Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-08-11
TRAIN ROBBERIES.
-on.r ofthc Exploits ofthc Notorious James
Brothers.

Younger boys workmanship, though
il has been the fashion Of late years to
lay all such crimes to their account
when the perpetrators were unknown,
and less distinguished dcsperadoes have
traded on the terror of their name. The
Jameses and Youngers were graduated
from guerilla service in Western Mis-
souri,, and to desperate courage added n
perfect acquaintance with the West
from Iowa to the Indian TERRITORY. They
had the further advantage OF wide
circle OF relatives and acquaintanccs
more or less admiring and sympathetic,
and finally worked up their coups skill.
fully under innumernblc disguises and
aliases, appearing byturns as wild riders
and as peaceful drovers and cattle
traders. They rarely acted in full force;
one, two or three OF them. probably
under assumed names, would recruit n
small but sufficient band from among
the dcspcradoes Of the frontier; the
blow would be struck hundreds OF miles
from the post at which they had last
appeared, then rctreating rapidly
southwark or westward the plunder
would be divided and the band would
break up, while pursuit would be dis
tracted by the discovery that the other
three or four "boys," who had been
positively identified had been at
home in the vicinity Of Kansas City all
the time. Their history for the general
public opens with the descent on Rus
sellvillc, Ky, March 20, 1868, when a
dozen mounted men entered the town,
and galloping up and down it'll cooked
pistols kept the townsmen within doors
while two Of their number entered the
bank, covered" the cashier, emp.ied
the safe and rode away, being chased
across the Mississippi and well mp into
Northern Missouri, but finally escaping.
This was "bcnciit" excursion 10 OBJ
tain funds 20 send a sick member OF the
band to sea. II December, 1863, a
rimilar exploit Was repeated at Gal
latin, Mo, With one additional detail
ono Of the robbcr- blew ont the brains
OF Cashier John ". Streets. They
were traced TO Clay county. No, where,
as usual, the trail was lost. The
Jamesos, who have pcnchant for cor
rcspondence, wrote to the governor Of
! fcriaS to stand their trial il guaraAtccd
fair play, proving an ahbi, but he de-
clared that such action was needless.
Tho next raid was on Columbus, XIV,
April, 2~, 1871. when tho "boys got
away IN safety TO Missouri, killing al.
other cashier, June 2, 1872, six Of
them struck Gordon, Ia. robbed the
bank AMI escaped, beating Off the
pursuing sheriff, who came up with
them. In October OF the same year, AZ
sunset, there was made asucccssful raid
on the cashiers Office Of tho Kansas
City tyexpositiou while some 30, 900 people
were on the grounds May %. 1873,
Ste. Gcneyieve, Mo, was attacked and
plundorcd, and the money having been
divided in the woods near St. Louis.
the band rode away July II they
ditchod g Rock Island and Pacific train
near Council Bluffs, and while two of
them held the terrified passengers in
check tho others robbed the express car.
Again the freebootcrs got away. though
chased to tho vicinity ot Moncgav
Springs, the home Of the Youngers. In
November they tagged" " an Iron
I Mountain train at Gad's Hill, sixty miles
from st. Louis. terrorizcd tho passen-
gers and hands," robbed the express
car, sent . telegram to the ST. Louis
press porting the occurrence and rode
away To the southward. At Malvern,
Ark, in December and at FL Paso, Tex,
in the following April, they overhaulcd
express safes on the stage routes. After
tho last exploit the first of the gang
came to grief" Jim" Reed, who was
mortally wounded by Texas sheriff in
a quarrel, and who idied admitting his
share in the robberics but refusing TO
divulge The names Of his associates. AT
this time, too. occurred several tragical
episodes. A posse under ex-Captain
Louis Lull, of the Chicago police, went
to besiego tho Youngers at Monegaw
Springs and met Jim" and John
Younger on the road. The lat
ter was killed but Lull was
shot Whichor, another Chicago de-
tective, spent long time in working
mp a case against the James boys, and
Just as il was completed was made a
prisoner, carried away several miles and
shot to death on the highway. Another
attempt was made by throwing bomb
or ball into the bandits house at