Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-08-04
A LIFE OF CRIME.

the James and Younger Oesper-
ADDE'S.
The Chicago Times gives the follow
ing graphic pen-picture OF gang OF
desperadoes who robbed banks, railway
trains and stage-coaches, and shot men
through the head without the slightest
prevocation:
The robbery of the Rock Island and
Pacific train nc Winston on Friday
night was, IL Is now very generally be-
lieved, done under the leadership OF
the notorious desperate, Jesse james.
Jesse and Frank James are now almost
the only ones left Of the old band of
desperadoes whose name was a terror
throughout the Missouri valley for
years. The James and Younger broth
erssworked together for long time,
and perpetrated series Of daring rob
berries and atrOciOus murders that
made them famous i'm the criminal his
tory Of the west and southwest, but
since the Mortified robbery. three
years ago. which terminated In the kill
ing Of two or three OF the Tuflians, and
the permanent retirement of three of
the Youngers 10 the privacy of peniten-
tiaTy life. the rest Of the mob have
been leading comparatively quiet lives.
The only deed of consequence with
which they have been identified since
the Minnesota mishap. was the Glen
dale train robbery on the Chicago and
Alton n couple of years ago, and but
for the occurrence Of last week they
might soon have been forgotten.
Frank James, IL is understood, is liv-
ing ON his cattle ranch i'm the pan
handle Of Texas, and trying TO behave
himself, or at least restrain his brutal
passions to certain degree; but his
brother Jesse is too restless and i'm.
prov ident n man ever 10 be anything
else than an outlaw. lie has been
bred TO the business of crime, and il is
second nature TO him to murder and
rob. Although he has made large
sum of money by his numerous rob
berries. he has not been able TO retain
any of 1t, and parties who have seen
him In and about Kansas City during
the past few months say he was "doWn
at the heel" and in bad state finan-
cially. lie is an inveterate and a
hard gambler, and diligent pursuit of
that line of business has reduced him
TO penury almost.
The opinion is held by many that the
Winston spoliatiOn was not done by
Jesse James, or under his guidance, but
by green hands. Accounts seem TO
agree that il was an awkward,
M r-Ntprpr>-, ptr,,,r. ~, ,,.o,,..
and for that reason it is argued that it
must have been the deed of apprentices.
Mr.. Joseph X. Hickey. Of Missouri. who
is familiar with the history and meth
DDS Of the Jameses and YCungers. en-
tertains the theory that the depreda-
ton was committed by nOvices. and in
an interview with a reporter for the
Times, he gave his reasons for so think
ing. "The job was so bunglingly
DONE" he said. cas- to preclude the idea
that veterans could have had anything
to do with IL. The robberies perpetrat-
eel by the Jameses and Youngers were
generally, and may say almost invar.
iably. planned carefully and executed
with skill. They were preceded by
some nice detective work, and IL was
seldom that they struck blindly. or at
random. The Jameses had way of
knowing when valuable packages were
about TO be shipped, and on what
trains they were TO be forwarded, so
that when they made a descent they
captured booty that repaid them well
for the risk taken. This time there
not A
make II worth while for eight or ten
men TO pass through all the trouble
and danger Of stopping ard going
through train for Il. If the accounts
OF the affair / have seen are 10 be re-
lied ON the robbers were about as badly
frightened "a any of the passengers.
and fled without half doing their work. |
leaving the passengers untouched"
The police here. however. are firmly
convinced that
JESSE JAMES SET Up THE JOB
and carried IL through, and at Pinker.
tons detective agency the same theory
Is held. Francis Warner. the superin. |
tendent, and w. A. tBilly) Pinkerton.
who know a great deal about these
Missouri desperadOes, say there is very
little doubt that Jesse james was the |
leading spirit of the outrage. 1t is Just
like the jobs in which he has taken
part before" said Mr.. Warner. at
bears too many Of his marks TO be mis-
taken for somebody else. He is known
70 have been In that part of the coun-
try for several weeks. hard ND and
wolhsh. IL would be no trouble for
him to get up gang of raiders at any
time and ON very short notice. The |
people among whom he lived for so
long are friendly 10 him. Many Is the
time they have secreted and protected
him and his brother msrauders when
the officers were after them. and he
can always rely on them when he has
work 10 do"
"JeSse James," said Mr.. Pinkerton
Is blood-thirsty devil. and the MUIR
der OF Conductor Westfall is Just like
one OF his acts. On several occasions
he has shot down men wantonly. and
without the shadow of an excuse.
The Northdeld bank cashier WIS muir
dered in cold blood, and without cause.
Ihere are other instances of the same
Kind, showing what kind of a man he
Is. Then the description of the tall
man who led the Winston train train
robbers answers to that of Jesse James.
In short, there is every reason to be-
heye that he did the business"
The Pinkertons have had a varied
experience In running down the Youn-
ger and James freebooters, and they
are thoroughly acquainted with their
career OF crime and bloUd-shed. In a
chat with The Times man on yesterday,
Mr.. BILLY PinkertOn related many
passages In their history. which will be
read with interest mt this time. Much
OF u has been given to the public at
different times, but now that the land
pirates have again made their appear
ance. II becomes new. The facts Civ