on the line of the Missouri Pacific railroad. Three of the band, Bob Younger, Clell Miller and Charlie Pitts, were detailed to capture the watchman at the bridge. Bill Chadwell and Hobbs Kerry, it appears, were assigned the duty of taking care of the horses. A dense piece of timber land adjacent to a field was selected as the place of 250 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. concealment. The express train bound east was due at that spot about 11 o’clock at night. The robbers did not arrive at the designated rendezvous until some time after the curtains of night had been drawn over the scene. At a little after 9 o’clock, Younger, Miller and Pitts went down to the bridge, and were hailed by the watchman. They were close upon him, and with drawn revolvers and fearful oaths they commanded him to surrender. The helpless watchman could not do otherwise. They took him in charge and secured his signal lanterns. “What are you going to do with me?” asked the astonished watchman. “You keep still,” was the reply. “But you ain’t going to hurt me? he inquired. “ What do we want to hurt you for? We want that money on the train, that’s all we care for,” was the reply he received. The whole party walked up the track to the mouth of the cut. It was about half past ten o’clock. A heap of rocks and a number of old cross ties were piled across the rails. Then the cunning brigands sat down quietly in the darkness to await the coming of the train. The horses of the robbers were about fifty yards away ready to be bestridden, and fresh enough to make a long journey if that should be necessary. Crouched there, they were silent as the broken fragments of rocks which lay scattered around them. They had not long to wait. A distant rumbling was heard, like the first low mutterings of A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HAUL. 251 thunder before the storm cloud appears. Then it grew louder and shriller like the raging wind. It was the train. The robbers were not asleep. Charlie Pitts had been detailed to display the red lantern — the danger signal — as the train came thundering; around the curve into the cut. He performed his part of the programme well. Precisely at the right spot the train came to a standstill. The engineer had reversed his engine and put on the air brakes. Instantly the train was boarded by a number of masked men, said to have been twelve at least, all heavily armed. Guards were placed at each end of the cars, and the leader boarded the express car, compelled the messenger under threats of immediate death to open his safe, and then the contents were emptied out into a sack, and the car was thoroughly searched for valuable packages. The result was about $17,000 were secured and carried away for the use and behoof of the robbers. The whole transaction was completed in less than an hour. The passengers were greatly alarmed dur- ing the time of the detention. The robbers stationed at the ends of the cars kept their revolvers bearing upon the passengers, and would not allow them to stir a finger under threats of death. Every moment they expected their turn to be robbed would come. But the robbers appeared to be satisfied with the amount realized from the plundering of the express 252 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. car, and when they had accomplished that job thor- oughly, they released the train, sought their horses and rode away. Several shots were fired during the time the train was standing, for the purpose of keep- ing the passengers in a state of alarm. The news was telegraphed from the next station to St. Louis, Sedalia, Kansas City and other points. By this event the whole country was thoroughly excited. The detective forces of St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, and even the cities of the Atlantic seaboard were taken by surprise, and aroused to make efforts to capture them. The railroad and express companies offered large rewards, and the Governor of the state took measures to aid in the pursuit of the brigands. Meanwhile, the men who had created all this fu- rore of excitement rode through the darkness with their treasure bag. When “ the first faint blush of dawn streaked the east,” the plunderers of the ex- press car at Rocky Cut were twenty miles away and just turning off the main highway into the dim re- cesses of a large forest. After traveling more than a mile in the woods, the brigands came to an open space. Here they dis- mounted. Jesse James had the treasure bag. Dur- ing the journey, Frank James, Cole Younger and Charlie Pitts had relieved each other alternately in carrying the precious burden. Now they had reached a safe place, and the spoils of the adventure were about to be divided. Frank James acted as master A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HAUL. 258 of ceremonies on that occasion. Whether “the divide” was an equal one we are not advised, and perhaps we shall never know. The envelopes were torn from the express packages and the money di- vided into separate heaps, one of which was given to each of the men who had participated in the exploit The ceremony of dividing the money having been* gone through with,- and Jesse James, Cole Younger Frank James and Charlie Pitts having parceled out the captured jewelry among themselves, the robbers remounted and separated into pairs, each pair select- ing the route which pleased them best. In the day time they rode in the woods and along by-paths ; in the night they returned to the highways, and were soon secure from pursuit because they went at once among friends who, if they were acquainted with the character of their guests, “ never gave away any- thing.” An outrage of so darins; a character was not slow in producing effects. The news had been flashed afar on the lio'htnin^’s track. The Chief of Police of St. Louis, the marshals and constables, and county sheriffs were aroused to unusual activity. The peo- ple everywhere were excited by an. event of so sen- sational a character. A keen pursuit was inaugura- ted. Watchful eyes and open ears were in every town and hamlet throughout Missouri, and even in adjacent states. This time, it appeared, the robbers would be surely compelled to remain hidden far from the habitations of man. 16 254 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. But secure iu their retreat, the shrewd leaders of the raid, Jesse and Frank James, and Cole and Bob Younger and Charlie Pitts, laughed at the efforts of the officers of the law to capture them. They en- joyed reading the newspapers containing accounts of their daring feat, and made merry at w T hat they * were pleased to term “ the stupid work of the d — d detectives.” The robbers had one single thing on their minds which gave them sotne concern. The “cub”” rob- ber, Hobbs Kerry, was scarcely shrewd enough to evade capture, and, they feared, not brave enough to withstand the pressure which they knew would be brought to bear upon him to “ make him squeal on his associates.” What if Kerry should fall into the hands of the hunters ? And was it not extremely probable that he would? These were questions which they asked themselves, and in time they framed an answer in the form of another question, “ What if he does? We don’t know the fellow.” We have said the passengers and trainmen were passive witnesses of the proceedings of the robbers. But there was one person on the train who was not afraid to resist. That individual was the train news- boy. Johnny, as he was called, had a small pistol, of a cheap grade, with which to defend him- self against all enemies, and robbers in particular. Now the opportunity had come to display the latent heroisim which he knew he possessed. Johnny did not believe in being plundered, and, though his A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HAUL. 255 weapon was not very dangerous, he believed he could do some execution with it ; at any rate, he could try. From the car window, where he had taken aposition, he opened lire on the marauders. His first shot was ineffective, and the bandits derisively encouraged him to try again, when they discovered the youthful appearance and diminutive size of their assailant. Johnny took them at their word, and blazed away again. The robbers were well satisfied and good humored, and they laughed and jeered at the little hero who had exhibited so much courage. They told him he would do for a train-robber him- self when he was a little older. Johnny insisted for a time that he knew he had shot one of the robbers badly. Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell and Hobbs Kerry made a forced march to Southwest Missouri. Late Saturday night they forded Grand river. After go- ing a little distance from the river, the three robbers dismounted, threw themselves on the ground, and slept soundly until morning. Here Kerry’s horse, which was well broken down, was abandoned. The saddle he hid in the brush in the Grand river bot- tom. Kerry at this point separated from Pitts and Chadwell, they remaining in the Grand river forests, while he proceeded to Montrose station, on the M., K. & T. railway. He had not long been there when a train bound south came along. He stepped on the car and went down to Fort Scott, Kansas. Find- ing a clothing store open, he purchased a good suit 256 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. of clothes, which he donned at once. With valise in hand, he boldly entered a hotel, called for supper, which he partook of, and then proceeded on the train to Parsons, took lodgings there, where he re- mained until ‘4 o’clock next morning. From Vinita, to which he went from Parsons, he proceeded to Granby, where he had “a good time with the boys.” From Granby to Joplin, and from that place to Granby again, and then away down in the Indian Territory Hobbs Kerry went, without remaining very long at one place. Wherever he went he drank, and whenever he drank whisky he talked, and showed his money and boasted. He was lib- eral with the boys, had money for the faro dealer, and was for the time “a hale fellow well met” with all. But the eyes that were looking, and the ears that were listening, putting this and that together by an act of cogitation, concluded that Hobbs Kerry knew about the Rocky Cut business. It was not a mistake. The detectives “pulled” Kerry, and when he had time to reflect, he unfolded his mind, and told of his friends and their ride at night. He proved to be “ a good peacher,” as the police say, and whatever may be the slight incon- sistencies of his narrative of the Otterville affair, the events at Northfield, Minnesota, a few months later, confirm the truthfulness of Hobbs Kerry’s story in all the main particulars. Of course the James Boys and their friends were swift to denounce Hobbs Kerry as a fraud, and his A SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR HAUL. 257 stories of the midnight ride and the flaring of the “ danger signal” before the train, as pure fabrica- tions of a diseased or wicked brain. Meanwhile, the Jameses and Youngers had not gone far away. The former found friends and a safe retreat in the eastern part of Jackson county, and the latter retired to St. Clair county, where they rested in contentment for a season. The Jameses have friends yet in a certain neighborhood in that section of Jackson county — men and women — who, despite their known character, and the edict of out- lawry against them, would receive them into their houses and treat them not only with ordinary hospi- tality, but with marked consideration. CHAPTER XXXVII. IN MINNESOTA. — The bandits seek a new field — Frank James and the Younger Brothers — Bill Chadwell, Miller and Pitts — The long ride. Hitherto the brigands, led by the Jameses and the Youngers, had only committed outrages in those countries with the physical features of which they were well acquainted. They had ridden through Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Kentucky, and Iowa was not so far away from their haunts in Clay county that they could not reasonably hope to re- treat to their hiding places. The list of outrages already committed by them was extravagantly long. Commencing at Russellville, Kentucky, they had ransacked bank safes at Gallatin, Corydon, Iowa, Columbia, Kentucky, Ste. Genevieve, Mo., Hunting- ton, West Virginia, and a section of the band had paid a visit to, and plundered the bank at Corinth, Mississippi. They had stopped trains in Kansas, Wyoming, Iowa and Missouri, and they had plun- dered stages in Arkansas, Texas and Kansas. But over the whole territory intervening between the widely separated scenes of their depredations, they had often traveled and were perfectly familiar with the topography of the country, and had friends in many places. Having achieved such remarkable success in their nefarious calling, the brigand chiefs were emboldened 258 IN MINNESOTA. 259 to enter upon new enterprises, and seek new fields for the exercise of their prowess and genius. They agreed to go beyond the borders of their accustomed field of operations. After Otterville, a part of the gang went into St. Clair county, and the other members of the banditti proceeded to Clay county, to the vicinity of Kear- ney, where resided the mother of Frank and Jesse James, Mrs. Zerelda Samuels. That person was always true to the interests of her sons, and under no circumstances did she ever desert their cause or betray their designs. Mrs. Samuels was a very use- ful ally of Frank and Jesse, and when hard pressed in other quarters, they were always sure of a safe retreat and succor in the vicinity of the Samuels house. The successful robbery accomplished at Otterville, had created a profound sensation throughout the southwest, and the law abiding citizens were vigilant and suspicious, and it was not a pleasant time to travel in any direction where the least possible sus- picion in regard to the character of the traveler was once aroused. Therefore, the robbers of the train at Otterville sought their hiding places and remained quiet for a time . But idleness under such circumstances became ex- tremely irksome to the free riders, accustomed as they were to a life of activity and exciting adven- ture. The division of the band from St. Clair county, journeyed into Clay county, Missouri, and 260 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. then beo;an a series O next campaign which they contemplated inaugurat- ing. These consultations between the leaders of the banditti were held in a thick forest near the residence of Mrs. Samuels. The result of the deliberations was the development of a plan to pay a visit to Minnesota, and raid some bank there, the exact place of its situation to be determined when they should have arrived in that state. Who originated the scheme is a question which, in all human probability, will forever remain unan- swered. The credit of the project has been often given to Jesse James. Whether or not he originated it, we have good reason to know that he was one of the parties Avho went to North Held, and in all proba- bility he was the leader of the band. Be that as it may, a plan was concocted to pay a visit to Minnesota, and plunder as many of the banks in that state as possible before the beginning of win- ter, and then letire to winter quarters on the Texas and Mexican frontiers. The general plans were finally agreed upon, and about the middle of Aug- ust, 1876, the bandit camp in the vicinity of the Samuels house was broken up, and the brigands, separating in couples, commenced their long ride through the country to the flourishing villages of Minnesota. The party which left Clay county was composed of Frank and Jesse James ; Coleman, Robert and IN MINNESOTA. 261 James Younger ; Clell Miller, Bill Chadwell and Charlie Pitts. It is related, on what appears excel- lent authority, that Cole Younger and Bill Chadwell preceded the other members of the gang, to fix upon a suitable rendezvous. Near Mankato, Bill Chad- well had “a friend,” a man who had often before rendered him substantial service. Preconcerted “signs” of the route to be taken by the main body of the bandits had been left by the advance guard, Cole Younger and Bill Chadwell. The final rendez- vous selected by these leaders was at Mankato, and the whole band then proceeded to Chadwell’ s friend’s restins; place where their final councils were held. A gentleman of the highest respectability, well known in Central Missouri, who is in a position to be informed, assures us that Cole Younger did not favor an attack on the bank at Northfield ; indeed, that he was opposed to raiding any bank in Minne- sota, but he was overruled in his judgment by the other members of the gang. It is said that Cole favored a movement into Canada, where the pros- pects for a large haul. were believed to be very much better. But whatever might have been his wishes, the other members of the band did not accede to them, and, after due consideration, it was deter- mined to strike a Minnesota bank. Cole Younger was too far committed to recede, and so he submit- ted to the will of the majority, and was one of the law’s victims after Northfield. 262 FKANK AND .TESSE JAMES. Bill Chadwell was for many years a border rough and horse-thief in Minnesota. He bad committed depredations in many parts of that state, and was perfectly familiar with the geography and topogra- phy of the country. With the vast number of the dis- honest and rough class in that state, he Avas on terms of intimate personal acquaintance. To him, as a guide, the other members of the brigand company looked with confidence to lead them successfully to a handsome deposit of spoils, and away from pur- suers and pursuit. Chadwell’ s friends were relied upon to afford them succor in the hour of need, and Chadwell’ s skill inspired them with hopes of great gains, at a small sacrifice of time and little risk of danger. All these things had been discussed, and the plans of the gang were well matured before the departure from Clay county. It Avas a long expedition, and the principal members of the company were unfa- miliar with the country into Avhich they journeyed. They based their hopes of success on the conditions which at that time existed in Minnesota. It Avas at that season of the year when the grain growers were disposing of their crops ; when it was supposed that grain buyers and shippers would have their heaviest deposits in bank, and when the farmers were “in funds,” Avhich the robbers doubted not Avould be placed in the country banks for safe-keeping. Moreover, they reasoned that inasmuch as the peo- ple of Minnesota Avere unacquainted Avith their bold IN MINNESOTA. 263 methods, that as usual, when they made an onset, the customary panic would ensue, and the risk taken would be small. Thus the preliminaries of the celebrated raid into Northfield were settled. Never before had this gang of desperadoes failed in accomplishing their object, and when the last council was held, and it was set- tled that Northfield should be the objective point of their great raid into Minnesota, “the signs” were propitious, and the superstitious element in the character of the outlaws rested satisfied. The remainder of the band divided into couples. Jesse and Frank James, as usual, traveled the road in company. Bob Younger and Charlie Pitts went together, and James Younger and Clell Miller bore each other company by the way. These separate detachments traveled different roads, and kept ' a good lookout for favorable places for concealment in case of necessity, and they also noted the character- istics of the surface of the country over which they passed. Previous to leaving Missouri, Jesse James wrote, or caused to be written, two letters for publica- tion in the Kansas City Times , denying the charge of complicity in the Otterville robbery, and de- nouncing the statement of Hobbs Kerry as “ a vil- lianous pack of lies.” These letters were printed, and led to the belief that the Jameses were still in Missouri. The latest one of these letters was dated 264 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “Safe Retreat, August 18th, 1876,” and appeared in the Kansas City Times August 23d, 1876. Divided as they were, their passage through the country excited no comment. They traveled as re- spectable persons might have traveled. In the evenings they would put up at a respectable village inn, or country farm-house, and in the mornings they paid for their accommodations as any other rep- utable citizens might have done. They did not hurry, because they did not want to break down their horses. The distance was great, and they were many days on the road. It was about the 1st of September, 1876, when the whole band had arrived hi the neighborhood of Mankato. Their advance agents, having found a suitable place for a rendez- vous at the house of Chadwell’s friend, met their comrades, and, without exciting suspicion among the people, they directed the various detachments to the designated place of meeting. The robbers were now in Minnesota, but as yet they had not determined which of more than half a dozen banks they would rob. First, the claims of some one of the three banks doing business in Man- kato to the distinction were considered. But the proposition to rob any one of them met with little consideration in the council of the brigands. They reasoned that three banks in such a place would naturally cause the business and investment funds of the community to be divided into three parts, no one of which could be very large, and as they “ played IN MINNESOTA. 265 for high stakes” at a great risk, they concluded to let Mankato banks alone. Then they considered the claims of the bank at St. Peter to be plundered. But there was not enough business done in the place, and it was not surrounded by a community deemed wealthy, and the brigands concluded to pass St. Peter, believing that they would not get a large haul in case they should raid the place. Several other banks were considered, and the probabilities as to the amount of treasure likely to be obtained were all considered. Finally, indications pointed to the bank of Northfield as probably richer in the treasures contained in its vaults than any other in that region of Minnesota. Northfield, the place selected by the desperadoes as the scene of their attempt at plundering, is a flourishing town on the line of the Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad, situated in the northeast corner of Rice county, Minnesota. The town is compactly built, and contains a population of about 2,000 souls. The country around Northfield is very pro- ductive, and there is considerable activity in com- mercial pursuits in the village. The bank building is situated in the very center of the business portion of the town. At the time the raid was made a laro-e sum of money had accumulated in the vault of the institution . But Northfield happened to be peopled by a hardy and courageous race of pioneers who were not made of the material to submit with a good 266 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. grace to be plundered by strange outlaws from an- other state. But the leader of the brigands had selected Northfield and it only remained to fix upon a time when the attempt should be made. That time was set for the afternoon of September 7th, 1876. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE ATTACK AT NORTHFIELD. — Haywood's death — The raid on the bank — The cashier shot — Bill Chadwell killed in the street — The citizens come to the rescue — Fusilades in the town — The bandits forced to go out in quick time — A hot pursuit — Capture of the Youngers. Sometime before noon on the 7th of September four well mounted and well armed men approached Northfield from the north. They did not at once enter the town, but remained on that side of the bridge in the suburbs for the advance of the other division of the band, which came via Dundas, a small station on the line of the railway about four miles south of Northfield. The brigands from Dundas were Cole and James Younger, Bill Chadwell and Clell Miller. 'On the north side were Frank and Jesse James, Charlie Pitts and Robert Younger. About 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Cole Younger and his party appeared, then the brigands rode into town and directly to the bank, the exact position of which had been before ascertained. Jesse and Frank James and Cole Younger dismounted and entered the bank. The brigands had entered the town at a full charge, shouting at the top of their voices and firing off their pistols as they rode. The inhabitants were taken by surprise, but were not at all panic- stricken. The movement on the bank was noted, and its object at once comprehended. 267 268 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. The three leading brigands who had entered the bank proceeded to business at once. They sprang over the counter and confronted the surprised cash- ier, Mr. J. L. Haywood, with a huge knife, which they placed at his' throat and ordered him to open the safe, threatening him with instant death in case he refused. The knife had already marked his throat but the brave cashier refused to comply with their demands. Again with fearful threats the command was repeated. But Haywood still persisted in his refusal, when one of them, now generally believed to have been Jesse James, placed the muzzle of his pistol to Haywood’s right temple and tired. The cashier fell, and expired ere he had touched the floor. Besides the cashier, there were Mr. A. E. Bunker, assistant cashier, and Mr. Frank Wilcox, clerk. These were ordered to hold up their hands when the robbers first entered. Of course, under the circumstances, they could not do otherwise than to obey. After Haywood fell they turned to Mr. Bunker and ordered him to open the vault. That gentleman declared that he did not know the com- bination. Then they thrust a pistol into his face and made other threatening demonstrations. Mr. Bunker, acting under an impulse to save his own life, fled out through the back door. As he ran, the robbers fired at him, the ball taking effect in his shoulder. They seem not to have paid any further attention to Mr. Wilcox, but occupied the remainder of the brief time allowed them in efforts to find the r THE ATTACK AT NOETHFIELD. 269 cashier’s money drawer. The nickel drawer was found, and they scattered the contents of that over the floor. Meanwhile, an exciting scene was transpiring in the street in front of the bank building. A Mr. Wheeler, a young gentleman who occupied a sec- ond-story room in a building opposite, happened to possess a gun. Seizing this weapon he took delib- erate aim and fired. The ball took effect, and Char- lie Pitts, a notorious Texas desperado, fell from his horse, shot through the heart. The shots fired by the brigands who had remained on the street did not have the desired effect in intimidating the citizens of Northfield. In a few moments many citizens who had seized guns and pistols, and whatever other weapons came in their way, were rushing toward the bank. Mr. Wheeler having been so successful in his first shot, fired a second time, and Bill Chadwell fell, mortally wounded, from his horse. By this time others were firing from windows, and one of the horses was struck and fell dead. Another horse which had been ridden by Charlie Pitts ran through the street. Another one of the band was struck by a bullet, but managed to keep his place. The situation was desperate. The leaders in the bank had not succeeded in getting anything, when the events happening in the street admonished them that their only salvation was in immediate flight. They rushed out of the bank, mounted their horses and the six living bandits galloped away. Indeed, 17 270 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. there was need that they should. Already a band of fifty citizens, well mounted and well armed, were nearly ready to take the road in pursuit. At the head of this party rode Wheeler, who had already proved himself to be cool and daring. The flight of the discomfitted robbers was rapid. These free riders would never mount an inferior horse. But chances for escape were very few. The robbery, or rather bold attempt at robbery, and es- pecially the death of Mr. Haywood, a gentleman held in the very highest esteem by the community at Nort.hfield, had created a state of feeling in the pub- lic mind which would not allow the people to rest satisfied until the murderers were either captured or killed. In less than twenty-four hours the whole re- gion about was notified of the occurrence at North- field, and not less than four hundred well armed and well mounted men were in hot pursuit of the six sur- viving brigands. The excitement occasioned by the events at North- field was at fever heat. Efforts to capture the out- laws were further stimulated by the proclamation of Governor Pillsbury offering a reward of $1,000 for the apprehension of each of the robbers, or $6,000 for the capture of the survivors of the band. The bandits fled in a southwestern direction, to- ward the little hamlet of Shieldsville , situated about 20 miles on an air line, southwest from the scene of the tragedy at Northfield. The route taken by the rob- bers made the distance more than twenty-five miles ; THE ATTACK AT NORTHFIELD. 271 yet they were at Shieldsville before dark. They passed straight through the place and made no con- cealment of their identity. Shieldsville is a small post village, containing a population of no more than 175 souls. As they passed through the village, they shouted to the citizens who were on the streets to get into their houses, and they made such dem- onstrations by firing off their pistols that the peo- ple were greatly alarmed . The pursuers meanwhile were gathering about them. Sheriff Davis and posse were behind them ; Sheriff Estes and posse were before them, and there were officers and armed citi- zens to the right and to the left of them. Their sit- uation became extremely critical after leaving Shieldsville. But the indomitable courage of the bandits seemed for a time to promise them a final escape. From Shieldsville the bandits traveled in a -west- erly direction toward Kilkenny, a post town and rail- way station in Le Sueur county. They were now avoiding the towns and traveled highways, and keeping in the forest, and traveling through the farms. All the crossing places on the streams were guarded by armed citizens. The guards at the ford on French creek became alarmed at the approach of the bandits and fled, so that they met no resistance at the crossing place. They remained one night for rest in a large forest near Kilkenny. The next morning they crossed the ford at Little Canyon. They pressed on toward the west. The route was 272 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. beset with difficulties and dangers for them. They wei’e anxious to reach the borderland, the frontier region, where men are few and wild. There was no rest for them. It was at length © necessary for them to abandon their horses. They had camped in the depths of a great forest. The officials had taken to the by-paths and scoured the woods in search of them. Leaving their horses and Place of the Last Conference before Northfield. some of their heavier clothing, they trudged on foot, skulking among the thickets. Their progress was slow. One day they camped on a sort of a penin- sula, about half a mile from a church. They were now thoroughly exhausted. Their diet had been green corn, potatoes and watermelons for several days, and they had been constantly on the move. THE ATTACK AT NORTHFIELD. 