New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-05

? ages, whom they held, threatening to ki
them till the citizens agreed to turn bacf
J This was another exploit of the James !,
Younger brothers, though it has never bean
widely published. Their last performanes
was on the St. Louis and Iron Mountain
railroad, on the thirty first of January
when, at Gad's Hill, 100 miles south of ST
: Louis. they signalled an express train "a
Z stop, and went through it artistcally, a.
J curing several thousands of dollars. 1t will
thus be seen that within very few months
they have worked away up near Omaha
and away down near Cairo.
And the James boys live within an hours
ride of Kansas City, town of 10000 in.
habitants.
After the Gad's Hill robbery the Young
ers and Jameses rode South ard West iuto
Arkansas, giving out that they were going
west to Texas and New Mexico, then
doubled and took a short turn northward
the former making the Monegaw Sprinw
and the latter for Kearney. The Postothcs
Department, the Iron Mountain railroad
and the Adams Express COmpany-whicb
last organization boasts that it never com
promised with robber and never wa
eluded by One-had set Pi1kertons detec.
tives on the track. They traced the rob
bers down to the ArkansasNine and then
divided in pursuit.
The detective following the James boys
was Joseph w. Whicher. He was a young
man OF twenty-six, stood almost six feet
had blue eyes and light hair, and a smooth
boyish face with but a shadow of mus
| tache. He was born at Des MOines Iowa
but as boy shipped from New York on
| fruit vessel trading TO the Mediterranean.
| rising to be mate. He fell and broke his
| ankle in 1871, and then took to the detec.
| tive business, in which he promised to excel,
being discreet. cool and courageous. He
reached Liberty, Missouri, on the tenth,
Tuesday, and left his money with banker
named Atkins, to whom he contided hn
| errand. Atkins tried to dissuade him, but
at last sent for the sheriff. who told him that
the James boys were not at home, and that
1t would be very dangerous work to gOt
to house as "their mother was on the shoot
Whicher resolved to go on, probably intend
ing to recOnnOitre before organizing an eI
petition. Report at Liberty has it that the
sheriff, who went to school with the James
boys, served in the rebel army with them
and always was an intimate friend of theirs,
gave him away" and sent them word that
an officer was on their track.
On Tuesday afternoon at five O'Clock
Whicher reached Kearney and set off across
the fields toward the James place. He wa
never again seen alive.
That night, or rather the next morning
on the Missouri river, between jackson and
Clay counties, WAS hailed by some mounted
men on the north (Clay) bank They said
they were Deputy Sheriff Jim Bakers
possee, and had a horse thief with them
whom they were taking to Jackson county
where they expected to capture his mate
His assistant was on the Clay side, but
could not ferry the fat alone. and unless he +
came over they would cut his boat loose.
The threat decided him to 60. but when be
had crossed he found that Baxter was not i
OF the party, which consisted of three men y
whose faces were covered with their nut.
fiers and slOuched hats, and q fourth who
was tied on his horse by rope fastened to
both ankles, his arms also being piniOned
None of them said anything while crossing
but they let their prisoner down and he
stamped about the boat as if to restore cir.
cniatiOn to his benumbed feet. Arrived at
the south bank they paid their fare and
rode away. The clock struck three as the
terryman re-entered his house. He noticed
that the prisoner was on gray horse.
few minutes after three Mr.. Bolts, who
lives about eighty rods from the Forks,
where the Liberty, Independence and Lex
lngtOn roads diverge, heard three or four
pistol shots and a sound of galloping horses
At tour o'clock labOrer at Independence
met man on a bay horse leading a gray
horse with an empty saddle. The bus
4
ience also met him.
The rider of the gray horse was found at
he Forks early that morning stone dead.
He bore three pistol wOunds-one in the
shoulder, one in the neck, and one in the
head. The last two shots had been fired at =
10 close range that his clothing, skin and y
lair were blackened and burned with DOW.
Ter. verdict of death by the hands OF
'ome party unknown" was returned, and it 1
vas not until some days after that the body
vas recognized and shipped to st. Louis
The James brothers we're seen that Tues.
lay night for the first time since their
lying visit after the Iowa train robbery.
IN thursday they rode into kearney and
warned several persons who had been talk
ng OF the murder to keep quiet if they
iidn' t want their heads blown off. On
sunday party of men searched their
house, but found no trace of Them and 80
;reat is the terror they have inspired in
;lay county that their names are never
mentioned save in back rooms, and then
population of some $4,000.
And now for the party which tracked thu
.Oungers About the seventh they ran
heir game to earth in the vicinity of None.
aw Springs and cautiously awaited an
pportunity to make capture. A brake,
IAN of the Iron Mountain road was sent
ut as q spy. and captured by the Youngers
9 played his part 80 well that he was set
t liberty. with a warning to leave the
ountry. He reported at once at OsceOla to
ne detectives, Allen of Chicago, and
Vright of St. Louis whose req. name ia
'uckworth They were accompanied BY
Deputy Sheriff Edward B. Daniels. On
uesday morning they set out and called at
le house OF man named Snuffer, an ex
lrveyor, of whom they asked the wav to
mss farm. John and James Younger were
the house at the time taking dinner As
ION as Snuffer had given them their direo-
0ns they rode away, turning to the left in
cad OF to the right. This seemed strange
him, and he mnntioned the fact to the
oungers. II know them" said John,
, after them" James said, Never
ind; the've gone. Let them CO." But
ohn insisted on following and fighting
lem, saying, as he buckled on his belt.
Ia as soon be killed now as next day, if
g got to be-" They both mounted and
ourred along the road after the detectives.
nom they overlook on stony hill side,
10 called on them to surrender. Accounts
the tight are conflicting. Duckworth
Iys that he drew aside to make room for
8 companions to fire; but, seeing them
row down their revOlvers as if to sur
nder. put spurs to his horse and galloped
I, pursued by James Younger, whom he
capped. 1t would seem as if Allen and
anlels threw down their belts, findlnsI
emselves covered or as a feint, but whea
70 ioungers came up Allen drew a small
voiver and shot John in the breast
aniels cried out, For Gods sake. don't 9
~ I'D Daniels, of Osceola;" but John re.
leo, u know you," and fred two charges
;, Duckshot right and left, one striking !
Zen IN the arm, shattering it, the other
KING Daniels in the neck, killing him in