273 Here a stray calf came along and they shot it in the head, but the calf did not fall, on the contrary it ran away. A small pig passed by their camp, and one of them shot him in the head. But the pig refused to succumb, and ran away. After leaving their isolated camp in the evening, foot-sore and worn out by reason of the anxiety and fatigue, they pushed forward in a more southerly di- rection, leaving Cleveland and the forest -where they had abandoned their horses to the right. At midnight they had reached Marysburg, a small post village in the southern part of Le Sueur county. Finding a convenient hiding place they kindled a fire, and had a meal of roasted potatoes and corn. The village clock struck six. They heard the bell and judged themselves to be about a mile from the town. They left the Marysburg camp somewhat refreshed, and with bouyant hope of an ultimate escape from im- pending peril. Thus far they had eluded their pur- suers. Their route from Marysburg lay southwest- ward through Blue Earth county, to Mankato. They made good headway during the day, and late in the evening they found a nice hiding place in a thicket in a cornfield, and lay very quiet without making a fire. Twice during the night they were alarmed by persons passing near them. Their hiding place happened to be near a neighborhood path which ran through the fields. Six days after the affair at Northfield , when the worn robbers were struggling along' through a great 274 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. forest near Shaubut’s, a few miles in a northeasterly direction from Mankato, they came suddenly upon a man named Dunning, who was one of a posse of citizens in pursuit of them. They at once captured this man, and a question arose as to the. course to be taken with him. At once it was suggested by some one of the band to bind him fast to a tree and so leave him. Dunning pleaded hard for his life, and to be spared the terrible ordeal of such an uncer- tainty as that of being left bound in that great forest. It might be days before he would be discovered, and it might be that no human being would pass that way until he would be starved. Finally, from motives of humanity, as they claim, they administered to Dun- ning the most terrible oaths that he would not say one Avord about having seen' them until they had ample time alloAved to get out of the country alto- gether. Dunning gladly consented to take upon himself these solemn obligations, and they let him go. The released citizen sought the haunts of men and made haste to communicate to others all the particulars of his adventure with the robbers in the woods ; and then the pursuit Avas renewed with new ardor and zeal. At midnight, six days after North- field, the Aveary bandits trudged through Mankato in a very different plight from that in which they had made their entry into the place but a little more than a Aveek before. As they approached the town with which they had made themselves familiar as they went to Northfield, they were alarmed by the THE ATTACK AT NORTHFIELD. 275 shrill whistle of the oil mill. They concluded that their approach had been noted, and the steam whistle was the signal agreed upon to call the citizens together in case the approach of the robbers was noted. They therefore turned aside from the main streets, and sought the lanes and alleys back of the oil-mill. Here they hid a while, but as there did not seem to be any move- ment among the citizens, they stealthily passed on, across the bridge. The guards had retired, or were not disposed to attack the six desperadoes. At any rate, they were not interrupted. After crossing, they raided a field of watermelons, selected four large ones, and under the deep shade of the trees, at the hour of one o’clo'ck, they had a feast on the melons. They visited a house near by and got one spring chicken, and would have secured more had time been allowed. But they heard a great shout- ing of people, and saw one man looking for tracks. They fled at once up a bank, and pushed forward through the woods bordering the Blue Earth river. During the day they crossed that stream. It was on the day after they passed Mankato that Frank and Jesse James, who appeared to have suf- fered less from the fatigue and exposure than the others, bid a last adieu to their comrades in the ill- starred Northfield enterprise. Only Gole Younger and his brothers, Jim and Bob, and Clell Miller, were left. The pursuers struck the trail of the Jameses, and these desperadoes now had a terrible 276 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. time iii eluding those who sought them. They were repeatedly fired upon, and were both wounded severely several times. The four men left in the Blue Earth river forest struggled on toward the west. They had passed through the county of Blue Earth, and entered Watonwan county, full seventy-five miles on a straight line from Northfield, and a hundred and twenty-five miles by the route they had traveled. They had reached the swamps bordering the Watonwan river. They had been now exposed to untold hardships from the afternoon of the 7th of September to the 21st of the same month, a period of fourteen days. They had subsisted on green corn, potatoes and melons for the most part during that whole time. They had had but little sleep, and had been con- stantly harassed by their pursuers. For nine days and nights they had been compelled to walk through forests and thickets, and their clothes had been lit- erally picked from their bodies by the thorns and brambles through which they had struggled. Their feet were in a most terrible condition. But their pursuers still followed them with a grim resolve that nothing could equal. On the afternoon of the 21st, Sheriff McDonald, of Sioux City, having tracked the brigands to a swamp a few miles from Madelia, the county seat of Watonwan county, Minnesota, the final struggle commenced. The sheriff’s forces had surrounded the swamp where the brigands. lay concealed. The THE ATTACK AT NORTHFIELD. 277 armed citizens then began to close in upon the sur- rounded men, keeping up a continuous fire as they advanced. The bandits were not the men to yield, even to a superior force, without making a desperate resistance. One of the sheriffs men was severely and another was slightly wounded as they closed in upon the wearied but still determined men. The continuous volleys poured into the thicket where the bandits had concealed themselves were not without effect. First, Clell Miller fell, moaned once, and then his lips became mute forever. A heavy rifle ball then crashed through Jim Younger’s jaw, shattering the lower jawbone in a most frightful manner. Cole Younger received seven wounds, and Bob was shot in the right elbow. They fought desperately, but what could four men do ? Sheriff McDonald com- manded a hundred and fifty courageous men, whose lives had been spent on the frontiers. Resistance could no longer be offered, when one of their num- ber had fallen, and the other three were wounded, two of them nigh unto death. It was the last strug- gle of four as daring and dangerous men as ever rode over the Western prairies. When resistance had ceased, the sheriff’s men gathered around them. They were prisoners ; their last hour of freedom had expired. They were placed in spring-wagons and carried into Madelia. The people of the whole sur- rounding regions came flocking into the town to see the renowned outlaws, for they had confessed that THE ATTACK AT NORTHFIELD. m they were the Younger Brothers, whose fame as daring free-booters had already been extended over the entire country. In a few days the wounded robbers — Cole, Jim and Bob Younger — were carried to Faribault, the county seat of Rice county. They were closely guarded, as well to prevent excited citizens taking the law into their own hands as to insure the safe custody of the bandits. The body of Clell Miller was conveyed to St. Paul to be embalmed. While confined at Faribault, the Youngers received every attention, and rapidly recovered from the effects of their long exposure and the terrible wounds which they had received. During this time. a strong guard was maintained about their prison. Early in October, the Rice County Circuit Court met at Faribault, and Thomas Coleman, James and Robert Ewing Younger were arraigned at the bar to plead to an indictment for murder in the first degree, and for conspiring to commit murder and robbery. Advised by counsel that under the laws of the state the death penalty could not be inflicted in cases where the parties charged entered the plea of guilty, the three brothers plead guilty, and were sentenced to the penitentiary at Stillwater for the terms of their natural lives. A few days afterward they were removed to their life-time place of abode, and the stormy career of the Youngers closed. Since their incarceration, it is understood that Jim Younger has 280 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. died. Cole and Bob, in their dreary isolation, still survive, without hope of breathing the air of freedom again. CHAPTER XXXIX. ESCAPE OF FRANK AND JESSE JAMES.— The ?> terrible retreat — Worn out, and yet no chance for rest— A remarkable escape — They disappear from the very midst of those who were hunting them — How they went away. The most formidable band of robbers in this country had suffered terribly in consequence of the raid on Northfield. Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell and Clell Miller — the last-named a formidable law- breaker, who was raised in Clay county — had lost their lives. Cole, Jim and Bob Younger had been captured. Jesse and Frank James were still free, but numerous officers of the law were on their trail. When the Jameses left the Youngers in the Blue Earth river bottom, they were on foot. The Young- ers and Miller had entrusted to them their watches and jewelry and most of their money, believing that there was a possibility for the Jameses to escape. The departure of Frank and Jesse created a diver- sion in favor of the Youngers and Miller. The bands of armed citizens followed the Jameses. For two days and nights the brothers traveled west- ward, their footsteps constantly dogged by wary citizens. The hardships through which they were passing were almost incredible. The men were sometimes almost completely surrounded by the citizens. 281 282 FKANK AND JESSE JAMES. Three days after they had separated from their comrades, they came to a wilderness region, where the timber was heavy and the underbrush thick. Here they proposed to rest for a season. But they by a band of pursuers. Frank James received a wound in the hqj. The brush was so thick that the pursuers, who were on horseback, could make no headway, and three of them dismounted to continue the chase on foot. The direction taken by the hunted men led to a swamp, but the season being- dry, there was but little mud in the basin. The bushes were close together, and aquatic plants were high. The throe men seemed resolved to close up with them. Several times the hunted bandits could have killed the citizens, but for the fact that their ammunition was giving out, and they desired to take care of what remained for the last emergency. It was getting late ; the sun was low in the west, and the shadows were deepening in the forest. The three pursuers were determinedly following them. Once or twice the hunted men w T ere tempted to turn and try the issues with their foes. But they kept on. Just when daylight faded away, they emerged from the swamp, and found themselves in a traveled highway. They had lost their determined foes in the darkness of the sombre swamp behind them. They started down the road, which lay along the bank of a stream of considera- ble size. Wearied into a state of exhaustion, they were tracked to their hiding place, and fired upon ESCAPE OF FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. 283 hoped to find a snug place where they could rest and take some food. But their trials were not yet at an end. In the lonely depths of the forest, with the dark, still river on one side, and the timbered wilder- ness on the other, they heard the ominous sounds of horses’ hoofs. They listehed. There were horse- men behind and before them. In another moment, sounds came from the woods, which indicated that they were being surrounded. The wearied free-booters quickly stepped into the deep shadow of a great tree which stood upon the bank of the stream, to await further developments. That the horsemen were gradually closing around them they were speedily convinced. Their situation was critical. What could be done ? The stream be- low them was evidently deep and dangerous to ford. Their plans were quickly formed and consummated. They quietly dropped down the bank to the margin of the stream which at that place flowed close by an abrupt bank. “ They were there by that tree but a moment ago,” they heard one man remark, as a party came up to the spot where the outlaws had stood but a moment before. It was evident that their numbers must exceed twenty. Stealthily the hunted brothers moved' down the stream along the margin of the water, and close up under the overhanging bank. They heard their pursuers dis- cuss the situation. “ They are still near at hand, no doubt,” the brothers heard one remark. Then the movements indicated that they were preparing for a 284 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. more careful examination of the situation where they were. Soon several men came riding down the road just over their heads. They had reached a place where the river runs under a shelving hank and the brothers could go no further without taking to the water. Four men came down the bank above, and came toward them. The brothers were constrained to take to the stream. The water was about two feet deep. They clung close to the bank, and silently reached a place they deemed safe, in a cave-like excavation made by the water under the roots of a great tree. The hunters came to the place where the bank and the waters met, and, ap- parently satisfied, they turned and went back. The brothers heard the clash of horses’ feet on a bridge below, and then they knew that the crossing below was guarded. After a time all became still around them. They concluded to swim or wade the river, from the point where they were, and, once on the opposite side, to strike through the country. Silently as possible, without any splashing, they came from their place of concealment and waded out into the stream until they were compelled to swim. The night was quite dark and they passed over without being discovered. Climbing the oppo- site bank they found themselves in an open wood. With all the haste which they could make, they pro- ceeded westward. A mile away they came to a cornfield, and in the field there was a thicket. Here they found a hiding-place, and, as wet as they were, ESCAPE OF FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. 285 they partook of a repast of green corn, and lying down on the grass, they slept soundly until the sun was up. Waiting some time in a sunny place until their clothing had partly dried, the brothers started on their weary way. All day they traveled without being molested. In the evening, while traveling along a country road, they met a man leading two horses, one of which was saddled. They spoke to him, and from his manner and the answers he made them, they were convinced that he had not heard anything about the affair at Northfield. They asked him if he would like to sell the horses he was lead- ing. He answered that it was his business to deal in horse-flesh. What would he take for the pair? The man named the price, and, after some banter- ing, a trade was effected, and even the saddle on which he rode was transferred, the horse-trader de- claring that he did not own anything which he would not sell. Jesse aud Frank James were once more mounted. They stopped at a cabin in a lonely locality and asked for supper. A womaif and two children were apparently the only inmates. They learned from her that her husband had been summoned to help catch a gang of horse-thieves, and had not been home for three days. Frank carefully concealed his wound, and the woman quickly prepared a good supper for them, and, after settling with her, they mounted and rode away. 18 286 FRANK AND JESSE JAIMES. The brothers rode all night, and as their horses were fresh and good travelers, they traversed many miles. They had already begun to congratulate themselves on their escape, when one day when they were in the neighborhood of a town on the western border of Iowa, they were fiercely attacked by seven men, all well armed, but, fortunately for the outlaw brothers, not very well mounted. A running fight ensued, and Frank received a desperate wound. But the good fortune which had so often attended them came to their aid, and in the darkness of the night they rode far away, and in the morning reached a house where the services of a physician were se- cured, who dressed Frank’s wounds. The physician was afterward arrested, but no evidence of his hav- ing knowledge of the character of his patient was produced, and he was discharged. The brothers had reached the borders of Nebraska: Jesse had a “friend” somewhere on the confines of that state, and they proceeded to his place by easy stages. Here they rested for some days while Frank’s wounds were attended to by a physician. But the news of Northfield had reached there, and suspicions of their friend and his strange guests weie aroused. It was deemed best to take an early departure. An ambulance was procured. One of the horses was disposed of, and the boys by easy stages drove into Kansas. Their horse and ambu- lance was disposed of there. At a station not a thousand miles west of Kansas City they took the Frank James’ Escape from Seven Pursuers. 287 288 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. cars, and were transported to Texas. At Waco, Frank was placed under the care of a physician, and nursed until restored to health again. Thus was terminated one of the most remarkable escapes from capture ever recorded. None other than men of very superior genius could have suc- ceeded. As it is, the exploit is one of marvelous adroitness, one which cannot fail to excite our admiration. ! V\ CHAPTER XL. A VISIT TO CARMEN. — Frank and Jesse go into Mexico — They rest at Carmen, in Chihuahua — The silver conducta — They join the Mexican party — Cap- ture of the treasure bags of the Mexicans. After Northfield, Missouri was deemed an un- suitable field for operations by the James Boys. Nor did it afford a safe place of retirement for per- sons who had engaged in such a desperate warfare against the established order of society. But they were accustomed to make long expeditions, and they were at home anywhere. The shelter of a rock sufficed for them in the wintry nights, and the branches of a tree, with their spreading leaves, fur- nished roof enough for them when the summer nights came. Far away, in that region of the great state of Texas known for many 3 r ears as the Terri- tory of Bexar, where a beautiful stream flows down from the rugged mountains toward the west, to unite with the Rio Pecos, Jesse and Frank had established a retreat which they called Rest Ranche. It is many miles east of Fort Quitman, and a long way from San Estevan. To the west there are rugged hills and low mountains, covered with chaparral almost impenetrable to man or beast. Far away in a southern direction is the little frontier post called Fort Lancaster. There are no frequented trails near the place which they had selected. The Rio Grande road, from fort Quitman to Fort Lancaster, runs 289 290 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. southwest of the rugged region alluded to above, and the usual line of travel from Fort McKavitt to the military posts and settlements on the Upper Rio Grande, in New Mexico, was a long distance from their chosen retreat. Toward the northeast are the Salt Plains, and, further away still, the Staked Plains, the dread of all travelers in those regions. In this retreat they were free from the intrusion of prying neighbors, and the inquisitiveness of passing travelers. It was and is a lovely place. There are few traces of the presence of man in that wilderness land. The Pecos flows miles away from their place through a valley full of natural beauties. But the region is lonely — so lonely ! There are only trails occasionally followed by a band of predatory Lipans, or traversed by marauding parties of Comanches and Kickapoos, on raids to the Mexican border through that vast region. It was in such a country the dar- ing bandits found repose ; and, when occasion suited, to ride untrammeled by fears. When the wild turmoil of this wearisome life, With its scenes of oppression, corruption and strife; The proud man’s scorn and the base man’s fear, And the scoffer’s laugh and the sufferer’s tear; And malice and meanness, and falsehood and folly, Disposed them to musing and dark melancholy; When their bosoms were full, and their throughts were high, And their souls were sick with the outlaw’s sigh — Oh, then there was freedom, and joy, and pride, Afar in the broad plains alone to ride!” Such seasons of reflection concerning that which is, and that which might have been, come to all A VISIT TO CARMEN. 291 mankind, and it came to the outlawed brothers, be- cause they are. members of the great family. It was doubtless at some such time, when their spirits were subdued by their lonely communion with the grander mysteries of nature, that- the James Boys plead for pardon of past offences, and promised future amend- ment and conformity to the laws established for the government of society. They have often manifested a desire to be at peace with the world. But such resting did not wait upon them. Issuing from their retreat, they dared the danger of the border, plunged through the chaparral, ascended rugged mountain steeps, plunged down their western slopes to the sand plains which border the Bio Grande. Passing through the poor pueblo of San Estevan, noted as the haunt of cattle raiders and bandits ; alarming the people at early morn by their imperious behavior and skill as pistol-shooters exhibited by bringing down a chicken for their breakfast at a distance of sixty paces, they rode away to the Grande river, crossed over to the Mexi- can side, and passed westward until the adobe walls of Mojrnia rose before and around them. The brothers had grown weary of secluded living. They had now started on an expedition destined to create a profound sensation all along the border. They passed on through Santa Bosa, and through the desert lands, and over the mountains to the westward erf that place. These men never pause be- « fore obstacles which would appall others. Neither 292 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the rugged mountain passes where the Mexican Guerrillas have their hiding places, nor the desolation and terrors of “the Dead Man’s Journey ” arrested their course. Carmen is a village of considerable size and im- portance in the northern part of the State of Chi- huahua in Mexico. Surrounded on three sides by rugged hills rising into mountains, it is situated on a line with an important pass through the Sierra Ma- dres . Carmen is therefore a halting place for caravans of traders, and through its plaza passes treasure- conductas from the mines of Chihuahua. The bold riders from the north of the Rio Grande had an ob-, ject in going to Carmen, which was made plain in due time. Arrived at Carmen, Jesse and Frank, who had been joined by three other members of the band at Santa Rosa, among them Jack Bishop, put up at the leading posado of the place. They were a well- behaved company, and as they paid liberally for all they desired, the people regarded them as a valua- ble accession to the population. The boys had a delicate way of demonstrating their capacity to shoot, by killing a fowl, or pig, or dog, by shooting it with a revolver from a great distance, taking care always to make the exhibition as public as possi- ble. So it happened on this occasion. The Guer- rillas and other rough characters about Carmen had a very respectful manner toward such persons. The Mexican, whose pig had been shot, received four A VISIT TO CARMEN . 293 times its value and conceived thereafter a very ar- dent affection for the American gentlemen of the north. It was in the late spring-time and the road through Carmen was traveled by many traders and miners, bound north through New Mexico, to the markets of this country. The adventurers from Eest Rancho noted every- thing. There were little parties traveling together with considerable money, on their way to purchase supplies in the United States. But it was not for such small profits that they pro- posed to practice their profession. One day, six pack mules, each loaded with 150 pounds of silver, and each with a muleteer to control him, moved out of the City of Chihuahua. With these rode twelve men as a guard. They kept on until Carmen was reached, without anything unusual happening. At this place they halted for a day’s rest. The outlaws went among the guards, sought out the persons to whose charge the treasures had been committed, and ascertained the direction of their future movements. Nay, further, they simulated fears of the lurking In- dians and plundering Guerrillas along the road before them. They claimed to be anxious to get into the United States, but had heard so many stories of the dangers of the road that it had deterred them from undertaking the journey. They professed to be American gentlemen who had been looking over the mines of Chihuahua. Their manners were affable, 294 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. and their story plausible. When they made over- tures to the chief of the conducta, to be allowed to journey with the treasure party for mutual protection across the dangerous border, their desires were ac- ceded to, and when the cavalcade moved slowly aw T ay from Carmen the next day, the unsuspecting merchants and treasure-bearers were accompanied by five men of the most desperate character. For the first three days of the march the Americans were watched with some degree of vigilance, and the Mexicans maintained a strict guard over the treasure- pouches. But the deportment of the outlaws was such that they soon succeeded in allaying any suspicion which might have attached to them. Carmen was a long way from the boi’der, and the bandits did not care to strike the blow which they had resolved upon when too far away from their retreat, and that, too, on un- familiar ground. ' So they journeyed on with their intended victims on the most amicable terms. A suitable opportunity to seize the treasure was now all that they wanted, for the Mexicans had grown somewhat careless in consequence of their confidence in the numbers of their party. One day they halted by a crystal stream which flowed down from a gorge in the mountains, and where a spring of pure, cold water gushed from the rocky bank. It was noon time, and the weary trav- elers took the burdens from their beasts, and allowed them to graze in the fresh, tall grass in the valley. A VISIT TO CARMEN. 295 It was a lovely day, and the scenery about them was very charming. The muleteers and guards, all save two, who stood sentinel oyer the treasure-pouches, had thrown themselves on the verdant bank, and were lazily conversing about the beauty of the situa- tion ; the length of time yet required in which to complete the journey before them, and like topics of small interest to our readers. There were in the company a Senor Molines, and another Mexican gentleman, both merchants of Chihuahua. The American desperadoes stood upon the bank under the shade of a tree, a little apart from the group of guards, who were in fact largely owners of the treas- ure they watched. The muleteers formed a little group not far away. The guns which the Mexicans carried had been stacked, or rather leaned against a tree. Mr. Molines and his friend sat smoking on a moss-grown rock by the bank of the stream. It was a picturesque scene, and the surroundings heightened the effect of the picture. The two guards on duty carried their guns care- lessly on their shoulders. Suddenly, Jesse James called out, “Let’s go, boys !” There Avas a sharp report of pistols. The two armed guards sank quivering to the earth. The out- laws rushed to the tree Avhere the guards had left their arms, and placed themselves with presented revolvers between the guardians of the treasure and their weapons. The two Mexican merchants were 296 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. ordered to throw up their hands, and with the forci- ble argument of leveled dragoon pistols, presented as an alternative, they yielded, and one of the gang went and disarmed them. The muleteers were par- alyzed with fear, and remained sprawled upon the grass carpet. The place has been well named La Temido (the place of fear.) It had been but a minute since the first act in the drama was presented, and in that time the whole tragic play had been completed. What a revolution in the circumstances of the actors had taken place ! Two were dead and sixteen survivors were prison- ers, and at the mercy of five of the most desperate men who ever played the part of free-bootersonthis continent. They took the horses of the merchants and guards, broke their guns, forced the muleteers to place the treasure pouches upon the best and fleetest of the horses ; shot the mules and other horses not required, and threatened the fright- ened men who were in their power with death, and finally left them along way from any hu- man habitation, without horses and without food, and proceeded to the Rio Grande at an unfrequented part of its course, many miles above Fort Quitman, where they had provided a boat before they ven- tured on their expedition, ferried the captured treas- ure and swam their horses across, and in less than twenty-four hours after their surprise and capture A VISIT TO CARMEN. 297 of the treasures of the caravan, they had disap- peared in the rugged region which lies between the Rio Grande and the Pecos, in the Territory of Bexar, Texas. They had so completely hidden their trail that all attempts to follow them were futile. In a few days after this successful foray into Mex- ico, Jesse and Frank were at their ranche enjoying much-needed repose. How the members of the wealthy party, with which they traveled from Car- men, managed to get once more into the haunts of civilized men, we have received no information. The great heap of silver which they had taken was brought by the outlaws into their retreat in the mountains, and there divided among the five daring- brigands. CHAPTER XLI. THE ROBBERS AND THEIR FRIENDS.— The various classes of people who exhibit friendship for the Jameses — Some are bad men, who gather about them because they are brave — Social peculiarities. “Wherefore, in the hour of need, Shall a people house them? Wherefore did our brothers bleed, When great wrongs did rouse them? Is this the sod, So blest by God, That slaves swear by its clay, men? Or are we still, The men of will? We ask you that to-day, men!” Why have the James Boys so many friends? Is it because there are so many people disposed to law- lessness ? Are the friends of the Jameses, like them- selves, all outlaws? If they are not, why do they yet sympathize with them? How can any honest man succor and shelter them? Can it be possible that any one can be so impervious to testimony as to believe these men to be anything but outlaws? These are questions asked by those who believe that the Boys ought to have been caught long ago, and lay a large part of the blame for their escape from arrest so long on the people of the states where their most notable deeds have been committed. Some persons point to the results obtained in Min- nesota, after Northfield, as an evidence that a large 298 THE ROBBERS AND THEIR FRIENDS. 299 part of the population in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Kentucky, where their most successful raids have been made, must necessarily be in sympathy with them, if, indeed, they are not in direct collusion with the great outlaws. Such a charge is evidently made by persons who have not examined into the cir- cumstances of the case, and the conditions which have favored them in escaping apprehension by the offi- cers of the law. It will be remembered that the James Boys have committed successful robberies in both Iow’a and Kansas, and it will not be claimed by the most prejudiced mind that the people of Iowa and Kansas, resident in the neighborhood where these exploits were committed, were more in sym- pathy with the marauders than were the people of Northfield and vicinity. And yet the Jameses es- caped capture. Without in any way assuming a defense of the people of the states named above, on account of their failure to capture the outlaws — for they need no service of the kind from us — we may be permit- ted in this place to state a few facts which may ena- ble cavilers to form a more rational judgment in this matter. That the Jameses have friends scattered through many states we readily admit. That all those who have a friendly feeling toward them are not in the lower classes of roughs, is undeniable ; that some who move in respectable circles of society, and who are above reproach, so far as their individual actions 300 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. are concerned, are yet disposed to apologize for them, is unfortunately true. But such “friends ” as these have nothing to do with obstructing the execu- tion of the law. The Jameses have numerous friends in Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. And under like condi- tions they would have equally as large a list of friends in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Da- kota and Wyoming. Their active, helpful friends are to be found among that class which the law is ever pursuing but never subduing. They are called “ thugs ” in New York and all the other large cities ; and on the border everywhere, the same elements in human nature which create “the thugs, pariahs and roughs,” of the urbane populations, produce the desperadoes and road agents of the wilderness regions. Now the fact is, the Jameses have ranged over the entire country, from the Ohio river to the shores of the Gulf ; from the borders of Iowa to the Sierra Madres, and from the Blue Ridge to the Rocky Mountains. Their reputation as daring men and skillful leaders has made them known to all that class of people who are without the pale of society, as that term is applied — and there are members of that class in every community — who at once seek an alliance with such distinguished leaders of their class — the outlaws. The result is that these peo- ple embrace every opportunity to serve such men as Frank and Jesse James. Why has not Pinkerton, THE ROBBERS AND THEIR FRIENDS. 801 with all his ability and resources as a catcher of law- breakers, caught these men? The answer is simple enough. They know the country thoroughly ; they have, not one, but many places to which they can retreat, and when hard pressed or sorely wounded, they go to their retreats, where they are nursed and cared for until they choose to go away. Again, there may be, and doubtless are, a few persons who have known the Boys from early child- hood — knew their father before them — and afterward remembered the deeds performed by them in a cause which they regarded as right, who are loth to be- lieve thatthe Boys are brigands and robbers. And then it is certain that some of their “ friends ” are persons who are free to admit that the Boys have degenerate 1 into lawless marauders, but excuse them on the gr^ und that they were driven to it by the ter- ribly bad treatment which they received at the hands of those who were enemies of the Southern cause in the struggle of long ago. It is barely pos- sible that a limited number of people, whose whole mirnt and strength were devoted to the success of the O South during the great conflict, yet look back with deep regret to the melancholy failure of their efforts, and have apotheosized every man who engaged on that side and fought for the cause which had be- come sacred in their eyes — a very few persons who belong to that class, representatives of which are to be found everywhere, who can neither forgive nor 302 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES, forget— who only remember that Frank and Jesse James were fighters in that struggle, and hence all subsequent bad conduct cannot exclude them from a place in their affections. This is in accordance with the laws of human nature. All men are not cosmopolitan in their views , and hence , when.disasters fell upon a cause which was believed to be right and sacred, the little world in which these persons lived and moved and had their being, suffered a moral convulsion from which it has not yet recovered, and, in their minds, can never recover. With the social conditions and mental state which enshrouded people like those described above, and rendered them insensible to the requirements of so- cial order, we have nothing to do. Such people are found in all climes now ; and such people have lived in all ages since the human family commenced the struggle for existence. But the “friends” of the Jameses are for the most part persons who, like themselves, have rebelled against the established order of society. They are scattered all over the country, and among that class from the Bio Grande to the Ohio, the Boys have personal acquaintances and active allies. Even be- yond the lofty range of the Kocky Mountains they have confederates in spirit, if not in action. These children of an ill-starred destiny roam over a vast extent of country. And wherever they go, they are likely to find some one who, from some cause or other, open their houses to them and willingly afford THE ROBBERS AND THEIR FRIENDS. 303 them succor and shelter. Some of these men doubtless share with the renowned free-booters the spoils gained in their daring profession . The “friends;” of the Jameses — even those who are active allies and participators in their lawless deeds, are many of them respected in the communi- ties where they belong. Among their neighbors they are known as liberal-minded men of unques- tionably good character. Some of them have families who are respected and honored by their associates. Some of them, when at home, are regular in their attendance at church, and liberal in their donations for the support of the ministry. Some affect to patron- ize the educational interests, while there are others who are promoters of improvements in horticulture, agriculture , and all other movements intended to bene- fit the communities of which they are members. Who would surmise that these staid and respected mem- bers of society are leagued with outlaws ? Generally, their evil deeds are committed far away from their places of residence. They are not often mixed up in any affair near by, and when they join the band for the purpose of committing depredations, they always give out that they are about to make a jour- ney in a way directly contrary to that in which they intend to travel. But the most valuable of the members of the band of friends of the Jameses are those who never go abroad to depredate. They are of infinite sendee to the Boys. In all their relations with their neighbors 304 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. and the members of the society with which they are brought in contact, these allies of the brigands are scrupulously exact and strictly upright. The conse- quence is, no suspicion attaches to their character, and with them the outlaws are safe. Not only do these “friends” not go abroad to plunder, but when their confederates who “ do the work” commit a deed of outlawry in their vicinity, they first conceal the robbers, and then turn out as leaders of the hunters of the outlaws. They are some- times loudest in their execration of the plunderers, and strongest in their expressions of hatred toward all law- less men. Being good citizens of honorable repute, no one suspects them, and their friends, the robbers, rest until the storm has swept by, and then quietly they ride arvay. Many of these men are well-to-do : have gobd farms, live in comfortable houses, and have many fine horses and fat cattle. ' Of course these valuable allies have a liberal allowance of the brigands’ spoils set apart for their use and behoof. It must be borne in mind that these men are resi- dents of regions of comparatively recent settlement, where the antecedents of newly-arrived citizens are not strictly inquired into by those who only arrived yesterday themselves. So long> therefore , as the citizen deports himself as “a clever man,” so long will his neighbors implicitly trust him. Such is the character of the men which Jess* 1 James’ fertile brain has called into service ; the char- acter of the organization, which all the devices of THE ROBBERS AND THEIR FRIENDS. 305 the shrewdest detectives, all the bravest executors of the law have failed in ten long years of effort, to disintegrate or destroy. The very fact that such an organization does exist, and that Jesse James furnished the brains which summoned it into existence, and has maintained it for so long a time, stamps him as an extraordinary man — one who, under other circumstances, might have become a leader of men, and passed into history along with George Cadoudal, Paoli, and other like actors on the world’s wide stage. CHAPTER XLI1. EXCURSIONS INTO MEXICO.— Wild adventures beyond the border — Chasing Mexican cattle-thieves — A serious time at Monclova — Frank and Jesse es- cape. The wild, adventurous career of the boys has been wonderful. They loved the road, loved to ride at will over the land, and set at defiance the officers of the law. Nor have they confined their excursions to the American side of the Rio Grande. Notunfrequently they ride far away over the Sierra Madres into the valley of the lakes ; in Coahuila and San Luis Po- tosi, they are known of many. In some of these expeditions they pass through thrilling experi- ences and innumerable dangers. Those border rovers of Mexico who have crossed the path of the boys once and have escaped with their lives, evince no disposition to renew hostilities with the “gringo devils,” as they affectionately call the American out- laws. In this chapter we propose to relate some of “ the hair breadth escapes ’ ’ of the daring outlaws in the land of the Otomis. These tales of wild life will not fail to interest the reader. One time — it was in the spring of 1877 — Frank and Jesse James rode down to the bank of the “River of the North.” Piedras Negras is a favorite ana . EXCURSIONS INTO MEXICO. 307 crossing place, both for Mexican cattle-thieves and American outlaws. To this point came Frank and Jesse James. The river was high and the crossing difficult. It was not the season for successful raid- ing, and the enterprising Mexican raiders had turned their attention to the business of revolutionizing their own country. In this pious undertaking they had not met with that degree of success which justi- fied them in rejoicing. The lazaroni, gathered at Piedras Negras, were particularly ill-humored, and the lonely Texan who came in their way could ex- pect nothing better than to be plundered. Such was the situation of affairs when Frank and Jesse James arrived on the Texas side of the river in front of the wretched Mexican pueblo. The surly “ greaser,” who acted as the Charon at that point, was even more surly than usual. But the boys had passed that way before, and the ferryman had a vivid recollection that one Estevan Sandoval, who had molested them on one occasion, was now no more in the land of the living. He complied with the usual tedious alacrity of his countrymen to set them across the stream. There was au unusual number of ill-looking fel- lows about the place, a fact which did not escape the immediate attention of the boys. There were regu- lar brigands from the passes of the Sierra Madres ; thieves from Matamoras, cut-throats from Saltilo ; smugglers from all along the border, and rogues of all grades, The boys knew there was “ fun ahead.” 308 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. It must be said to the credit of the Jameses that they neither seek nor run away from a fight. In this case the character of the boys was sustained. They proposed to pass on without stopping. In this be- nevolent intention they were not destined to succeed. Riding through the square, or plaza, as the Mexicans call it, they passed on toward the country of woods beyond. They had not got out of the straggling village, when a mob of half-drunken, howling Mexi- cans, mounted on horses, came after them, cursing and firing off their pistols as they came. It Avould have been well for some of them if they had never beheld the face of a gringo. Doubtless the leaders expected to see the boys use their spurs liberally and make time out of town. In this they were dis- appointed. The American outlaws were not accus- tomed to flee before such “outfits.” Instead of gal- loping away, they deliberately halted, and the inevi- table pistols were drawn and “the fun began.” The Jameses do not have occasion to kill unless they de- sire to do so, as they can easily disable an enemy without taking his life. In less time than is required to state the incident, four of the foremost of the rab- ble were on the ground, with broken right arms. The remainder of the crowd turned and rode with all speed through the plaza. Actuated by some wild impulse which sometimes seems to possess them, the Jameses turned and rode back again to the square. It came near proving a fatal ride to Frank. Some of the Mexicans had taken refuse in an adobe house EXCURSIONS INTO MEXICO. 309 on one side of the plaza, and seeing the daring American outlaws sitting on their horses in the very midst of the place, in an attitude of defiance of all “the brave men” of Piedras Negras, they mustered courage to open fire upon the boys. A perfect shower of bullets was discharged, and one of them cut the brim of the hat worn by Frank James, nar- rowly missing the side of his head. Then the boys felt that they were in for “a good deal of fun,” and all scruple as to killing vanished.- They shot to kill, and death w r as the doom of any greaser who came within their deadly range. Two were killed out- right, and then the ill-natured mob that had sought to avenge the death of Estevan Sandoval, fled from the village in terror, leaving the brothers in undis- puted possession of the place. It was not their purpose to remain, and they rode on in a short time. That evening, wdien they were crossing a stream, swollen by the recent spring rains, a party of brigands in ambush on the opposite bank opened fire upon them, and Jesse received a slight wound in the left shoulder. The boys charged the thicket which had afforded the robbers shelter, and the whole ten broke and fled, not however, be- fore one of their number wms made to atone for the hurt which Jesse had received. This journey into San Luis Potosi, was one fraught with many perils, and only the fate which seems to protect them, enabled them to return into Texas. They met with a singular adventure on this trip. 310 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. They had reached Monclova, a large town in Coahuila. Here they found an acquaintance — an old comrade of the Guerrilla times. He had taken up his residence in Mexico, had married a handsome Mexican girl, and had settled down to a quiet life in a strange land. Of course he was glad to see the Boys whom he had not met since they parted in Kentucky, when he w T as captured and sent to prison. His home was placed at their disposal, and his Mex- ican wife received them with that cordial hospitality which is a characteristic of her countrywomen. Here they proposed to remain a day or two and rest. In accordance with the customs of the country, the Mexicanized American gave his old comrades a reception on the following afternoon, or rather even- ing after their arrival. A reception in Mexico means a ball or fandango. Many of the leading citiz of Monclova attended the reception, for the friend of the Jameses was esteemed a very worthy citizen and respectable gentleman. Among the guests was a young lieutenant of the Mexican army, and an American long resident in the country, wdio came from the vicinity of Mateliuala. These two men scrutinized the faces of the Boys in a very peculiar manner, and a careful observer could have seen the flushes of anger which ever and anon overspread their countenances. Jesse had noticed their behavior, and called the attention of his brother to the strangeness of their conduct. He was sure EXCURSIONS INTO MEXICO. 311 that he had seen the American before somewhere, at some time, just when and where he could not re- member. Frank was enjoying himself in the society of a fair senorita, and seemed to attach little importance to his brother’s suggestions. But Jesse watched them closely, and became thoroughly convinced that he had met both men before, and he knew that the meeting had been that of enemies. The lieutenant and his companion did not remain long, but took their departure. There was at that time encamped, in the environs of Monclova, a brigade of the Mexican army, and the regiment to which the lieutenant belonged had barracks near the plaza. On leaving the ball-room, the two men went directly to the headquarters of the regiment, and found there the colonel and lieutenant-colonel. The young offi- cer at once laid before them the knowledge which he possessed concerning the character of the men who were being entertained in Monclova that night. Both men had a score to settle with the Jameses. The account of the American dated back to 1865 — that of the young officer only a little more than a year, at which time, unfortunately, in one of the border broils, frequent about that time between Mexicans and Texans, the Boys had killed a brother of the officer. The superior officers looked with favor on the scheme to arrest the Boys. The more readily, too, did they agree to the plan of capture when informed 312 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. that the American authorities were offering a reward of $50,000 for the apprehension of these men. It was a bonanza which the impecunious colonels hoped to gain. Silently as possible a company of eighty men was mustered, and maiohed to the house, and immedi- ately surrounded it. The merry makers were just in the midst of an evening of enjoyment. ' Indeed, “there was a sc md of revelry by night,” and the fair senoritas and chivalrous youths of Mon- clova were animated by high hopes and dreams of future bliss. Suddenly there was an interruption. The doors were thrown open, and an officer, accompanied by a guard, strode into the room. The violinist dropped his bow ; the dancers stood still ; the faces of women blanched, and men quailed before this appa- rition of war and bloodshed. The officer stepped briskly to the part of the room where the Jameses were standing, and address- ing them in broken English, commanded them to surrender in the name and by the authority of the government of Mexico. Frank and Jesse looked at him with a disdainful, dangerous smile. •Would they surrender without his being under the painful necessity of using force, inquired the officer. “Never !” The answer was firmly delivered. The officer turned to the guards and gave a signal of command for them to move up. 1 EXCURSIONS INTO MEXICO. 313 ‘‘Stop !” It was Jesse’s voice of command. The officer waved the guards to halt. “Wehaveapropositionto submit. Willyouhearit?” “ If it means surrender, yes,” replied the officer. “ It is this pursued Jesse, notappearing to no* tice the purport of the officer’s reply, “allow these ladies here to retire, and we will discuss the question with you.” “ I shall be compelled to take you by force,” said the officer. “ Let the ladies retire, I say!” exclaimed Jesse James in a tone that betrayed his impatience. The Boys were not surprised without arms. They never lay aside a pair of pistols. They are ever at their sides, and always ready for use. The officer parleyed. He did not desire to begin an affray in the midst of a company of ladies — his instincts as a gentleman revolted against subjecting them to alarm and danger. The house was surrounded ; he had ample force to enforce the orders of his superiors ; so he said, “Let the ladies all retire.” The order was given at the door to the guards to allow the ladies to pass through. The ball-room was soon free from their presence. The men hud- dled in one corner, and finally were permitted to retire into another room. “ Now,” said the officer, “ lay down your pistols. I have an ample force to enforce these orders. The house is surrounded ; you cannot get away.” Fight with Mexicans at Monclova. EXCURSIONS INTO MEXICO. 315 The answer lie received was a derisive peal of laughter. At the same moment a pistol flashed be- fore the eyes of the officer as he raised his sword to signal his guard. He saw it but for an instant, there was an explosion, and the officer fell dead to the floor. The guard, amazed, rushed forward to succor their fallen leader. They were thrown off their guard. One, two, three deafening reports, and three soldiers lay still, weltering in their gore. Celerity of execution is safety, was ever the motto of the Jameses. The guards who had followed their officer into the house, fled when they say their comrades, fall. The boys rushed out of the house. The sol- diers in the street met them with a volley of balls. But they were too much' agitated to shoot well. The boys escaped with two or three trifling scratches. They opened fire on the line of guards around the house. Seized with consternation, the soldiers fled from their deadly revolvers. The whole town was excited. The streets began to teem with surging throngs of men, women and children ; the alarm drums were beat in the barracks ; the soldiers hastily formed in line and marched to the scene of the dis- turbance. Never had Monclova been so shaken. It was too late. The cause of all the hubbub had reached their horses, hastily saddled them, mounted, and were then thundering far away through the dark streets. They did not travel the highways after day- light. They found a refuge in the mountains. CHAPTER XLm. DEATH TO BORDER BRIGANDS.— Frank and Jesse pay their respects to Palacios’ band — The raid- ers of the border punished by the American out- laws — A pleasant meeting with troops. The ranche of the James Boys furnished a temp- tation to the Mexican border brigands, which they were in no wise able to resist, even if they had pos- sessed the least particle of that moral sense which enables men to withstand temptation. The Jameses were successful rancheros ; they lived out on the confines of the white settlements in Texas. Their fat herds spread over the valleys and ranged over many hills. This wealth of cattle excited the cu- pidity of the Mexican border banditti. They envied the outlawed boys their goodly possessions ; and they were nerved to undertake to appropriate the herds, even if the lives of the owners should be taken in order to compass their wishes. There was a robber chief of Nueva Leon, who had once been a faithful lieutenant of Cortinas, “the Robber Governor” of the State of Tamaulipas. This fellow, whose name was Juan Fernando Pala- cios, had achieved a local reputation about Piedras Negras, Eagle Pass, Mier, and other localities on the upper Rio Grande, as a daring free-booter and bloody minded murderer. He had gathered about him a band of men of like disposition with himself — prin- cipally fugitives from justice from the neighboring 316 DEATH TO BORDER BRIGANDS. 317 states. This gang of desperadoes numbered more than thirty men, and Palacios resolved to lead them over among the ranches of the Texans. There was much booty to be gained by a successful raid. It was at a season of- the year when many herds were being pastured in the valley of the Pecos, and with thirty men and more he fondly hoped that he could come upon, and discomfit all the “ cow boys ” in that region, and drive away the well-conditioned herds at his leisure. It was in the autumn of 1877. The dry season had withered the grass on the hill slopes and the up- land plains. But down in the valleys the grass was green, and the wild flowers bloomed in all the fresh- ness of the spring time. Palacios and his brigands made careful preparations before they set out. There had been a season of quiet on the border. Several months had passed since the last raid was made. The Mexican brigand hoped to take the “cow boys” unawares — surprise them — kill them, and drive away their herds. This was his hope. Mexican brigands are good night travelers. In- deed, their most important movements are made in the night. During the day time, if possible, they take shelter in the chaparral, and remain quiet until the shades of night fall over valley and plain, and then under the starlight they ride — sometimes accomplishing long journeys in a thinly inhabited country without giving the least information of their presence, so secretly do they move. 20 318 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. It was a lovely evening in October. There was no moon, but the stars shone brightly from the cloud- less sky. El Paso was unusually quiet that evening. There was not a fandango in progress in the place ; the sound of the violin was not heard within its bor- ders. The senoritas sang no vesper hymns. Pala- cios and his robber band had gone across the river into Texas, and not many young men remained in El Paso. All night, beneath the silent stars, the mongrel band of the bandit chief rode on toward “the settlements” of the hated, as well as dreaded Texans. Before dawn they found shelter in a patch of chaparral in the valley of an affluent of the Rio Pecos. No one had seen them. Thirty miles and more they had ridden in the direction of the fat herds of the Texans. The day passed away, and once more the curtain of night fell, and the Mexican raiders rode in its shadow. By dawn they had reached the vicinity of a well stocked ranche. A conven- ient shelter was sought and found near a little stream. The raiders were many miles from El Paso now, and the valleys and the hill slopes, and the lower plains were dotted with great herds of cattle. But the rancheros had not yet discovered the pres- ence of the enemy and rested in fancied security. Palacios and his band hovered near the herds all day. Men were sent out to ascertain the number of herdsmen attending the different droves. All this time the horses of the raiders were carefully con- cealed in a thicket by the bank of a stream. When 3 r 9 320 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the evening came on, Palacios was well informed of the locality of all the herds in his immediate neigh- borhood. Dividing his men into two bands, over one of which he appointed a notorious murderer from Mier, named Jesus Almonte, and assumed com- mand of the other in person. The time appointed for “the stampede” of the herds was ten o’clock at night. At that hour the western herdsmen are al- most always sound asleep. Palacios was certain that his presence on the American side of the Rio Grande was not known. He had met no one, and his scouts had reported everything quiet among the herdsmen. Ten o’clock came. The Mexican robbers, well armed and splendidly mounted, quietly left their covert. Almonte and his band proceeded two and a half or three miles up the stream where a large herd of cattle were corraled. Palacios went down the creek to “stampede” another herd of seven or eight hundred head. The process of “stampeding” is thoroughly understood by the Mexicans. The herdsmen were aroused by the approaching horse- men. But it was too late. The Mexicans were among them, and Almonte’s gang killed two of the “cow-boys” at the upper herd, and Palacios’ crowd killed one at the lower herd. The “stampede” was complete. The herds were turned toward the Rio Grande, and driven rapidly away. All the remain- der of that night, and all the next day, the robbers pressed forward toward their place of concealment and shelter beyond the Rio Grande. As yet, no DEATH TO BORDER BRIGANDS. 32l pursuers had appeared, but Palacios knew well that they were not safe on this side of the river. He knew that the avengers were on his track, and he cared not to see the face of a Texan at that time. Com- ing- at night time to the river some distance below El Paso, he crossed over with all his booty, and speed- ily made himself comfortable among his sympathiz- ing countrymen and countrywomen. It chanced about that time that Frank and Jesse James rode down toward the Rio Grande to make observations, and enjoy life just bejmnd the borders of civilization. Being somewhat in the outlaw .busi- ness themselves, they cared very little for “ the bor- ders of civilization,” of for that matter, for the inte- rior. While riding, they met one of the sorely dis- consolate herdsmen, who told the story which we haverelated, with many embellishments ; forinstance, that a band had come out of the south country, killed all the herdsmen in the valley, driven off all the herds, and that he only Avas left alive to tell of their fate. To this doleful tale Frank and Jesse James gave good heed, for one of the missing herds had been their property. The two brothers consulted together as to what could be done under the circumstances. They had been into Mexico on many occasions before, and, although the frightened herdsman had magnified the numbers of the raiders, so that they appeared a mighty host, Frank and Jesse James Avere not the men to submit tamely to downright robbery. The 322 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. brothel’s resolved to pursue the raiders. And so they rode on and on until they came to the Rio Grande. Tt was in the early morning. The October sun had not yet appeared above the horizon, but all the eastern sky was refulgent with the coming glories of a lovely day. Frank and Jesse James had ridden far, but their horses were not jaded, and as for them- selves, physical endurance is their normal character- istic. They were ready for any desperate adventure, such as they were then engaged in . Only for a moment did they pause when they emerged from the river. Their firearms were carefully examined, and then they urged their horses onward. El Paso was silent. The inhabitants had not yet awakened from their slumbers. Palacios and his band, with their stolen herds, had passed on through the village in the direc- tion of the mountains. Their trail through the sand was still fresh. The James Boys rode on. Three miles away they came to the camp. Deeming them- selves safe, the Mexican raiders had taken no pre- cautions to guard against surprise. The herds had been corraled, and the bandits, wearied by their long marches, slumbered heavily. Cautiously approaching the Mexican camp, the two brothers, with that quick perception for which they are distinguished, saw at a glance the situation of the camp and the position of the sleeping rob- bers. The dreamers were suddenly aroused by the reports of the avengers' pistols. J esse and Efiftik After the “Greasers.” 333 324 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. James were in their midst, and dealing death to the miscreants ere they conld grasp their weapons. Some who dreamed were sent to their account be ■ fore the phantasy had cleared from their brains. With a death-dealing pistol in each hand, they fired with incredible rapidity, and at each discharge an unfortunate wretch fell to rise no more. Terror- stricken, the robbers fled in every direction. Some were arrested in their flight by the unerring aim of the outlawed brothers ; and some more fortunate escaped to the mountains with life only, everything being left behind in order that they might save it. The corral was broken up,. The Boys are skillful herdsmen, and soon the great tramping drove was turned toward the Kio Grande. Ten dead robbers, stark and still, among the cactus patches, testified to the prowess of the American desperadoes. They passed back through the village. Not a man was visible. They had heard of the fate of their robber friends. Terror-stricken, they had abandoned their homes and fled into the chaparral beyond the hills, which at this point .approach the river. The B were hungry after their morning’s engagement, halting at the little adobe posado, they orde breakfast, taking care that it was prepared un their personal supervision, in order that no tread) on the part of their unwilling entertainers she succeed. The feat which they had accomplished was one the most daring ever recorded in the annals of boi DEATH TO BORDER BRIGANDS. 325 strife. Then, the nonchalant way in which they or- dered the trembling inhabitants to minister to their physical comfort, furnished another proof of the ad- mirable nerve of these remarkable men. After re- freshing themselves, the Boys, at their leisure, re- crossed the Rio Grande with nearly the whole num- ber of cattle which the bandits had driven away. Desperadoes as they were, Palacios and Almonte were indisposed to surrender the rich prize which they had secured, as they thought, without any ef- fort. The two chiefs had stopped in the village the night previous to the arrival of the Jameses, and were not in the camp at the time of the attack of the Boys. In El Paso, they lay hidden in a heap of hay, while Frank and Jesse regaled themselves with “the best the market afforded . ’ ’ The Mexicans were convinced that a large force of Gringo Diablos were at hand, and they feared for their lives. They waited for the appearance of the squadrons of ran- gers in vain. Gradually it began to dawn upon their dull comprehension that the whole force of the Gringos numbered just two men. Palacios, Almonte and a few of their followers rallied some hours after the Boys were on their march over the rolling plains of Texas. They were furious, and boasted of what great things they intended to accomplish. Some- time, toward noon, they cautiously approached the river, reconnoitered, and finally ventured to cross over. There was no enemy in sight, and the twenty- five brigands of the border became valiant, and set FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. 32() out on the trail of the Boys who were marching on with the recaptured herds. Encumbered as they were, by a vast drove of cat- tle, their progress was slow. Toward evening the Mexican bandits came in sight. But they did not venture to attack. Hovering on the rear, and gal- loping along the flanks of the moving herd, the Mexicans made a thorough reconnoissance of the force of Americans. There were just two men, and no more. Emboldened by this knowledge, they ap- proached with a view of “stampeding” the herd. Five well mounted men were sent to engage the Boys while the others advanced on the left flank of the herd. But they did not know the character of the men they sought to kill out there on the plains. Secured to the saddles which they bestrode, each carried a long range sixteen shot Winchester rifle. The bandits came within range. If they ever prayed, the time for prayers had arrived. They were ap- proaching, unwittingly it maybe, the margin of the river of death ; the black angel hovered over them, the sun of time was being surely extinguished. De- taching their deadly rifles from the fastenings, each singled out his man, took deliberate aim, touched the trigger, and instantaneously two Mexican robbers fell to the earth pierced through their hearts. Their comrades marked their fall, and knew the cause. They turned to flee. It was too late. Even as they turned two more of them fell, pierced through and through by the unerring bullets from the steadily DEATH TO BORDER BRIGANDS. 327 aimed rifles of the American outlaws. The other one of the five fled, and succeeded in making his escape. The Boys fully comprehended the designs of the Mexicans, and Jesse suggested that he would ride to the summit of “the swell” to the left, to see what “those other devils are about.” Biding rapidly up the slope, his horse was soon reined up on the crest of the ridge. There he dis- Fight with Mexican Cattle Thieves. covered on the slope below him a party of some fifteen armed men. Bringing his rifle to bear, a Mexican saddle was emptied in an instant. The raiders replied ; but their guns would not send a ball so far. They were not less than four hundred yards away. Jesse continued to empty saddles until four men were down. The Mexicans turned and fled, and Jesse gave them a parting salute, which brought 328 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. down a horse. When he rejoined his brother he re- marked sententiously, “Well, I've prepared a feast for the vultures over yonder.” “ How many are down?” asked the other. “Oh, only fourmen and one horse,” he answered, with a grim sort of smile. The dangerous time for them was the shadowy hours. They knew that all the brigands of that re- gion would take their trail. They were a hundred miles from any certain succor. The Mexican raid- ers are not to be despised in a night affray. They expected attack, and it is one of the peculiarities of the Boys, that they never sleep when there is danger surrounding them. The severe losses which they had sustained only rendered the pursuers more wary ; but they still hovered around. The Boys ex- pected an attack that night. The sun was sinking low in the west, and the brothers were earnestly consulting as to the best means of guarding against the consequences of a night attack. “See,” said Frank, “away there on that ridge whose top the sun is gilding ! Are those moving objects men on horseback, or a herd of buffalo? What do you think ?’ ’ The brothers halted. Since their removal to Texas they never ride abroad without carrying with them a field glass each. They now raised their glasses and looked long and earnestly at the dark objects moving between them and the horizon. “ They are mounted men,” said Jesse. DEATH TO BORDER BRIGANDS. 329 “ Texans, Mexicans, Lipans or Commanches? Which do you say ? ” asked Frank. Jesse looked again. The mounted men were nearly two miles away — a long distance to determine the character of men, or designate their nationality. Long and carefully did he scrutinize the movements of the horsemen. “ Soldiers — Federal soldiers — by Jehovah !” he ex- claimed. “Well, I’ve seen the time that I would not like to see such a company, but I’m confounded glad they’ve come around this evening. I'll get a nap to- night anyway.” It was agreed that Jesse should ride forward and inform the officer in command of the presence of Palacios’ band of raiders. He spurred his horse forward over the high rolling swells of prairie toward the horsemen, who were also advancing. The Mex- icans saw this movement and saw the horsemen. They at once surmised that a detachment of McKen- zie’s command was out looking for them, and turning about, they rode hastily back the way they came. The Boys were left in peace. The detachment of cavalry swept onward in pursuit of the fleeing raid- ers, and the herd, fatigued by long driving, were in- disposed to scatter. The return to the pastures from whence they had been driven was leisurely made. The Boys_returned safely to their abode, and Jesse was welcomed by one who worships him as the world’s noblest hero. CHAPTER XL IV. THE UNION PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY— The Big Springs ventures — The persons who en- gaged in it — Large amount of gold coin taken — Pursuit of the robbers — Death of Collins at Buffalo, Kansas — Jim Berry trailed to Missouri — Shot by the sheriff of Audrain county. “ Wide is our home, boys, Freely we roam, boys, Merrily, merrily, o’er the brown lea; Brief though our life, boys, With peril rife, boys, Oh! it has wildness, and rapture, and glee.” In the mellow dayjs of September, 1877, a party of seven men came to the neighborhood of Ogallala, Nebraska, and went into camp there. They were “stockmen” they said, and only wished to rest a while before entering upon the long, wearisome march across the plains to Texas, which lay before them. They had brought droves of cattle from the pasture-prairies of the ‘ ‘ Lone Star ’ ’ state to supply the markets of Chicago and other cities to the east, and it was their intention, according to their state- ments, to return to Texas to be in readiness for “the spring drive.” There was in this party Jim Berry, of Portland, Callaway county, Missouri, an old-time Guerrilla in the days of Anderson ; Jack Davis, for- merly of the vicinity of Fort Smith, Arkansas, a man of sinister reputation ; Billy Heffridge, a Penn- sylvanian of no good repute ; Jim Collins, a brother 330 THE UNION PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY. 331 of Brad, the well-known Texas desperado, who was killed in an encounter with a sheriff who attempted his arrest, and Sam Bass, the somewhat distinguished outlaw, whose name figures so prominently in the criminal annals of the period between 1865 and 1878. There were two others, the identity of one of whom has never been discovered. Of these, Berry Collins, Davis, and one other, had sometimes ridden with Frank and Jesse James, and exchanged the civilities of the craft with them. Who the seventh man of the party of “campers at Ogallala ” was, the detectives have never been able to discover. The “ stockmen,” as they styled themselves, re- mained in camp near Ogallala for a number of days, and were frequent visitors to the village. Jim Berry had been in business at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, and had made some acquaintances along the road. Among the business men residing at Ogallala, which is the county seat of Keith county, and a station of some importance on the line of the Union Pacific railway, was Mr. M. F. Leach, a gentleman of great mental acuteness, and an excellent judge of men. One day some of the “cattlemen” came to Leach's store in Ogallala, among them Jim Berry, and pur- chased a number of red bandana handkerchiefs. Of course nothing was thought of the circumstance at the time, but subsequently the red bandanas afforded “ a clue ” to the identity of the robbers of a train on the Union Pacific railroad. 332 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Big Springs is a station on the railroad, about twenty-three miles west of Ogallala, nearly, on the line between Keith and Cheyenne counties, Ne- braska. At this place there is an excellent supply of water, which constitutes its greatest claim to im- portance, for on other accounts Big Springs pos- sesses little to interest the traveler. One evening — it was the 17th of September — the people of Brule and Ogallala were thrown into .a great ferment of excitement on the arrival of the train from the west, bringing, as the conductor and passengers did, a full account of the great robbery of the express car, and all the passengers, at Big Springs station, which event had occurred just after nightfall that same evening. It was a great sensation at the time, and interest in it .has not yet ceased to operate on the public mind. A brief account of the robbery, and pursuit and death of several of the robbers, will not be regarded out of place in this volume, inasmuch as some of the robbers had an acquaintance with the principal characters who are the subjects of this work. The train from the Pacific slope arrived at Big Springs on the evening of September 17th, 1877, a little after nightfall . No sooner had the locomotive come to a standstill at the little station, than a band of seven men, all of whom Avore red bandana hand - kerchiefs on their heads, which fell over and con- cealed their faces, sprang upon the train with drawn revolvers. Four of the men guarded the engineer, THE I’XIOX PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY. 333 and entered the express car. Wells, Fargo & Co.’s safe contained $62,000 in gold. This was opened, and the contents taken out and deposited in a sack which one of the robbers carried. Another one kept guard over the train’s crew, and two men, well armed with heavy revolvers, went through the train to take the purses, watches and jewelry of the passengers. One of the fellows carried a sack, and whenever the other handed him a watch, a pock- etbook or some jewelry, he thrust it into the recep- tacle which he carried along. There were many passengers, and they were on a long journey. Many fine watches, much valuable jewelry, and innumera- ble pocketbooks were collected in the sack, in a mis- cellaneous heap. When the golden treasures of the express safe, and the valuables of the passengers were all secured, the brigands released the train and rode away over the plains. The train then pro- ceeded eastward, by Brule and to Ogallala. The particulars of the robbery were detailed, and the in- habitants of those places were aroused by the intelli- gence. It was late and nothing could be done that night. The next morning the “ stockmen” were in camp as usual, and Mr. Leach and some others of the in- habitants of Ogallala were 'preparing to hunt the robbers. Mi'. M. F. Leach had performed some amateur de- tective work, and had exhibited so much acuteness that he was regarded as one of the ablest catchers O 21 334 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. of law-breakers in the West. He was at once se- cured to work up the great train robbery. To him is due the larger share of the credit for tracking down the Big Springs bandits. And the men Lead) had to deal with were keen, adroit, and endowed with extraordinary effrontery. We cannot enter into detail concerning his remarkable pursuit of Sam Bass and his companions, from Ogallala. A full narrative would till a volume. To show the charac- ter of the men with whom he had to deal, we will relate an anecdote of a meeting he had with Jim Berry, one of the gang, the morning after the rob- bery. As before stated, the “stockmen,” who were no other than the brigands, had returned to their camp at Ogallala, and were there as if nothing had happened, the morning after the robbery. Leach was preparing to go after the robbers. He encoun- tered Jim Berry, who addressed him in a familiar manner : “Well, are you going out after those fellows?” “Yes,” said Leach, “that’s what I am going to do.” “I wonder what they would give me to go along 1 * I might be of service to them.” “Well, I can say,” said Leach, “ that you would certainly receive a liberal compensation for any ser- vice you may be able to render.” The two men talked together some time, but Berry did not go on the hunt for the ti’ain robbers. Mr. THE UNION PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY. 335 Leach proceeded out on the road to Sidney, in Chey- enne county, not forgetting on his way to stop off at Big Springs to find, if possible, some clue to the robbers’ course after leaving that place. He found part of a red bandana handkerchief, which he se- emed, and went on to Sidney in a special train which had been provided for his use. A careful examina- tion of the situation in that place was barren of re- sults, and Mr. Leach returned to Ogallala. The “stockmen” had remained in camp two days after the robbery, and then they had marched away — whither, no one knew. Leach had brought with him the piece of red bandana from Big Springs. He was sure the ffoods had come from his store in Offal- lala. While looking about the deserted camp of the “stockmen,” Leach discovered the other piece of the bandana which he had brought from Big Springs. The ragged edges of the two pieces fitted exactly. The inevitable inference was that the “stockmen” were the robbers. The direction taken by them was not known, but Leach soon discovered their trail. Then commenced one of the most remarkable pur- suits ever known. Leach ascertained that the rob- bers would probably cross the Kansas Pacific rail- road at Buffalo Station, Gove county, Kansas. He was ever on their track, and on many occasions he escaped with his life in a marvelous manner. Once he saw them count the spoils of the robbery, and divide the money, watches and jewelry among them- selves. Then he sent a rancheman a lonff distance, 336 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES a hundred miles or more, with a dispatch to the commandant at Fort Hayes to have a guard of sol- diers at Buffalo. The bandits divided into couples, and pursued their course. At Buffalo, some of the robbers and the soldiers had a conflict, and Billy Heffridge and Jim Collins were killed. Sam Bass, Jack Davis and two others escaped. Jim Berry made toward Missouri. It was ascertained that he would probably return to Callaway county, and de- tectives were at once hurried into that county and quietly wailed around Fulton and Portland for the appearance of “the game.” One day Jim Berry made his appearance at Mexi- co, in Audrain county, Missouri. It was known that he had been in the Black Hills, and when he went to the bank in Mexico with a large amount of gold coin, principally twenty dollar pieces, to exchange it for currency, the circumstance seems to have aroused no suspicion at the time. Berry then “ went on a big bender.” While in Mexico he had ordered a suit of clothes from a tailor there. In a few days, information was received by Sheriff Glascock that Jim Berry was known to have been engaged in the Big Springs robbery. Concerning this nothing was said at the time, but the sheriff made all necessary preparations, and patiently abided his time to make an attempt to capture Jim Berry. One day, an old comrade of Berry made his appearance in Mexico, bearing an order on the tailor to “deliver to the bearer” the new suit of clothes which had been I THE UNION PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY. 337 ordered by Berry. This fact was at once communica- ted to Sheriff Glascock by the tailor. The friend of Berry was seized, and persuaded in a manner frequently employed by officers of the law, to reveal the whereabouts of his friend. The friend of Berry was a ma‘n named Bose Kazy. Sheriff Glascock and John Carter were in company when Kazy was seized. The sheriff then called to his aid John Coons, Robert Steele, and a young man named Moore. They then set out, compelling Kazy to act as a guide. It was on Saturday night, Octo- ber 14, 1877, when the party rode quietly away from Mexico, on their way to Callaway county, to find the lurking-place of Jim Berry, “ the best man in Callaway.” It was a long ride. Daylight had not dawned on the landscape Sunday morning when the officers arrived within a half-mile of Kazy’s house. They did not go to the house to alarm those slumbering there. The officers took Tvazy into the woods and bound him to a tree, leaving Robert Steele to guard him. They then secreted them- selves in thickets to await results. As the men in the posse were assigned to their respective sta- tions, the sheriff gave the following command : “Boys, if you see him, halt him ; if he shows fight, shoot him ; if he runs, shoot him in the legs. Catch him, at all hazards.” Half an hour after giving this order, Sheriff Glas- cock heard the neigh of a horse about half a mile away, as he judged. The sheriff and Moore then 338 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. crept cautiously about three hundred yards down the course of a branch. They came to a fence, and crossed over it. They discovered the tracks of a horse, freshly made. They were in a thicket at this time, and listening intently. In a few moments they heard the snort of a horse, apparently not more than fifty yards away. The sheriff then crawled through the thicket about twenty yards toward the spot from whence the sound had proceeded. He was on his knees, and, cautiously peering through the autumn-tinted leaves of the tangled thicket, he saw the back of a horse, about forty yards away. Lay- ing aside his hat, Sheriff Glascock crept twenty yards nearer. He then rose to his feet and saw Jim Berry unhitching the horse, which had been tied to a tree. Berry started to lead the horse in a direction nearly toward Glascock. The sheriff cocked both barrels of the breech-loading gun which he carried, ran about twenty yards and within twenty feet of Berry, and commanded him to halt. Berry, taken by surprise, started on a run. The sheriff then fired. The charge of buckshot passed over the head of the train robber, but in an instant he fired again, and this time seven buckshot took effect in Berry’s left leg, below the knee, and he fell to the ground. Glascock sprang forward. Berry was endeavoring to draw a pistol, as he lay writhing on the ground. It was too late ; the sheriff was upon him, and, seiz- ing the pistol, he wrested it from the grasp of Berry. Finding himself overpowered, the wounded man, in THE UNION PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY. 339 his helplessness, besought the sheriff to shoot him, as he did not want to live any longer. The officer told him that he did not want to kill him, but that he wanted him to have justice. By this time Moore arrived on the scene. Berry was wounded and de- fenseless in the hands of the officers of the law. Sheriff Glascock then summoned the other mem- bers of the posse to the scene of the conflict. When they had arrived, Berry was searched. In a belt worn on his person they found five $500 packages of money, and in his pocketbook was found $304 ; in all, $2,804 were secured. Berry also had a gold watch and chain, a dress-coat, three overcoats and a comforter. He had slept there in the thicket the night before. Afterward, Berry was removed to Kazy’s house, and a messenger was sent to Williams- burg for a surgeon. After taking breakfast at Kazy’s, Sheriff Glascock and John Carter proceeded to Berry’s house to search for the balance of the money, Arriving there, they asked Mrs. Berry concerning the where- abouts of her husband. She did not know ; had not seen him for several days, and she thought he had left the country. The sheriff then showed her Ber- ry’s watch and chain. On seeing it, one of the little children exclaimed : “ Oh ! I thought that was papa’s?” Poor child ! Perhaps it was too young to fully comprehend the tragic meaning of those tokens. To Mrs. Berry the whole story of the tragedy in 340 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the thicket that Sunday morning was repeated. In response, she said, “ I never thought he would he taken alive. He has said a great many times that he would never be taken alive.” Then ensued a scene deeply affecting. The rob- ber had those at home who loved him. The wife and mother began to weep bitterly, and the wailings of her little boy and five little girls, made a scene calculated to touch the deep chords of emotion in the breasts of the stern men, who in the performance of lawful duty had been compelled to inflict all this misery on the family of the robber. They searched the house, but they found no hoards of money. Then Glascock and Carter re- turned to Kazy’s, a conveyance was procured, and the officer and his posse with their wounded prisoner set out for Mexico, where they arrived late in the evening. Berry was placed in a room in the Bingo House, and received the attention of Dr. Bussell, of Mexico. Berry’s wounds were painful, and he did not rally from their effects. On Monday, gangrene supervened, and a little before 1 o’clock Tuesday, October 16th, 1877, Jim Berry, one of the robbers of the train at Big Springs, quietly passed over the dark river, and the records of his stormy career were closed forever. Sam Bass escaped from Buffalo station, and finally, after many thrilling adventures, reached his haunts in Texas. A little more than one year afterward THE Union PACIFIC EXPRESS ROBBERY. 341 he met his fate in a manner equally as tragic as the event which closed the career of Jim Berry. Of the seven men who plundered the train and its passengers at Big Springs, Billy Heffridge, Jim Col- lins, Jim Berry, Sam Bass, and one other, have met violent deaths. The robber ivho went by the name of Jack Davis has disappeared. The seventh man — the only one whose name was never ascertained by the detectives — succeeded in getting away. Who he was, from whence he came, and whither he went, are, until this day, unanswered questions. Much speculation in regard to the identity of the seventh man, whom we shall call the Unknown, has been indulged in, and the question has been asked, was it Jesse James? or was it Jack Bishop, Dave Pool, John Jarrette or Jim Cummings? We have no means of answering- such interrogatories. Who- ever the Unknown is or was, he has probably not a single comrade of the occasion alive, and is there- fore in little danger of being betrayed. There are people who believe that Jesse James was with the Big Springs bandits. Upon what par- ticular grounds such belief is based, we have been unable to ascertain. He may or may not have been present. Our readers may well lie left free to draw their own inferences. But certain it is, a mystery, which perhaps may forever remain such, surrounds the personality of one of the daring raiders who ac- complished one of the greatest robberies which has yet taken place on any American railroad. CHAPTER XLV. A VISIT TO THE HOME OF FRANK JAMES.— A Georgian’s experience with the great outlaws — The home life of Frank. “ In Southern climes where ardent gleams the sun, Gilding each rivulet, and tree, and flower, With crimson radiance — and gaily flings On all around of light a golden shower — Where lavish nature mingles in the breeze, Refreshing odors with her spicy hand; The rare Nepenthes wave their flexile form, The floral wonder of that fragrant land.” During the autumn of the year 1878, a young gentleman of the highest respectability, a citizen of the State of Georgia, being on a tour through Texas, expressed to his friends a desire to make the personal acquaintance of the celebrated outlaws, Frank and Jesse James. His friends endeavored to dissuade him from making the attempt to see them at their own retreat. They represented to him that such an undertaking would be fraught with no little personal danger. The Boj^s have been hounded and hunted over so large a territory, through so many years, that they have become extremely cautious, and very suspicious of all strangers. But the young Georgian was courageous and de- termined. There was a tinge of romance in his composition and the career of the Boys, to his mind, was the most romantic in all history. He felt 342 A VISIT TO THE HOME OF FRANK JAMES. 343 that he would venture farther to see them than to behold the face of any living man. The advice of his friends fell unheeded upon his ear. He resolved to seek their retreat. at whatever hazard. He had learned to admire their cool bravery, indomitable en- ergy, and shrewd ability to evade the snares laid for them by the officers of the law. The Jameses, outlaws as they are, do not want for friends. They have devoted admirers and staunch friends even in the ranks of respectable circles — persons who would suffer death rather than betray them. Such a friend was a Texas relative of the young Georgian. Finding that his kinsman was re- solved upon a visit — that he would in all probability be able to discover the retreat of the outlaws, and, believing that he might possibly meet with a misfor- tune by venturing to penetrate to their place, the Texan gave his relative a letter addressed to a cer- tain name — which is not that of James — described the route to be taken, and gave a minute description of the personnel of the renowned desperadoes, and with many admonitions and cautions, after having solemnly pledged his kinsman to reveal nothing con- cerning the exact whereabouts of their home, the Texan badehis Georgia kinsman God-speed, and they parted. Many days he rode over the plains, and crossed many a limpid stream, and pushed his way through many a tangled wold before he approached the re- treat of the outlaws. He found it, however, but in 344 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. what county or division of the state, he declines to say. In a letter written to the author, subsequent to that visit, he gave a most interesting account of his reception and sojourn with the outlawed brothers on their own ranche. We have obtained his permission to use that portion of the letter relating to the Jameses, which we herewith present to our readers. It is as follows : “It was a lovely afternoon. The grass was brown and sere. A few late autumn flowers relieved the otherwise monotonous landscape. The country through which I was passing was high, undulating prairie. Here and there, from the tops of the long swells in the surface, the course of streams far away to the right and the left, were well defined by dark lines of trees from which the foliage had not yet been cast. The journey had become lonely and irksome. I had lost interest in the landscape. The faded grass and the golden-hued flowers no longer possessed charms for me. The limpid brooks and darting minnows in their clear waters even failed to awaken the slightest interest. The truth is, I was worn out by the excessive fatigue of the long jour- ney. “I had just crossed a small stream, skirted by some wind-twisted trees, and was ascending a long slope. Looking toward the crest of the ridge, I saw two horsemen, splendidly mounted, riding rap- idly directly toward me. They wore low-crowned, broad-brimmed felt hats, looped up at the side. I A VISIT TO THE HOME OF FRANK JAMES. 345 could see at a glance that they were heavily armed. A repeating-rifle was swung behind the shoulder of each, and a holster was attached to the saddle-bow. When the horsemen had approached within seventy- five yards of me, they suddenly halted, and each drew a heavy pistol, and simultaneously presented them at me, calling out at the same time for me to raise my hands. I confess that I felt a little shaky about that time. I readily complied with- their command, and held up both hands as high over my head as possible. The horrible thought occurred to me that I was to be shot, and left out there to make a feast for voracious vultures and ferocious wolves. A cold shudder thrilled through my veins. I had dropped the reins, and my horse stopped still. It was a dreadful moment. There were the two men, grim in features and steady of hand, with their hor- rible, yawning repeaters pointed at my heart. I felt sure they were murderous highwaymen. Strange that I never once thought of the renowned outlaws ! I know not how long I looked at those dreadful pis- tols ; it seemed half an age. I was aroused by the voice of one of the men calling out, “ ‘ Why don’t you come on? ’ ” “I did go on. Once I let my hands droop slightly, as I advanced up the slope. “ ‘Up with your hands, I say ! ’ exclaimed one of them. “You may readily suppose that I threw up my hands without further admonition. 346 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “ When I had arrived within fifteen paces of the spot where the men were sitting on their horses, the thought that these were no other than the men whom I was seeking, flashed through my brain. ‘ ‘ ‘ What are you doing here ? ’ asked the larger one of the two. “I must have stammered a little, and appeared awkward and frightened as I made answer that I had a great desire to meet Mr. and his brother — naming the person to whom the letter was addressed — and I have a message for Mr. here with me now. “One of them — it was Frank — turned to me sharply, and asked me what I knew about Mr. . I told him that I had never met the gen- tleman, but that I had a great desire to do so. He then asked me when I was last in St. Louis. I re- plied that I had not been in St. Louis for a period of more than five years. ‘ What are you doing here? ’ he asked. Looking about the country,’ I replied. ‘You like it, do you?’ he inquired. ‘Very well,’ I said. ‘You go to Chicago, do you?’ ‘Never was there in my life,’ I answered. Do you know Allan Pinkerton,?, ‘I don’t,’ I said. ‘What state do you hail from?’ ‘Georgia.’ ‘A very good state,’ he so- liloquized. ‘From whom did you say you had a message for Mr. ? ‘From Col. , of ,’ I answered. ‘You know where you can find ?’ ‘Ido not.’ ‘Give me the message ; I’ll see that he gets it. ‘Are you Mr. ?’ ‘No matter,’ he answered, A VISIT TO THE HOME OF FRANK JAMES. 347 ‘I’ll see that lie gets the communication.’ But I’ve come all the way here to see him myself. I do not want to go back without seeing him,’ I* remarked. ‘What do you want to see him for?’ ‘Well,’ I stammered, ‘ I have heard a great deal about him and his brother, and I just wanted to visit them at home.’ ‘You know who he is then?’ ‘Certainly, he is Jesse James and ,’ ‘An outlaw!’ he interrupted me. ‘Mind how you act, young man.’ The tones of his voice were dry and harsh, and the pistol which had been allowed to droop was once more raised, and pointed at my breast. “You may be sure I was thoroughly alarmed, and it required some effort to speak distinctly. At last I managed to say in a tolerably low tone, ‘I wish you would read this letter which I have brought.’ The pistol was lowered and he reached out his hand to take the letter from the breast-pocket of my coat. Meanwhile, Frank kept me under cover of a pistol. Jesse secured the letter, and commenced to read it. I watched his features closely. A change came over his countenance. The cold, stern look relaxed, and his face put on a sunny smile as he read on. When he had finished, he turned to Frank and said, ‘ I guess this is all right.’ Then he. turned to me and said, ‘ So you are a kinsman of Colonel ?’ ‘ I am,’ I replied. He continued, ‘He is a good friend of ours, and I reckon you’i'e all right. You wanted to see the James Boys. You see before you what is left of them, I guess you had better give us your 348 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. pistols to keep for you until you are ready to leave again,' for you know we are the only armed men allowed around our place. This is a very odd world anyhow. We do not trust anyone.’ 4 I have but one, and here it is,’ I said presenting it to him, while I held the muzzle. He took the pistol and thrust it into a side pocket, and turning full toward me, he said with a smile on his face, and a merry twinkle in his bright blue eyes : ‘So you wanted to see the notorious outlaws?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well did you expect we wore horns, and had split feet, and spouted fire and brimstone, eh? But you see you are mis- taken. There are a hundred, yes, a thousand, worse men along the borders here than the James Boys. But they have not been lied about as we have been ; they have not been hunted all over the states as we have been ; they have not been so grossly misrepre- sented and abused, and we must bear not only our sins, but the sins of many others. It is a pretty hard fate, young man.’ The hard, unpitying expression came upon his features once more, but it was only for a moment, and the cloud passed away, and his countenance was illuminated by a smile that was genial and pleasant, and whoever could have gazed into the face of Jesse James at that moment, would not have concluded that he was a desperado and an outlaw. “ ‘I suppose,’ said Frank, ‘that you will accept an outlaw’s invitation to his humble retreat?’ ‘Most gladly,’ I said. The Home of Frank James, in Texas. 350 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. “They turned their horses’ heads, and Jesse taking a position on one side and Frank on the other, we rode on to the crest of the ridge. ‘There is where we camp,’ said Frank, as he pointed away to the northwest. Camp ! Indeed, it seemed more like the residence of a well-to-do planter in Georgia. The situation which they had selected was beautiful as any I had yet seen in the West. Before us a broad, green valley lay spread out in the sunlight, bounded by a line of high hills toward the northeast, and widening toward the southwest. A noble grove of timber skirted the margin of the stream, which ap- peared to be of considerable size, and meandered through the valley. Beyond the stream and the grove, situated on a gentle slope in the midst of gar- dens and cultivated fields, and vigorous young trees, rose a pleasant house of two stories in elevation, with a garden in front. Some distance away were the barns, stables and other outbuildings. ‘A lovely home !’ I exclaimed. Frank smiled at my evident delight, and remarked that he found it very comfortable, after the exposure and hardships through which he had passed. “ So we rode on down the slope into the grove, and across a beautiful broad pebble-bottom stream, and up the slope to the front of the mansion, talking, by the way, of many things in the past, and ex- pressing views and opinions concerning the future. “ The James Boys are far from being loquacious. They seem to maintain a perpetual guard over their A VISIT TO THE HOME OF FRANK .TAMES. 351 words. Sometimes this reserve is momentarily cast aside, and the brothers will converse with consider- able freedom. But the tits of relaxation do not last long. They speedily relapse into their accustomed reticent state, and then they answer questions only in monosyllables. “It was not long before I discovered that I was at the home of Frank James, and that Jesse and his family were only visitors. My peculiar reception was due to the fact that a person supposed to be a detective had been making inquiries concerning the Boys at San Antonio, some weeks before my arrival. “Arriving at the yard gate, we dismounted, and I was invited into the house. At the door we were met by a neatly dressed and handsome lady, whose deep blue eyes and regular features produced a fa- vorable impression at once, to whom I was intro- duced. It was Mrs. Frank James. She received me with much dignity, yet with a genial cordiality which assured me that I was a welcome visitor. Her manner toward her husband was trusting and affectionate. ‘We welcome you,’ said Frank, ‘as a relative of one of our best friends. We hope you will prove as manly as he. Annie, this is Mi-. , a near relative of Colonel , who was so kind to you when you arrived at , on your way out here.’ ‘I am very, very glad to meet you. We all feel extremely grateful to Col. for his kindness toward us, and we are only too glad to serve any of his friends,’ she said. 352 FRANK AND .JESSE JAMES. ‘ ‘ Such was the welcome which I received at the home of Frank James. I felt myself quite at ease very soon, and the four days and nights which I spent under their hospitable roof gave no occasion for me to think hard of the outlaws. Indeed, I could not bring myself to think of them in that light. Mrs. James is a lady who is suited by education and disposition to grace any circle. And where is this model home? you ask. Well, it is m Texas — just what part of Texas I must leave you to find out. I know that I never met with better treatment in any home, anywhere.” CHAPTER XL VI. EPISTLES OF JESSE JAMES.— How Jesse takes his own part with a pen — Some terse specimens of Jesse’s style. Jesse James is not an educated man in the scho- lastic sense of that term. In this respect he differs widely from his brother Frank, who has a fair knowl- edge of the Latin and Greek languages, and is said to be able to converse fluently in the Spanish and German tongues. Frank was a college student when the war was commenced, and Jesse a schoolboy in a country place. He had made some progress, had learned to “ read, write and cipher,” and was wrest- ling with “ the knotty intricacies ’ ’ of English Gram- mar and Geography, when his career in school was stopped short by the political events occurring about him. It cannot be expected that Jesse’s literary per- formances should exhibit the classic finish of an Ad- dison or an Irving, and yet barring his faulty or- thography, his style is direct and pointed, and under other circumstances he might have become a very good newspaper reporter. Although Jesse is defi- cient in the command of language to express his views in accordance with the canons of literary crit- icism, yet his letters, if not elegant specimens of composition, are at least vigorous and clear. It is a matter of regret that so few specimens of his 353 354 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. epistolary ability are available. We have succeeded in obtaining copies of a few of his letters, but unfor- tunately, none which reveal the domestic relations and characteristics of the man. Such of Jesse’s let- ters as we have been able to secure, which have any interest for the public, we present in this chapter. 4 The following note was addressed from Jesse to “ a friend ” in Missouri, and came into the hands of a gentleman who, for reasons which the author is bound to respect, desires his name to be withheld. The orthography alone is revised. The year, it will be observed, is not given. Commanche, Texas, June ioth. Dear. Jim : I hear they are making a great fuss about old Dan Askew, and say the James Boys done the killing. It’s one of old Pink’s lies, circulated by his sneaks. I can prove that I was in Texas, at Dallas, on the 12th of May, when the killing was done. Several persons of the highest respectability know that I could not have been in Clay county, Missouri, at that time. I might name a number who could swear to this, whose words would be taken anywhere. It’s my opinion Askew was killed by Jack Ladd and some of Pinkerton’s men. But no meanness is ever done now but the James Boys must bear the blame for it. This is like the balance of the lies they tell about me and my brother. I wish you would correct the lies the Kansas City papers have printed about the shooting of old Askew, and oblige, Yours faithfully, Jesse. The date of the murder of Askew, given in the above letter, is wrong. The event occurred on the night of April 12th, and not May , as the writer of the above note assumes. The following’ is a characteristic note. It contains several allusions unintelligible to the uninitiated. It EPISTLES OF JESSE JAMES. 355 was written to an old comrade, who long ago aban- doned a “ wild life” and is living as a respectable citizen. Ft. Worth, March ioth, 1S77. Dear : The beeves will soon be ready. As soon as the roads dry up, and the streams run down, we will drive. We expect to take a good bunch of cattle in. You may look out. There will be plenty of bellowing after the drive. Remember, it is business. The range is good, I learn, between Sidney and Deadwood. We may go to pasture somewhere in that region. You will hear of it. Tell Sam to come to Honey Grove, Texas, before the ‘drive season’ comes. There’s money in the stock. As ever, Jesse J. The following letter was obtained in Colorado, by a gentleman who claims to be well acquainted with the handwriting of Jesse James, and claims that it was dropped by Jack Bishop. As to its authenticity, we leave the reader to judge. It is in style much such a letter as Jesse James might have written. Rest Ranch, Texas, January 23d. Dear Jack : We had a little fun on the other side of the line lately. A lot of Greasers came over and broke up several ranches. Some of us were down that way, and “ the cow-boys” wanted us to help them, ana we done it. Some of our cattle had been taken, and I don’t owe the yellow legs anything good anyhow. Well, we left some half a dozen or more for carrior.-bird meat. We brought the cattle back. I was confounded glad we met some cavalry out after raiders. There was a big lot of them motley scamps, and we would have had a pretty rough time, I expect. But the sneaks got back as fast as they could. You would have enjoyed the racket. As ever yours, J. W. J. PRANK AND JESSE .TAMES. 35 fi The last letter, to an individual, which we here present, is vouched for as being in the handwriting of Jesse James, by Marshal James Liggett. It was written to George W. Shepherd about two weeks after the Glendale train robbery. In this, as in the other notes given above, we have revised the or- thography, without correcting the grammatical errors. The letter is without date, and runs as follows : Friend George: I can’t wait for you here. I want you to meet me on Rogues Island, and we will talk about that business we spoke of. I would wait for you, but the boys want to leave here. Don’t fail to come, and if we don’t buy them cattle, I will come back with you. Come to the place where we metgoing south that time, and stay in that neighborhood until I find you. Your friend, J- On many occasions Jesse has written, or caused to be written, exculpatory letters for publication in the public journals. We present a few of these as spe- cimens of Jesse’s epistolary style, and because of the interesting character of their allusions to his own conduct. It will be observed that the dates of out- rages on banks and railways, are wrong in several instances, as given in these letters. For instance : The following communication appeared in the Nashville (Tenn.) Banner , of July 10th, 1875 : Ray Town, Mo., July 5th, 1875. Gentlemen : As my attention has been called, recently, to the notice of several sensational pieces copied from the Nashville Union and American, stating that the Jameses and Youngers are in Ken- tucky, I ask space in your valuable paper to say a few words in EPISTLES OF JESSE JAMES. 357 my defence. I would treat these reports with silent contempt, but I have many friends in Kentucky and Nashville that I wish to know that these reports are false and without foundation. I have. never been out of Missouri since the Amnesty Bill was in- troduced into the Missouri Legislature, last March, asking for pardon for the James and Younger Boys. I am in constant com- munication with Governor Hardin, Sheriff Groom, of Clay county, Mo., and several other honorable county and state offi- cials, and there are hundreds of persons in Missouri who will swear that I have not been in Kentucky. There are desperadoes roving round in Kentucky, and it is probably very important for the officials of Kentucky to be vigilant. If a robbery is com- mitted in Kentucky to-daj', detective Bligh, of Louisville, would telegraph all over the United States that the James and Younger Boys did it, just as he did when the Columbia, Kentucky, bank was robbed, April 29th. 1872, Old Bly, the Sherman bummer, who is keeping up all the sensational reports in Kentucky, and if the truth wa§ known, I am satisfied some of the informers are concerned in many robberies charged to the James and Younger Boys for ten years. The radical papers in Missouri and .other states have charged nearly every daring robbery in America to the James and Younger Boys. It is enough for the northern papers to persecute us without the papers of the south; the land we fought for for four years; to save from Northern tyrrany, to be persecuted by papers claiming to be Democratic, is against reason. The people of the south have only heard one side of the report. I will give a true history of the lives of the James and Younger Boys to the Banner in the future ; or rather a sketch of our lives. We have not only been persecuted, but on the night of the 25th of January, 1875, a t the midnight hour, nine Chicago assassins and Sherman bummers, led by Billy Pinkerton, Jr., crept up to my mother’s house and hurled a missile of war (a32-pound shell) in a room among innocent women and children, murdering my eight year old brother and tearing my mother’s right arm off, and wounding several others of the family, and then firing the house in seven places. The radical papers here in Missouri have re- peatedly charged the Russellville. Kentucky, bank robbery to the James and Younger Boys, while it is well known, that on the day 358 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. of the robbery, Marclx2oth, 1869, I was at the Chaplin Hotel in Chaplin, Nelson county, Kentucky, which I can prove by Mr. Tom Marshall, the proprietor, and fifty others; and on that day my brother Frank was at work on the Laponsu Ranch in San Luis Obispo county, California, for J. D. P. Thompson, which can be proven by the sheriff of San Luis Obispo county, and many others. Frank was in Kentucky the winter previous to the robbery, but he left Alexander Sayer’s, in Nelson county, Janu- ary 25th, 1868, and sailed from New York City, January the 16th, which the books of the United States mail line of steamers will show. Probably I have written too much, and probably not enough, but I hope to write much more to the Banner in the future. I will close by sending my kindest regards to old Dr. Eve, and many thanks to him for kindness to me when I was wounded and under his cate. Yours respectfully, Jesse James. The following communications appeared in the Kansas City Times during the excitement succeeding the great train robbery at Rocky Cut, near Otter- ville, Missouri . The first one appeared in the Times in its edition of August 14th, 187(1, and the second one came out on the morning of the 23d of the same month. JESSE JAMES’ FIRST LETTER. Oak G rove, Kan., August 14, 1876. You have published Hobbs Kerry’s confession, which makes it appear that the Jameses and the Youngers were the Rocky Cut robbers. If there was only one side to be told, it would probably be believed by a good many people that Kerry has told the truth. But his so-called confession is a well-built pack of lies from be- ginning to end. I never heard of Hobbs Kerry, Charles Pitts and William Chadwell until Kerry’s arrest. I can prove my inno- cence by eight good, well-known men of Jackson county, and show conclusively that I was not at the train robbery. But at present 1 will only give the names of two of those gentlemen to whom I will refer for proof. EPISTLES OF JESSE JAMES. 359 Early on the morning after the train robbery east of Sedalia, I saw the Hon. D. Gregg, of Jackson county, and talked with him for thirty or forty minutes. I also saw and talked to Thomas Pitcher, of Jackson county, the morning after the robbery. Those two men’s oaths cannot be impeached, so I refer the grand jury of Cooper county, Mo., and Gov. Hardin to those men be- fore they act so rashly on the oath of a liar, thief and robber. Kerry knows that the Jameses and Youngers can’t be taken alive, and that is why he has put it on us. I have referred to Messrs. Pitcher and Gregg because they are prominent men, and they know I am innocent, and their word can’t be disputed. I will write a long article to you for the Times , and send it to you in a few days, showing fully how Hobbs Kerry hashed. Hoping the Times will give me a chance for a fair hearing and to vindi- cate myself through its columns, I will close, Respectfully, J. James. SECOND LETTER. Safe Retreat, Aug. 18, 1876. I have written a great many articles vindicating myself of the false charges that have been brought against me. Detectives have been trying for years to get positive proof against me for some criminal offense, so that they could get a large reward offered for me, dead or alive ; and the same by Frank James and the Younger boys, but they have been foiled on every turn, and they are fully convinced that we will never be taken alive, and now they have fell on the deep-laid scheme to get Hobbs Kerry to tell a pack of base lies. But, thank God, I am yet a free man, and have got the power to defend myself against tire charge brought against me by Kerry, a notorious liar and poltroon. I will give a full statement and prove his confessions false. Lie No. 1. He said a plot was laid by the Jameses and Youngers to rob the Granby bank. I am reliably informed that there never was a bank in Granby. Lie No. 2. He said he met with Cole Y~ounger and me at Mr. Tyler’s. If there is a man in Jackson county by that name, I am sure that I am not acquainted with him. 360 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. Lie No. 3. He said Frank James was at Mr. Butler’s, in Cass county. I and Frank don’t know any man in Cass county by that name. I can prove my innocence by eight good citizens of Jackson county, Mo., but I do not propose to give all their names at present. If I did, those cut-throat detectives would find out where I am. My opinion is that Bacon Montgomery, tne scoundrel who murdered Capt. A.-J. Clements, December, 13, 1866, is the in- stigator of all this Missouri Pacific affair. I believe he planned the robbery and got his share of the money, and when he went out to look for the robbers he led the pursuers off the robbers’ trail. If the truth was half told about Montgomery, it would make the world believe that Montgomery has no equal, only the Bender family and the midnight assassins who murdered my poor, helpless and innocent eight-year old brother, and shot my mother’s arm off; and I am of opinion he had a hand in that dirty, cowardly work. The detectives are a brave lot of boys — charge houses, break down doors and make the grey hairs stand up on the heads of unarmed victims. Why don’t President Grant have the soldiers called in and send the detectives out on special trains after the hostile Indians? A. M. Pinkerton’s force, with hand-grenades, and they will kill all the women and children, Snd as soon as the women and children are killed it will stop the breed, and the warriors will die out in a few years. I believe the railroad robbers will yet be sifted down on some one at St. Louis or Sedalia putting up the job and then trying to have it put on innocent men, as Kerry has done. Hoping the Times will publishjustaslhave written, Iwill close. [ESSE JAMES. I CHAPTER XLVH. GLENDALE. — The last great train robbery — A night ride to a lonely wayside station — How the robbery was effected. The eastern part of Jackson county, the western part of Lafayette, and down southward through Cass county, constitute the very center of the field of operation chosen by the old Guerrilla leaders — Quantrell, Todd, Anderson, Younger, Pool, Clements and the Jameses — during the war. The Sni hills and the timber-crowned undulations bordering the Big Blue, afforded them excellent hiding places when sorely pressed, and from their fastnesses in the hills they could easily make forays into the very suburbs of the garrisoned towns of Kansas City, Independ- ence, Lexington, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville. They knew every pathway over the hills, and every crossing place along the streams. Around and among these forests were the farms and dwellings of their friends, and warm sympathizers in their cause. Time has,. wrought some changes in the country since those days ; but the forest-crowned hills and the deep, tangled thickets, and the sparkling streams still are there. The face of Nature has changed but little among the hills of the Sni, or along the banks of the Blue. It was meet that the bandits, who are believed to be the same men who once were Guer- rillas, should comeback to the scenes of their earlier 361 362 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. adventures to consummate their latest and most dar- ing robbery. October 7th, 1879, was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. The woods had not yet assumed their sober brown hues of autumn, but nature was lovely in the rich ripeness of the summer’s close. The great tide of human life flowed on in its accustomed channels. Some were engaged in the pursuit of pleasure ; some were in search of gain ; others were toiling for bread ; some were* happy in having accomplished their designs ; others were wretched in realizing the bitterness of disappointment; some were glad in the knowledge that they had contributed to the happi- ness of their fellow-mortals ; others were miserable because they beheld the gladness of their neighbors, and knew of the triumphs of their rivals ; some planned good deeds ; others plotted dark crimes. These all go to constitute the atoms of the mighty tide of human life ; and their plans, purposes and deeds all contribute to the production of the surges and swirls of the stream as it flows through time to the gulf of eternity. There were always plotters. Since the world be- gan men have schemed, and until the end of time there will be the good and the bad in humanity, sometimes one and sometimes the other qualitypre- dominating. And so, while the autumn sunshine was golden, and the wood-cricket’s chirp was mourn- ful, the schemers were prodding their brain in the (levising of a scheme to commit a grievous crime.. GLENDALE. 363 Glendale is a lonely wayside station in the western part of Lafayette county, Missouri, on the line of the Chicago & Alton railway, Kansas City branch. There is a water-tank, a little station-house, and a few houses in a narrow vale, wedged in between rugged hills, which are covered with lofty trees and tangled thickets, a fit place for the rendezvous of a banditti. Glendale is about twenty miles from Kansas City, and on the line of the road between Independence and Blue Springs, in the very midst of a region where many of the darkest crimes and deeds of blood which marked the Guerrilla warfare of the border were committed both by the Federal militia and the Confederate Guerrillas. The country about Glendale is one of the wildest regions in Western Missouri , and the hills and dark ravines afford excel- lent opportunites for the concealment of both men and horses. A better situation for a successful foray by brigands does not exist on the line of the road between Chicago and Kansas City. The night express train, bound from Kansas City to Chicago and St. Louis, left the Union Depot in the first-named city on the evening of the 7th, at six o’clock, and consequently was due at Glendale at about seven o’clock — a short time after daylight had faded from the west. Now, as we have before intimated, Glendale is a place with a nice name, but few r inhabitants. Though perhaps it is not destined to go down to history 'with 364 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. the historic interest attached to Arbela, Malplaquet, Shiloh, Kennesaw or Waterloo, yet so early in its his- tory Glendale has become famous. The incident which contributed so much to this result occurred on the evening of the 7th of October, 1879. In ad- dition to the station-house, the business of Glendale is represented by a post-office and a general store, kept by the postmaster. The evening in question was very pleasant outside of houses, and when the curtains of night were drawn, and the store was lighted, the postmaster and four others, who consti- tuted the male population of the place, except the station agent, Mr. Mclntire, had gathered in front of the little store to discuss the neighborhood’s affairs. They were quietly interchanging views. Suddenly a stranger joined the circle, and, walking quickly to where the proprietor was sitting, he tapped him on the shoulder and said : “ I want you.” “ What do you want?” asked the other. The new arrival did not deign to answer the ques- tion, but quietly stepped away, and said : “Here, boys.” In a minute — nay, a moment — half a dozen rough- looking men, muffled and masked, stood by his side, armed with huge pistols and wicked-looking knives. Their pistols they held cocked in their hands. Then the leader, in a harsh, grating voice, said : “Now, take care, make tracks out of this ! GLENDALE. 365 The terrified citizens started to obey. As they were going, the leader said : “ To the depot, do you hear ! ” In great consternation, the little company of citi- zens filed away to the depot. In the depot was the operator and agent, Mr. Mclntire, and Mr. W. E. Bridges, assistant auditor of the Chicago & Alton railway company, already under duress. When the citizens were all assembled in the room , the leader said : “Now, sit down, act clever and keep still, or you will not have heads left on you.” Of course, obedience to such an order was just then regarded by all the parties as a great virtue, and they therefore obeyed. The masked men, who had now assembled to the number of twelve, according to one account — four- teen by another witness — tore away the telegraphic instrument and went out and cut the wires. The in- strument was smashed. “Now,” said the leader, whose only mask was a long dark beard, “I want you to lower that green light!” “But,” said the agent, “the train willstopif I do.” “That’s the alum ! precisely what we want it to do, my buck, and the sooner you obey orders the better. I will give you a minute to lower the light,” said the bearded leader, at the same time thrust- ing a cocked pistol to the face of the agent. The operator could see the long, bright barrel of the pistol, and the dark, cavernous interior of the 23 366 FRANK AND .JESSE JAMES. tube had a forbidding appearance. He looked up into the face of the long-bearded man. He saw a cold, fixed look, and every indication, so far as fea- tures could reveal intentions, that the robber chief- tain meant just what he said, and he lowered the light. Of course the position of the light was an order to the conductor to stop at Glendale and re- ceive fresh instructions, according to the code of sig- nals in use among railway men. But to be perfectly sure of the expected plunder, and in order to destroy even the possibility of the train passing without making a stojy, the robbers heaped a pile of cross-ties, fence rails and other lum- ber across the track. Having completed their prepar- ations, the robbers quietly awaited the coming of the train. It was a little after seven o’clock. The prisoners in the station-house were wondering about what would happen next, and especially were they con- cerned and anxious respecting what should happen to them. Then the distant rumbling of the train was heard ; louder and louder it fell upon the ears of the listeners. The engineer saw the signal displayed which commanded him to stop. He sounded the whistle and ordered the brakes on. The train stood still on the track, with the engine at the tank. The conductor, with lantern in hand, sprang upon the platform ere the wheels had ceased to revolve, and was about to proceed to the little station-house GLENDALE. 367 to receive his orders. But he had made little prog- ress in that direction, when a man rushed up to him with a cocked revolver, which beheld out as if about to fire. This man was speedily joined by another, who was also armed in a like manner. Both the men wore masks. Mr. Greeman, the conductor, was of course powerless to resist such odds, and with min- gled feelings of alarm and disgust was compelled to await the pleasure of the strange men whom he now knew to be robbers. Two men rushed up to the cab of the locomotive and made prisoners of the en- gineer and fireman by the presentation of pistols, and the stern declaration that instant death would certainly follow a failure to obey, or an attempt at resistance. One of the robbers addressing the en- gineer, called out : “ Hand me that coal hammer of yours ! ” “What do you want with it?” asked the other. “ Hand it here very quick, or you'll never have use for another,” was the emphatic command of the robber, accompanied by a very significant movement of the pistol arm. Thus appealed to, the engineer obeyed. The large hammer used by stokers to break coal was handed to the masked desperado. Then a group of the masked men, with the long- bearded man at their head, gathered at the door of the express car. One of the men with the coal- hammer then commenced beating in the door of the car. The messenger, who was in charge of 368 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. a large sum of money — more than $35,000 in cur- rency and much other valuable property — was in- side, but had refused to open the door. The mes- senger, Mr. William Grimes, could hear the blows of the ponderous hammer, and knew that his place would soon be open to the marauders. The door was already yielding — it was falling to splinters, and a minute later the car was broken into by the masked and armed robbers. Grimes, in the meanwhile, had formed a hasty plan to escape with the money. While the robbers were beating in the door, he opened the safe, took therefrom a large amount of money, hastily deposited it in a satchel, re-locked the door of the safe, and was in the act of attempting to escape by the other door. He was too late. The robbers sprang into the car before he was ready to leave it. In any event, es- cape vas rendered impossible by the fact that the other door of the car was guarded. He could only have escaped a part of the band to fall into the hands of their comrades. When the robbers rushed into the car, after hav- ing broken the door open, one of them cried out to the messenger : “ Here, you ! Give me that key ! ” “I will not. You may take it,” answered the messenger. The words had no more than escaped his lips, when one of the gang in the car dealt him a terrible blow with the butt of a heavy revolver, which felled GLENDALE. 369 him to the floor. They took the key, opened the safe, and rifled it of all its contents which were of value to them. They then took the packages from the messenger’s satchel, and the great railway and express robbery at Glendale was an accomplished fact. During the time occupied by a part of the robber band about the express car, a patrol was distributed along the sides of the train, and these were discharg- ing fire-arms at intervals, for the purpose, as is sup- posed, of intimidating the passengers. The whole time occupied in completing this great robbery probably did not exceed ten minutes. The whole amount of booty secured was probably fully forty thousand dollars. The passengers were greatly alarmed during these proceedings. Valuables were hastily concealed under seats, about the persons of the owners, and wherever else a place not likely to be examined by the robbers could be found. After concluding the work which brought them to Glen- dale, the brigands, amid the reports of pistol shots, set up a shout which echoed among the hills for a long distance around, sought their horses, mounted, and rode away through the gloom. They had locked the citizens in the little station-house. These waited until everything seemed still about the place, for the train had moved on, and then they broke down the door and walked out of their temporary prison-house. CHAPTEK XL VIII. HUNTING CLUES.— Marshal Liggett— His efforts to hunt down the robbers — Jesse James once more to the front. After the affair at Glendale, the marshal of Kan- sas City, Major James Liggett, a cool-tempered, clear-headed man, took charge of the case and di- rected all movements intended to result in the dis- covery of the robbers. It was soon ascertained be- yond a doubt that Jesse James had been in Kansas City only a few days before the robbery. Then the inquiry proceeded as to who else had probably been participants. It came to the knowledge of the mar- shal that Jim Cummings, Ed. Miller and a hard character named Blackamore, had been moving about the country in a suspicious way. Little by little, fragmentary scraps of information were secured, and a generalization of all the facts led to the geu- eral conclusion that the train robbery at Glendale had been effected under the direction of the James Boys; that certainly Jesse, and probably Frank, had participated in it, and that Jim Cummings, Ed. Miller and Blackamore were probable accomplices. The next important point to gain, was information concerning the route traveled by the bandits in their retreat from the scene of their lawless depreda- tions. This was not so easy a task as the uninitiated might conclude. The character of much of the 370 HUNTING CLUES. 371 country in western Missouri, with the thorough knowledge of the region possessed by the principals in the outrage, forbade an easy discovery of the route which they had taken. But the marshal had called about him men as well acquainted with the country as any of Quantrell’s old raiders could be, and the little information gathered by each one, finally brought together, led to the inference that they had gone in a southerly direction toward the Indian Ter- ritory. The inference afteward became a certainty. Their “trail” was discovered. Men were at once placed at various points on their probable line of retreat ; men were dispatched on their trail to hunt them to their places of con- cealment. There were men in western Missouri who had ridden with the old Guerrilla band, bold, daring men, who laid aside the weapons of destruction when the war closed ; men who had never learned the meaning of the word fear, who yet became weary of turmoil and strife, and settled down in life as quiet citizens, who long ago ceased to sympathize with their old comrades in their acts of outlawry, and who, notwithstanding their peaceable demeanor, were subjected to annoying suspicions at every re- currence of the yjsitations of their former associates ; who felt when the train was robbed at Glendale that it was time to take a positive stand on the side of the law and to co-operate with the otficers in every en- deavor to put an end to such depredations for all time by capturing the depredators. These persons 372 FT! AN K AND .TESSE JAMES. became active allies of Marshal Liggett in his efforts against the bandits, and materially contributed to the discovery of the robbers and the line which they had chosen on their retreat. So the active campaign began. There is reason to believe that after the robbery was consummated, at least a part of the band went into Clay county, and remained in seclu- sion there for some days. Then they started south. It was pending these events that Marshal Liggett made an arrangement with George W. Shepherd, formerly a Guerrilla captain under whom Jesse James served near the close of the war, to take part in the campaign , then about to be prosecuted against the bandits. As subsequent events have brought Shepherd prominently before the public, and the mystery which attaches to some of the proceedings will continue to excite the interest of the public until it is cleared up, it is deemed best to present a brief history of the career of George W. Shepherd in this connection. CHAPTER XLIX. GEORGE W. SHEPHERD.— The childhood and youth of Shepherd — His adventures in Utah — Enters the Confederate service — Joins Quantrell’s band- — Gets into trouble with the gang at the time of Rus- sellville — Becomes inimical to the Jameses — Engages with Marshal Liggett — Joins the band — The Short Creek fight. The name of George W Shepherd, which attained prominence during the old Guerrilla times, when he was one of Quantrell’s most trusted lieutenants, had passed out of the public mind, in a measure, until the events following the Glendale train robbery once more brought it prominently before the country. At the time of the affair at Glendale, Shepherd was following a peaceful avocation in Kansas City. It was known to the marshal of that place, and other officers of the law, that the relations sub- sisting between the James Boys and Shepherd had been rather unfriendly for several years, and overtures were made looking to his en- gaging in the pursuit of the outlaws. Shepherd’s reputation for desperate courage was not inferior to that of any other man in the days when he led a band of Quantrell’s men, and when Marshal Liggett, of Kansas City, had obtained his consent to engage iii the desperate undertaking, everyone expected some sensational denouement. A history of the Jameses, after the events which occurred since Glen- dale, would be incomplete without some notice of 373 374 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. George W. Shepherd, the man who is credited with engaging in a terrible conflict with Jesse W. James and his followers, near Joplin, Missouri, resulting in the alleged death of the outlaw, and in Shepherd’s receiving a severe wound in the left leg. George W. Shepherd is a son of the late Janies Shepherd, a respectable farmer of Jackson county, Missouri. He was born near Independ- ence, January 17th, 1842, on a farm now be- longing to the Staten heirs. There were two brothers older than George, namely, John and James M., and one brother his junior, whose name was William. J . M. Shepherd is now a respectable farmer in Jackson county During his boyhood, George resided with his parents on the farm, and when of sufficient age he attended the neighborhood school for a few months every summer and winter until he was able “to read, write and cipher,” as he expressed it. In early youth he manifested an adventurous and somewhat wayward disposition. In 1857 he left home and proceeded to Utah, where he joined the army, at that time operating against the Mor- mons under the command of General Albert Sydney Johnston. The Shepherd family, which originally came from Virginia, were a race of pioneers, and the disposition of the subject of this notice to seek ex- citing adventure on the borderland of civilization was legitimately inherited. After a varied experience, and absence of two years, George returned to Missouri in the autumn of GEORGE W. SHEPHERD. 375 1859, and resumed farming operations with his brothers. He continued in this employment on a farm about one mile and a half distant from Inde- pendence, until the commencement of warlike prep- arations in 1861. Seized by the prevailing military fever, and his surroundings being all Southern, George W. Shepherd was among the first to cast his lot with the Confederate recruits. He enlisted in company A, Captain Duncan’s of Rosser’s regiment. This command participated in the great battles fought at Wilson’s Creek arid Pea Ridge, and engaged in many other skirmishes in Missouri and Arkansas, in all of which he took a part. When the Confederate army, under the command of General Sterling Price, was ordered to the east of the Mississippi, young Shep- herd returned to Jackson county, and soon afterward joined QuantreU's command of Guerrillas. The war record of Shepherd would fill a volume if written out in full. F or this we have not the space. We can only summarize the chief events in this part of his career. We first hear of George Shepherd in a desperate charge made by Quantrell’s men on the garrison at Independence, in February, 1862. On that occasion he and a comrade, Wil- liam Gregg, swept down one of the streets of Independence, causing the greatest consternation, and inflicting no little damage on the soldiers of Col. Burris’ command. From that day forward Shepherd took rank among the most daring of Quantrell’s men. 376 FRANK AND JESSE JAIMES. When Quantrell’s small command of twenty men was surrounded at night by a large Federal force, while asleep in the Tate house, near Santa Fe, Jack- son county, Missouri, in March, 1862, Shepherd was with the Guerrillas there, and was selected to guard one of the doors of the house. The conflict which ensued was terrible. After some minutes’ fight ing , and when the house had been fired, the Federals de- sired a parley with a view of inducing the Guerrillas Burning the Tate House at Santa Fe. to surrender. Shepherd commanded the men who defended the lower rooms of the house. He asked for twenty minutes time. It could not be granted. For ten minutes. No. For five minutes then. No, if the Guerrillas did not yield within one minute, not a man of them should escape, was the ultimatum of the Federal officer. “ Then count sixty” exclaimed Shepherd, “and take the consequences.” The fight GEORGE W. SHEPHERD. 377 was renewed. That house had become a pandemo- nium. In it were such men as Cole Younger, Stephen Shores, John Jarratte, James Little, Hoy, Haller, and others. The Federal commander per- mitted Major Tate and his family to leave the house. Then the fighting was resumed more fiercely than before. The building* was on fire. It was manifest lhat the Guerrillas would be forced to evacuate their fortress. It was resolved to break through the Federal line. Quantrell led the desperate charge, followed by George Shepherd, Jarrette, Younger, Toler, Little, Hoy and others. Seventeen men made the attempt, and succeeded in making their escape. Three had surrendered before the attempt was made. Once, in the spring of 1862, George Shepherd, Cole Younger and Oliver Shepherd were surrounded at the house of John Shepherd in Jackson county. Their peril was imminent. The Federal force num- bered ten to their one. Cole Younger was about to lead a desperate sortie, when Martin Shepherd, Scott, Little and John Coger came up and attached the Federals in the rear. This diversion enabled the Shepherds and Younger to escape from the house. Soon after the incident noted above, George Shepherd and Cole Younger were detailed to go into Jackson county for the purpose of collecting ammunition. They had collected a large amount of the materials of war which were most needed in Quantrell’ s command. One day they went to find 378 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. a wagon to convey the ammunition to camp. They were at a house behind which was an orchard, and this had been sown in rye which was now tall and luxuriant. While at this house seventy-live Federal troopers surrounded the place, and demanded their surrender. They refused and made a rush to the rye-grown orchard ground, where they had hitched their horses. Beyond the orchard was a skirt of timber, now clothed in luxuriant green. They gained the orchard in safety, although followed by a storm of bullets. Mounting, they made a dash for the forest. But they were not destined to reach it unscathed. Three buckshot had penetrated the bod}" of Cole Younger, and George Shepherd was hit hard and badly wounded. He, however, continued his flio'ht until he reached a shelter where he could O receive surgical attention. It Avas about harvest time, 1862, that Major Pea- body undertook to capture Quantrell’s band by a vigorous movement with superior forces. The tAvo joined issue at Swearingen’s place, a few miles from Pleasant Hill, Cass county. A series of desperate encounters followed. The Guerrillas were forced to seek shelter in the woods. In the lights which en- sued, George Shepherd lost his horse. The Guerril- las suffered fearfully, both in the neighborhood of Swearingen’s barn, and later in a depression near Fred. Farmer’s house. A number of Quantrell’s followers were seriously wounded. George Shep- herd had great difficulty in escaping fi’om this GEORGE W. SHEPHERD. 379 sanguinary engagement. He was again wounded, though not severely. Col. Upton Hayes, Col. Gideon Thompson and Col. John T. Hughes, co-operating, resolved upon attacking Independence, then garrisoned by a Fed- eral force of about five hundred men, under com- mand of Col. J. T. Buell, now of St. Louis. The Confederate forces numbered about seven hundred. Quantrell was requested to aid the enterprise, and joined his forces with the regular Confederate troops in an attack on Independence. George Shepherd was there, and fought with desperate valor. After the battle was over, when Quantrell was asked to name the men of his command who had most dis- tinguished themselves for daring courage, George Shepherd was designated as one among half a dozen others. In the early days of the autumn of 1862, George Todd, commanding about fifty men, prepared an ambuscade, with rifle pits, on the road leading from Kansas City to Harrisonville. The place was ad- mirably selected, and the utmost caution and vigi- lance was observed in guarding it, but it came near being a slaughter-pen for the Guerrillas. One even- ing he succeeded in destroying a wagon train, and scattering the escort which accompanied it. But sometime afterward, Gregg, Scott, Haller and Shep- herd, with a number of followers, re-occupied the rifle pits. George Shepherd was sent out on the road toward Harrisonville, south of the ambuscade. 380 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. It was, perhaps, past ten o’clock at night. The rifle pits were still, and the droning hum of insects was the only sound to break the silence. Shepherd was motionless at his post down the road. Suddenly he was made conscious of the presence of an enemy, by a tall form which rose up at his right stirrup — a form which had apparently come from the shadows Geo. W. Shepherd. around him. But it was no apparition conjured up by a disordered brain. The leveling of a gun barrel at his breast, and the sharp utterance of the single word, “surrender!” convinced George Shepherd that the form was very real. A glance satisfied him that crouching forms ■ re all about him, and all were GEORGE W. SHEPHERD. 381 armed. He threw himself forward, shot the dis- mounted trooper in the breast as he whirled his horse around, and received a scattering volley as he dashed away to arouse his comrades in the rifle pits. The Federal forces were under command of Major Hubbard, a gallant officer of the Sixth Missouri Cavalry. He had received full information about Todd’s rifle pits, had dismounted his command, and but for Shepherd’s extraordinary nerve and presence of mind, he would have made a complete surprise of the Guerrilla garrison. As it was, a terrible conflict ensued, and a number of Federals were killed and eight of the Guerrillas were wounded, among them Shepherd, who received a slight flesh wound In August, 1863, Quantrell began to rally around his standard all the small, detached bands in West- ern Missouri for his expedition against Lawrence, Kansas. At this time Shepherd was one of his con- fidential advisers. In that grim council of war, sum- moned by the Guerrilla chieftain to consider the fea- sibility of engaging in such an enterprise, George Shepherd sat among the stern, relentless warriors of the border. When Fletcher Taylor returned from Lawrence, whither he had gone to obtain information concern- ing the military situation there, and made his report at Quantrell’ s headquarters to the assembled lead- ers, the Chief spoke : “You have heard the report. Before you decide, you should know it all. The march to Lawrence is FRANK AND JESSE TAMES. 382 a long one ; in every little village there are soldiers. We 1 eave soldiers behind ns ; we march between gar- risons of soldiers ; we attack a town guarded by sol- diers ; we must retreat th rough swarms of armed men ; and when we would rest after such an exhaustive march, we must do so with soldiers all about us, and do the best we can. Come, speak out, somebody ! What is it, Shepherd? ” Thus appealed to, the answer came deliberately and firmly from George Shepherd : “Lawrence! I know the place of old. They make no difference there between negroes and white people. It is a Boston colony, and it should be cleared out.” And the others gave similar replies, and so the expedition, which was destined to be fraught witli consequences so baleful, was resolved upon. George Shepherd went with the rest of the command, and in the terrors and tragedies of that dreadful day, he had his share. The winter of 1863-4, Shepherd spent in Quan- trell’s camp, in the vicinity of Sherman, Texas, lead- ing a comparatively inactive life ; but the following summer he was engaged in innumerable skirmishes. At Pink Hill, in Johnson county, at Pleasant Hill, at Keytesville, and many other places the fighting was severe. Then came the mustering to aid Gen- eral Price. In that summer campaign the Guerrillas took a conspicuous part. Toward the middle of September, Bill Anderson was carrying destruction GEORGE W. SHEPHERD. 383 to many neighborhoods in North Missouri. Todd and Anderson combined, had a force of a little more than two hundred men. In this troop rode George Shepherd. He was present at Centralia. The particulars of that dreadful day’s work are given in another place in this volume, and need notnowbe re- cited. It may be accepted as a fact that George Shepherd perfonned his partin that carnival of Death . Price and Shelby were compelled to retii’e from Missouri. In a desperate encounter with the Federal advance, in pursuit of the retiring Confederate army, Todd, who was protecting the rear, was killed. George Shepherd succeeded him in the command, and after lingering a while in Missouri, he led the remainder of the once formidable band of Guerrillas, save about twenty men, who went with Quantrell into Kentucky — to Texas. The forces under Shep- herd had fighting all the way. The Indians beset their pathway and struck at them viciously as they marched. Among those who went to Texas with this force was Jesse James. In the following spring the Guerrillas, or at least a part of them, returned. The cause of the Confederacy had suffered. Lee surrendered. Johnston followed. The catastrophe came ; the Confederacy was no more. Then the Guerrillas of Missouri were permitted to go in and surrender, and. all save eight men of the band which Shepherd had led back from Texas surrendered. His career as a Guerrilla had ended, and Shepherd went to Kentucky soon after the close of the war. CHAPTER L. PURSUIT OF THE GLENDALE ROBBERS.— Shepherd goes south with the gang — He plans an ambuscade — Failure of his plan — The robbers sus- picious of Shepherd — The fight in the forest. During the days succeeding the robbery, the mar- shal had learned sufficient to satisfy him that the robbers had gone into retreat in Clay county ; and becoming aware of the fact that Shepherd was working in Kansas City, the officer sought him out and engaged him as a detective to assist him in the pursuit. Shepherd consented, and it was arranged that he should, in some way, place himself hi com- munication with the gang. The unfriendly relations existing between Shepherd and the Jameses pre- sented a serious difficulty. The plan adopted to overcome this was shrewdly devised. A story was told, and industriously circulated, that it was a mat- ter of little doubt that George W. Shepherd was engaged in the robbery, and that in consequence he had fled to parts unknown. This was not all ; Mar- shal Liggett had printed on a slip of paper, already printed on one side, an item to the effect that Shep- herd was believed to be implicated in the robbery. It was reported to have been clipped from one of the Kansas City papers. What follows in relation to this enterprise is based upon the statements of Shep- herd. He relates that he went to Clay county, vis- ited the residence of Mrs. Samuels ; saw that lady; 384 PURSUIT OF THE GLENDALE ROBBERS. 385 told her a story about his persecution by the detec- tives about the Glendale business ; showed her the pseudo newspaper clipping, and expressed a desire to become a member of the gang ; that he was blind- folded ; led a long way, and when relieved of his eye bandages, he found himself in the midst of the gang confronted by Jesse James ; that- his reception was anything but pleasant, but that finally he was able to convince them that he, like themselves, was hunted ; that he became cognizant of all their plans, and then sought and obtained permission to go into Kansas City after having taken a terrible oath to re- veal nothing and act true in every respect* with the band. He came into Kansas City, related all that he had seen and heard to the marshal ; was furnished a fleet horse, pistols and blankets, and returned to the gang. Liggett was informed by Shepherd that-they would leave Clay county at a certain time ; that they would cross near Sibley at a certain other time, and would be at a certain place at a certain hour, where he could see them if he so desired. Marshal Liggett, acting upon this information, proceeded to the point designated, and at the hour named he had the satis- faction of seeing a party of armed men cross at the previously announced place, and among them recog- nized his chosen detective, Shepherd. The robbers passed on southward. Hogue’s Island is in the river Marais des Cygnes, not far from Fort Scott. Here the band camped one night. Their plan was to rob the bank of Street & McArthur at Short Creek, PRANK AND JESSE JAMES. 380 Kansas. This was to he effected on Sunday even- ing, Nov. 2d, at 3 o’clock. When Shepherd arrived in the camp on Shoal Creek, about nine miles south- east of Shoi’t Creek, he exhibited his pseudo news item to Jesse James, and in other ways succeeded in convincing him that he was also an outlaw, and Shepherd was thenceforward treated as “a man and a brother.” He states that the party consisted of Jesse James, Jim Cummings, Ed. Miller, and Sam Kaufman. It has been ascertained that the person who was supposed to be Sam Kaufman was one Blackamore. The plan to rob the bank was known to the authorities, and contrary to the pre-arranged measures for the capture of the outlaws, the guard of armed men who were to have been in waiting at the hour appointed for the raid, went on duty early in the morning. Jesse James that morning went from the Shoal Creek camp to Short Creek, and was in the town when the guardsmen assumed their places, and he noted everything. Of course this mistake on the part of those engaged in the efforts to capture them, caused a change in the plans of the gang. Shepherd, well armed and mounted, rode to the camp in the afternoon, after having been informed by Jesse James of the situation at Short Creek in the morning when they met. He found the brigands much alarmed, preparing to break camp. Mike and Tom Cleary, two of Shepherd’s assistants, were to form an ambuscade, but this part of the arrangement failed PURSUIT OP THE GLENDALE ROBBERS. 387 because of the sudden movement of the band. Shep- herd was to proceed to camp, provoke a quarrel with Jesse, shoot him and flee, when of course the other members of the gang would follow. But the camp was broken up too soon. The ambushers could not reach their place in time. Shepherd re- lates that they were riding scattered out in the woods ; that he was riding near, and a little in the rear of Jesse James ; that he suddenly drew a pistol, called out, “Damn you, Jesse James ! thirteen years ago you killed my cousin, Frank Shepherd.” At the first word Jesse wheeled his horse and sought his pistol. He was too late. Shepherd fired, the ball taking effect just behind the left ear, and Jesse James fell heavily to the ground. After firing, Shepherd says no one moved for a few seconds, when he, suddenly realizing his position, wheeled his horse around, and driving his spurs deep into the animal’s flanks, dashed away. At the same time Cummings rode furiously toward him, while Miller went to the as- sistance of the fallen chief. The pursuit of Cummings was persistent and rapid. Blackamore soon fell behind in the chase, but Cummings gained on Shep- herd until at last it became necessary for the latter to make a stand and fight it out there. As he wheeled his horse to carry out this resolution, a ball from Cummings’ pistol took effect in the calf of Shepherd’s left leg. The firing which had been maintained during a chase of three miles, now be- came quick and furious, and the result for a time 388 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. was doubtful. At last, Shepherd says, a ball took effect in Cummings’ side, and he turned his horse and rode back through the Avoods by the way they came. Shepherd rode into Short Creek to have his Avound attended to. The foregoing is Shepherd’s account of his pur- suit of the Glendale robbers and contest Avith Jesse James. But developments since do not sustain the statements in many important particulars. The re- lation appears to be correct up to the time of the shooting, but it is iioav clear that he did not Avound Jesse James. The truth is that Jesse James was at all times sus- picious of Shepherd’s motives, and from the time he joined them he was watched with a ceaseless vigi- lance. The outlaws had little confidence in his pro- testations, and his movements aawtc carefully ob- served. They went into camp oii Shoal Creek, Shepherd being with them. According to their custom they arranged to remove to another camping place about three miles aAvay the next da}’ It was Saturday night, and Shepherd obtained the consent of his ostensible confederates to go into Short Creek. One of the brigands, assuming a disguise, followed him for the purpose of watching his move- ments. This man discovered that Shepherd A\ T as laying a train for the capture of the band. During Sunday morning, it appears Shepherd met Jesse James, who informed him that “the game Avas up” in Short PURSUIT OF TIFF GLENDALE ROBBERS. 389 Creek, and that they had been give n away. Shep- herd agreed in this view of the situation, and the two separated. Later in the day Shepherd went to the camp, where he had left them. a It was deserted, but he found their trail, and followed it to where the new camp was established. The fact that it was not the place which had been selected in Shepherd’s presence, ought to have warned him that his situation was one of extreme peril. But it appears that he did not consider this 'evidence that he was distrusted, and approached the camp. The moment he appeared Jim Cummings opened fire upon him, and mounting his horse gave chase. Both men were well mounted, but Camming’ s horse was the superior one of the two. Shepherd, placing the reins of the bridle in his teeth, and drawing two revolvers, the fight com- menced. He received a bullet wound in the calf of his left leg, and in turn shot Cummings in the right side, which fractured the sixth rib and wounded the intercostal artery. Some fragments of clothing, driven into the wound, arrested the flow of blood from the artery, else the probabilities are that the wound would have proved fatal. As it was, the surgeon, who has furnished the above facts, removed the foreign matter, took out some fragments of bone, put a ligature on the artery, and in a short time the wounded bandit went on his way. It is asserted as a fact, that Jesse James was neither wounded nor killed, but rode away a picture of health and vitality. The peril of Shepherd was 390 FRANK ANT) JESSE JAMES. imminent. Hud be not wounded Cummings, that desperado woidd soon have come up with him, when the death of one or both of them would have been inevitable. « The whole relation but confirms what has been reiterated in the pages of this volume, that the re- sources and shrewdness of Jesse James are truly wonderful ; that in all respects he and his brother are men of extraordinary capacity, and that in cour- age, skill, adroitness, and vitality, they are men strangely endowed. What they may yet accomplish is hidden in the unrevealed future, which to our questioning returns no answer. CHAPTER LI. ALLEN PARMER. — Becomes a member of Quan- trell’s band — Takes part in the sack of Lawrence — With Quantrell in Kentucky — Marries Jesse James’ sister — Accused of complicity with the Glendale robbers. Allen Parmer is a Missourian. His boyhood days were passed principally in Jackson county. When the late war broke over the country, Allen- Parmer was a youth, little fitted to enter the ranks with fighting men. Yet he became a member of Quantrell’ s band. He first came into prominence among his comrades in August, 1863, at the capture and sack of Lawrence, Kansas. That day Parmer was a member of the squad led by Bill Anderson, who murdered without compunction and destroyed without feeling. He escaped with the rest of the band. He was at Independence ; at Lone Jack ; at Camden ; at Weston ; in their lairs among the Sni Hills, and along the waters of the Blues. He was one of the six men who remained with Todd at Judge Gray’s house, near Bone Hill, Jackson county, when Captain John Chestnut arrrived in that neighborhood, in September, 1864, bearing a communication from General Price to the Guerrillas, which at once caused a rally of the old partisans. He was selected by Lieut. Geo. W. Shepherd as one of the picked men ordered on a dangerous expedi- tion to the north side of the Missouri. The Guerrilla 391 392 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES campaign there was short, but bloody. The terrible massacre and rout at Centralia was the crowning event, and Parmer performed a conspicuous part in that conflict. All through the operations of the Guerrillas he was one of the most daring in the band. He was one of the executioners of Bradley Bond, a (Williams & Thomson, Photographers, Kansas City, Mo.; militiaman of Clay county. He and Frank James captured the man, and afterward he was shot. When Missouri no longer offered a field for opera- tions, and Quantrell entered upon his last campaign ALLEN PARMER. 393 in Kentucky, Allen Parmer was one of the old Guer- rillas who followed him. The Federal garrison was compelled to surrender at Hustonville, Lincoln county, Kentucky. Thenceforward Quantrell was known in his true character. In a fight in Jessamine county, George Roberson and a member of Quan- trell’s command, was captured, taken to Louisville, and confined in prison, but subsequently escaped. Afterward he was captured again, taken to Lexing- ton, transferred to Louisville once more, and there arraigned before a court-martial, tried, convicted and sentenced to be hanged on a charge of murdering the Federal major at Hustonville, who fell by the hand of Parmer. Roberson was afterward publicly executed at Louisville. Parmer took part in all the-dreadful frays of Quan- trell’s little band in Kentucky. When peace once more brooded over flic land, he returned to Missouri, and commenced a commission business in St. Louis, with J. W. Shawhan for a part- ner, under the style of Shawhan & Co. This was in 1866. It does not appear that the firm was very successful. Parmer is said to have lost several thousand dollars in this venture. Later, the business was closed out. Payne Jones, and some others, among them Jim White, a friend of Parmer, were im- plicated in a bank robbery at Richmond, Mo. Mayor Shaw was killed at that time. Suspicion attached to Parmer as being one of the robbers, and he was arrested, but, on examination, discharged. Then 394 FRANK AND JESSE JAMES. he led a sort of roving life for some years, some- times in Missouri, then in Texas, sometimes in Col- orado, then in the Indian Territory. Finally he came to regard Texas as his home. In 1870 he re- turned to Jackson county, where his boyhood had been passed. For a long time his relations with the James family had been friendly, and when he came to woo Miss Susan James, the sister of Frank and Jesse, she did not deny his suit, and they were mar- ried, and removed to Arkansas the same year. He remained in that state during the autumn and win- ter, and in the spring of 1871 he removed with his family to Texas. For a time, his wife taught a school at Sherman. Subsequently, Parmer estab- lished a ranche near Henriette, Clay county, Texas, about 120 miles west of Sherman. Clay county lies on the Red river, directly south of the Kiowa In- dian reservation. Here he had all the freedom lie desired, and for some years he tended his herds and was prosperous. He frequently made trips to Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago with droves of cattle. When the train robbery at Glendale took place, the authorities sought for clues to the robbers in every direction. Mr. Grimes, the express messen- ger who was knocked down by one of the robbers who wore no mask, was able to give a vivid and minute description of the features of his assailant, and that description suited the personnel of Parmer. Deputy Marshal Whig Iveshlear was dispatched to ALLEN PARMER. 395 Texas by Marshal Liggett to effect Parmer’s arrest. He proceeded to Sherman, where he met and con- ferred Avith Mr. Everhart, sheriff of Grayson county. That officer readily consented to assist in the ar- rest of Parmer, and proceeded at once to his ranche, near Henriette. The officers effected the arrest without difficulty, November 2d, 1879, under a requisition from Governor Phelps, of Missouri. Parmer was taken by the officers to Sherman. He was followed by a number of his friends from Clay county. There the prisoner attempted to regain his liberty by a writ of habeas corpus. But the judge before whom the writ was returned ruled out testi- mony, and remanded the prisoner to the custody of the officers from Missouri, in obedience to the requisition of the govenor of that state. Parmer took exceptions and appealed. Marshal Liggett, however, had sworn out a warrant for his arrest be- fore a United States Commissioner, charging him with interrupting the United States mail. But this was unnecessary, for, on hearing the case, the state authorities of Texas discharged the writ, and re- manded the prisoner again to the custody of the Missouri officers, who at once set out for Kansas City, where they arrived with their prisoner Novem- ber 23d, and Parmer was promptly incarcerated in the Jackson county jail. He emphatically denied all complicity in the Glendale affair, and after four weeks’ imprisonment was discharged, the authorities failing to connect him with the robbery in any way. CHAPTER LII. , JESSE JAMES STILL A FREE ROVER.— The sequel to the fight with Shepherd — Jesse and his wife visit relatives and friends in Kentucky — An unsuccessful attempt to capture the outlaw. It required no ordinary sagacity to escape the environments which his daring deeds had created for him, after the robbery at Glendale. Had Jesse James been other than a man of extraordinary capacity in great emergencies, his career would have been brought to an inglorious close before the clock of Time would have indicated the commencement of the New Year, 1880. But the destiny ' which seems to guide him once more manifested itself, and Jesse James, the bandit, rode through difficulties and dangers, and away to repose and freedom on the far off plains of Texas. There were many persons who believed that the reported death of Jesse James was true ; that the account of the bloody duel between George W. Shepherd and Jim Cummings, was confir- matory of the statement of the former, that he had shot Jesse James. It is probable after that fateful Sunday in the deep recesses of a Southwest Missouri forest, and the terrible peril to which he was there subjected, that Shepherd really believed he had shot Jesse. But, be that as it may, there were many people who resolutely insisted upon it, that Jesse James rode away unscathed. Time has disclosed the fact that they were correct. Several circum- stances combine to show that Jesse went away from 396 JESSE JAMES STILL A FREE ROVER. 397 the vicinity of Short Creek, after the Cummings- Shepherd conflict, in the enjoyment of perfect health. A few days after Christmas, the newspapers of Kansas City announced the arrival in that city of Mrs. Jesse James, from what point they did not say, perhaps because they did not know. Mrs. James visited relatives and friends in Kansas City for several days, and her conduct was not at all like that of a recently bereaved widow. After spending some days pleasantly in the city, she proceeded with Mrs. Dr. Samuels to the residence of that lady near Kearney, Clay county, which fact was duly gazetted in the society notes of the St. Louis and Kansas City journals. Mrs. Samuels herself, though pro- fessing to believe the reports concerning the death of her son, yet did not act as though the conviction had taken a very firm hold upon her mind. Mrs. Jesse James remained some days at the residence of her mother-in law, and then suddenly she concluded to visit her relatives and friends in Logan and Nelson Counties, Kentucky. These movements of the sup- posed widow of the late dreaded leader of the Glen- dale robbers does not appear to have attracted any groat amount of attention from the officers of the law. Indeed it appears Marshal Liggett had not yet abandoned the opinion entertained by him, that George W. Shepherd had shot and seriously if not fatally wounded the noted outlaw. One day, after the middle of January, 1880, a young man of respectability, residing in Kansas City, 25 398 FRANK AND .TESSE JAMES. who had been entrusted with a certain message to deliver at Russellville, Ivy., called upon another young gentleman of his acquaintance, and invited him to accompany the first-mentioned young man to Kentucky. It was a mistake on the part of the message-bearer, for the young man was no admirer of the methods of the chief of the Glendale band, and, after revolving the proposition in his mind, he came to the conclusion to acquaint Major Liggett with the facts in liis possession. This he did. The marshal urged him to accept the invitation, and pro- ceed to Kentucky with his friend. It is intimated that he supplied the necessary funds to enable the young gentleman to make the journey. The two men started. There lives in Kansas City a gentle- man who has known the James Boys, and who is not their enemy, even now. This gentleman received an intimation of what was going on, and learned definitely the aims of the marshal. In half an hour a message — it matters not what words were em- ployed, they were significant — was sent to Louis- ville, to a friend. That friend received it, understood it, and a message was at once sent to a person in Russellville. Meanwhile, the conscientious young man and his friend journeyed in the ordinary course of travel toward Russellville. Arrived there, the message-bearer cut his companion of the journey, and the latter could learn nothing to report to the mar- shal of Kansas City. The person to whom the mes- sage came understood precisely what it meant, and the JESSE JAMES STILL A FREE ROVER. 399 person whom Pinkerton and his employes have often sought, once more found a quiet retreat, where he cannot be readily discovered. There are several stories afloat with regard to the course taken by Jesse James after the Cummings- Shepherd conflict. The following is understood to be a correct narrative. Sunday night the party of robbers separated, each man taking a route of his own selection. Cummings was first cared for and left in a secure place. Jesse James made a detour toward the cast, and then turned northward. He remained in St. Clair county two days, and came into Jackson county while the attention of everyone was directed to the marshal’s posse pushing dow r n through the Indian Territory to Texas. In Jackson county he remained for some days, and when it suited his convenience lie proceeded to Texas by a route of his own selection. Afterward he desired to enjoy a little civilized life and went to Kentucky, where he was joined by Mrs. James. But when the mar- shal’s agent arrived in the region he was not there. Thus the great outlaw roves at will over the coun- try, and all the skill of men clothed with authority to entrap him has for so long a time proved Unequal to the task. But it is said by those who are in a position to know, that he Jongs to retire from the busi- ness of an outlaw, make peace with society and prove by an exemplary life in the future that his nature is not wholly bad. Yooipit BpEfjS. CHAPTER, I. THE YOUNGER FAMILY.— The political career of Henry W. Younger — Murder of Mr. Younger by Jayhawkers — Brutal treatment of the daughters — - Social rivalries — Cole Younger driven from home by the militiamen. Whom the gods love die young The happiest of the Youngers was Richard, the eldest son of his parents, who died in 1860, at the outset of a man- hood, full of promise and upon the threshold of the tragic and lurid strife which was about to call into play, many of the best and the worst, the noblest and the most fiendish traits of human nature. The vendetta of the irrepressible conflict had really be- gun in the border counties of Kansas and Missouri years before. Richard Younger was almost the only member of that ill-fated family who escaped draining to its very d regs , the bitter cu]) of evil passion and final dissolution. Thomas Coleman Younger, by all odds the fore- most of the Brothers whose daring exploits and thrilling adventures fill so large a page in the story of Guerrilla warfare and border brigandage, was born in Jackson county, Missouri, on the 15th of January, 1844. John Younger who died in mutual death with one of Pinkerton’s men in March, 1874, was born in 1846. Bruce Younger comes next, in 1848, James in 1850, and Robert in December, 1853. Bruce did not live to play a conspicuous part in the stirring events which have given to the family a 403 " Bob Younger. Cole Younger. 406 THE YOUNGER FAMILY. 407 continental fame. A life sentence in the Minne- sota state prison at Stillwater, came to the three sur- viving brothers, as the penalty of failure and over- mastering fate in the attempt upon the Northfield bank. In the seclusion of those prison walls, Coleman, James and Robert Younger, have ample leisure to reflect upon the events of their stormy career ; with the lights now before them, their lives, if they were to be lived over again, would doubtless Jim Younger. be lived differently ; but whatever regrets there may be for the past, no word that has ever come from Stillwater, indicates that these men feel the remorse which torments conscience-stricken criminals Their lawless deeds were primarily the natural outcome of lawless times and monstrous wrongs, against which the law stretched forth no protection. Outlawry 408 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. made the war between them and society perpetual. Under such circumstances a wise man submits or flees ; a proud man fights on to the end. 'Kentucky was the birthplace of Henry Washington Younger, but early in life he moved to Missouri, and planted his vine and fig tree in Jackson county. Here some years later, in 1830, when the vine had spread its branches, and the fig tree had begun to bear fruit, he married Miss Beesheba Fristo?;, who proved a loving wife and a faithful helpmate. Be- sides the sons whose names have already been given, eight daughters were born of this union, making a happy family of fourteen children, all of whom, ex- cept three grew up to manhood and womanhood. The father of the Younger Brothers was a thrifty man, and a good citizen. He reared his family as a country gentleman's family should be reared, giving his sons the best educational advantages that were to be had in that part of the state, and fitting his daughters to become the wives of men of wealth and standing in the community. He was something of a politician, too, for he was thrice elected to the Missouri Legislature, and was for eight years Judge of the Jackson County Court. A good business man was II enry Washington Younger, striving success- fully as he did, to lay by something comfortable for the rainy days, and have enough besides to give the boys a fair start in the world. Besides the fine farm of six hundred acres in Jackson county, he owned another estate near Harrisonville, in Cass county, THE YOUNGER FAMILY. 409 whither he moved in 1858, and began a profitable business as a stock-raiser and trader. Two country stores and a livery stable at Harrisonville, were also among: his ventures. One hundred thousand dollars was a very large sum of money in western Missouri twenty years ago, and yet so successful a man was Henry W. Younger in the peaceful pursuits of busi- ness, that his estates and belongings at the time of his death, were estimated to be worth more than pne hundred thousand dollars. As far as can be learned, it was the possession of wealth, more than anything else, which caused Henry W. Younger, though a Union man, to become the chosen victim of the Kansas Jayhawkers on the out- break of the war in 1861. In one of Jennison’s first raids into the Missouri counties along the border, that free-booter carried off many valuable vehicles and forty head of blooded horses from the Younger stable at Harrisonville, inflicting a loss of $20,000 upon the owner. From that time forward, the prop- erty of the Youngers was steadily wasted and con- sumed by foraging parties of Jayhawkers and Rod Legs from Kansas. Their atrocities culminated in the summer of 1862, in the assassination and robbery of Henry W. Younger, five miles from Independence, Missouri. The Jayhawkers had learned that the successful man of business, would on a certain day receive a large sum of money at Independence, the proceeds of a 410 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. sale of cattle. He went in his buggy at the ap- pointed time, and on his return was halted by a party of about a dozen Jay hawkers lying in wait, mur- dered as he sat in the vehicle, and his rilled body left lying in the road. Four hundred dollars was all that the robbers got as their reward for this hideous crime, their victim having taken the precaution to conceal a much larger sum in a belt which he car- ried buckled around his person beneath his clothing, and which was not discovered until the body was being prepared for burial by the family of the mur- dered man. The pitiless rain of sorrow and adversity which had now begun to descend upon the head of the widowed mother of the Younger Brothers, abated nothing of its fury during the remainder of her tor- lured life. Her sons were driven one after another to the black flag of QuantreH’s avengers, where their terrible prowess and remorseless deeds doubly in- flamed the hatred of wolfish enemies, against the non-combatant members of the family, and added brimstone to the tires of persecution The vine and fig tree that had grown so luxuriant in the happy springtime, shed their leaves as in a winter’s blast, and were consumed as by the breath of a volcano. Her daughters were torn from her side and their mangled bodies brought back dead from the ruins of the prison, which an infuriated mob tore down over their heads. Taking refuge at last in the little home that remained to her in Cass county, twenty-two Schoolboy Days and Country Home of the Younger Boys. 412 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. wolves in Federal uniform pursued her thither on the 9th of February, 1863, and demanded the secret of Coleman Younger’s hiding place. Threats fail- ing to extort a secret which the poor woman did not possess, the soldiers compelled lie i" to set lire to her own house with her own hands, and when the last timber was consumed, the homeless widow was per- mitted to totter three miles through the snow to a neighbor’s house for shelter. It was this atrocity which sent James Younger, then a lad of only four- teen years, into Quantrell’s band in search of ven- geance. It was about this- time, too, that the seeds were developed of that fatal consumption, which terminated her blighted life in May, 1870. From the ashes of her Cass county home, she shortly after found a refuge under the roof of her son-in-law, Lycurgus Jones, in Clay county. When the war was over, Coleman Younger went to Texas for the pur- pose of preparing there a new home for his mother, but her health was never strong enough to bear the fatigues of a journey thither. It h as already been stated that the father of the Younger Brothers was a Union man, who fell a vic- tim, as did so many other peaceable citizens and Union men, to the hyena-like rapacity of the Jay- hawkers. Under paternal guidance and with the paternal example before his eyes, Coleman Younger remained at his Cass county home until the autumn of 1861, when a body of Missouri militia, under eommaud of Ne agent, were stationed atHarrisonville. THE YOUNGER FAMILY. 413 Among Neugent’s officers was a valiant militia cap- tain named Irvin Walley. Coleman Younger, then a lad of some seventeen or eighteen summers, was frequently a guest at social parties in the village where the militiamen were also entertained. Noth- ing disturbed the smooth current of village pleasure until cupid, and cupid’s minion, jealousy, began to make trouble among the young revelers. The story goes, that at one of these parties, given at the house of Colonel McKee, Miss Younger declined to dance with Captain 'Walley. The maiden was coy, perhaps because she did not like the Captain, perhaps because she liked another better ; but whatever the cause of the refusal, it ruffled the militiaman’s temper not a little. Nor was his mood made more genial by thc interest which the belle of the evening seemed to take in Coleman Younger, who monopolized most of her time and attention, much to the chagrin of the Cap- tain. Walley manifested an inclination to provoke a quarrel with the la*d before the party broke up, and was finally heard to remark that “soldiers would stand no chance until they took that pesky Younger boy out . ‘ ’ Likely enough , there were other grounds of ill will between the Youngers and Captain Walley, lying behind these petty social rivalries. At any rate, Coleman Younger withdrew from the gather- ing, and upon reaching home, told his father what had happened, saying he feared they had not heard the last of the affair, as Captain Walley seemed de- termined to provoke a difficulty. The old gentleman 26 T.iE YOUNGER BROTHERS. 414 advised him to go down to the Jackson county farm and raise a crop, thinking by this course to remove the lad from the enmity of the militiaman, and keep him out of trouble. The advice was promptly acted upon, but not an hour to soon, for on the following night, Walley with a party of his men went down to Mr. Younger’s house, and made some violent dem- onstrations, threatening to “show Cole Younger how the dancing went.” But Cole Younger was already on his way to Jackson county, and the demonstration passed off without immediate results. The militiamen, however, were ready enough to take up any pretext which gave them an excuse to embark in foraging enterprises against wealthy or well-to-do citizens. Cole Younger was not permitted to pursue his bucolic avocations very long before he learned that Captain Walley, ‘with his militia, was on the way from Harrisonville to Jackson county for the purpose of “capturing Cole Younger, a noted bushwhacker.” Being unarmed and inexperienced in war, the lad took refuge for a few weeks among his relatives while his father endeavored to pacify Walley and settle the pretended difficulty between him and Cole. When these efforts at pacification failed, the old gentleman advised that the boy had better go to school, a proposition to which Cole as- sented. Arrangements to that end were at once begun, and the usual outfit prepared. Upon men- tioning his plan to a friend in Kansas City, Mr. Younger was surprised to learn that his intentions THE YOUNGER FAMILY. 415 had been anticipated, that he was closely watched and that it would be unsafe to attempt to remove Cole from the neighborhood. The militiamen were determined to drive the bov to desperation, in order to gain a pretext for robbing the father. On being informed of the facts, Cole Younger cut the whole matter short with the words : ‘ ‘ It is all right, I will fight them awhile then.” CHAPTER II. WITH QUANTRELL. — A highly interesting letter from Cole Younger — He denounces the “ black oath ” as a fraud — His first fight — Burning of Ma- jor Tate’s House — Cole’s plan for getting out of a bad scrape. It was about the 1st of January, 1862, that Cole Younger found his way into QuantreU’s camp. The life upon which the high spirited youth now entered was a moving kaleidoscope of dashing adventure, bold deeds and hair- breadth escapes. The band was composed mainly of young men who, like their leader, had some foul wrong to redress or some frightful vengeance to wreak. But the border war was not as hideous as it has sometimes been depicted in the desire to produce a startling effect. Though fighting often outside the rules of war, Quantrell and his men were all under the same oath to the Confederacy as that which bound their fellow soldi- ers belonging to regular commands. The “terrible black oath” attributed to the Guerrillas is ascer- tained to be in reality a fervid bit of fiction, and as such cannot hold a place in a work which seeks to j:> resent this stirring page of American history with fidelity to historic truth. A valued and highly inter- esting letter from Cole Younger to the publishers of this volume conclusively refutes the slander which would fasten that fiendish objurgation upon him and his comrades. The following is so much of the letter as space will admit the reproduc- tion of here. The scathing criticism in which he 416 WITH QUANTRELL. 417 indulges concerning the inaccuracy of two other works on Guerrilla history is omitted as foreign to the purpose and dignity of this work. It how ever effectually disposes of the “black oath:” Stillwater, Minn., May ist, 1881. My Dear Sir: Your letter of April 25, was delivered tome a few days ago by Warden Reed, and I must say I was somewhat surprised and amused. My dear sir, I know nothing concerning the subject you refer to. The “ Black Oatii ” is a myth origin- ating in the brain of some irresponsible, badlv-informed and reckless chronicler. It was all new to me, and had no existence in fact. I had nothing to do With either of those histories. * * * ****** The idea has gotten abroad that the Guerillas of Missouri were not recognized by the Confederates as Confederate soldiers. That is fahe. They took the same oath that was administered to all Confederate soldiers, and were recognized as such by all the generals in the Trans-Mississippi Department. The Con- federate War Department refused to give Quantrell a commis- sion as colonel of partizan rangers independent of the generals in command of the different departments West of the Missis- sippi; but they recognized him as captain with authority to re- cruit as many companies for the Confederate service as he could. ********* Now, as for myself. I took the same oath and it was adminis- tered by the same officers that swore all of Col. Up. Hayes’ men in. Quantrell and all of his men took the same oath. I was person- ally recognized by nearly all the generals in the Trans-Missis- sippi Department — as a guerrilla, it is true, but as an officer of the Confederate army at the same time. The generals that I met with were as follows: In the fall of 1863, I reported to Gen. Henry E. McCullough, at Barnum, Texas, in command of Northern Texas. He recognized my papers as correct, and all my orders on the Commissary and Quar- termaster’s Departments were signed by me as Captain C. S. A., and duly honored. I was recognized by Gen. Dick Taylor, while operating in his department in the same way. * * * * * * I drew pay as a confederate officer from August, 418 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. 1862, up to the time I went on the Western trip. I was recognized by Gen. Marmaduke and Gen. Shelby as a confederate officer- In February, 1864, Gen. Marmaduke sent to Gen. Shelby for an officer and forty of the best-mounted and best-armed men he had. I was the officer detailed and, after selecting the men, re- ported in person to Gen. Marmaduke, at his headquarters at Warren, Arkansas. He was alone in his tent when I entered. After looking at me closely — as I was a beardless boy, I suppose he was wondering if I would fill the bill — he told me what he wanted. It was to go on a scouting expedition to find out the plans of the Federals at Little Rock, who, he had information, intended a movement against Camden. >j< * * * * £ >|c I carried out the orders, returned to Camden and told Gen. Shelby, I thought all the Federals were asleep in Little Rock. T. C. Younger. Cole Younger made his mark as the possessor of rare courage and other soldierly qualities in the first fight in which Quantrell’s men were engaged after he joined them. The command, returning from an expedition into Kansas, stopped for a night at the house of John Flannery, in Jackson county. The house was surrounded by a body of Federals under Captain Peabody, who aroused the inmates by beat- ing on the door, and then demanded an unconditional surrender. In Quantrell’s dictionary there was no such word as surrender. He promised to return an answer in ten minutes, and when the time was up, having disposed his men to the best advantage, per- emptorily refused to surrender, and accompanied the refusal with a murderous volley of buckshot. A hot fight ensued, which lasted for nearly two hours, when the Jayhawkers finding it impossible to dislodge the Guerrillas in any other way, set. fire to the house WITH QUANTRELL. 419 at the rear of the ell, a point that was not covered by the guns of the inmates. When the flames began to invade the rooms, Cole Younger was called down from the attic window in the loft where he had been doing effective work, and the fire-trapped Guerrillas got ready for a sortie. Dummies, made of pillows, with hats placed upon them, were set in the windows, and when the fire of the beleaguers had been drawn by this means, the Guerrillas rushed from the burn- ing building, and as they emerged into the open air every man discharged his gun into the face of the enemy, broke through their line and escaped. Cole Younger, who acted with the most remarkable cool- ness and bravery throughout this fight, became separated from his companions in the sortie, and was pursued by twelve cavalrymen whom he kept in check by once and again raising his empty gun at them as he fled through the timber. A month later Cole Younger with Quantrell and twenty of his men, was sleeping at the farm house of Major Tate in Jackson county. At midnight a shot from the sentinel at the gate announced the ap- proach of two hundred cavalrymen, and a few minutes later a lieutenant was kicking the door with a demand for unconditional surrender. Quantrell crept to the door and placing the officer by the sound of his voice, sent a bullet crashing through the panel. The lieutenant fell with a death wound in his chest, and a fierce interchange of volleys began. A truce was called in order to allow Major Tate and 420 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. his family to retire to the barn, and then the combat was renewed, with Cole Younger, Quantrell and six others firing from the upper story, while the lower floor was occupied by George Shepherd and the rest of the force. After three terrible hours, the cavalry- men again resorted to the torch which was applied to the rear of the ell, as at Flannery’s; and again the Guerrillas made their sortie with loaded weap- ons, broke through the line of their besiegers with a volley and escaped. The cavalrymen lost twenty men killed, and nearly forty wounded. The Guer- rillas lost their horses and one man killed. They got a remount the next afternoon in a skirmish with thirteen cavalrymen, from whom they captured as many horses as they needed. Bright and early on the morning of February 26, 1862, Quantrell and his fifty men lying in a strongly fortified camp on Indian Creek, in Jackson county, were surprised by a shell which came crashing through the timber and exploded overhead; The Guerrillas were not many minutes in finding out that the shell was a messenger from a party of two hun- dred Jayhawkers under Col. Buell, who had brought a couple of cannon along and had completely sur- rounded their camp during the night. The Guerril- las were in a bad fix and held a very earnest council of war, at which Cole Younger called attention to the fact that inside the Jayhawkers’ lines there was a farm house with spacious stock yards filled with cattle. Cole’s plan for getting out of the scrape WITH QUANTRELL,. 421 was to hold the Jayhawkers in check until night, and then under cover of darkness to stampede those cat- tle right through the enemy’s lines, draw their tire and slip out of the trap while the Jayhawkers were pouring murderous volleys into the steers. A lively fight was kept up all day, and when the night settled down black and cloudy, Cole Younger, with three trusty companions, slipped out from the camp and started a lively commotion in the barnyard. The Jayhawkers were thrown into confusion, and tied to arms with the cry that the Guerrillas were upon them. When morning dawned, Quantrell’s men were in the rear of their besiegers, and Cole Younger led a sudden charge upon the surprised artillerymen, who surrendered their batteries without resistance. Three hundred cavalrymen under Jennison approaching at this instant, were mistaken by Buell’s men for Con- federates, and the wildest disorder ’ensued. Before Quantrell let up on the demoralized Jayhawkers, he had killed and wounded a hundred of them, captured scores of horses, twelve hundred rounds of ammuni- tion and a couple of ten-pound guns. His loss was eight men. So much for Cole Younger’s brilliant piece of backwoods strategy. After the fight at Flannery’s, Cole Younger took refuge for a couple of days at the house of Mr. Jerry Blythe, a relative, until he could find out the where- abouts of his comrades. The Jayhawkers learned that Cole was there and seventy-five of them at once set out to capture him. When the Jayhawkers got 422 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. to Blythe’s house, Cole Younger wasn’t there ; but before they left the house the armed men brutally murdered a little son of Mr. Blythe, scarcely more than twelve years old. Cole had by this time re- joined Quantrell’s men, who were already on the track of the Jayhawkers, and learning what had been done, a terrible vengeance was prepared for the murderers. As the band rode into Blue Cut on their return, the Guerrillas opened tire on them, front and rear, and from the embankments which overhung the road on both sides. They were taken completely by surprise, and scarcely a man of them escaped. Cole Younger killed ten of them with his own hand. As one of the Jayhawkers dashed out in front of the Cut, Cole grabbed his horse by the bridle, drew his revolver and shot the rider dead. About a year later, Cole Younger with twenty-five men was ordered to ambuscade a body of fifty cavalrymen under Captain Long, who would have to pass through Blue Cut on their way from Harrison- ville to Independence. Captain Long was an old friend of Cole, but riding with the cavalrymen was a man named Shoat, whom Cole suspected of being a spy, and was therefore very anxious to kill him. Having posted his men at the Cut, the young Guer- rilla ordered them to take every care not to hurt Captain Long, but at all hazards to kill Shoat. Fifteen minutes of hard fighting after the cavalrymen rode into the ambush, sufficed to route them with a loss of twenty-seven killed and wounded, and ten WITH QUANT HELL. 423 prisoners, among whom was Captain Long, whose horse was shot from under him by Cole. After chasing Shoat and bringing him down at the second shot from his heavy pistol, Cole rode back to Captain Long, and greeted him cordially as if the two had just met, after a long separation, under the happiest auspices and unbroken friendship. Some time v r as spent in friendly conversation, and then Captain Long and his fellow prisoners were released on parole. Unfortunately, such instances of magnanimity on the part of the Guerrillas, are offset by many bloody deeds which the very nature of the warfare waged between them and the Jay hawkers, perhaps made unavoidable. The barbarities practiced upon the Younger family, the murder of Cole’s father, the atrocity which compelled his mother to fire her own house with her own hand in the dead of winter, the cruel arrest and cowardly murder of three of his sisters and several of his female relatives, in the Kansas City jail, filled him with a burning thirst for vengeance which frequently wreaked itself in deeds which find no sanction outside the rules of war ap- proved by savages. CHAPTER III. THE GUERRILLAS DISBAND. —The Younger Brothers return to the family homestead — Cruel treatment of the Youngers by the Vigilance Com- mittees — Serious termination of a bar-room frolic — John Younger loses his life with Pinkerton’s de- tectives. The border warfare increased in bitterness as the participants in it became inured to slaughter, and men who had begun by being valorous, ended by being bloodthirsty. The ranks of the Guerrillas were gradually decimated by the overpowering force of numbers, and in September, 1863, shortly after the sacking of Lawrence, QuantreH's men abandoned their old stamping ground and rode off to the south. Coleman Younger reported to Kirby Smith, and with a command of fifty horsemen, did some effec- tive service in Louisiana, attacking small convoys and capturing supply trains. Early in 1865, he went with some sort of a commission from the Con- federate government, to raise a company in Califor- nia. He had some adventures with hostile Apache Indians, who were encountered on the way, but he had hardly reached his destination, when the surren- der at Appomattox put an end to the war. James Younger went with Quantrell to Kentucky, in the fall of 1864, was taken prisoner in the fight in which Quantrell was mortally wounded, and was sent to the military prison at Alton, Illinois, where 424 THE GUERRILLAS DISBAND. 425 he was kept until the summer of 1866. Upon his release, he returned to the Jackson county farm, where his mother and his younger brothers, John and Robert, were then living. Cole returned from California about the same time, and thus in the fall of 1866, eighteen months after the close of the war, we find all of the Younger boys back at the old family homestead, going to work making rails, mending fences and repairing the ravages of war about the farm. But as the Kansas border war began before Sum- ter, so it continued after Appomattox. The Jay- hawkers had not abandoned the saddle, and vigilance committees were still moving about for the purpose of driving obnoxious characters from the country.. The memory of the sanguinary deeds committed on both sides during the conflict, was perhaps too bitter to die out for many years, and moderation was hardly to be expected of the victor- ious party, when their old enemies were compara- tively at their mercy. All the offices of profit and authority, under the semi-military government, which succeeded the war in the border counties, were held either by Jayhawkers, or by members of Neugent’s old Missouri State Militia Regiment. These men cherished a deadly hatred for the rem- nants of Quantrell’s men individually and collec- tively, and they did not hesitate to use their authority for the purpose of gratifying their personal revenge. The ex-Guerrillas were one after another murdered 426 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. in their homes, or thrown into loathesome prisons. At length one of these men who had an implacable hatred against Cole Younger, and who was at the time acting as deputy sheriff, organized a posse of swashbucklers, and set out for the Younger home- stead to capture and possibly to murder Cole. The band created a reign of terror as they passed through the little town of Lee’s Summit, where they seized one of the ex-Guerrillas named George Wigginton, and after subjecting him to the most shameful treatment, carried him along with them as a guide and decoy. Arriving at the house of the Youngers, the posse found that Cole had eluded them, and after compelling the family to provide them with supper, they took John Younger, then a mere boy, out to the barn, tied a rope around his neck, threw the other end over a rafter and told the lad that his only hope for life was in telling the whereabouts of his elder brothers, Cole and Jim. Three times was he strung up, and three times he refused to betray his brothers. The fourth time he Avas left dangling in the air until the rope had cut into his flesh, and respiration had almost ceased. Weak and scarcely able to stand, the ruffians compelled the lad to ac- company their march for some distance, accelerating his speed by blows with the butts of their muskets. He crawled back home the next morning, half dead, to find his mother’s end hastened by the agonizing- suspense of the night. It did not take many demon- strations of this kind to convince the Younger THE' GUERRILLAS DISBAND. 427 Brothers that it was impossible for them to live in safety at their old home, and accordingly Cole, James and John departed for Texas, intending, it is said, to remove the rest of the family thither, as soon as a suitable home could be provided in the Lone Star State. When the Younger Brothers left their Jackson county home for the last time, they were to all in- tents and purposes outlaws, and their movements from that time onward, until their death or capture are enveloped in mystery, or marked by violent offences against law, life and property The full pardon which was granted to the Jayhawkers, for all crimes and excesses committed under color of mili- tary service, was never extended to members of the old Guerrilla bands who returned to Missouri after the war was over. Efforts were made in good faith by friends of the Jameses and Youngers, to put them once more at peace with society and the law ; but nothing came of it, and the proscribed men, hunted and waylaid at every turn, settled perma- nently down into the life of desperadoes. From their Texas cattle ranche, the Youngers returned frequently to their old haunts, brought back by the semi-annual cattle drive, or by sheer restlessness of spirit. In just how many of the bank robberies, train robberies and highway robberies, with which their names are connected, they really had a hand, will probably never be known. Doubtless, at times other desperate men have taken advantage of their 428 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. outlawry, to pillage and murder in their names. Every highway robbery in the West about which there was a deed of boldness or dash, was placed to their account and added at once to their fame and infamy As a full record of these robberies is given in another part of this volume, it is needless to re- count them here. But there are enough well authenticated incidents in the later career of the Youngers, to fill a spacious volume. John Younger, in 1866, when only four- teen years of age, had occasion to go up to Inde- pendence to get a pistol repaired. After the job was finished, and while John was standing in front of the public square, a man named Gillcreas came along, and learning that John was a veritable brother of Cole Younger, began a violent tirade of abuse which he ended with a kick. “If you do that again I will kill you,” said John. The kick was repeated, and Gillcreas fell dead, with a bullet through his heart. The coroner’s jury which investigated the affair, found that John acted in self-defense, and the grand jury declined to review the verdict. Again, while clerking in a store at Dallas, Texas, John Younger was frolicking with some companions in a bar room one night. There was present, the usual bar room butt, an old codger with whom every- body took liberties, and by way of a prank, John laid a wager to brush the old fellows nose with a pistol bullet without hitting him. The ball was fired, swerved a little out of its aim, and John’s — 430 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. target was the next instant hopping about the room with a bloody proboscis. Partly by way of carrying out the joke, perhaps, for' the man was not really hurt, some of the crowd persuaded him to swear out a warrant against John for attempt to kill ; and be- fore the joke was ended, John Younger had actually killed the sheriff attempting to arrest him, and had his own arm almost severed from the shoulder by a charge of buckshot. He made his way to Missouri, and thence to the home of his uncle in California, but his restless disposition soon brought him back. The robbery of a train at Gad’s Hill, on the Hon Mountain Railroad, about the 1st of March, 1874, created wild excitement throughout eastern Missouri. Large rewards were offered by the railroad and ex- press companies for the capture of the robbers, and bands of armed men went out in every direction in pursuit. Two of Pinkerton’s best detectives, Capt. Allen, alias Lull, and Boyle, alias James Wright, were sent to St. Clair county, in search of John and James Younger, who were supposed to be in that region, and who were of course suspected of having had a hand in the Gad’s Hill exploit. The" detec- tives reconnoitered around Osceola for a week, and having engaged the services of an ex-deputy sheriff named Edwin B. Daniels, the trio set out for Chalk Level, in the guise of cattle dealers. On the 16th of March, two of the party stopped at the house of Mr. Theodore Snuffer, inquired about the road to the widow Simmon’s house and rode on, but not by THE GUERRILLAS DISBAND. 431 the road, to the widow Simmon’s. John and James Younger were in the house eating their dinners, while the detectives were talking at the gate, and their quick intuition saw through the disguise of the “cattle dealers” almost at a glance. They at once saddled their horses and followed the men, for it was ever the policy of the Younger Brothers, as well as of the James Boys, to make war to the death, upon all detectives caught following their trail. Both the brothers were heavily armed, John alone having four revolvers in his belt, and a shot gun across the pommel of his saddle'. When the Youngers came up with these men, Wright drew his pistol, but quickly concluding that prudence was the better part of valor, put spurs to his horse and fled, his pace being accelerated by a shot which knocked the hat from his head without doing any other injury. Daniels and Allen stopped for a fatal parley. John Younger’s shot gun was leveled quick as thought, and both the men were forced to drop their heavy pistols to the ground. The gun was kept leveled while the detectives were closely questioned. But Allen was too quick for the out- law. Suddenly drawing a small Smith and Wesson pistol, he shot John Younger in the neck. With his life’s blood gushing from the wound, John Younger returned the lire, disabled his assailant and finally gave him a mortal wound before he himself dropped out of the saddle, never to mount again. Daniels 432 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. was also killed, but whether by John or James Younger, has never been clearly ascertained. After this tragedy, James Younger went to Boone county, Arkansas, where he remained until the summer. Cole and Bob Younger then joined him, and a series of exciting adventures with bands of men hunting for horse thieves followed. CHAPTER IV. NORTHFIELD AND STILLWATER.— The Youn- gers abandon their trip to Texas, and join in the fatal raid on Northfield — Jesse James’ proposition to end Jim Younger’s suffering — Capture, trial and sentence of the Youngers — Col. Gaston visits the bandits at Stillwater. The career of the Younger Brothers now draws to a close. In all their wanderings, the old home in Jackson county held its attraction for them, and ever and anon they returned to the scenes so full of sad and happy memories. It was from their secret haunt in Jackson county, that the brothers, almost the last survivors of a family whom the war found happy, prosperous and full of promise, set out about the middle of August, 1876, on one of their roving trips to Texas. The curse of the wanderer and the outlaw was upon them. To make their peace with the law and "with the world had long since become impossible, and perhaps the inclination so to do had long since passed away. They had not proceeded far on their journey, when they fell in with the James Boys and others, outlaws like them- selves, ever ready for any adventure which promised excitement or profit. The expedition against the bank at Northfield, Minnesota, resulted from this meeting. It is said that Cole Younger did not approve the plan, that he thought the enterprise of doubtful 433 434 THE YOUNGER BROKERS. success, that “the game was not worth the ammu- nition.” Nevertheless the Texas outfit was sold and the Youngers, Cole, James and Robert, went with the rest by railroad to Minnesota. In the des- perate street fight which followed the abortive attempt upon the bank, Robert Younger received a painful wound in the right elbow, and in the moment of flight, Jim Younger who had an ugly wound in the mouth and had lost his horse, was borne from the scene by his brother Cole. Jim Younger’s wound was the greatest drawback to the outlaws in making their escape, as it not only left an unmis- takable trail of Mood by which their course was easily tracked, but made him a burden on his com- rades who were less severely hurt, and greatly re- tarded their movements. It is even asserted that Jesse James proposed to Cole Younger, that the only way for the hotly pursued bandits to make good their escape, would be to end Jim Younger’s suffering with a pistol bullet. ts cannot live,” Jesse James is reported to have said. “He is almost dead now, and to attempt to carry him, will only result in certain death to C whole party.” To this proposition, Cole and F ? Younger indig- nantly replied that they would stay by their brother until he died, and then carry his d~«d body as long as their strength made it possible Shortly after this Frank and Jesse James separated from the rest of the band, and finally got awav to Mexico, while Charlie Pitts and the Youngers made their way as NORTHEIELD AXD STILLWATER. 435 best they could, with the whole country up in arms against them. Cole and Bob Younger staid man- fully by their sorely wounded brother, carried him over streams and through swamps, until their own wounds made further flight impossible. Two weeks after the attempt upon the Northfield bank, Charlie Pitts and the Youngers were hunted into a small patch of timber, which was quickly sur- rounded by 150 armed men, who began firing into the woods to drive the robbers out. But even this terrible fusilade had no effect upon them. Weary, foot-sore, and with festering wounds, the outlaws stood desperately at bay, determined to sell their lives and liberty as dearly as possible. Then sheriff Grliespin called for volunteers to go into the brush and stir them up. Before this party of seven men had advanced fifty yards into the brush, Charlie Pitts rose in front of them and leveled a revolver which exploded at the same instant with the sheriff’s rifle. The sheriff was not hit, but Pitts turned and dropped dead after running a few yards. It was the turn of the Younger Brothers next. They rose to their feet for their last encounter and opened fire, as the sheriff’s men approached. One of the posse was wounded, another had his watch shattered into a thousand pieces by a ball from the Youngers, while yet a third owed his life to a pipe in his vest pocket, which broke the force of a well directed pistol ball. The fire of the assailants, however, brought Cole and Jim Younger again to the ground, 436 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. groaning with the pain of broken bones. The Y oungers retreated a little, and soon found themselves ex- posed to the fire of the men on the further outskirts of the Avoods. Hemmed in on every side, and encompassed by a girdle of fire, the Brothers again retreated to witliin twenty yards of the advancing posse Avith Avhom they had just fought. Cole and Jim Younger Avere by this time utterly disabled, but Bob, Avith one arm shattered and dangling by his side, grasped his revolver with his left hand and fired repeatedly at his assailants, aiming first at one end of the line, then at the other, and again at the center, a fresh revolver being handed him as fast as the one he held was exhausted. But his aim was unsteady, and seeing that the contest Avas with- out shadow of hope, he called a truce as the Boys “were all shot to pieces,” threAv down his pistol, and the famous Younger Brothers who had faced death in a thousand forms, Avere at last captured, more dead than alive. In this fight, and in the pur- suit Avhich preceded it, Cole Younger was wounded eleven times, which, added to previous ones, makes a total of tAventy wounds Avhick the hardy outlaAv bears upon his person. Jim Younger Avas Abounded four times in the North field affair, and six times in all. Bob Younger was never Abounded before the Northfield adventure, white he received three shots, one of Avhich shattered his right elboAV, leaving him a stiffened arm and hand for life. NORTHFIELJD AJXD STLLLWATER. 437 But though thus riddled with bullets, in a way that would have been the death of any man of less iron nerve, not one of the Younger Brothers was mortally hurt. After the capture, they were taken to Madelia, where their wounds were dressed, the best surgical attention given them, and wonderful kindness shown them by the citizens. Jim’s wounds were looked upon as hopeless, but a consti- tution of steel aided by good nursing, brought him through the crisis. People who visited them were surprised to find the terrible Younger Brothers looking so little like the desperadoes their deeds had proved them to be. Tall, handsome, gentlemanly in bearing, demeanor and language, they made a most favorable impression on every one who met or conversed with them. Still they had engaged in desperate work, and expected nothing but that they must abide by the consequences. The grand jury returned four indictments against the Youngers, one of which charged Cole Younger' with the murder of a Norwegian who was killed in the streets of Northfield, and two witnesses were ready to swear that they saw Cole fire the fatal shot. The penalty of murder in the first degree was death, if the prisoners should be convicted on trial after entering a plea of “not guilty.” Accordingly, when the District Court met at Faribault, on the 7th of November, they entered a plea of - “ guilty.” The judge ordering them to stand up, pronounced the sentence that each of the prisoners be coufined in 438 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. the state penitentiary at Stillwater, for the period of their natural lives. When these words were uttered, Miss Retta, the young and beautiful sister of the outlaws, who had come to visit them in their suf- fering, almost fainted away, and then falling upon Cole’s neck, gave utterance to such heart-rending grief that every one in the court room was moved to tears. True to the teachings and the pledge of the “Black Oath,” the Younger Brothers in their prison life, sturdily refuse to utter a word that might compro- mise a comrade, or betray the secrets of their dark and strange career. Upon indifferent matters con- cerning themselves alone, and upon topics that have become historical, they talk freely, intelligently and interestingly enough. But beyond that, their mouths are sealed beyond the power of the most ingenious questioning, or even “all the tortures cun- ning mankind can inflict” to open them. In September, 1880, Col. George Gaston of Kan- sas City, turned- aside from a tour of the Minnesota lakes to visit, in their prison at Stillwater, the Younger Brothers, whom he had known before the war. Describing- his interview with the incarcerated bandits, after the preliminary introduction to the prison authorities, Col. Gaston proceeds as follows : “There was a man at the top of the steps to re- ceive us, another official with the conventional bunch of keys. ‘Come this way,’ said lie, and we followed him into a square room with walls and ceilings of NORTHFIELD AND STILLWATER. 439 stone. There were chairs and we sat down. A door at one side opened, and three men walked in. They were Cole, Jim and Bob Younger. They took chairs opposite and directly facing us. They wore the prison garb, and their faces were shaven and their hair cropped close. They looked so genteel despite their striped clothing, that my nervousness disappeared at once. I told them who I was, and whence I came, and introduced my "wife. They were very courteous, and bowed and said they were glad to see me. Jim hitched back his chair, and addressing my wife, said laughingly : ‘It is so long since we have been permitted to converse with any- body, that I don’t know as we can talk.’ Then followed a desultory conversation. Cole said his health was poor, he complained of suffering from the effects of the wound in his head, received at the time of his capture. The rifle ball entered near the right ear and lodged under the left ear, and has never been removed. Jim was shot in the mouth, but there are now no signs of the wound. Bob had his jaw broken, but he too has entirely recovered, and is the handsomest one in the trio. He is the youngest ; I remember him as a boy. He has de- veloped into a robust, fine looking young man. “It was really very touching,” continues Col. Gaston, “to hear them talk of the past and the present. Cole told of his army life ; how at the age of nineteen, he had been promoted to a captaincy in the Confederate army. He spoke of the murder of 440 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. his father, and of his career since the close of the war. ‘My exploits in the army were exaggerated,’ said he, ‘ just as my exploits as an outlaw have been exaggerated. In one instance I have been too highly praised, and in the other, grossly wronged.' “I learned from their own lips the story of their prison life ; Cole Younger is a changed man. I found him positively entertaining. He converses with a correctness, fluency and grace that are charming. None of the brothers aie compelled to do very much work ; they spend a great deal of their time reading in their cells. Jim is reading law books, and Bob is studying medicine ; Cole seems to have developed a theological turn of mind. These three men are great favorites in the prison ; they are looked up to by their companions, as a sort of demi-gods, creatures immeasurably above the ordi- nary inmates of the penitentiary. “The most dreadful feature of their lives is the fact, that though they occupy adjoining cells, they are not permitted to converse with each other. It is only once a month that they can meet and talk to one another, and then only for a few moments. They told me that they prayed earnestly every night, that the month might pass quickly. It was touching beyond expression, to hear Cole speak of his early days. His misspent life he charges to the faults of his early training. He says he was taught to be , ruled by his passions, and his passions alone. And as he talked in this vein, the tears came into his eyes NORTHTTELT) AXI> STILLWATER. 4-11 and I felt that ho was indeed a penitent man. He inquired after his old army friends, and I told him what I knew of them and their whereabouts. In the course of our conversation, the James Boys were mentioned. ‘Do you believe Jesse is dead ?’ I asked. Cole straightened up, glanced quick as a lightning flash at his brothers on either side of him, and re- plied. ‘He is, if George Shepherd says he is.’ - I asked him what he meant, and he answered : ‘There are sometimes two things alike in the world, and Jesse James and George Shepherd were as near alike as they could be, in character, I mean. Both are quick, nervous and brave.’ ” It is, however, pretty well established, that Jesse James is alive and well, despite his encounter with George Shepherd. Several persons who know Jesse well, assert that they saw him frequently in the mining regions of Colorado, as recently as Decem- ber, 1880. If a desperate assault upon the Stillwater prison gave fair promise of releasing the Youngers and restoring them to liberty and safety, there are doubtless some hundreds of their old comrades and friends yet living, who would not turn back from any danger that might be encountered in such an enterprise. But though some movement of the kind was once talked about, the manifest madness of the attempt, caused the idea to be abandoned be- fore the plan ever assumed definite shape. Looking upon the Youngers as victims of war, rather than 442 THE YOUNGER BROTHERS. as ordinary outlaws, it has been suggested by their friends, that political influences might in some way be brought to bear to secure their pardon, a plan which might be more feasible if their offences were confined to any one commonwealth. It is known that Jesse James at one time looked upon the par- don of the Youngers from the Minnesota peniten- tiary, as not beyond the range of possibilities, and that .he made some efforts to enlist political influ- ence in their behalf. The only attempt that has ever been made to rescue the brothers, was as clumsy in its conception, as it was abortive in its outcome. In the latter part of 1877, two ex-Guerrillas who were ardent admir- ers of the Youngers, met in western Missouri, and after discussing the situation, reached the conclusion that if they were once on the inside of the same prison with the redoubtable brothers, the five of them could, by a bold push, make their way out. They accordingly proceeded to Minnesota, where one of them stole a watch and was sentenced to the Stillwater penitentiary, for a year. The other com- mitted some petty larceny, and got only a short term in the county jail. The one who was sent to the penitentiary, found no means of communicating with the Youngers, got never a sight of them in fact, and had not even the poor consolation of re- vealing to them the kindly scheme which had made him for a time the partner of their captivity. Wild Bill. A marvelously exciting book, full of daring advehitures and wonderful escapes among the Indians and lawless white men of the Far West. PA PER COVERS, PRTCE 25 CENTS. Sent free to any address on receipt of price. I D, THOMPSON & CO., PuWMers, 520, 522 and 524 Pine St., ST. LOUIS, MO. m m HAS WM W1TG8ES 3D THE scour, By J. W. BUEL, of the St. Louis Press, ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.